1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
Nationally televised U.S. Vice-Presidential debate between U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle, Senator Al Gore Jr. (D-TN), and U.S. Admiral James Stockdale (USN-Ret), held in Atlanta, Georgia, and moderated by Hal Bruno.
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
Debate moderator Hal Bruno introduces debate. U.S. Senator AL GORE JR. (Albert Gore, D-TN) makes opening statement at U.S. Vice-Presidential debates. Al Gore says it's an honor to be in Atlanta, and it's a great honor to be sharing the stage with Admiral Stockdale; Al Gore says to Dan Quayle that if he promises not to compare George Bush to Harry S. Truman, then he won t compare Mr. Quayle to John F. Kennedy. "But our real discussion is going to be about change. Bill Clinton & I stand for change. We don t believe that our nation can stand four more years of what we've had under George Bush and Dan Quayle." Al Gore says the Bush/Quayle administration's reaction to the recession was akin to "a deer caught in the headlights," and says they lacked sympathy, empathy & understanding toward the plight of the American people. "It is time for a change. Bill Clinton & I want to get our country moving forward again; put our people back to work; and create a bright future for the United States of America."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Vice-President DAN QUAYLE (J. Danforth Quayle) makes opening statement at U.S. Vice-Presidential debates. Dan Quayle says Bill Clinton's economic plan and agenda will make the situation is American much worse: "He will raise your taxes. He will increase spending. He will make government bigger. Jobs will be lost. Second, Bill Clinton does not have the strength nor the character to be President of the United States... " Dan Quayle outlines the agenda differences between Clinton and George Bush, then waxes prophetic: "At some time during these next four years, there is going to be a crisis. There will be an international crisis. I can't tell you where it's going to be. I can't even tell you the circumstances, but it will happen. We need a President who has the experience, who has been tested... You need to have a President who you can trust. Can you really trust Bill Clinton?"
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Admiral JAMES STOCKDALE (USN, Ret) makes opening statement at U.S. Vice-Presidential debates. Famously quoth the Admiral James Stockdale: "Who am I? Why am I here?" Applause, laughter. "I'm not a politician. Everyone knows that. So don t expect me to use the language of a Washington insider. 37 years in the Navy; only one of them in Washington. Now I'm an academic. The centerpiece of my life was the Vietnam War. I was there the day it started. I led the first bombing raid against North Vietnam. I was there the day it ended. And I was there for everything in-between... I know how American government can be courageous and can be callow... I was the leader of the underground of the American pilots who were shot down & imprisoned in North Vietnam. You should know the American character displayed in those dungeons by those fine men was the thing of beauty. I look back on those years as the beginning of wisdom... Why am I here tonight? I'm here b/c I have in my brain, in my heart, what it takes to lead America through tough times."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
Hal Bruno switches gears to the issue of the environment. U.S. Vice-President DAN QUAYLE (J. Danforth Quayle) says we shouldn t have a choice between the environment & jobs, that we should have both; Dan Quayle touts the environmental record (pretty much limited to the Clean Air Act) & leadership of George Bush. "With the right policies, prudent policies, we can have both." U.S. Admiral JAMES STOCKDALE (USN, Ret) says he read Al Gore Jr.'s book, but doesn t see how they can pay for the proposed policies, labeling them the "Marshall Plan of Environment." C/A grim, wooden, emotionless visage of Al Gore Jr. staring down Admiral Stockdale. "You know, I'm told you can overdo environmental cleaning-up. If you purify the pond, the water lilies die. I love this planet, and I want it to stay here but I don't like to have the private property of fanatics that want to overdo this thing." Audience cheers, applauds, especially a smug & insincere Dan Quayle.
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Senator AL GORE JR. (Albert Gore Jr., D-TN) says, "Bill Clinton & I believe we can create millions of new jobs by leading the environmental revolution instead of dragging out feet & bringing up the rear... The future will call for greater efficiency, and greater environmental efficiency. This is an issue that touches my basic values. I'm taught in my religious tradition that we are given dominion over the earth but we're required to be good stewards of the earth. That means to take care of it... " U.S. Vice-President DAN QUAYLE (J. Danforth Quayle) says American taxpayers will spend 100 billion per year on environmental projects in foreign countries, references a page number from Al Gore Jr.'s book; Senator Gore denies the allegation. U.S. Senator AL GORE JR. (Albert Gore Jr, D-TN) says, "Dan, I appreciate you reading my book, but you've got it wrong. There is no such proposal." Dan Quayle is incredulous, insists on interjecting. Senator Al Gore Jr. says it's a global cooperative proposal. "we cannot stick our heads in the sand & pretend that we don t face a global environmental crisis. Nor should we assume that it's going to cost jobs." Senator Gore says 250,000 jobs have been lost in the timber & auto industries during the Reagan/Bush/Quayle administration. "What they like to do is to point the finger of blame with one hand & hand out pink slips w/ the other hand. They've done a poor job both w/ the economy & the environment. It's time for a change."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
Hal Bruno introduces the issue of abortion at the U.S. Vice-Presidential debates. U.S. Senator AL GORE JR. (Albert Gore Jr., D-TN) says, "Bill Clinton and I support the right of a woman to choose. That doesn't mean that we're pro-abortion. In fact, we believe there are way too many abortions in this country, and the way to reduce them is by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies... The reason that we are pro-choice and in favor of a woman's right to privacy is b/c we believe during the early stages of a pregnancy that government has no business coming in & ordering a woman to do what the government thinks is best. What Dan Quayle & George Bush & Jerry Falwell & Pat Robertson think is the right decision in a given set of circumstances is their privilege, but don't have the gov't order a woman to do what they think is the right thing to do..." Al Gore then daringly challenges Vice-President Dan Quayle to utter the words, "I support the right of a woman to choose." Dan Quayle does not comply.
