CBS News - Democratic Convention - 1992-07-16 - 1 of 3
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Transcript
Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)
[0:00] We celebrate America.
[0:04] >> What a difference a day makes here on
[0:07] the floor of Madison Square Garden. It's
[0:09] a rumbling volcano all set to erupt
[0:12] behind Bill Clinton's acceptance speech
[0:14] tonight. But more than that, the shock
[0:17] waves out of Dallas that swept the
[0:19] nation today. Ross Perau quit. So now
[0:23] more than ever, this may be make or
[0:26] break time for Bill Clinton. And it is a
[0:29] whole new presidential campaign 92.
[0:47] Campaign 92, the Democratic National
[0:50] Convention.
[0:52] Live from Madison Square Garden in New
[0:54] York City. Here is Dan Rather.
[0:57] Well, here in the pit on the floor of
[0:59] Madison Square Garden, the delegates are
[1:01] absolutely stunned and they have the
[1:03] same questions you do about the news out
[1:06] of Dallas today that instead of Ross for
[1:09] boss, it's no go parole. And everybody
[1:12] here is asking. Delegates have their
[1:15] fingers crossed whether this could mean
[1:17] a crossover to Bill Clinton. And there
[1:20] was always pressure on Governor Bill
[1:23] Clinton to stand and deliver tonight, to
[1:25] say exactly who he is and what his core
[1:28] center is, what his vision of America
[1:30] is. But now the pressure has at least
[1:33] quadrupled because Clinton is being
[1:35] asked to also get those millions of
[1:38] voters who had dialed in to Ross Perau
[1:41] to tune in tonight to agree that his
[1:44] message is their message and that Bill
[1:47] Clinton is the new leader of the
[1:49] Coalition for Change. There's a lot of
[1:52] other news around. We hear that
[1:53] President Bush is making a big
[1:55] advertising campaign buy for next week
[1:57] to go on the attack against Bill
[1:59] Clinton. And there's some new poll
[2:01] figures out for votes. Let's go to the
[2:03] podium and our chief Washington
[2:04] correspondent, Bob Sheeper. Bob.
[2:06] >> Okay, Dan. Well, the noise you hear is
[2:08] they're about to give the vice
[2:10] presidential nomination to Albert Gore
[2:12] by acclamation. You're right. The talk
[2:14] is about who benefits from Perau's
[2:16] withdrawal. And the polling we've been
[2:19] doing this week suggests and gives some
[2:21] pretty good reasons about why he
[2:23] withdrew. It also suggests that for the
[2:25] moment at least, Bill Clinton is going
[2:28] to be the beneficiary. Here's how the
[2:30] numbers look. In a three-way race,
[2:32] Clinton, for the first time, head moved
[2:34] ahead of the president, and Perau was
[2:36] beginning to drop like a stone, dropping
[2:39] from 26 percentage points to the 18
[2:42] points that you see there just since
[2:44] last week. And in a two-way race, when
[2:47] you take Perau out of it, Clinton has an
[2:50] even wider lead, topping the president
[2:52] 49 to 42 percentage points. Well, as we
[2:56] all know, polls reflect the situation as
[2:58] it is at the moment, and the election is
[3:01] not till November, but the numbers
[3:03] continue to look good for Bill Clinton.
[3:05] Dan
[3:07] and Senator Al.
[3:09] >> Thanks, Bob. And the crowd here is
[3:11] responding to a plea from the podium to
[3:14] sort of let's get it up, folks. Let's
[3:16] get the excitement level going. Bob
[3:19] Sheeper's admonition about polls, his
[3:21] caution about polls, we want to
[3:23] underscore sort of that. Listen, if Davy
[3:26] Crockett had taken a poll, he never
[3:28] would have stayed at the Alamo. Let's go
[3:29] to Ed Bradley poll checking out her
[3:32] action here on the Dan. You know, every
[3:34] time I hear people talk about polls, I
[3:36] think of something that Governor Anne
[3:37] Richards of Texas said the other day.
[3:39] She said, "The only thing that a poll
[3:41] tells you is movement at any given
[3:43] moment." And the thing you have to keep
[3:45] in mind about conventions is that every
[3:47] convention has movement and most of the
[3:49] time it's good. Go back to 1976. Jimmy
[3:52] Carter got a good convention. He came
[3:54] out of here with movement in the polls.
[3:56] He was 33 points ahead of Gerald Ford.
[3:59] By the time of the election in November,
[4:01] that lead had dwindled down to just two
[4:03] points. Four years ago, Michael Dukakus
[4:06] got a good bump in the polls from his
[4:07] convention. He walked away with a
[4:09] 17-point lead over George Bush, and he
[4:12] lost big time. So, you know, the cup one
[4:14] is over here now, but there's a long
[4:16] time to November. And as Bob said,
[4:18] there's many a slip between the cup and
[4:20] the lift. Dan, thanks. And just after
[4:23] the podium got the crowd up on its feet
[4:26] and shouted, then it asked that Albert
[4:28] Gore Jr. be proclaimed by acclamation
[4:32] the Democrats candidate for vice
[4:34] president of the United States. Gore
[4:36] will now give his acceptance speech
[4:37] after this big demonstration finishes.
[4:40] Let's switch over to Susan Spencer, our
[4:41] White House correspondent, who's Dublin
[4:43] as a poor correspondent. Susan, how is
[4:46] all this parole quit headline likely to
[4:49] affect the Bush campaign? The Bush
[4:51] campaign is insisting that this is
[4:52] absolutely great news for them. One
[4:55] official I spoke to said today, this is
[4:56] the first day of the rest of George
[4:58] Bush's political life. uh they seem to
[5:00] think that it gives the president a
[5:02] chance to reintroduce himself as the
[5:04] agent of change that it's much easier to
[5:06] do this in an atmosphere where there's
[5:07] only one opponent rather than two.
