Talk Elections

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"America needs a governor who is proved reformer, a governor who has proven he can reach across the aisle to bring about meaningful change, a governor who will stand up for the the rights and civil liberties of individual citizens and take a firm stand against an unjust and unfunded war!"

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"Today America has a choice, a choice to move forward and usher in a new era of hope and chanage to undo the mistakes of a reckless president and to make America great again!"

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"I stand here today as a someone who can offer experience.  I have the experience as a Senator, as First Lady and as a lawyer to take on the challenge of undoing the mistakes of George Bush and restoring America to it's rightful place in the world".

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"I've been around the government system and believe me it's built to spend. You've got to change the system, otherwise it's like asking a cultivator to do what a combine does, it just doesn't fit, it won't get it done. You've got to change the system".

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"And the American people are the greatest people in the world. What makes America the greatest nation in the world is the heart of the American people: hardworking, innovative, risk-taking, God- loving, family-oriented American people".

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"The way my family lives and the way the government should work is to pray a little more, work a little harder, save, wait, be patient and, most of all, live within our means. That's the American way. It's not spending ourselves into prosperity or taxing ourselves into prosperity".

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"Tonight I am withdrawing my bid for the Democratic nomination for president. I ain't going away. I'll be going back to the Senate as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and I will continue to make the case I've been making..."

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"Tonight I am withdrawing from the Presidential race. But let me assure you, we do not exit this race with our heads hanging - rather, we do so with our heads held high... I think we all knew from the very beginning that ... this would be an uphill battle...only when you try can you truly make a difference in this world, and I'm truly glad I tried".

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"In choosing a president, we really don't choose a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal. We choose a leader. Leaders need to be optimists. Their vision is beyond the present. And tonight New Hampshire has chosen a leader!"

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"For all the ups and downs of this campaign, you helped remind everyone that politics isn't a game. This campaign is about people, about making a difference in your lives, about making sure that everyone in this country has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential. That has been the work of my life. "

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“It is with great pride understanding and acceptance that I am ending my campaign for president of the United States. You know it’s been an exhilarating and humbling year, an experience I will treasure and never forget.”

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Results: McGreevey 45%, Clinton 35%, Obama 20%. Red denotes counties won by McGreevey while Blue denotes counties won by Clinton and Purple by Obama.



Results: Romney 38%, Giuliani 35%, Paul 20, Brownback 2%. Purple denotes counties won by Romney while Red denotes counties won by Giuliani, Blue by Brownback, and Yellow by Paul.
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Gallup Polls: Democratic Nomination

National President
Governor Jim McGreevey: 38%
Senator Hillary Clinton: 36%
Senator Barack Obama: 22%

South Carolina Democratic Primary
Senator Barack Obama: 38%
Senator Hillary Clinton: 30%
Governor Jim McGreevey: 20%

Florida Democratic Primary
Governor Jim McGreevey: 38%
Senator Hillary Clinton: 38%
Senator Barack Obama: 18%

Gallup Polls: Republican Nomination

National President
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani: 35%
Senator Sam Brownback: 26%
Governor Mitt Romney: 25%
Congressman Ron Paul: 10%

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The final results of South Carolina were Brownback: 39%, Giuliani 32%, Romney 18% and Ron Paul 7%. Blue denotes counties won by Senator Sam Brownback while red denotes counties won by Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

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"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. An even though I am no longer a candidate for president, ir does not mean my power to be that change is gone. I will continue to fight for our ideals and promote change by supporting our party's candidate in November!"- Barack Obama- Chicago Illinois

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"There are many qualities that make a great leader. But having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader, and I promise to be a great leader as your next president!"

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"From a viable economy to meaningful healthcare reform, from a clean environment to true equality for women, from a strong military to a commitment to racial brotherhood, from schools that are honored to streets free of excessive violence that is my vision for America, and today we took a huge step forward toward achieving that vision"- Jim McGreevey in Miami, Florida

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Democrats: Red Denotes McGreevey, Blue Denotes Clinton

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Epic face

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Epic face

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Epic face

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Jizz in my pants....

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McGreevey
Chris Dodd
Joe Biden
Bill Richardson
Dennis Kucinich
Howard Dean
Russ Feingold
John Kerry
Mark Warner

Hillary Clinton
Evan Bayh
Tom Vilsak
Barack Obama
Wesley Clark
Tom Dashle

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Rudy Giuliani
John McCain
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson
Jim Gilmore
Tommy Thompson

Sam Brownback
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
Alan Keys
Tom Tancredo

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Democratic Primary
McGreevey 44%- Clinton 46%

Republican Primary
Giuliani 45%- Brownback 45%- Paul 4%

Democratic Primary
McGreevey 40%- Clinton 50%

Republican Primary
Giuliani 42%- Brownback 48%- Paul 6%

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Aggregate Pennsylvania Polls: April 21, 2008

Democratic Primary:
McGreevey: 48%
Clinton: 48%

Republican Primary:
Giuliani: 48%
Brownback: 44%
Pau: 4%

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"Thank you so much. Thank you all.

