 Quotes from John McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting.
After winning the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8:
"My friends, you know, I'm past the age when I can claim the noun 'kid,' no matter what adjective precedes it. But tonight, we sure showed them what a comeback looks like."
"My friends, I learned long ago that serving only one's self is a petty and unsatisfying ambition. But serve a cause greater than self-interest and you will know a happiness far more sublime than the fleeting pleasure of fame and fortune. For me, that greater cause has always been my country, which I have served imperfectly for many years but have loved without any reservation every day of my life."
After winning the Florida primary on Jan. 29:
"We Republicans have always known that the first responsibility of government is to keep this country safe from all enemies foreign and domestic and the American people unburdened by the heavy hand of government that spends too much of their money on things they neither want nor need, while failing to do as well as we should the things none of us can do individually."
After winning the Wisconsin primary on Feb. 19:
"I'd also like to remind you that there's a guy out there, on the loose still. He lives some place in Afghanistan or Pakistan. His name is Osama bin Laden. He's able to get out this message of evil, recruiting and motivating and instructing others who are jihadists.
"And, my friends, I look you in the eye and I tell you, if I have to follow him to the gates of Hell, I will get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice."
After he won enough delegates to claim the Republican presidential nomination on March 4:
"I have never believed I was destined to be president. I don't believe anyone is predestined to lead America. But I do believe that we were born with responsibilities to the country that has protected our God-given rights and the opportunities they afford us. I didn't grow up with the expectation that my country owed me more than the rights owed every American. On the contrary, I owe my country every opportunity I have ever had."
"My friends, nothing, nothing, nothing is inevitable in America. We are the captains of our fate. We are not a country that prefers nostalgia to optimism, a country that would rather go back than forward. We're the world's leader, and leaders don't pine for the past and dread the future. We make the future better than the past. We don't hide from history. We make history."
In an address to small business owners June 10 in Washington:
"You know, I've never run a small, struggling enterprise, unless you count my presidential campaign last year."
Later, he was interrupted several times by a protester in the audience:
Protester: "War is bad for small business."
McCain: "You know, one of the — "
Protester: (off-mic)
McCain: "You know, one of the things that Americans are tired of — "
Protester: (off-mic)
McCain: "One of the things they're tired of is people yelling at each other in America. Have you noticed that? They want to — They want us to respect each other's opinions. They want to share our views, and our hopes, and our dreams, and our aspirations, and our fears right now. I don't have to tell you that right now. Americans want a dialogue. They want a dialogue." |