[5:10] Convincing the voters that the guy in
[5:11] charge is the one to look for for change
[5:13] is a little bit tough. Most Republicans
[5:15] are quite hopeful that the Secretary of
[5:17] State James Baker is going to come
[5:18] riding it and rescue the campaign and
[5:20] put it on that track. In the meantime,
[5:22] as I think you mentioned, the
[5:23] president's going to be campaigning hard
[5:25] starting tomorrow. Ads are going to
[5:27] start in about two weeks and the
[5:29] Republicans say don't expect anything
[5:31] negative from us. I doubt if there is
[5:33] one person in this room who believes
[5:35] that. Dan,
[5:37] >> thanks Sus. Coming up soon, uh, Vice
[5:40] Presidential Candidate Al Gore is
[5:42] arriving at Madison Square Garden, Bill
[5:44] Clinton. They'll be showing you pictures
[5:47] now. Also arriving at Madison Square
[5:49] Garden. Take a bet. Crunch time. Not
[5:53] only for Bill Clinton, the party's
[5:55] presidential nominee, but also for
[5:57] Albert Jr., a young man who's been
[5:59] trained since the day he was born for
[6:02] this moment. And as we watch the
[6:04] pictures of the handshakes before the
[6:06] big night at Madison Square Garden, he's
[6:08] saying also an Al Gore. Because while
[6:11] very few of them want to say it
[6:12] publicly, some of these delegates are
[6:14] now saying, "Boy, with parole out of the
[6:16] race was Al Gore really the smartest
[6:18] choice for Bill Clinton." And of course,
[6:22] the White House uh today starting its
[6:24] spin campaign early. Uh President Bush
[6:27] sent out one of his campaign strategist
[6:30] to say, "Well, the core score was a very
[6:32] bad choice." So, we talked about
[6:34] pressure on Bill Clinton and the maximum
[6:36] pressure is on Clinton tonight to
[6:38] deliver. There's also a lot of pressure
[6:40] on Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee who'll
[6:42] be speaking next. Right now, we're going
[6:43] to take a break. Stay here with us for
[6:45] more from Madison Square Garden.
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[9:03] >> He promised to solve the nation's
[9:05] problems his way. And millions got on
[9:07] the bandwagon. An in-depth look at Ross
[9:09] Perau tomorrow on CBS This Morning with
[9:11] Harry Smith and Paulison. There's a
[9:13] mystery writer named Fletcher whose
[9:15] friends all go out on a stretcher.
[9:17] She'll pry and she'll poke. It's Murder
[9:19] She Wrote. She's clever, so you'll want
[9:21] to catch her. Sunday.
[9:24] After a hard day, most people like TO
[9:27] UNWIND.
[9:28] >> I NEED A LAUGH.
[9:30] >> So this fall, CBS will have Monday night
[9:32] comedies
[9:34] and a whole new comedy lineup on
[9:36] Fridays, too. That's enough laughs to
[9:39] get you through the week. All you have
[9:41] to do is get through the door.
[9:44] Murphy Brown, Monday on CBS.
[9:50] Back on the floor of Madison Square
[9:51] Garden, we're with the senior senator
[9:53] from Texas, Democratic Senator Lloyd
[9:55] Benson, who was the Democrat's vice
[9:57] presidential candidate in 1988. Senator,
[10:00] thanks for being with us.
[10:01] >> Good to be here.
[10:01] >> With Perau out, is Albert Gore Jr. still
[10:04] the best running mate for Bill Clinton?
[10:07] >> I think he's excellent. He's mainstream.
[10:10] He's very bright. He's energetic.
[10:14] He'll bring a lot to the ticket.
[10:16] >> But he's not enough to help it carry
[10:17] Texas. Now Bush is the favorite to carry
[10:19] the state. Is he not?
[10:20] >> Uh I think Texas is up for grabs.
[10:23] There's a resentment on the part of a
[10:25] lot of the Perau followers on this
[10:27] orchestrated attack out of the White
[10:29] House, personal attack on Perau.
[10:32] I don't think Perau was expecting this.
[10:35] He's a family man and feels very
[10:37] strongly about that. There are those
[10:39] that think this might have helped get
[10:41] him out of the race. A lot of those
[10:43] Perau followers are then going to be
[10:45] looking at Clinton as the alternative.
[10:48] Now they see Clinton as viable and
[10:50] credible and leading in the polls. So
[10:52] they're going to be taking a second look
[10:54] at Clinton. That'll help.
[10:55] >> Now you beat George Bush once in a
[10:57] Senate race. That's how you got to the
[10:59] Senate. You know him well. Is he likely
[11:01] now to make Dan Quayle an endangered
[11:04] candidate as your running mate? Could he
[11:06] drop Quail? Would he?
[11:09] Well, he certainly could. I question
[11:12] that he will. What I'm impressed with
[11:15] with Clinton is that he chose someone
[11:18] that and the primary obligation of a
[11:20] presidential candidate is to choose
[11:21] someone that can succeed him if
[11:23] something should happen to the president
[11:25] who can run the country. He kept that as
[11:28] a major criterion when he chose Gore.
[11:31] Much better than the choice I think that
[11:34] Bush made. But Dan Quail has very high
[11:37] negatives. If you're walking in George
[11:38] Bush's shoes, do you or don't you say to
[11:41] yourself, "Listen, I'm I picked the guy
[11:43] out. I love him, but maybe I can't
[11:45] afford him."
[11:49] The president ought to think first of
[11:50] the country. And if that's the case, he
[11:53] ought to be choosing someone who's
[11:54] capable of taking over the presidency if
[11:56] something happened to George Bush. Your
[11:59] opinion, Senator Mincson, can the
[12:01] Clinton Gore ticket win without carrying
[12:03] California?
[12:07] The odds are certainly against them if
[12:08] they can't carry California or if they
[12:10] can't carry Texas.
[12:13] But I also think they have a real shot
[12:15] at doing it. I think more and more
[12:19] people are listening to Clinton where
[12:20] they turned him off in the beginning.
