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Party Switchers Event 6/26/89
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Party Switchers Event 6/26/89
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Draft Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13493
Folder ID Number:
13493-001
Folder Title:
Party Switchers Event 6/26/89
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
25
6
3
6
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 26, 1989
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS
CHANGING PARTIES
The Rose Garden
3:44 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. And all of you,
greetings, welcome to the Rose Garden. To Lee -- Lee Atwater and
Jeannie Austin -- delighted that the leaders of our party are here
for this important occassion. And, of course, to our special friend,
Congressman Bill Grant of Florida -- a great, great pleasure to see
you again and have you here with us. And to state officials, key
elected leaders, fellow Republicans all, welcome to the White House.
And welcome officially -- you don't need it from me -- but, welcome
to the Republican Party. (Applause.)
It was once said that some men change their principles
for their party, while others change their party for their
principles. And since the election, scores of elected Democratic
officials -- men and women -- have made the right choice and joined
the Republican Party -- and because the values and principles of the
Democratic Party were not their values and principles. And I think
many more will follow them.
The switch is on to the party in sync with the American
principles. The switch is on to the Republican Party.
In February -- seems like just yesterday -- Bill Grant,
Congressman, came to the White House to announce his switch from
Democrat to Republican. And now he's with the party of opportunity,
the party of ideas, the party of the future, because in the future, I
honestly believe there will be many more Democrats joining our ranks.
And people say the Republican Party is on the move.
Well, when I look around here today, I'd say that's true. We're
moving in the right direction. But the Democratic Party is on the
move, too -- to the left and out of the mainstream.
And as the greatest former Democrat of them all,
President Reagan, once said, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party left me." The Democratic Party is leaving
droves of voters behind as it moves over on to the more liberal side
-- the left side of the political equasion. And now many of those
stranded voters have made a move on their own -- to the Republican
Party, our party of family, faith and the future.
And each of you here has made a courageous decision,
sometimes a very tough, political decision to join us -- taking
considerable political risk in the process. But you've also made a
move to be on the winning side in the contest of ideas and issues in
America.
And when you made that bold choice to join us, we made a
choice, too. We will support you, we will back you up in every way
we can. You've made a tough decision -- the right decision -- and
we're with you. And when you're out there on the front lines for us,
you won't be fighting alone. This party will stand with you
shoulder-to-shoulder.
As former Democrats, you are the most visible sign of the
MORE
10
- 2 -
great sea-changes that are going on in the American political scene.
I'm told that since 1984, the Republican Party in Florida has
increased its voter registration by nearly half a million; and in the
last 60 days, Republicans have been out-registering Democrats in that
state by better than 3-1. And that's because mainstream Americans
believe in peace through strength, and economic opportunity,
traditional family values. And with the Republican Party, they're
swimming with the current.
We know which party stands for a strong America and a
growing economy -- and Americans know that too. And that's why with
the able leadership of Lee Atwater, Jeannie Austin, the Party will
become the majority party in America. We can do it -- I want to help
-- we will do it -- because of the courage of you and thousands like
you. On behalf of Republicans everywhere then, thank you,
congratulations, welcome to the Republican Party.
Thank you all very, very much for coming.
END
3:49 P.M. EDT
REMARKS: PARTY SWITCHERS EVENT
MONDAY, JUNE 26
THE ROSE GARDEN
3:30 P.M.
THANK YOU. LEE [ATWATER] AND JEANNIE [AUSTIN],
GOOD TO SEE YOU. CONGRESSMAN BILL GRANT -- IT'S ALWAYS
A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU HERE WITH US.
- 2 -
STATE OFFICIALS, KEY ELECTED LEADERS, MY FELLOW
REPUBLICANS
...
WELCOME TO THE WHITE HOUSE, AND
WELCOME TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
IT WAS ONCE SAID THAT SOME MEN CHANGE THEIR PRINCIPLES
FOR THEIR PARTY, WHILE OTHERS CHANGE THEIR PARTY FOR
THEIR PRINCIPLES. SINCE THE ELECTION, SCORES OF
ELECTED DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS -- MEN AND WOMEN -- HAVE
MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE ... AND JOINED THE GRAND OLD
PARTY.
