Speech for campaign rally at Scranton, PA, September 12, 1984.  Includes handwritten notes and diacritic marks.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984/1095/thumbnail.jp

Ferraro, Geraldine

English

Fordham University School of Law

Fordham Law SchoolFLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and HistorySpeeches 1984 Vice-Presidential Campaign9-12-1984Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rally SpeechGeraldine FerraroFollow this and additional works at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984Part of the Law CommonsThis Book is brought to you for free and open access by the 1984 Vice-Presidential Campaign at FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship andHistory. It has been accepted for inclusion in Speeches by an authorized administrator of FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship andHistory. For more information, please contact tmelnick@law.fordham.edu.Recommended CitationFerraro, Geraldine, "Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rally Speech" (1984). Speeches. 96.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984/96SCRANTON-WILKES BARRE WE HAVE BEGUN AN EXTRAORDINARY CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE. SINCE LABOR DAY WE HAVE TRAVELLED -- QUITE LITERALLY - -- FROM SEA IO SHINING SEA, AND BACK AGAIN. WE WENT FROM NEW YORK, IO WISCONSIN AND THEN ON IO CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST. AND NOW WE ARE BACK EAST IN THE GREAT STAIE OF PENNSYLVANIA. AND LEI MB TELL YQU SOMETHING: I'M MORE CONVINCED THAN EVER THAI THE POLLSTERS AND PUNDITS WHO SAY THIS ELECTION IS OVER BEFORE IT STARTS ARE WRONG -- ONCE AGAIN. LET ME TAKE MY OWN SCIENTIFIC, OBJECTIVE POLL RIGHT --- _.,,--HERE. ARE WE GOING IO WIN THIS ELECTION? ARE WE GOING IO PUT FRITZ MONDALE IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND SEND RONALD . REAGAN BACK IO THE RANCH? YOU BET WE ARE. I DON'T THINK THE PEOPLE OF SCRANTON AND WILKES BARRE ARE GOING TO RE-ELECT AN ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS NOT REDUCED UNEMPLOYMENT. WE NEED AN ADMINISTRATION THAI PRODUCES JOBS, NOT JUST - · ~-···· - · ·~-;·'~ ' \. RHETORIC. I DON'T !HINK THE PEOPLE OF SCRANTON AND WILKES BARRE ARE GOING IO RE-ELECT AN ADMINISTRATION THAI HAS SLASHED SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE BENEFITS. WE NEED AN ADMINISTRATION THAI WORKS FOR SENIOR -CITIZENS, NOT AGAINST THEH. I DON'T THINK THE PEOPLE OF SCRANTON AND WILKES BARRE ARE GOING IO RE-ELECT AN ADHINISIRAIION THAI SITS BY WHILE TOXIC WASIE~~~K POISON INTO OUR SOIL AND OUR WATER. WE NEED AN ADMINISTRATION THAI WILL TAKE POLLUTERS IO COURT, NOT TO LUNCH. --_, BUT MOST OF ALL, WE NEED AN ADMINISTRATION THAT CARES ABOUT HORE THAN THE NARROW SELF-INTBREST OF THE RICH. WE ;z - ..:;;,- -===-NE ED AN ADMINISTRATION THAI ENCOURAGES AMERICANS IO HELP EACH OTHER, NOT STAND IN EACH OTHER'S WAY. I BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD THINK ABOUT MORE THAN ~~:--:-,,.,----- - - -THEMSELVES. AND I BELIEVE MOST AMERICANS DO JUST THAI. WE ' ~ ARE NOT A SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED PEOPLE. WE ARE A GENEROUS PEOPLE, AND NOT ONLY ARE WE GENEROUS. WE'RE BOUND TOGETHER / LIKE A FAMILY. LIKE A FAMILY, WE OWE AN OBLIGATION TO EACH OTHER AND, MOSI ,IMPORIANI, IO IHE NEXI GEN.ERA I ION. THAT'S SOMETHING I LEARNED FROM MY OWN FAMILY. HY FATHER CAME TO THIS. COUNTRY, LIKE SO MANY IMMIGRANTS EXPECTING t9 FIND THJi STREETS PAVED WITH GOLD. WELL,' ~RL ~ • . ~; 1' """'<.'