[12:22] They like what they hear. They see
[12:24] here's a man who has a specific definite
[12:27] economic program to get this country
[12:29] moving again. Senator Mson, thanks a
[12:31] lot. KBA to tell Mr. Benson. Thank you
[12:34] very much. Let's check in now with our
[12:36] resident political analysts Joe Klene
[12:38] and Kevin Phillips who are going to talk
[12:41] about the effect of Perau's stunning
[12:44] decision not just to pull out but the
[12:45] timing of his pull out. First Joe Klein
[12:48] uh this was totally unexpected and the
[12:50] early readers it might help Clinton but
[12:52] isn't a danger for Clinton here. Well,
[12:54] yeah. I think that this is such a
[12:55] volatile year, it could go any way. But
[12:57] the thing that I'm thinking about, Dan,
[12:59] is the fact that this really points out
[13:01] the difference between politicians and
[13:03] mortal men and shows how weird
[13:05] politicians are. A lot of business
[13:07] leaders, successful people like Ross
[13:08] Pearl, look at the politicians and they
[13:10] say, "I can answer questions like that.
[13:12] I can give speeches like that." When the
[13:14] tough times come like this, it separates
[13:16] the men from the boys. A politician
[13:18] begins to slide in the polls and he
[13:19] thinks about Harry Truman and being a
[13:21] comeback hero. a businessman begins to
[13:24] slide in the polls and he begins to
[13:25] think about chapter 11. I think the wall
[13:27] I think what Ross Perau did today was to
[13:30] decide to cut his losses and we have a
[13:32] guy on the who's going to be on the
[13:33] podium tonight who is as down as I've
[13:35] ever seen a politician. He's climbed out
[13:37] of a hole. He's got a mountain to climb
[13:39] now with running one-on-one against
[13:42] George Bush. We'll see whether he can
[13:44] deal with heights.
[13:45] >> Now Kevin Phillips, what is the effect
[13:47] on the parole quitting on this
[13:49] convention? Well, I think on one hand
[13:51] the Democrats do have a little bit of a
[13:53] problem. They now only uh president only
[13:55] has to fight a one-front war. He doesn't
[13:57] have Mr. Meabucks out there running
[13:59] negative things against him. Uh but what
[14:02] you've got is a Democratic opportunity
[14:04] here. And the the opportunity for this
[14:06] convention to continue this building
[14:08] sense of a change coalition is that Ross
[14:11] Perau was kind to the Democrats in
[14:13] several ways. The first thing is he
[14:15] talked about the Democrats becoming a
[14:17] responsible party again. The second
[14:19] thing that he's done is to get out in
[14:21] time for both Al Gore and Bill Clinton
[14:23] to make an appeal to the pro people in
[14:25] their speeches. And the guessing is
[14:26] that's what they're going to do. And I
[14:28] think the White House is nervous about
[14:30] that. And they will be coming back next
[14:32] week. But this is the night for the
[14:33] Democrats to appeal to the pro people.
[14:35] And so we'll see whether Albert Gore and
[14:38] Bill Clinton can take advantage of the
[14:39] opportunity. Our CBS News coverage live
[14:42] from Madison Square Garden will continue
[14:44] in a moment. Stay here with us.
[15:01] Some shortcut to work. We're lost.
[15:03] >> We're not lost.
[15:04] >> Oh, I've seen this guy a couple times.
[15:06] >> Maybe he's a twin. Boy, I wish we hadn't
[15:08] skipped breakfast.
[15:09] >> Here, try one of these.
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[15:12] >> What is that? Tofu?
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[16:31] >> CBS News live coverage of the Democratic
[16:34] National Convention will continue.
[16:37] When was the last time you fell in love
[16:40] with a real dummy?
[16:41] >> A quick impression, ladies and
[16:42] gentlemen. My impression of the canary
[16:44] on steroids.
[16:48] >> Meet a bunch of dummies that are
[16:50] guaranteed to make you laugh. Eye on
[16:52] America on the CBS Evening News with Dan
[16:55] Rather tomorrow.
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[18:12] >> A Current Affair tonight following the
[18:13] Golden Girls.
[18:16] Now, what's happening here at Madison
[18:18] Square Garden is a slight lull in the
[18:20] rumble of the volcano all set to erupt
[18:22] around Albert Gore's acceptance speech
[18:24] and then Bill Clinton's acceptance
[18:26] speech. Chipper Gore and her children
[18:29] came out, took about the podium a moment
[18:30] ago. What's on the schedule now is
[18:33] Hillary Clinton and her 12-year-old
[18:35] daughter, she and Governor Bill
[18:36] Clinton's 12-year-old daughter, Chelsea,
[18:38] take their turn at the podium. This all
[18:41] part of the regular convention ritual
[18:43] that happens at Democratic conventions
[18:45] and Republican conventions year after
[18:47] year. And as we wait for the appearance
[18:49] of Hillary Clinton and her daughter
[18:51] Chelsea up on the podium, let's go to
[18:53] Susan Spencer in the Tennessee
[18:54] delegation. Susan, yesterday
[18:58] >> and I'm here with uh I'm here with
[19:00] Senator James Sasser of Tennessee, one
[19:02] of those border states which at least as
[19:04] until a few hours ago was thought to be
[19:06] pretty good Clinton territory as long as
[19:08] Ross Pro was in the race. Now Ross
[19:10] Barrow is not in the race. What does
[19:11] that do to Tennessee?
[19:13] >> I don't think it makes much difference
[19:14] for Tennessee, Susan, because Tennessans
[19:17] are so proud to have their own Al Gore
[19:20] on the ticket that Tennessee, in my
[19:22] judgment, is going to be substantially
[19:24] in the Clinton Gore camp in spite of
[19:26] what Ross does.
[19:28] >> What about the rest of the South though?
[19:30] I think that uh it's too early to tell,
[19:33] but what we have seen is uh Clinton
[19:36] coming up in the polls, moving up in the
[19:39] polls, and Perau moving down. So clearly
[19:42] some of these parole voters are giving
[19:45] up on parole and moving to Clinton as
[19:47] recently as a week and a half ago. And
[19:50] that's happening in the South also.
[19:52] >> An optimistic Democrat. Dan,
[19:55] >> thanks Susan. Joining us now, we
[19:57] appreciate it. Live from Dallas is Tom
[19:59] Loose who is chairman of the Perau
[20:02] President Campaign Committee. Thanks for
[20:04] being with us, Mr. Loose.
[20:06] >> Thank you.
