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7346412
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Remarks of the President at the South Carolina State Fair [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7346412
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document
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Remarks of the President at the South Carolina State Fair [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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7346412
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23
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1976-10-23
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10
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1976
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e29c36ee62fc0b77
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Digitized from Box 33 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 23, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Columbia, South Carolina)
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AT THE
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE FAIR
4:20 P.M. EDT
Let me thank all of you for the opportunity
to come to Columbia, South Carolina, to the great State
Fair.
I would just like to introduce a member of
our family, who went to the fair while I went to the
football game. I would like to introduce to you my
son, Steve Ford.
Two weeks ago I went to the Texas State
Fair. This morning I stopped at the North Carolina
State Fair. Here I am at the South Carolina State
Fair. I love fairs. Thank you very, very much.
But what I like best is those figures up
there.
But let me be serious, if I might. We have
a great campaign that is about to come to its conclusion
on November 2. The issues are very important. We have
been hearing that only about 50 percent of the people
are going to vote. I hope that is not true, because
the course and direction of this Nation could well be
decided on November 2, and that course and that
direction for the next four years and perhaps for the
next century.
Let me tell you where I stand. I stand for
a strong national defense. America must be number
one, and will be number one. We have the best Army,
the best Navy, the best Marine Corps, the best Air Force,
and under President Ford we are going to keep it that
way.
But we also have to have a strong economy,
and that means not only an industrial economy but it
means a strong agricultural economy. We believe very
strongly that American agriculture is probably one of
the most important segments of our society, and we are
going to keep agriculture in America strong under
President Ford for the next four years.
MORE
Page 2
I think a few of you may have heard the debate
last night. I am not going to ask you who won, but I
do want to repeat one or two things that I believe are
very important for us to remember.
Two years ago, in August, this country was
in serious trouble. Today, we have made a substantial
amount of progress. We have gone from a lack of trust
in the White House to confidence and trust in the
White House under President Ford. We have gone from
inflation of over 12 percent two years ago to a rate
of inflation under 6 percent, and it is going down. We
have made a lot of progress in winning the battle
against inflation, and we are going to make a lot
more between now and the end of the next four years.
But then, let me make one other observation.
America is at peace. We are at peace, because we are
strong. Not a single young American is fighting and
dying on any foreign battlefield tonight. We are
able to do that because the United States has the
military capability and the diplomatic skill through
strength in our allies and respect from our adversaries.
But the most fundamental thing that is
important in America is our moral and spiritual
strength. The United States is a Nation where each
and every one of us has an opportunity to participate --
to participate in Government, to pray to God, to have
our own religion, and strengthen the character of
America. And I think by any standard we can say we
are proud of America and we are proud to be Americans.
Thank you very, very much.
END
(AT 4:30 P.M. EDT)