George H.W. Bush: “You know, I had to make a tough call a while back when aggression threatened the entire Middle East and, in my view…”

“You know, I had to make a tough call a while back when aggression threatened the entire Middle East and, in my view, would have threatened the United States. If we'd have listened to the critics, I believe Saddam Hussein would be sitting in Saudi Arabia today, and oil prices would be up about $10 a gallon for gas; certainly $5. But we took some action, and I had to make a decision that was unpopular. And where was Governor Clinton? Here's what he said, I agree with the minority--that's a paraphrase--I agree with the minority, but I guess I would have voted with the majority. You cannot do that as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. I believe because I did serve my country in war and did put on a uniform and do believe in honor, duty, and country that that makes me a better choice for Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. But let me tell you in conclusion why I think character counts. Do you remember what I said in the debate? I paraphrased Horace Greeley. And he says, ``Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing, and only character endures.'' I think that is especially true of the Presidency of our great country. I know that we've made the world safer. The Soviet bear is no longer. International communism, imperial communism, certainly on the wane, if almost nonexistent. But we've got to remember, there are still threats. There are still wolves in the woods. We've reached historic agreements with Boris Yeltsin to eliminate these SS-18's, the most destabilizing of all weapons. I am proud that we have done that. But the world is not free of conflict, and the United States must remain strong. We must not cut the muscle of our defense. But I ask you to close your eyes and imagine in a crisis situation an American leader totally without experience, completely untested, a leader about whom we know very, very little, if you get down to it. What we do know is a troubling pattern of being on one side and then another, an ingrained habit of trying to lead by misleading and not coming clean. I don't believe we can take this kind of risk. When that next crisis occurs, whether it is at home or abroad--and you can be certain one will occur--the entire world is going to focus on the American Presidency. And they're going to look to his experience, and they're going to count on his character. Some say, well, what exactly is character? Well, a friend of mine put it this way, saying it is acting alone the same way you would act with a million people watching. Well, as President, you're never more alone than at times of crisis. While nobody may be watching the Oval Office, millions will feel the impact here and abroad, the impact of your judgment. I have been tested, and we've managed world change of almost Biblical proportions. Our success can be measured by the headlines never written, the countless crises that never occurred. But when that real event did occur, I did not waver. I took a stand. I made the decision to go to war because I know it was right, not because it was popular. I remember being at Camp David with Barbara on a cold day, rainy day, when the ground war was about to begin to liberate Kuwait. I remember the agony of having to decide, especially in the face of all the protests, especially in the face of all the criticism from some of the more liberal Members of the Congress saying, Bush will have on his hands the body bags. Do you remember the counts, 20,000, 50,000, whatever it was? And I remember the agony of having to make that call. And I remember praying--yes, I do, and so does Barbara; we still say our prayers-- praying that these young kids, somebody else's sons and daughters, would return home safe and sound. God bless those kids that went. God bless those that went. What I think I'm trying to tell the American people here on this beautiful day in Wisconsin is, there is an awesome responsibility, to ask our young men and women to knock early on death's door. It's a responsibility that I have tried to fulfill with honor and duty for my country. I hope I brought integrity to it. But that is up to the people now on November 3d. And then the polls, all these pundits, they don't matter anymore. It is up to the American people. When you enter that voting booth, I ask you to ask yourself three commonsense questions: Who has the right vision for America's economic future? Who can lead us through this global transition? And which candidate has the character to merit the trust of the American people? Audience members. We want Bush! We want Bush! We want Bush!”