!. -k:. .__J \#JW..~ ~-· _1.u;rli=ffo··~MLi'iH iiaKts.,. eur;:;;&raE WAS A LAND OF GOLDEN -·OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU WORKED HARD AND PLAYED BY THE RULES YOU COULD CARVE OUT A BEITER PUTURE FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR FAMILY. HE AND HY MOTHER TAUGHT HE THERE IS NO GREATER GOOD, NO FINER REWARD THAN TO BUILD A BEITER FUTURE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAI LEGACY. IT'S A LEGACY SHARED BY HOST AMERICANS. FROH THE CHILDREN OF THE MAYFLOWER IO THE CHILDREN OF ELLIS ISLAND, ALL OF US HAVE INHERITED IHE PROMISE THAI EACH GENERATION OF AMERICANS WILL LEAVE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE THAN THEY FOUND IT. THE FACT IHA? I SIANO HERE TODAY -- IHE CHILD OF AN IMMIGRANT -- IS PROOF THAT AMERICA'S DREAMS DO COHE TRUE. AND IHE FACT THAT I STAND HERE TODAY AS THE FIRST WOMAN /) 7 CANDIDAIE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF IHE UNIIED SIAIES IS PROOF IHAT NEW DOORS ARE OPENING, OLD BARRIERS ARE COMING DOWN, AND THAI AMERICA BELONGS TO US ALL. ~EVELLING WITH THE PEQPLE I OWE THIS COUNTRY A GREAI DEAL. IT'S A WONDERFUL COUNTRY, AND I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. IM'*PACf, 1 te~~ T~S 88~U!R!V iH'QllQW ;g inY AltB !Iii ROVE ff. IDL) Rt BUT THIS ADHINISTRATION IS CONTENT TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES LEADING A CHORUSJlF .... CHEERLEADERS WHO TURN OUT ~·~. ec.J" ~e ~..-GLOSSY COMMERCIALS AND ltl' IWr" PAIR IOI ISM:-WE DON'T SEE A COMMERCIAL THAT SHOWS RONALD REAGAN TALKING TO THE WORKING HEN AND WOMEN ABOUI TRYING TO BUY A HOME TODAY. WE DON'T SEE HIM TALKING IO THE EIGHI MILLION AMERICANS WITHOUT JOBS. WE DON'T SEE FUiL COLOj COMMHERCIALS OF THE HUNDREDS OF TOXIC WASTE SITES THREATENING AMERICAN COHMUNITIES FROM COAST TO COAST. ' .· .......... .. :.'.,,, '' • :~.~- ·fV\ •• ~ . . ~ 5 ~ ~ ~WE NEED/AN ADMINISTRATION THAT WILL GIVE US STRAIGHT TALK, NOT HALF TRUTHS. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT THEIR LEADERS TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS. THIS ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT DO THAT. WALTER MONDALE AND I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH. WE LAID OUT OUR PLAN TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT BY TWO THIRDS. WE GAVE YOU DETAILS, NOT EXCUSES. THE REPUBLICANS SAY IT'S NOT SMART POLITICS TO GET TOO SPECIFIC ABOUT PLANS FOR BRINGING DOWNi IEFICITS. AND MAY.BE THEY'RE RIGHT. BUT AS LEADERS W~ HAVE THE OBLIGATION! TO TELL PE~E NOT ONLJ! WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR .BUT ALSO WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW.; UNFORTUNATEU , I ___.. - ~ _, / REAGAN ISN'T DOING THAT·.// = IN 1.980, CANDIDATE REAGAN SAID, AND I QUOTE, ''FOR DECADES WE HAVE PILED DEFICIT UPON DEFICIT, MORTGAGING OUR FUTURE ~D OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE FOR THE TE>'.MPORARY CONVENIENCE OF THE PRESENT. TO CONTINUE THIS .TREHD IS TO GUARNATEE TREMENDOUS SOCIAL, CULTURLA, POLITICAL .