Visit our sister site, AlGore-04.com:
|
|
Keynote address to the Tennessee Democratic Party's 2002 campaign kick-off
(Note: An online video of this speech can be viewed at our sister site, AlGore-04.com, using QuickTime, Real Player or Windows Media.)
GORE: Thank you my friends. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for being here, I can’t tell you how much this means to me. And Tipper, before you leave - - I just wanted to say this - - that I’ve been asked, would I do anything over again if I had the election of 2000 to do over again. And the answer is ‘Yes, if I had it to do over again I would have kissed Tipper longer at the convention out in Los Angeles.’
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: But, she was struggling, so…
In addition to Tipper, I want to acknowledge the fact that my mother, Pauline LaFon Gore is here this evening. And our son, Al. And you know, Thelma Harper, I wish that you could introduce me everywhere. Wasn’t she great?
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: And I certainly enjoyed the great speeches by Bart Gordon and Bob Clement. I want to acknowledge them and Mayor Bill Purcell and “Cotton” Ivy and everybody who’s worked so hard to make this a great event.
You know, it’s great to be back home in Tennessee, to be spending so much time here again. And this is a time of transition for me. Now, when I make speeches around the country, sometimes I say ‘You know, they let other cars on the road with me when I drive, and given that I haven’t driven in eight years, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: But I want to tell you a true story about my - - about Tipper and me driving from Nashville to Carthage. It was after our ‘Family Re-Union’ in Nashville. And - - not too long, not too many weeks ago - - and we were driving out to Carthage around dinner time and we started looking for a place to eat, so we pulled of the Lebanon exit there at Highway 231 and started looking for a place to eat. And we pulled into the Shoney’s Restaurant there. And we walked in - - no motorcade, now - -
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: A rented Ford Taurus.
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: And we walked in and sat in a booth. And a waitress came over to take our order, and she made a big fuss. Over Tipper.
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: And then she went and talked to the couple that was in the booth directly behind us. And she lowered her voice so we had to strain to hear. This is a true story. She said - - she said to the couple there: ‘Yes, that’s former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper.’ And the man said: ‘He’s come down a long way, hasn’t he?’
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: I tell you what, it’s been that kind of year. And - - (laughs) - - and the sequel to that story is that a couple days after that I had the opportunity to fly to Africa. I flew to Nigeria and I made a speech in Lagos, Nigeria. And because that incident had just happened and I thought it was so funny I told them that story. And I had to add a few things because they don’t know what Shoney’s is, so I said ‘it’s a low cost, family restaurant chain’. And I told them we were driving ourselves, and they laughed, and then I went on with the speech. And then I got on the airplane and flew back to the United States and we stopped to refuel in the Azores Islands. And somebody came running out of the cinder block building there, ‘Call Washington! Call Washington!’. Well, now what in the world could be the matter?
(UNIDENTIFIED MAN IN AUDIENCE: "THEY WERE MISSING THE REAL PRESIDENT!" LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
GORE: Well, we called - - he’s after your job, Cotton! - - so we called Washington and here was what the - - here was what the problem was. One of the news wire services had already sent the following story all across the United States: ‘Former Vice President Al Gore announced in Nigeria yesterday quote ‘My wife Tipper and I have opened a low cost, family restaurant - - ‘
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: ‘ - - named Shoney’s. And we are running it ourselves.’ Before I could get back to U.S. soil, Jay Leno had already hit me with some rabbit punches. You know, he’s a newscaster now, along with David Letterman. My partner, Bill Clinton, sent me a real nice, handwritten letter congratulating me on my new restaurant.
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: And I - - (laughs) - - I still - - (laughs) - - I’m thinking about putting that one on eBay.
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: No, I wouldn’t do that. But, but I still get people coming up to me and say ‘What kind of restaurant is it?’ We catered this food here tonight, I hope you all enjoyed it.
(LAUGHTER)
GORE: No, whoever did, did a good job.
My friends, on December the thirteenth of 2000, when I offered my concession in the Presidential race, I said that I was going to spend some time in Tennessee and mend fences, literally and figuratively. And over the last year I’ve gotten a pretty good start. I’ve been teaching, as Thelma said, at Fisk here, and at Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro - -
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: Tipper and I completed the - - I’m glad there’s some MTSU Raiders here. And some Fisk students here. And Tipper and I completed our tenth annual ‘Family Re-Union’ process and I’ve also been driving around to different counties. I haven’t made all 95 yet, but I’ve made a pretty good start and I’ll get to all 95. And to those of you who helped to put together meetings: thank you very much. I appreciate that. And I’m going to be coming to the rest of your counties.
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: I’ve been reconnecting with friends; old friends, making new friends. I’ve driven from Bristol to Memphis and hit a lot of the counties in between. And I’ll tell you, I love what I have seen and felt in our state. There is a growing determination to become involved in helping to make a brighter future for Tennessee. And I want you to know that I love this state with all of my heart and soul. I love you and I appreciate what you have meant to me.
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: I know that there is a - - I know that I’ve got a lot more work to do here, but I am committed heart and soul to the people of this great state. You know that old story Cotton, about the difference between ‘committed’ and ‘involved’ is the difference between a breakfast of bacon and eggs: the chicken was involved but the hog was committed. I am committed.
You know, with very few exceptions I have refrained from speaking out publicly on the issues for a year - - little over a year - - since the inauguration of President Bush. Among the only times I’ve spoken out were two times last Fall when I wanted to join with all of you in expressing our collective support for the President’s leadership of our country in response to the terrible, horrific attacks of September eleventh. And this is a time of course when this whole war is continuing and we all continue to stand together in the war against terrorism and with the President. And we salute President Bush’s resolve in the fight against terrorism.
And in the immediate aftermath of that tragedy, as the towers came crashing down on September eleventh, we could all feel the American spirit rising up. We are as strong, and as united and as together as I have ever seen this country.
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: And that’s a good thing. And I know that I speak for everyone in this room when I thank our Democratic Party’s leadership for uniting so strongly behind the President. I am proud of the response of the Democrats in putting country before party.
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: At a time like this, that’s what we’re supposed to do. Never - - and the history books will confirm this in the future, I’ll bet anything on it - - never has an opposition party been so unified and committed in support of a President, in the conduct of a war. And I just want to say that Senator Daschle and Congressman Gephardt have done a great job,
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: We want to lift them up. We want to help them, lift them up. Senator Joe Lieberman, my running mate - -
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: - - Bart Gordon and Bob Clement and Harold Ford, Jr. and John Tanner, all of the Democrats - - virtually every Democrat in Congress and in the country has been doing the right thing in unifying during this time. Because patriotism really demands that at a time like this we all come together.
Now, while we are united on the war effort, we all know there are other choices where there are very sharp differences between the parties. Real differences.
(APPLAUSE)
GORE: Once again, it is now time for the American people to look at the condition of our country and make decisions about which course we will take. Now is a time when the public debate should joined so that those decisions will be the right ones. Now I mentioned that I have refrained from public speeches on the issues. Some disagreed with my choice to withdraw from the policy debates for a time but it was right for me. And I would do it again. I thought it was appropriate, given the nature of the election.
However, we face now another opportunity in this great Democracy in this election year of 2002 for people to express their views and vote for candidates who will best represent them. For everything there is a season. And tonight, as this new election season opens, I intend to rejoin the national debate.
(PROLONGED APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)
Page 1 Page 2
|
|
