Sunnyvale, August 15, 1988
California is Different
California is different from the rest of America. First of all, it is favored with its climate. While the East is sweltering under a brutal heat wave, here on the Pacific Coast one can enjoy pleasant summer days and cool nights in a steady climate of 75 degrees F. California is also more extravagant than other places; contrasts are more conspicuous here. On the one side, one is surrounded by a very high living standard, and on the other, confronted with neglect and depravity, about which nobody seems to care. San Francisco delights with the natural beauty of its environs and it radiates the splendor of its exclusive residences. But there is also another side to it: There are disgusting pictures of poverty and debasement. In the Park in front of the City Hall, figures are lying around wrapped in rags, of whom one cannot tell whether they are still alive or dead. The number of the homeless is said to have risen to 6,000. California has attracted and produced eccentrics. Next to the high-tech industry, artist colonies of every kind and shade have flourished here. Exceptual follies and craziness are openly displayed, which one would otherwise rarely encounter in America.
Of historical interest and worthwhile seeing are the Spanish missions that were built in the Bay Area toward the end of the 18th century. Among them are the Mission Dolores in San Francisco and the Mission San Jose at the lower end of the Bay Area.
California has its own character. It is a 900 mile coast line whose boundaries are defined to the West by the Pacific Ocean and to the East by the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada. It is complex and diverse; despite its drawbacks, it is always attractive, especially to young people. It offers professional opportunities as hardly anywhere else. Next to the highly developed industry, large areas of pristine nature of unique beauty have been preserved. California is always worthwhile visiting.
August 17, 1988
The Secret Given Away
The guessing game that has been ongoing for months, whom George Bush will choose as his running mate, has come to an end. When he arrived yesterday at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans, Bush announced, giving his secret away, that he has chosen Senator Dan Quayle from Indiana as his running mate. Even insiders of the Republican Party were surprised by the choice. Senator Quayle is only 41 years old. However, as he was reelected to the Senate two years ago, he should appeal to the younger generation of voters. Quayle is still unknown nationwide. He has to assert himself in the upcoming campaign.
August 18, 1988
Out of Reagan’s Shadow
With his acceptance speech tonight at the Republican National Convention in the Super Dome of Louisiana in New Orleans, George Bush stepped out of the shadow of Ronald Reagan, at whose side he stood as Vice President for eight years. As presidential candidate, he put his own person into the center of attention. Bush clearly expressed what he stands for: The values of the individual and the family; a free market economy and a strong America in the world. He also promised that he will not raise taxes.
[In the presidential election campaign in the fall of 1988, Bush-Quayle on the Republican side and Dukakis-Bentsen on the Democratic side confronted each other.]
South Bend, August 19, 1988
The First Campaign Rally
The campaign of the Republicans could not have started simpler and closer to the people than at today’s rally in Huntington, Indiana, the hometown of Dan Quayle. As the small county capital lies only 100 miles southeast of South Bend, it was easy to go there by car. Huntington, a town of about 18,000, did everything it could to give its famous son, who now has moved into the national limelight, an enthusiastic reception. About 20,000 supporters and the curious streamed into Huntington, which caused a major traffic problem. The rally took place in front of the Court House. A high school band played on the stand for the reception; and a cheerleader inspired the crowd shouting in chorus: “Bush-Quayle” “Bush-Quayle.” Pepsi-Cola and pizza were handed out free. It was a public festival. George and Barbara Bush together with Dan and Marilyn Quayle arrived in their motorcade on time at 12:40 p.m. The crowd of people filled the square in front of the Court House, flowed over the railroad tracks to the abandoned depot and to the nearby half-dilapidated grain silos. A few daring teenagers climbed up the opened barriers of the railroad crossing to have a better view. Only the security guards on the roof of the Court House watched carefully what was going on. The whole scene looked like an illustration by Norman Rockwell* - real grassroots politics on the stump, as it has always been practiced in American presidential elections. Bush spoke to the people who had gathered there just how they felt. He emphasized the importance of family, community and church; he promised to create new jobs and not to raise taxes. Dan Quayle proved to be an effective speaker at the rally, but had nothing of essence to say. In Huntington, it became clear today that the Bush-Quayle campaign appeals to voters from small towns in rural areas. The campaign presented a conservative, patriotic platform which was received with enthusiasm.
*[With his subtle humor, the American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) portrayed everyday American life like no one else.]