>'< ~· ~ AND ECONOMIC UPHEAVALS." o-»; c,O }-'~ THAT WAS CANDIDATE REAGAN INl 1-980 .. BUT PRESIDENT REAGAN tr 24' ..... SINGS A DIFFERENT TUNE. FIRST,HE SAYS RE DEFICITS DON'T MATTER. THEN. HE :mtMB BLAMES THE DEMO@ATS. AND NOW HE SAYS THE DEFICITS ARE B IG ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. ~~u WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES, IT'S THE SAME RUNAROUND. FIRST, MR. REAGAN SAYS HE WON'T RAISE TAXES. THEN MR. BUSH SAYS THEY\VILL RAISE TAXES. THEN MR. REAGAN SAYS MAYBE THEY WILL. FINALLW, THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM SAYS THEY' RE lDMmMll' GOING TO ~ TAXES BY $160 BILLION THEIR RICH FRIENDS. AT LAST, A PROMISE WE CAN BELIEVE. j~ ~-, - it( ~ FOR l ~ Fritz Mondale has.Just PSJl his Plan on the table·,· It's there for al I to see.1· BUf Ronald Reag~n ... sttrr·w;-r?t .. ·'fe1I ~ ~pnffiSI ,,. ..... .. ~,...,.'°.,,. to 9R"11own these deficits·,· .. Yesterday, he was asked to disclose his Plans for balancing the budget·,· And in response~· h~ 8leffl0EI N:ie eef-iett-s·,.~~-£-ong.r6" .• asked reporters to "take a look at the budgets I've al ready submitted," i&-he-Put-1.t, ., '' Well, let's take a look at his budgets, In each year he has submitted budgets with extraordinary deffcits~ This year, the plan he sent to Congress for next year included a whopping deficit of 180 bi I I ion dol Ia°rs',' I want to know if that is the President's idea of an acceptable deficit, And if it isn't, then let's see his Plan for reducing deficits',' I urge the President to come clean·,· Don't Play politics with this issue·,· The deficit crisis we face is too .. . .. your serious to play with, mxmxmemtmtmxmxmsrnamAmxmm eut Mts/plan ,, ., i ! on the table, righ~ now, msmxmfmexmtmemernemtmsm¥m Mr, President, ~ l not after the e Iect ion·,· J ·L---------• ' w-z--WHY ALL THIS DANCING AROUND? IF DEFICITS ARE BAD, THEN LET'S REDUCE THEM. IF THE BUDGET MUST BE SQUEEZED AND TAXES HAVE TO GO UP, THEN LET'S DO IT FAIRLY. AND IF OUR LEADERS WON'T LEVEL WITH US, THEN LET'S REPLACE THEM. IT'S NOT EASY TO TALK ABOUT THE DEFICIT, ~H.liM::tG'H'll-fS­G\!,TING A LIJr: tx~e s;~o~.fl~· 9HP:t, XOU CAN, T SEE IT SHELL IT I Y8Wi &A~-'.l"'-'!fetteH ·Pf. D£t!·:re1r,-· ltr&'!l"tOttG'fTTrC"A'l't""'TOUCM-YOU. ~ . \, ~ c.,.._ p rH IN FACT, IT'S TOUCHING ALL OF US HERE IN SCRANTON. ASK ?HE· COAL t1 INERS THROUGHOUT LUZ~E .. ~NTJ WHETHER IT'S EASIER I rt k I Y yl-t:;i;;. ~ · TO GET WORK WITH 200 BILLION DOLLAR DEFICiTS. ASK THE YOUNG _,,, -FAMILY IN SCRANTON .WHETHER Its EASIER TO FINANCE A NEW HOME WHEN ?HE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DRIVING UP INTEREST RATES BY SOAKING UP EVERY DOLLAR IT CAN GET ITS HANDS ON. 1 ~- V' l.-, t¥ ~ ~ THE iJLDERLY~~ROUGHOui: · PENHS.YLVANIA WHETHER/\, THEY ,,..&. ... --4.. !Ml&'la RONALD REAGAN If) TREAT THEM FAIRLY "'VHBtt--111 ~'ft>-•BRlNe :DOWN IRE flfi'IG-1.!J:' AFTER THIS ELECTION. JUST LAST THURSDAY ONE OF RONALD REAGAN'S CLOSEST ADVISORS LAUNCHED ANOTHER ATTACK ON SOCIAL SECURITY SAYING THAT WHILE SOCIAL SECURITY STARTED OUT AS AN INSURANCE J ... ·r . . PROGRAM IT'S NOW •SIMPLY A TAXATION AND BENEFIT PROGRAM.