[20:07] >> What I have heard over and over again
[20:09] all during the day from all parts of the
[20:11] country is say it ain't so. Ross, why
[20:14] did he quit?
[20:15] >> Well, I think Ross made clear today the
[20:18] reasons why he quit. He basically felt
[20:21] that it was not in the best interest of
[20:22] the country to continue the movement
[20:24] forward. and I I think he felt it would
[20:27] not be best for the country if he became
[20:28] a candidate.
[20:30] >> In your personal opinion, who will
[20:33] benefit the most from parole pulling
[20:34] out, Clinton or Bush? Oh gosh, I don't
[20:38] know. And I I think that's really up to
[20:40] the American voters and the American
[20:42] people in the months ahead. I'm sure
[20:43] they'll study the candidates carefully
[20:45] and make up their own mind. Particularly
[20:48] the Perau voters have a mind of their
[20:49] own.
[20:51] Le, could you tell us what it is between
[20:53] Ross Perau and George Bush? These two
[20:55] men clearly don't like one another.
[20:58] What's that about?
[20:59] >> Oh, I think that's been really
[21:01] overstated. I've heard Ross Perau say on
[21:03] numerous occasions, he has a high regard
[21:06] for the president. He has a high regard
[21:08] for the president's family. I think
[21:09] that's kind of the hyperbole of
[21:11] presidential campaigns.
[21:14] How could Ross Baro, a winner of the
[21:16] Churchill award, who very recently went
[21:19] around the country quoting Churchill as
[21:20] saying, "Never give up. Never give up.
[21:22] Never, never, ever give up." Did he
[21:24] discuss that with you when he when you
[21:26] knew he was going to quit, saying,
[21:28] "Gosh, this makes it tough to do." Well,
[21:31] I think what Ross Perau has always tried
[21:33] to do is do what he thinks is in the
[21:35] best interest of the country. U
[21:37] obviously, it was a difficult personal
[21:39] decision. I'm sure it was a hard
[21:41] decision to make personally, but he did
[21:43] what he thought was best.
[21:45] >> Mr. Loose, thanks for being with us.
[21:47] >> Thank you. Tell Rush Perau we said
[21:49] hello. Thanks. Thank you.
[21:52] >> Now, our CBS News coverage live from
[21:55] Madison Square Garden will continue in
[21:58] just a few moments.
[22:13] I'll tell you, for years I was faithful
[22:14] to one detergent
[22:16] >> until this guy offered to wash one of my
[22:19] husband's t-shirts in an unbranded
[22:21] detergent and another in liquid surf. I
[22:23] said, "Fine, go ahead." And, you know,
[22:25] they both look spotless. But then he
[22:28] applied this this iron and it released
[22:31] all these these hidden odors. The Surf
[22:33] shirt smelled much cleaner.
[22:36] >> So now we use that with Surf. It doesn't
[22:38] just look clean. It really is clean.
[22:42] >> Who are you going to call the most this
[22:44] month? Most.
[22:45] >> Good question,
[22:46] >> Isabelle. With Sprint's new program, The
[22:49] Most, you'll automatically save on
[22:50] whoever you call the most each month.
[22:52] >> I call my lawyer the most.
[22:54] >> You'll save even more when the person
[22:55] you call the most is another Sprint
[22:56] customer.
[22:57] >> Like Claire, she lives in Arkansas. I
[22:59] don't know. So now it's easy to save on
[23:01] whoever you call the most.
[23:03] >> My brother-in-law Paul or Bob.
[23:05] >> Even if you have no idea who that is.
[23:12] >> This was me before I lost 34 lb in 5
[23:16] months.
[23:16] >> That was actually me before I lost 42 lb
[23:19] in 5 months.
[23:20] >> That was me before I lost 40 lbs in 6
[23:22] months.
[23:23] >> They all did it on the ultras slim fast
[23:25] no hunger diet plan. A delicious shake
[23:26] for breakfast, another for lunch, a
[23:28] sensible dinner, and three great tasting
[23:30] Ultras Slim Fast snacks a day.
[23:32] >> And the snacks help me through the
[23:33] hungry parts.
[23:34] >> Chocolate bars. What's better than that?
[23:36] >> It's great.
[23:37] >> The Ultras Slim Fast No Hunger diet
[23:39] plan. Losing weight and feeling great.
[23:42] >> Joanne CERN talks about her new Goodyear
[23:45] Aquatread allseason radios.
[23:47] >> I was taking my daughter to play
[23:48] rehearsal and it was pouring. The
[23:51] advanced deep groove aqua channels water
[23:54] away as you drive.
[23:55] >> And the lady in front of me just stopped
[23:58] and I expected to skid and I didn't.
[24:02] >> Aquatre only from Goodyear.
[24:04] >> And that convinced me right then and
[24:05] there.
[24:06] >> Aquatre. We like to say the best tires
[24:09] in the world have Goodyear written all
[24:11] over them.
[24:12] >> Priest. She was framed and convicted.
[24:14] >> I have three children.
[24:15] >> But her kids and her sister are the ones
[24:17] who must pay the price. Oh my love on
[24:20] me.
[24:20] >> What am I going to tell them?
[24:22] >> The true story of one woman fighting for
[24:23] her freedom and her family.
[24:25] >> My kids are out there without a mother.
[24:26] >> Cheryl Land, Jean Smart, Locked Up, A
[24:29] Mother's Rage. Sunday.
[24:32] Bo loves CBS shows.
[24:35] >> Bo would love to have his own CBS show.
[24:38] Perhaps Murphy B or Redesigning Bo or
[24:42] Murder Bo.
[24:44] Bo just has one condition.
[24:46] >> Yes, of course. B would like to star in
[24:47] two shows at one time.
[24:58] Campaign 92 CBS News coverage of the
[25:02] Democratic National Convention continues
[25:05] live from Madison Square Garden in New
[25:08] York City. Here again is Dan Rather.
