As Bob Dole is laid to rest, the passing of this former US Senator, war hero and presidential candidate has brought back many memories. I was proud to have supported Bob Dole in 1996 when he ran against Bill Clinton. It was pretty clear that Clinton was riding high then. Although this was after the major damage of the Democrats' 1994 congressional defeat it was before the Lewinsky scandal. And Clinton, the original "comeback kid" bounced back from the congressional loss. So, no question about it, Dole faced an uphill battle against Clinton.
But that never discouraged Bob Dole and it certainly didn't deter fans such as myself.
Of course, the media were up to their usual tricks -- painting this fearless American war hero and dedicated public servant as dour, mean, conniving and divisive.
Dole faced all of that as he prepared to accept his party's nomination for the presidency. It's hardly remembered now but Bob Dole gave one of the most heartfelt and inspiring acceptance speeches ever delivered at a political convention. I've always admired that speech and his rousing delivery of it that night. And here'e the really impressive thing -- so many of his words of 25 years ago have ample relevance today. They ring true right now! So, here are some excerpts from that speech delivered at the GOP National Convention on August 15, 1996:
Let me be the bridge to an America that only the unknowing call myth. Let me be the bridge to a time of tranquility, faith and confidence in action. And to those who say it was never so, that America's not been better, I say you're wrong. And I know because I was there. And I have seen it. And I remember.
And our nation, though wounded and scathed, has outlasted revolutions, civil war, world war, racial oppression and economic catastrophe. We have fought and prevailed on almost every continent. And in almost every sea. We have even lost. But we have lasted, and we have always come through. . . .
And I'm here to tell you that permissive and destructive behavior must be opposed.That honor and liberty must be restored and that individual accountability must replace collective excuse. I am here to say to America, do not abandon the great traditions that stretch to the dawn of our history. Do not topple the pillars of those beliefs -- God, family, honor, duty, country -- that have brought us through time, and time, and time, and time again. . . .
It is demeaning to the nation that . . . a core of the elite who never grew up, never did anything real, never sacrificed, never suffered and never learned, should have the power to fund with your earnings their dubious and self-serving schemes. . . .
The right and obligation of a sovereign nation to control its borders is beyond debate. We should not have here a single illegal immigrant. . . .
It's not merely whether the people trust the president but whether the president and his party trust the people; trust in their goodness and their genius . . . For the government cannot direct the people; the people must direct the government.
Now, reading these words, one can understand what Bob Dole represented and what he was really all about. And you can see why he remained so steadfastly true to the principles of the Republican Party and why he enthusiastically supported Donald Trump both in 2016 and 2020. Bob Dole saw what was happening to our country and he was rightfully concerned. Not only that, he was determined to be in the arena fighting for the core values that unite us, inspire us and send us soaring to new heights.
That's what we need to keep in mind as we mourn his passing and honor his hugely accomplished life!
From the Dole Family:
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