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Vice-President DAN QUAYLE (J. Danforth Quayle) says the abortion issue deeply divides America, and that he is pro-life and has been pro-life throughout his public life. "My objective, and the President's objective, is to try to reduce the number of abortions in this country. We have 1.6 million abortions. We have more abortions in Washington DC than live births. Why shouldn t we have more reflection on the issue before the decision of abortion is made?" Dan Quayle launches into a tailor-made campaign story about a woman he met in Los Angeles who had an abortion as a young woman and later regretted it, that she wished she had counseling about the "post-abortion trauma." "Let's not forget that every abortion stops a beating heart. I think we have far too many abortions in this country of ours."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Admiral JAMES STOCKDALE (USN, Ret) tackles the abortion issue, says, "I believe that a woman owns her body and what she does with it is her own business. Period." Audience cheers, applauds. Hal Bruno looks to Admiral Stockdale to elaborate, to which he replies, "Period." The audience laughs, cheers, applauds again, some people howling. Admiral Stockdale then says, "I too abhor abortions but I don t think that they should be made illegal & I don't think it's a political issue. I think it's a privacy issue." Audience applauds yet again.
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Senator AL GORE JR. (Albert Gore Jr., D-TN) continues abortion debate, says Dan Quayle and George Bush have "turned over their party to Pat Buchanan & Phyllis Schlafly, who have ordered them to endorse a platform which makes all abortions illegal under any circumstances, regardless of what has led to that decision, even in cases of rape & incest. Their platform requires that a woman be penalized, that she not be allowed to make a choice..." U.S. Vice-President DAN QUAYLE (J. Danforth Quayle) rebuts, says, "This issue is a very important issue... One thing that I don't think is wise to do is to change your position. At one time in the House you had a pro-life position. In 1987 you wrote a letter saying that you opposed taxpayer funding of abortion. And Bill Clinton in Arkansas worked with the right-to-life people & supported right to life positions. Talk about waffling around. The typical type of Clinton response... Bill Clinton has trouble telling the truth." Al Gore Jr. & Dan Quayle get contentious, battle long and hard, interjecting one another. Al Gore Jr. says, "There are millions of women in this country who passionately believe in the right of a woman to privacy. They (The Republicans and Religious Right) want to stack the Supreme Court w/ Justices who will take away the right to privacy. That is their agenda. And if you support them, don t be surprised that that is exactly what they want to do & that is why Dan Quayle refuses to say that he supports the right of a woman to choose... One of the reasons that so many Republicans are supporting the Clinton/Gore ticket is b.c they've turned over the party to this right-wing extremist group which takes positions on issues like abortion that don't even allow exceptions for rape & incest..."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Admiral JAMES STOCKDALE (USN-Ret) says, after observing the contentious abortion debate between Dan Quayle and Al Gore Jr., "I feel like I'm an observer at a ping pong game where they're talking about-- look, they're expert, professional politicians that massage these intricate plots and know every nuance to them. In the meantime we're facing a desperate situation in our economy. I've seen the cost of living double in my lifetime... So what the heck! Let's get talking about something w/ subsidy!" Wipe effect. Admiral James Stockdale delivers closing remarks, says, "The best justification for getting Ross Perot back into the race is that we're seeing this kind of chit-chat about issues that don't concentrate on where the living standards of our children & grandchildren." Admiral Stockdale says Ross Perot is a "revolutionary" and an "artists" with sound economic plans to implement. "The United States is in deep trouble. We've got to have somebody get up there & bring out the firehoses & get it stopped."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Senator AL GORE JR. (Albert Gore, Jr., D-TN) delivers closing remarks: "Three weeks from today our nation will make a fateful decision. We can continue to travel on the road that we have been on which has led to higher unemployment & worse economic times, or we can reach out for change... Trickle-down economics simply does not work... We have got to change direction. Bill Clinton offers a new approach... Isn't it time for a new approach, a new generation of ideas & leadership to put our nation's people first and get our economy moving again? We simply cannot stand to continue with this failed approach... It is a choice between hope & fear. A choice between the future & the past. It is time to reach out for a better nation. We are bigger than George Bush has told us we are... Give us a chance..."
1992 Vice-Presidential Debates
U.S. Vice-President DAN QUAYLE (J. Danforth Quayle) delivers closing remarks: "I'd like to use this closing statement to talk to you about a few people that I have met in these last four years..." Dan Quayle then launches into a tailor-made campaign trick of using nameless citizens who are angry with the state of affairs in education, welfare, etc. "Yes, as I said, in the next four years, somewhere, sometime, there's going to be a crisis and you need to have a President that is qualified, has the experience, and has been tested. Not once did Al Gore tell us why Bill Clinton is qualified to be President. He never answered my charges that Bill Clinton has trouble telling the truth. The choice is yours. The American people should demand that their President tell the truth. Do you really believe Bill Clinton will tell the truth? And do you trust Bill Clinton to be your President?"