Well, this isn't exactly the party I'd planned, but I sure like the company.

I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you - to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked and sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors, who emailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, "See, you can be anything you want to be."

The way to continue our fight now - to accomplish the goals for which we stand - is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Jim McGreevey the next President of the United States.

Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Jim McGreevey as you have for me.


In his own life, Jim McGreevey has lived the American Dream. As a mayor and as a Governor- he has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested in our common future.

Now when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House, and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity, and progress. And that's exactly what we're going to do by ensuring that Jim McGreevey walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009.

I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight. The Democratic Party is a family, and it's now time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love.

We may have started on separate journeys - but today, our paths have merged. And we are all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country around because so much is at stake.

We will make history together as we write the next chapter in America's story. We will stand united for the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country we love. There is nothing more American than that.

Thank you all and God bless you and God bless America."

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"Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.
Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Trenton New Jersey. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said – because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another – a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign – through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.

At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.

That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.

We've certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who's shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning – even in the face of tough odds – is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children's Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency – an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be. And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.
So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.

So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.
So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom's cause.

So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that's better, and kinder, and more just.
And so it must be for us.

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

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"Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, I called Mayor Giuliani a few moments ago. It looks pretty apparent tonight that he will, in fact, achieve 1,191 delegates to become the Republican nominee for our party.

I extended to him not only my congratulations, but my commitment to him and to the party to do everything possible to unite our party, but more importantly to unite our country, so that we can be the best nation we can be, not for ourselves, but for the future generations to whom we owe everything, just as we owe previous generations all that they have done for us.

Mayor Giuliani has run an honorable campaign because he's an honorable man. One of the things I'm proudest of is that the two campaigns that I believe have been run in the most civil manner are the two in the Republican Party that have lasted on their feet to the final. And I'm grateful for the manner in which he has conducted his campaign.

I have so many people to thank, starting with this lady here to my right, who I still believe...
And, by the way, I think it's fitting that she got better applause than me, because she deserves it. She truly does.

She's been through so much. She is a magnificent first lady of Arkansas for 10 1/2 years, and I always believed she would be a wonderful first lady for the United States, as well. And I'm grateful for her patience and perseverance through every step of this wonderful journey we've had.

I'm grateful for my family. Some of you may have heard me say this, and it's true: My family didn't have to be persuaded or begged to give their permission and blessing for me to get involved in this campaign. In fact, they were ready for me to do it before I was. Truth is, I was the holdout; they weren't.

And what a wonderful, magnificent gift they've given me with their loyalty and their dedication, involving themselves with their sleeves rolled up every single day of this effort, giving 110 percent of themselves. And for that, I will always be grateful.
The apostle Paul wrote that, "I fought the good fight; I've finished the race; and I've kept the faith." And I believe tonight that one of the things that we will be able to say is not only that we fought the good fight and finished the race; we'd like to have finished it first, but we stayed in until the race was over.

But I think, more importantly, we've kept the faith. And that for me has been the most important goal of all. I'd rather lose an election than lose the principles that got me into politics in the first place.

For all of the conservatives of this country and party who want less government and who want what government they have to be a little more efficient, a little more effective, a little less filled with corruption, and a whole lot filled with the kind of competence that we pay for, I also believe that there are people out there for whom I hope I've given a voice, and that's the people who believe that we need to really overhaul our tax system and implement the Fair Tax and get rid of the IRS.

And I believe that we've given voice to folks who are single moms and those guys who are out there working two shifts trying to make sure they can just keep the rent paid and put food on the table for their families. All across this country, we've stood at rallies and I have looked into the faces of amazing people who love their country, who cherish their families, who work very hard at their jobs, who worship God, and who give very sacrificially to others, even when it would be very easy for them to keep their time and their money totally to themselves.
But they know that's not what made America a great country. It's giving that did.

Well, we'll go home tonight and hopefully bring our team together for the transition. We'll be working on doing everything we can to help Mayor Giuliani and to help our party, to help those who run for the Senate and the Congress, because there are many battles this year that we need not just to fight; we need to win them, for our country's sake and our future's sake.
It's time for us to hit the reset button. Sometimes when the computer stalls, that's what you do: You hit the reset button.

But in doing so, we also recognize the extraordinary privilege that we've had and the amazing people who have been there for the journey.

We aren't going away completely. We want to be a part of helping to keep the issues alive that have kept us in this race.