[25:11] >> And here in the pit that is the floor of
[25:13] Madison Square Garden. The lights have
[25:14] dimmed. It's gone dark as they began to
[25:16] play the promotional film for vice
[25:18] presidential candidate Albert Gore just
[25:20] before the lights went down. Mario Cuomo
[25:23] who delivered that great speech for
[25:26] Governor Clinton walked into the hall to
[25:28] thunderous applause. No wonder Bill
[25:31] Clinton is referring to him now as
[25:32] magnificent. Mario trying to get him to
[25:34] work hard for the ticket. Let's go
[25:36] upstairs where Charles Caralt is looking
[25:38] over the scene. Charles, as you pointed
[25:40] out last night, and we had no way of
[25:41] knowing then that we're always going to
[25:43] pull out. Bill Clinton, it's crunch
[25:45] time.
[25:47] >> Yes. We're uh about 45 minutes away now,
[25:52] Dan, from the biggest moment in Bill
[25:53] Clinton's life so far. Uh what strikes
[25:57] me uh you have talked about this is the
[25:59] sense of inevitability about this
[26:02] evening among his old friends and
[26:03] acquaintances. Uh, I can't think of a
[26:07] Democratic candidate since John Kennedy
[26:09] who has had such a network of friends as
[26:12] this man has. I just realized some of
[26:14] this today. Some of his college
[26:17] schoolmates are here who remember
[26:18] thinking of Bill Clinton as a
[26:20] presidential candidate way back then.
[26:23] Now that he is one, they're here to
[26:24] support him. And so is Edith Irons, who
[26:29] has known him since he was 14. She was
[26:32] his counselor at Hot Springs High School
[26:35] 30 years ago. The teacher uh who advised
[26:38] him to go to Georgetown University,
[26:40] which is where he went. She is here as
[26:43] an alternate delegate from Arkansas. I
[26:45] said to her, "You must be very happy."
[26:50] Yeah, happy. Happy is part of it. But I
[26:55] am in awe. And to think that I would
[26:59] teach thousands of kids
[27:02] for 49 years and then this would come is
[27:06] a
[27:09] thank you. I love you.
[27:14] >> The word Mrs. Irons was trying to say
[27:16] there at the end was the word
[27:18] overwhelming.
[27:19] Uh Dan, a lot of people who have known
[27:22] Bill Clinton a long time have sort of
[27:25] known in their bones for a long time
[27:27] that this night was coming and here it
[27:31] is.
[27:32] >> So it is Charles. We always like to give
[27:34] our audience a little orientation about
[27:35] where we are. I'm down on the floor.
[27:37] Charles is up in there. Charles, uh Bill
[27:41] Clinton, we're told, has been rehearsing
[27:44] this particular speech for a number of
[27:47] days, if not weeks. Somehow I can
[27:49] believe that that he's found the time to
[27:51] rehearse this dog in front at this
[27:53] speech in front of his dog, in front of
[27:54] the mirror, in front of his wife, in
[27:56] front of everybody.
[27:56] >> They were there.
[27:58] >> Yeah.
[27:59] A lot is writing on this speech tonight.
[28:01] One can imagine
[28:03] some of those 10 million people or so
[28:05] who signed Baroque petitions tuning in
[28:08] to see uh if maybe their uh needs will
[28:12] be met by this man the Democrats are
[28:14] going to hear from tonight. And when I
[28:16] sat down and talked with Governor
[28:18] Clinton yesterday, he smiled and said,
[28:19] "Well, I hope I can give as an exciting
[28:22] address in my acceptance speeches I did
[28:25] at the 1988
[28:27] Democratic convention in Atlanta."
[28:30] >> Ed Bradley is in the Connecticut
[28:32] delegation here. Ed, how does the duo
[28:34] from Dixie play on the home turf of the
[28:37] Connecticut?
[28:38] >> Well, Dan, we can ask that question of
[28:41] an old friend of Bill Clinton. It's
[28:43] interesting that Charles was talking
[28:44] about that network of friends. The
[28:46] junior senator Joe Lieberman from
[28:48] Connecticut has been a friend of Bill
[28:50] Clinton for how many years?
[28:51] >> 22 years. Ed. In 1970,
[28:54] I was running for state senator from New
[28:56] Haven and a young law student, Bill
[28:58] Clinton had the good judgment and
[29:00] foresight to come in and volunteer in my
[29:02] campaign.
[29:02] >> You haven't won. The the party has not
[29:05] won in your state since ' 68. How does
[29:07] this ticket do there? This ticket has a
[29:09] real chance to win in Connecticut
[29:12] because of the economy. We've been in a
[29:14] recession for more than two and a half
[29:16] years. People are angry with George Bush
[29:19] that he never recognized our suffering.
[29:22] They want to change and I think this
[29:23] ticket can win in the cities and in the
[29:26] suburbs of a very suburban state.
[29:28] >> Senator, thank you very much. Dan, we're
[29:30] going to go back to you now. Thank you,
[29:32] Ed Bradley. And Albert Gore Jr.,
[29:35] son of a senator from Tennessee, Senator
[29:39] Alvador Senior, who's still living, and
[29:41] how proud he must be to see and hear
[29:44] this scene.
[29:50] Al Gore is 44 years old. He ran for
[29:53] president in 1988, but after winning
[29:55] five states on Super Tuesday. He got
[29:58] knocked out of the box once he got out
[30:00] of the south, got up to Illinois, and he
[30:02] dropped out of the race in April of 88.
[30:05] He has expertise in foreign affairs.
[30:08] He's an expert on
[30:10] missile, atomic weaponry, and he's also
[30:14] big on the environment.
[30:16] When you ask people in the Clinton camp
[30:18] why they picked Gore, they say number
[30:20] one because Bill Clinton thinks he would
[30:22] make an excellent president if anything
[30:25] were to to happen and he should have to
[30:27] take on that awesome responsibility.
[30:28] Also, they point to Gore's strength of
[30:31] the environment. We were just talking to
[30:32] a couple people in the Vermont
[30:33] delegation. He said, "Well, before Gore
[30:35] got on the ticket with Clinton, we
[30:37] didn't think we had much of a chance to
[30:38] carry Vermont, but now we might because
[30:41] Gore is so strong on the environment."