• WE KNOW IT'S PEOPLE, BUT AETER STILL NOT LEARNED A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS FOUR YEAR~~HE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION HAS 7 Jf1PTl . . TO RESPECT A ~ YEAR AGREEMENT. DO YOU f\. . TRUST THEM TO LEARN BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 6TH? . ~ - - -EVERY AMERICAN IS AFFECTED BY THE RISING TIDE OF RED INK. WALTER MONDALE AND I WANT A FUTURE UNBURDENED BY HUGE DEFICITS. WE WA~T AN ECONOMY FRBE OF HIGH INTEREST RATES. I WE WANT A SOCIETY WHERE NEW FAMILIES CAN BUY HOMES. WHERE AS WE S?ART TO BRING DOWN THE DEFICIT, WE WILL ALSO BEGIN BUILDING AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF US. ~HIL,t . •. ~llS R.E.WB.I..ICANS. .HAVE-. RULBD -?HE ROOST·;-· THEY 'VE· ·SOLD-OFF THE DREAM TO THEIR RICH FRIENDS. IN THE LAST FOUR "YEARS, TAXES FOR THE WEALTHY HAVE BEEN SLASHED, WHILE AVBRA~E FAMILIES ARE PAYING THE SAHE OR EVEN MORE. SIX MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUSHED BELOW THE POVERTY LINE BY AN ADMINISTRATION THAT BELIEVES IN THE SURVIVAL OF THE RICH.ES?. . - --TODAY, WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT OF l'HE RICH, BY THE RICH AN[t I FOR THE RICH. WHAT WE NEED IS A GOVERNMENT OE' THE PEOPLE, BY / l'HE PEOPLE ; AltD· FOR l'HE PEOPLE. ---\._.-B'ECAUSE TlfC"MfEfHSM" lllA&A..,_ IH!i~ !8" AJ.J. Qt:=tJ.S "k MUST WORK TOGETHER l'O BUILD AN ECONOMY l'HAI LEAVES OUT NO GROUP WORK FOR AN EDUCATION SYSTEM THAI WORKS FOR US ALL. WE HAVE ALWAYS MOVED UP THE LADDER OE' SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION. AND WE MUST KEEP THAI LADDER STURDY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. UN.FORTUNATELY, UNDER THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION WE HAVE HAD A RIVER OE' RHBTORrc,/BuT ONLY A TRICKLE OE' HELP FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES. lrNSIBAD OP · HELP ING STUDENTS ANO TEACHERS HERE ON EARTH/RONALD REAGAN WANTS TO LAUNCH TEACHERS INTO SPACE.ti' THE ONLY THING I WORRY ABOUT IF WE SEND TEACHERS INTO SPACE IS THAT THEY MAY RUN INTO THIS ADMINISTRATION'S MILE HIGH DEFICITS. AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE ANY GOOD a ! l '·• - . I THIS NATION HUST ALWAYS BE A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY AMERICAN WHO WORKS HARD. THE HOST PATRIOTIC ACT YOU AND I CAN PERFORM IS TO HAKE AMERICA A LAND THAI OFFERS A CHANCE FOR ALL OF US IO SUCCEED. MR. REAGAN PREACHES PATRIOTISM. HE TALKS ABOUT LOVE OF COUNTRY, AND ! AGREE. BUI I SAY, LEI'S LOVE OUR COUNTRYMEN ~ AND iOOR=tltf WOMEN TOO. LEI'S PUT PEOPLE BAC~( IO WOR~(. LEI'S ENFORCE THE LAWS, PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND KEEP THE PEACE. THAT'S THE BEST WAY WE CAN HONOR OUR FLAG. THE TIME TO BEGIN THAT WORK IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. THE TIME TO -REGISTER NEW VOTERS IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. THE TIME TO KEEP SOCIAL SECURITY SAFE IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. THE TIME TO CREA?E NEW JOBS IS NOT LAIER • IT'S NOW. THE TIME TO CLEAN UP TOXIC DUMPS IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. AND THE TIME IO ELECT FRITZ MONDALE IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. LET'S GO OUT THERE AND WIN THIS ELECTION • NOI LATER, '~L--~ V\ ()W , 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rally Speech

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https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1095&amp;context=vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rally Speech

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