And, by the way, I know there were many who thought we wouldn't make it to March '07, much less March '08. And we've done so because so many of you worked beyond your capacity and gave in ways I can't even begin to imagine.

Neither my wife nor I have the words to say, "Thanks." We can only thank you with hopefully our future actions, that we will work hard for our country, we will work hard for our party and the nominee, because we love this country and that's why we got in.

And until our country is all that we hope and pray it to be, we won't be able to walk away completely.

And now we join with Mayor Giuliani and the rest in our party to continue that battle, to continue that fight, not for who gets elected, but for what we do in maintaining liberty and freedom when we get elected and when our country's flag still waves proudly on the wall.

Thank you, folks. God bless you. We love you. And thank you very, very much for going the journey with us. Thank you."

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"Thank you. I am very grateful for the broad support you have given our campaign. And I am very pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a sense of great responsibility that I will be the Republican nominee for President of the United States.

I want to thank my family: my wife, my children, and our dear friends who have been throughout this campaign, and will remain in the challenging months ahead, an unwavering source of support and love.

America is at war in two countries, and involved in a long and difficult fight with violent extremists who despise us, our values and modernity itself. It is of little use to Americans for their candidates to avoid the many complex challenges of these struggles by re-litigating decisions of the past. I will defend the decision to destroy Saddam Hussein's regime as I criticized the failed tactics that were employed for too long to establish the conditions that will allow us to leave that country with our country's interests secure and our honor intact. But Americans know that the next President doesn't get to re-make that decision. We are in Iraq and our most vital security interests are clearly involved there. The next President must explain how he or she intends to bring that war to the swiftest possible conclusion without exacerbating a sectarian conflict that could quickly descend into genocide; destabilizing the entire Middle East; enabling our adversaries in the region to extend their influence and undermine our security there; and emboldening terrorists to attack us elsewhere with weapons we dare not allow them to possess.

The next President must encourage the greater participation and cooperation of our allies in the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The next President must lead an effort to restructure our military, our intelligence, our diplomacy and all relevant branches of government to combat Islamic extremism, encourage the vast majority of moderates to win the battle for the soul of Islam, and meet the many other rising challenges in this changing world.

I will leave it to my opponent to argue that we should abrogate trade treaties, and pretend the global economy will go away and Americans can secure our future by trading and investing only among ourselves. We will campaign in favor of seizing the opportunities presented by the growth of free markets throughout the world, helping displaced workers acquire new and lasting employment and educating our children to prepare them for the new economic realities by giving parents choices about their children's education they do not have now.

I will leave it to my opponent to claim that they can keep companies and jobs from going overseas by making it harder for them to do business here at home. We will campaign to strengthen job growth in America by helping businesses become more competitive with lower taxes and less regulation.

I will leave it to my opponent to propose returning to the failed, big government mandates of the sixties and seventies to address problems such as the lack of health care insurance for some Americans. I will campaign to make health care more accessible to more Americans with reforms that will bring down costs in the health care industry down without ruining the quality of the world's best medical care.

And I will campaign to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil with an energy policy that encourages American industry and technology to make our country safer, cleaner and more prosperous by leading the world in the use, development and discovery of alternative sources of energy.

These are some of the challenges that confront us. There are others just as urgent, and during this campaign I'll travel across the country in cities and rural areas, in communities of all ethnic backgrounds and income levels, offering my ideas and listening to the concerns and advice of Americans. Americans aren't interested in an election where they are just talked to and not listened to; an election that offers platitudes instead of principles and insults instead of ideas; an election that results -- no matter who wins -- in four years of unkept promises and a government that is just a battleground for the next election. Their patience is at an end for politicians who value ambition over principle, and for partisanship that is less a contest of ideas than an uncivil brawl over the spoils of power.

Nothing is inevitable in America. We are the captains of our fate. We're not a country that prefers nostalgia to optimism; a country that would rather go back than forward. We're the world's leader, and leaders don't pine for the past and dread the future. We make the future better than the past. We don't hide from history. We make history. That, my friends, is the essence of hope in America, hope built on courage, and faith in the values and principles that have made us great. I intend to make my stand on those principles and chart a course for our future greatness, and trust in the judgment of the people I have served all my life. So stand up with me, my friends, stand up and fight for America -- for her strength, her ideals, and her future. The contest begins tonight. It will have its ups and downs. But we will fight every minute of every day to make certain we have a government that is as capable, wise, brave and decent as the great people we serve. That is our responsibility and I will not let you down."