[30:43] Same thing out of Oregon. We heard a
[30:44] little bit of that talk out of
[30:45] Washington State. Keep in mind these are
[30:47] Democrats. Republicans from those states
[30:49] might have see it a little different
[30:50] way. Al Gore's wife, Chipper Gore, 43, a
[30:56] very experienced campaigner. Another
[30:58] plus ticket, of course. They have four
[31:00] children. Karina 18, Kristen, 15, Sarah
[31:05] 13, and then they have a son, Albert
[31:07] Gore III, aged nine. A very unfortunate
[31:10] thing happened to Albert Gore III. uh
[31:13] his father, Al Gore Jr., now the nominee
[31:16] of the Democratic Party for vice
[31:17] president, took his son to a Baltimore
[31:18] Orioles baseball game in the parking
[31:20] lot. That was a terrible accident. A lot
[31:22] of people think one of the reason Gore
[31:24] didn't run for president this year was
[31:26] because his son was hurt.
[31:28] >> In our latest poll, Republicans said by
[31:30] a margin of 4744 that they would vote
[31:33] for Gore over Quail if you believe the
[31:35] polls. Now, here's Al Gore.
[31:37] >> Thank you.
[31:41] Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
[31:44] Thank you very much.
[31:48] I have to tell you, I've been dreaming
[31:50] of this moment since I was a kid growing
[31:53] up in Tennessee.
[31:55] That one day I'd have the chance to come
[31:59] here to Madison Square Garden and be the
[32:03] warm-up act for Elvis.
[32:17] My friends,
[32:21] I thank you for your confidence
[32:23] expressed in the vote this evening.
[32:26] I pledge to pour my heart and soul into
[32:30] this crusade on behalf of the American
[32:32] people and I accept your nomination for
[32:36] the Vice Presidency of the United States
[32:39] of America.
[32:58] I did not
[33:00] I did not seek this nomination nor did I
[33:04] expect it. But I am here to join this
[33:07] team because I love my country and
[33:12] because I believe in my heart that
[33:15] together, Bill Clinton and I offer the
[33:18] American people the best chance we have
[33:21] as a nation to move forward in the right
[33:24] direction again.
[33:37] I'm here because the country I love has
[33:40] a government that is failing our people.
[33:45] Failing the forgotten majority in your
[33:48] hometown and mine. Those who scrimp and
[33:53] save and work hard all their lives to
[33:56] build a better life for their children.
[33:59] I'm here to renew a journey our founders
[34:02] began more than 200 years ago.
[34:06] In my lifetime,
[34:08] I have seen America's ideals and dreams
[34:12] change the world. And I believe that now
[34:16] is the time to bring those ideals and
[34:20] dreams home here to change America.
[34:34] Our country is in trouble.
[34:38] And while George Bush and Dan Quail have
[34:41] been making excuses for deadlock and
[34:44] delay,
[34:46] people in other nations, inspired by the
[34:49] eternal promise of America, have torn
[34:52] down the Berlin Wall, brought communism
[34:55] to its knees, and forced a racist
[34:58] government in South Africa to turn away
[35:00] from apartheid.
[35:04] Throughout
[35:12] the world,
[35:14] obstacles to liberty that many thought
[35:17] might stand forever
[35:20] turned out to simply be no match for men
[35:24] and women who decided in their hearts
[35:27] that their future could be much greater
[35:30] than their past would let them dream.
[35:33] Their
[35:35] faith in the power of conscience and
[35:38] their confidence in the force of truth
[35:41] required a leap of the human spirit.
[35:46] Can we say truthfully that their chance
[35:50] for change was better than ours?
[35:54] And yet we face our own crisis of the
[35:58] spirit here and now in America. We're
[36:02] told we can no longer change. We've seen
[36:05] our better days. They even say we're
[36:08] history.
[36:10] The cynics are having a field day.
[36:13] Because across this country, millions of
[36:16] American families have been betrayed by
[36:19] a government out of touch with our
[36:21] values and beholden to the privileged
[36:24] few.
[36:25] Millions of people
[36:32] Millions of people are losing faith in
[36:35] the very idea of democracy
[36:38] and are even in danger of losing heart
[36:42] because they fear their lives may no
[36:44] longer have any deeper meaning or
[36:47] purpose. But you can't kill hope that
[36:50] easily. Not in America. Not here where a
[36:54] cynic is just a disappointed idealist in
[36:57] disguise. A dreamer yearning to dream
[37:00] again.
[37:11] In every American, no matter how badly
[37:14] betrayed or poorly led, there is always
[37:18] hope. Even now, if you listen, you can
[37:21] hear the pulse of America's true spirit.
[37:26] No, the American spirit isn't gone. But
[37:29] we vow here tonight that in November,
[37:33] George Bush and Dan Quail will be
[37:36] history.
[37:57] I'm not saying
[38:00] they're bad people, but their approach
[38:03] to governing this country has badly
[38:06] failed. They have taxed the many to
[38:10] enrich the few, and it is time for them
[38:14] to go.
[38:25] They have given us false choices, bad
[38:28] choices, and no choice. And it is time
[38:33] for them to go.
[38:45] They have ignored the suffering of those
[38:49] who are victims of AIDS, of crime, of
[38:53] poverty, of ignorance, of hatred and
[38:56] harassment.
[38:58] It is time for them to go.
[39:16] They have nourished and appeased
[39:19] tyrannies and endangered America's
[39:22] deepest interests while betraying our
[39:25] cherished ideals.
[39:28] It is time for them to go.
[39:39] They have mortgaged our children's
[39:41] future to avoid the decisions they lack
[39:45] the courage to make. It is time for them
[39:50] to go.
[39:54] They embarrassed our nation when the
[39:57] whole world was asking for American
[40:00] leadership in confronting the
[40:03] environmental crisis. It is time for
[40:06] them to go.
[40:12] They have demeaned our democracy
[40:16] with the politics of distraction,
[40:20] denial, and despair.
[40:23] What time is it?
[40:30] >> What time is it?
[40:36] What time is it?
