The Second Presidential Debate A Town Meeting

(Continued page 2)

OCTOBER 16, 1996
SPEAKERS LIST: JIM LEHRER, MODERATOR
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FORMER SENATOR ROBERT J. DOLE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

DOLE: And hopefully tonight when we conclude this debate, you will have a better understanding, and the viewing and listening audience will have a better understanding.

Thank you.

LEHRER: Mr. President, two minutes, opening statement.

CLINTON: I was going to clap, too.

(LAUGHTER)

Well thank you, Jim, and thanks to the people of San Diego for giving us this opportunity to have another discussion about the decision we all face in front of people who will make the decision.

Again, I will say I'll do my best to make this a discussion of ideas and issues and not insults. What really matters is what happens to your future and what happens to our country as we stand on the brink of a new century, a time of extraordinary possibility.

I have a simple philosophy that I've tried to follow for the last four years: Do what creates opportunity for all, what reinforces responsibility from all of us; and what will help us build a community where everybody's got a role to play and a place at the table.

Compared to four years ago, we're clearly better off. We've got 10.5 million more jobs. The deficit's been reduced by 60 percent. Incomes are rising for the first time in a decade.

The crime rates, the welfare rolls are falling. We're putting 100,000 more police on the street. Sixty thousand felons, fugitives and stalkers have been denied handguns.

But that progress is only the beginning. What we really should focus on tonight is what we still have to do to help the American people make the most of this future that's out there.

I think what really matters is what we can do to help build strong families.

CLINTON: Strong families need a strong economy. To me that means we have to go on and balance this budget while we protect Medicare and Medicaid and education and the environment.

We should give a tax cut, targeted to child rearing and education, to buying a first home and paying for health care. We ought to help protect our kids from drugs and guns and gangs and tobacco. We ought to help move a million people from welfare to work. We ought to create the finest education system in the world where every 18-year-old can go on to college and all of our younger children have great, educational opportunities.

If we do those things, we can build that bridge to the 21 century. That's what I hope to get to talk about tonight.

Thank you.

LEHRER: All right. Let's go now to the first question, from this section. And it's for Senator Dole.

Yes, Ma'am, yes?

QUESTION: Hello, Senator Dole.

DOLE: Hi.

QUESTION: My name is Shannon McAfee. I'm a beginning educator in this country. And I really think it's important what children have to say. They're still very idealistic. And everything they say comes from the heart.

I have a quote for you from "If I Were President," compiled by Peggy Gavin.

A sixth-grader says, "If I were president I would think about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and what they did to make our country great.

"We should unite the White and Black people and people of all cultures. Democrats and Republicans should unite also. We should all come together and think of the best ways to solve the economic problems of our country.

"I believe that when we are able to come together and stop fighting amongst ourselves, we will get along a lot better.

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