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Hillary Clinton 47.5%- McGreevey 46.9%

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"During these past six months I have had the extreme privilege to travel across this great country of ours and lay out my plan for America. During this time I have also had the incredible opportunity to hear Senator Clinton's vision for America... and I can say without a doubt that it is truly an incredible vision. I am thankful everyday for the debate that Hillary and I had over the past six months. I am thankful because it has made us a stronger, better party... and even more so a stronger, better country where, as Hillary puts it, everyone will have the opportunity to live up to his or her God Given potential. I would like to invite my friends Senator Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton to the stage!" Governor James McGreevey 

"I am honored to have been chosen by mayor Giuliani to be the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States of America. I accept the duty to help lead our nation out of a jobs crisis and back to prosperity – and I know we can do this. I accept the calling of my generation to give our children the America that was given to us, with opportunity for the young and security for the old – and I know that we are ready.

Our nominee is sure ready. His whole life has prepared him for this moment – to meet serious challenges in a serious way, without excuses and idle words. From combatting crime in New York City to leading the relief efforts after September, 11th Mayor Giuliani has shown the courage and dedicated leadership that this great country of ours deserves.

When Mayor Giuliani asked me to join the ticket, I said, "Let's get this done" – and that is exactly, what we're going to do…"

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National: Giuliani/Frist 48%- McGreevey/Gephardt 44%

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"It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.

With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost, there was no hope for this candidate, who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war. But the pollsters... The pollsters and the pundits, they overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off. They overlooked the caliber of the man himself, the determination, and resolve, and the sheer guts of May Rudy Giuliani.

The voters knew better, and maybe that's because they realized there's a time for politics and a time for leadership, a time to campaign and a time to put our country first...".

2008 Presidential Candidate and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback

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"Fourteen years ago, on my first day as a senator, my dad, a family doctor in Tennessee for 50 years, paid me a visit.

As we sat in my new office, he said: "Son, the nameplate on your door reads William Frist. Always remember you're a doctor. You're committed to healing and helping people. It really should read, William Frist, M.D."

Well, today the nameplate on the door of my Capitol office reads just that: William Frist, M.D. It's a constant reminder of my dad's advice: to work each day to better the life of every individual American.And that, my friends, is what Rudy Giuliani has done -- particularly when when you need it.

This victory for our party, is part of a larger battle we're fighting on behalf of every American. How we do so is crucial. Our opponents have a way of confusing compassion with dependency. We believe true compassion encourages and empowers Americans to be responsible and take control of their own lives. That's what republicans  have done time and time again.

So here's the choice: Do we grow the bureaucracy and gouge you with higher taxes, as Mr. McGreevy will do, or do we let the American people grow their own success and their own prosperity as the Republicans want to do?
We've made our choice.

But I'll tell you what Governor McGreevy’s prescription will be: Take a handful of tax increases and don't call me in the morning.

My friends, I'm so proud of our Mayor Giuliani’s record. He's making the United States safer and more prosperous. He's uniting ownership and opportunity for millions. And he is looking to the future.

He has a vision to harness America's awesome potential, through the power of our technologies, the strength of our sciences, the efficiency of our enterprises, and the highest aspirations of our people.
But only one candidate will lead us there: Rudy Giuliani.

Fellow citizens, on November 2nd, there is only one choice for a stronger, for a healthier and freer America – Rudy Giuliani".

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"Thank you… thank you! God bless all of you! I am honored to accept the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

In the decade, there have been major Islamic extremist terrorists’ attacks on us and our allies. We must not be afraid to define our enemy.

It is Islamic extremist terrorism. I did not say all of Islam. I said Islamic extremist terrorism.
Failing to identify them properly maligns decent Muslims around the world. It also sets up a fear of being politically incorrect that can have serious consequences. And it has. This is why our enemies see us as weak and vulnerable.

To defeat Islamic extremist terrorism we must put them on defense. If they are at war against us—which they have declared—we must commit ourselves to unconditional victory against them.

I will make sure that any agreement with Iran meets the original goals of the U.N and our allies: a non-nuclear Iran. I am a leader and I will reassert America’s position as the nation with the best values to lead the world.

I will secure our borders. My opponent has had a chance to make himself clear on this and he has failed. Jim McGreevy is for open borders.

Washington needs a complete turnaround and I am is the agent of change and he will be the leader of the change we need.

A vote for me is a vote for a safer America and for an America headed for greatness! God Bless the United States of America".

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CNN Poll
Giuliain/Frist: 50%
McGreevey/ Gephardt: 42%

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"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did in this primary at this defining time in our history, change will come to America".

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Jim McGreevey Accepts the Democratic Nomination For President

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"To all my fellow citizens of this great nation; with profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest — a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours — Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next vice president of the United States, Dick Gephardt, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.

It is the promise of America that has always set this country apart — that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

That's why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women — students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments — a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush. America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land — enough! This moment — this election — is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives — on health care and education and the economy — Mayor Giuliani has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country. We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president — when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush. We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job — an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great — a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves — protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America — the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise — that American promise — and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America"- Governor James McGreevey.

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