[40:55] The American people,
[40:58] the American people are disgusted with
[41:01] excuses and tired of blame. They know
[41:05] that throughout American history, each
[41:08] generation has passed on leadership to
[41:10] the next. That time has come again. The
[41:14] time for a new generation of leadership,
[41:16] for the United States of America, to
[41:18] take over from George Bush and Dan
[41:21] Quail. And you know what that means for
[41:23] them? It's time for them to go.
[41:30] Ladies and gentlemen,
[41:33] in 1992,
[41:36] our challenge is not to elect the last
[41:39] president of the 20th century, but to
[41:41] elect the first president of the 21st
[41:44] century, President Bill Clinton.
[42:02] Bill Clinton has a plan that offers real
[42:06] answers for the real problems of real
[42:09] people. A bold new economic strategy to
[42:13] rebuild this country and put our people
[42:15] back to work. And if you want to know
[42:17] what Bill Clinton can do, take a look at
[42:21] what he has already done. For more than
[42:24] a decade, he has been fighting against
[42:27] incredible odds to bring good jobs,
[42:30] better skills, and genuine hope to one
[42:33] of the poorest states in our country. A
[42:36] decade ago, when his state needed
[42:38] dramatic reform to shake up one of the
[42:41] poorest school systems in America, Bill
[42:44] Clinton took on the established interest
[42:46] and made Arkansas the first state to
[42:49] require teacher testing. He has cut
[42:51] classroom size, raised test scores above
[42:55] the national average, and earned the
[42:57] support of both teachers and parents who
[43:01] now know Bill Clinton will be the real
[43:04] education president for this country.
[43:23] For most of the last decade, while the
[43:26] Republicans have been trying to use
[43:29] welfare to divide us, Bill Clinton has
[43:33] led the fight to reform the welfare
[43:36] system, to move people off welfare and
[43:39] into the workforce. And he did all this
[43:42] while balancing 11 budgets in a row.
[43:47] Let me say that again. While balancing
[43:50] 11 budgets in a row and giving the
[43:54] people of Arkansas one of the lowest tax
[43:56] burdens in this country. No wonder
[43:59] Arkansas, under Bill Clinton, has been
[44:02] creating manufacturing jobs at 10 times
[44:05] the national rate. And no wonder that
[44:08] when all of the nation's governors,
[44:11] Republicans and Democrats alike, were
[44:13] asked to vote on who was the most
[44:15] effective governor in all the land, by
[44:18] an overwhelming margin, they chose Bill
[44:22] Clinton.
[44:32] What we need in America in 1992
[44:37] is a president who will unleash the best
[44:39] in us by putting faith in the decency
[44:43] and good judgment of our people. A
[44:46] president who will challenge us to be
[44:48] true to our values and examine the ways
[44:51] in which our own attitudes are sometimes
[44:54] barriers to the progress we seek.
[44:57] I'm convinced that America is ready to
[45:01] be inspired and lifted again by leaders
[45:04] committed to seeking out the best in our
[45:06] society, developing it, and
[45:09] strengthening it. I've spent much of my
[45:12] career working to protect the
[45:14] environment. Not only because it is
[45:16] vital to the future of my state of
[45:18] Tennessee, our country, and our earth,
[45:22] but because I believe there is a
[45:26] fundamental link between our current
[45:29] relationship to the earth and the
[45:31] attitudes that stand in the way of human
[45:34] progress. For generations,
[45:38] we have believed that we could abuse the
[45:40] earth because we were somehow not really
[45:44] connected to it. But now we must face
[45:47] the truth. The task of saving the
[45:51] earth's environment
[45:53] must and will become the central
[45:56] organizing principle of the postcold war
[45:59] world.
[46:12] And just as the false assumption that we
[46:15] are not connected to the earth has led
[46:18] to the ecological crisis, so the equally
[46:22] false assumption that we are not
[46:24] connected to each other has led to our
[46:27] social crisis.
[46:34] Even worse,
[46:36] the evil and mistaken assumption that we
[46:41] have no connection to those generations
[46:44] preceding us or those who will follow us
[46:48] has led to the crisis of values we face
[46:50] today.
[46:53] Those are the connections that are
[46:55] missing from our politics today. Those
[46:58] are the bridges we must rebuild if we
[47:01] are to rebuild our country. And those
[47:04] are the values we must honor if we are
[47:07] to recapture the faith in the future
[47:10] that has always been the heart of the
[47:13] American dream.
[47:16] We have another challenge as well.
[47:19] In the wake of the Cold War, with the
[47:22] reemergence of ancient ethnic and racial
[47:25] hatreds throughout the world, the United
[47:28] States must once again prove that there
[47:31] is a better way.
[47:34] Just as we accepted as a people on
[47:38] behalf of all humankind the historic
[47:42] mission of proving that political
[47:44] freedom is the best form of government
[47:46] and that economic freedom is the best
[47:49] engine of prosperity.
[47:51] We must now accept the obligation of
[47:54] proving that freedom from prejudice is
[47:57] the heart and soul of community. that
[48:00] yes, we can get along.
[48:14] Yes,
[48:16] people of all backgrounds can not only
[48:19] live together peacefully, but enrich one
[48:22] another, celebrate diversity, and come
[48:25] together as one. Yes, we will be one
[48:29] people and live the dream that will make
[48:32] this world free.
[48:47] In the end, this election isn't about
[48:50] politics.
[48:51] It isn't even about winning,
[48:54] though that's what we're going to do.
[49:02] This election is about the
[49:04] responsibilities that we owe one
[49:06] another. The responsibilities we owe our
[49:09] children. The calling we hear to serve
[49:12] our country and to be a part of a
[49:15] community larger than ourselves.
[49:18] You've heard a lot in the past week
[49:20] about how much Bill Clinton and I have
[49:22] in common. Indeed, we both share the
[49:25] values we learned in our hometowns.
[49:28] Individual responsibility,
[49:30] faith, family, and the belief that hard
[49:33] work should be rewarded.
[49:36] We're both fathers with young children.
[49:39] Children who are part of a generation
[49:41] whose very future is very much at stake
[49:45] in this election.
[49:47] And we're both proud of our wives,
[49:50] Hillary Clinton
[49:53] and Tipper Gore.
