George H.W. Bush: “January 15, 1992 First, let me just say thanks for the warmth of this reception. And your chairman is just back from a…”

“January 15, 1992 First, let me just say thanks for the warmth of this reception. And your chairman is just back from a trip with me abroad, and the thing got a little caught up in some of the politics of the moment, which is hard to avoid. But the concept was: Look, this isn't any time to pull back; this is a time to try to expand American markets. I am not in favor of protection in the sense of pulling away from our export markets. So, we went over there and tried to hammer away in getting our export market extended. And one of the things that saved us in the extraordinarily difficult times that, well, this State faces and the neighboring State of Maine, Massachusetts, and New England, and also some of the rest of the country, is our exports. So, one pitch I'd make is, no matter what your politics are, is please resist this siren's call, this wonderful call, ``Well, we're going to protect.'' Because when you protect, you shrink the markets abroad, and you throw people at home out of work. So that's the theme that I--take you up on your chance to say something. [Laughter] And the other thing, and I guess, is that I expect it's difficult for somebody working in a plant here in New Hampshire to wonder, to know if the President really cares about what's happening in the economy. And I think I know this State.…”