Remarks in Vienna, Ohio

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov 1, 2004

October 27, 2004

The President. Thank you all for coming. Thanks so much for coming. My fellow Republicans, discerning Democrats, wise independents, I'm here to ask for your vote and ask for your help.

We're getting close to voting time here in Ohio. It's coming close to time for people to get out and exercise their responsibility in a free society. And so I'm asking you to get people to go to the polls. I'm asking you to get your friends and neighbors to do their duty. Don't overlook discerning Democrats, people like the mayor and Senator Miller. Don't overlook people who understand that I stand for all of America, that my vision is a vision for everybody. And when you get them headed to the polls, remind them, if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.

Perhaps the most important reason why your fellow citizens ought to vote for me is so that Laura is the First Lady for 4 more years. I'm sure many of you will relate to this. When I asked Laura to marry me, she said, "Fine, but make me a promise." I said, "Okay, what is it?" She said, "Promise me I'll never have to give a political speech." [Laughter] I said, "Okay, you got a deal." Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise. She's giving a lot of speeches, and when she speaks, the American people see a warm, compassionate, strong First Lady.

I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. Now, look, I admit it, he does not have the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] I see some others who are follically challenged. [Laughter] But you'll be happy to hear I did not pick the man because of his hairdo. [Laughter] I picked him because of his experience. I picked him because of his judgment. I picked him because he can get the job done for the American people.

Nothing better than traveling throughout Ohio with Zell Miller. What a good man, good, down-to-earth, solid citizen of the United States of America. Zell, we're proud you're here.

And I want to thank George McKelvey, the mayor of Youngstown, Ohio. I can't thank him enough for his friendship and his strong support.

I'm proud to be with your fine Governor, Bob Taft. Governor, thanks for being here. I want to thank all the State and local officials, all the candidates who are running for different offices.

I want to thank my friend Sammy Kershaw. I appreciate you, Sammy. And I want to thank Lorrie Morgan as well. We're honored you're here. I want to thank the Boardman High School marching band for being here.

Most of all, I want to thank you all for coming. You're lifting my soul and lifting my spirits. It is so great to see such a big crowd. I want to thank you for putting up the signs. I want to thank yon for making the phone calls. I want to thank you for what you're going to do as we're coming down the stretch, which is to turn out that vote. With your help, there is no doubt in my mind, we will carry Ohio again and win a great victory.

Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

The President. Thank you all. This election comes down to some clear choices for America's families, choices on issues of great consequence.

The first clear choice is the most important because it concerns the security of your family. All progress on every other issue depends on the safety of our citizens. This will be the first Presidential election since September the 11th, 2001. Americans will go to the polls in a time of war and ongoing threats to our Nation. The terrorists who killed thousands are still dangerous, and they're determined. The outcome of this election will set the direction of the war against terror.

The most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.

Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we have fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear. We've strengthened the protections for the homeland. We're reforming our intelligence services. We're transforming our military. There will be no draft; the All-Volunteer Army will remain an all-volunteer army. We are relentless. We are steadfast. We are pursuing the enemy across the Earth so we do not have to face them here at home.

And we are spreading liberty. I want you to tell your children what a monumental event has taken place in Afghanistan. It wasn't all that long ago that young girls couldn't go to school, and if their mothers didn't toe the line of the ideologues of hate, the Taliban, they were pulled out in the public square and whipped and sometimes executed. But because we acted in our self-defense, because we acted to remove terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, because we upheld doctrine that said, "If you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the terrorist," millions of people in Afghanistan went to the polls to vote for a President. The first voter was a 19-year-old woman. Freedom is on the march.