[50:06] two
[50:08] two women
[50:10] who have done more for the children of
[50:12] this country in the last 12 years than
[50:15] the last two men who have sat in the
[50:17] Oval Office have done in their entire
[50:19] lifetime.
[50:53] I'm proud my father and mother could be
[50:56] here tonight to see me join a ticket
[51:00] that will make good on the best advice
[51:03] they ever gave me to tell the truth and
[51:07] always love my country.
[51:10] My sister and I were born to two
[51:12] wonderful people who worked hard to give
[51:16] us a better life.
[51:18] 1992 is the year of the woman. It's also
[51:22] the 46th
[51:24] anniversary of the year my mother, born
[51:27] in a time when women weren't even
[51:30] allowed to vote, became one of the first
[51:33] women to graduate from Vanderbilt Law
[51:36] School.
[51:51] My father
[51:53] was a teacher in a one- room school who
[51:55] worked his way to the United States
[51:57] Senate. I was 8 years old when my
[52:00] father's name was placed in nomination
[52:03] for the vice presidency before the
[52:05] Democratic convention in 1956.
[52:08] And growing up, I watched him stand
[52:10] courageously for civil rights, economic
[52:14] opportunity, and a government that
[52:16] worked for ordinary people.
[52:41] I don't know what it's like to lose a
[52:43] father,
[52:45] >> but I know what it's like to lose a
[52:47] sister and almost lose his son.
[52:52] I wish my late sister Nancy could be
[52:54] here this evening,
[52:56] but I am grateful beyond words for the
[52:59] blessings that my family has shared.
[53:03] Three years ago,
[53:06] my son Albert was struck by a car
[53:10] crossing the street after watching a
[53:12] baseball game in Baltimore.
[53:15] Tipper and I watched as he was thrown 30
[53:18] feet through the air and scraped another
[53:22] 20 ft on the pavement after he hit the
[53:25] ground.
[53:29] I ran to his side and held him and
[53:31] called his name, but he was limp and
[53:35] still
[53:37] without breath or pulse.
[53:41] His eyes were open with the empty stare
[53:43] of death. and we prayed, the two of us
[53:47] there in the gutter with only my voice.
[53:51] His injuries
[53:53] inside and out were massive, and for
[53:56] terrible days, he lingered between life
[53:59] and death. Tipper and I spent the next
[54:02] 30 days and nights there at his bedside.
[54:08] Our family was lifted and healed
[54:14] in no small measure
[54:17] by an incredible outpouring
[54:20] of love and compassion and prayers from
[54:25] thousands and thousands of people,
[54:29] most of whom we never even knew.
[54:35] Albert is plenty brave and strong and
[54:39] with the support of three wonderful
[54:41] sisters, Karina, Kristen, and Sarah, and
[54:45] two loving parents who helped him with
[54:47] his exercises every morning and prayed
[54:50] for him every night. He pulled through
[54:53] and now, thank God, he has fully
[54:55] recovered and runs and plays and
[54:59] torments his older sisters like any
[55:02] little boy.
[55:18] But ladies and gentlemen,
[55:21] I want to tell you this straight from my
[55:23] heart.
[55:25] That experience
[55:28] changed me forever.
[55:32] When you've seen your six-year-old son
[55:36] fighting for his life,
[55:38] you realize that some things matter a
[55:41] lot more than winning.
[55:43] You lose patience with the lazy
[55:46] assumption of so many in politics that
[55:49] we can always just muddle through. When
[55:53] you've seen your reflection in the empty
[55:56] stare of a boy waiting for his second
[56:00] breath of life,
[56:02] you realize that we were not put here on
[56:05] earth to look out for our needs alone.
[56:09] We are part of something much larger
[56:12] than ourselves.
[56:14] All of us are part of something much
[56:17] greater than we are capable of
[56:19] imagining. And my friends, if you look
[56:23] up for a moment from the rush of your
[56:25] daily lives, you will hear the quiet
[56:28] voices of your country crying out for
[56:31] help. You will see your reflection in
[56:35] the weary eyes of those who are losing
[56:38] hope in America. And you will see that
[56:41] our democracy is lying there in the
[56:44] gutter, waiting for us to give it a
[56:48] second breath of life.
[57:04] I don't care
[57:06] what party you're in,
[57:09] whether you're an independent,
[57:12] whether you have been tempted to just
[57:14] give up completely on the whole
[57:17] political process. We want you to join
[57:20] this common effort to unite our country
[57:23] behind a higher calling.
[57:26] If you have been supporting Ross Perau,
[57:31] I want to make a special plea to you
[57:34] this evening.
[57:36] Stay involved.
[57:38] You have already changed politics in
[57:42] this country for the better. Keep on
[57:45] fighting for change.
[58:04] The time has come for all Americans to
[58:09] be a part of the healing. In the words
[58:12] of the Bible, do not lose heart. This
[58:16] nation will be renewed.
[58:29] In order to renew our nation,
[58:33] we must renew ourselves.
[58:37] Just as America has always transcended
[58:41] the hopes and dreams of every other
[58:44] nation on earth, so must we transcend
[58:48] ourselves. And in Gandhi's words, become
[58:52] the change we wish to see in the world.
[59:06] Let those of us alive today
[59:11] resolve with one another
[59:14] that we will so conduct ourselves
[59:17] in this campaign and in our lives.
[59:22] that 200 years from now, Americans will
[59:27] say of our labors that this nation and
[59:31] this earth were healed by people they
[59:36] never even knew.
[59:51] I'm told
[59:53] that Hope, Arkansas
[59:56] is indeed a lot like my hometown of
[59:59] Carthage, Tennessee.
[60:02] A place where people do know about it
[60:06] when you're born and care about it when
[60:09] you die. That's the America Bill Clinton
[60:12] and I grew up in. That's the kind of
[60:15] nation we want our children to grow up
[60:18] in. Just as hope is a community, so is
[60:23] America. When we bring the community of
[60:26] America together, we will rekindle the
[60:30] American spirit and renew this nation
[60:33] for generations to come. And the way to
[60:36] begin is to elect Bill Clinton,
[60:39] president of the United States of
[60:42] America. Thank you very much.