- 3 -
BECAUSE THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY WERE NOT THEIR VALUES AND PRINCIPLES. AND I
THINK MANY MORE WILL FOLLOW THEM.
THE SWITCH IS ON
TO THE PARTY IN SYNC WITH AMERICAN
...
PRINCIPLES. THE SWITCH IS ON
To THE REPUBLICAN
...
PARTY.
- 4 -
IN FEBRUARY, CONGRESSMAN BILL GRANT CAME To THE WHITE
HOUSE TO ANNOUNCE HIS SWITCH FROM DEMOCRAT TO
REPUBLICAN. Now HE'S WITH THE PARTY OF OPPORTUNITY,
THE PARTY OF IDEAS, THE PARTY OF THE FUTURE ...
BECAUSE
IN THE FUTURE, THERE WILL BE EVEN MORE DEMOCRATS
JOINING US.
- 5 -
PEOPLE SAY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ON THE MOVE. WELL,
WHEN I LOOK AROUND HERE TODAY, I'D SAY THAT'S TRUE.
WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS ON THE MOVE, TOO -- TO THE LEFT AND
OUT OF THE MAINSTREAM. ((PAUSE))
- 6 -
As THE GREATEST FORMER DEMOCRAT OF THEM ALL, PRESIDENT
REAGAN, ONCE SAID, "I DIDN'T LEAVE THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEFT ME." THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY IS LEAVING DROVES OF VOTERS BEHIND AS IT MOVES
FURTHER AND FURTHER INTO LEFT FIELD. Now MANY OF THOSE
STRANDED VOTERS HAVE MADE A MOVE OF THEIR OWN ... TO
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE PARTY OF AMERICAN VALUES:
FAITH, FAMILY AND FUTURE.
- 7 -
EACH OF YOU HERE HAS MADE THE COURAGEOUS DECISION TO
JOIN US -- OFTEN DESPITE CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL RISK --
BUT YOU'VE ALSO MADE A MOVE TO BE ON THE WINNING SIDE
IN THE CONTEST OF IDEAS AND ISSUES IN AMERICA.
AND WHEN YOU MADE THE BOLD CHOICE TO JOIN US, WE MADE A
CHOICE, TOO. WE WILL SUPPORT YOU, BACK YOU UP IN EVERY
WAY WE CAN. You HAVE MADE A TOUGH DECISION ... THE
RIGHT DECISION ... AND WE'RE WITH YOU.
- 8 -
WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE ON THE FRONT LINES FOR US, YOU
WON'T BE FIGHTING ALONE. THIS PARTY WILL STAND WITH
YOU SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER.
As FORMER DEMOCRATS, YOU ARE THE MOST VISIBLE SIGN OF
THE GREAT SEA-CHANGES GOING ON IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
- 9 -
((I'M TOLD THAT SINCE 1984, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN
FLORIDA HAS INCREASED ITS VOTER REGISTRATION BY NEARLY
HALF A MILLION AND IN THE LAST 60 DAYS, REPUBLICANS
HAVE BEEN OUT-REGISTERING DEMOCRATS IN THAT STATE BY
BETTER THAN 3-1.)) THAT'S BECAUSE MAINSTREAM AMERICANS
BELIEVE IN PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
AND TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES ... ((PAUSE)) AND WITH
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THEY'RE SWIMMING WITH THE
CURRENT.
- 10 -
WE KNOW WHICH PARTY STANDS FOR A STRONG AMERICA AND A
GROWING ECONOMY ... AND AMERICANS KNOW, TOO. THAT'S
WHY, WITH THE ABLE LEADERSHIP OF LEE ATWATER AND
JEANNIE AUSTIN, THIS PARTY WILL BECOME THE MAJORITY
PARTY IN AMERICA. WE CAN DO IT ... AND WE WILL DO IT -
- BECAUSE OF THE COURAGE OF YOU AND THOUSANDS LIKE YOU.
ON BEHALF OF REPUBLICANS EVERYWHERE, THANK YOU AND
CONGRATULATIONS.
WELCOME TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.