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Ex-GOP candidate thanks staff and supporters 'tremendous experience', maintains commitment to campaign promises
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Thank you all for coming in and you know just about a year ago.
On May eleventh.
We've formally announced.
Candidacy.
And I want to start by thanking everyone.
Who helped over the last year there's been an amazing year for.
Coast and me and billionaire family.
Hope things get Kathy and Paul had -- here.
And Jimmy and Jack you were here of course they brought with them.
I think.
The two best debate coaches.
Whatever deteriorated well on the debate say ascribe it to Maggie and Robert -- -- -- Monitoring and review -- before -- debate.
Also want to thank.
This -- mother Bonita visa -- is not here today -- who faithfully watch this campaign online.
Filled with many questions -- occasional moments of wondering.
Exactly what was going on self.
As she put up -- almost as much we did.
I also want to single out first of all the over 179000.
Donors.
Who helped us at -- dot org and they'll make the campaign possible.
I should by the way just a second -- -- my brother -- person's wife Jill who are here.
And and Randy has been all over the country.
Campaigning for me and I'm very grateful.
And I wanna mention of Bob Walker's wife Barbara Bob was our chairman Leo back all the way to the days in the house we -- -- the Conservative Opportunity Society.
I think we help -- -- he's fans.
We.
Did an amazing number of things for a long period in the effort to create -- house -- -- -- majority.
I also want to thank you members -- team who -- here some around the thing who stuck with us through the whole process which was that he truly wild ride.
And absolutely despite all -- president over the years and I could never predicted.
Either the low points -- the high points when it was all just sort of amazing and astonishing.
There's some -- elected officials I want to thank I talked to this morning.
To majority leader Linda -- and in Iowa who was courageous.
And who stayed with us through the whole process from.
The period when we were supposedly dead when we rebounded to the massive wave of advertising and limited was -- Spectacular.
And so probably campaigning all across the state of Iowa sort of thanks Peter Paulson of Iowa who was a tremendous help.
And speaker bill O'Brien in New Hampshire who worked very hard and -- who by the way is a model of balancing the budget the right way.
In New Hampshire they first get the revenue number.
And they then appropriate up to the revenue number.
And so they don't start -- they spending number and then try to fit how to find the taxes.
They start with -- what's coming in and feel what not to spend and it there's a remarkably successful program I particularly want to thank your governor Nathan Deal.
And the Georgia house members who -- -- and both in the news Washington and and in the state legislature in the house and senate.
I think -- opposed to me one other high moments of the campaign was carrying Georgia via 156.
Counties to three.
And it really give us a good feeling that back home.
We had a very solid base in.
I was trying to revive my daughter's today for example in Carroll County where I -- -- it was Georgia where they both went to high school we had 60% of the vote so as it was nice to feel.
So we had a very strong base of support from the people who knows best.
I couldn't be here -- not thank governor Rick Perry who -- and -- were tremendously helpful needs to do this all the way through.
And went towards the end when things get difficult -- it's a nice of them.
I'm with -- to the cows come home.
My -- and I'm pretty comfortable.
As a farmer in taxes understanding that so he stepped listen.
I also think Herman Cain who was tremendous.
In campaigning -- -- particularly on Super Tuesday and Michael Reagan who have campaigned for us.
And I think communicated pretty clearly.
The relationship we have whose dad and then Todd Palin who also worked very very hard.
Of course well they weren't directly associate -- the campaign.
It would be impossible for me to be here and thank everybody without mentioning Shelton -- -- -- who.
A single handedly if came pretty close to matching.
Romney superfast and I am very very grateful to them.
And we share a combined concern about the Middle East and a combined concern about both American security and the survival of Israel and then they're very very good friends.
Finally on the -- -- I have to thank the voters of South Carolina and I have to apologize so we will have broken their tradition of always picking the nominee.
This -- make me feel slightly guilty every time we go through South Carolina.
But they were tremendous.
They were there were welcoming.
They were enthusiastic.
The size of the victory was historic.
And plus -- will both always remember -- -- in fact I suspect our whole family.
We'll always remember South Carolina because it was tremendous.
Tremendous experience.
Today I'm suspending the campaign.
But suspending the campaign.
Does not mean suspending citizenship fullest.
And I are committed to be active citizens.
We -- it to America.
We -- -- to Maggie and Robert.
In my case I've been an active citizens since August of 1958.
Between my freshman and sophomore years in high school when my dad was serving in the army in Europe.
This August a B 54 years.
That I have worked essentially on three things.
One.
What does America need to do to be free safe and prosperous.
Two.
How would you explain that to the American people so they gave you permission to do what is needed and -- How would you implement the change if the American people gave you permission.
Starting in 1960 in Columbus -- my dad was assigned to Fort Benning.
And I was a volunteer in the Nixon large campaign.
21964.
It dropped out of college for your -- -- congressional race.
To 197476.
It's my daughters remember -- we lost twice.
For congress wants a little Watergate and -- with Jimmy Carter as the head of the ticket in Georgia.
And then from 1978 to 1994.
A sixteen year period -- working to build a majority.
Starting with the capitol steps event was Ronald Reagan in September of 1980.
Helping Reagan in the eight years he was president.
I would Bob Walker and others found in the Conservative Opportunity Society.
Developing a generation of solutions and training to go back.
Building the contract with America.
Which led to the largest one party increase in American history in an off year elections nine million additional votes.
Because the positive campaign actually attracted people and mattered to them.
And in that process.
We won control of the house for the first time in forty years.
And we passed welfare reform working on a bipartisan manner where they Democrat in the White House.
I in 1996 of what was I think it even more difficult election we were the first -- elected Republican majority since 1928.
And we did it not by flinching not by compromising.
But by standing firm for a balanced budget standing firm for lower taxes standing firm for smaller government and standing firm for reform.
In that period.
We were then able to work with the President Clinton.
-- four consecutive balanced budgets for the only time in your lifetime.
And we did it in a bipartisan manner because we represented the will of the American people.
Not the will of Washington DC.
From 2001 to 2006 -- worked as a volunteer.
On national security and health issues in the Bush Administration.
In 2008 we developed an American solutions drill here drill now pay less.
And began to raise the American people -- central importance.
Of an American.
Independents energy plan so that no future president would ever again -- to a Saudi king and so that we would not be dependent on the strait of our most.
And dealing with the Iranians.
Over my lifetime.
I've tried to move the national debate including 24 books starting -- window of opportunity in 1984.
Cause I've done seven documentaries.
She's entered the author phase of trying to the lead and educate.
With the sweet land of liberty in which Ellis the elephant introduces 48 year -- to American history.
An effort to fill the vacuum left by -- all too many modern educators.
We're now going to put down the role of candidate and candidate spouse and take back up the -- of active citizens.
I actually thought today I -- -- an email and and congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma would work with for many years.
And who had once been the head of the congressional campaign committee.
Actually captured this moment when he said the following as was quoted.
-- facilities is comedy he's a quote.
-- is liberated to do what he does best adapt conservative views and values to the challenges of the 21 century.
In some ways his best days may be ahead of him close quote.
Plus an out of focus on a series of key issues and try to find ways to help educate and move the country.
And to try to educate and move policy in Washington DC.
Probably central -- this is our.
Deep commitment.
On American exceptional -- An American history and our sense that we can't truly be Americans have we have amnesia about who we are where we came from and what principles of me -- -- In addition.
We'll spend a great deal of time and religious liberty and in fact my newsletter today I Gingrich productions are specifically.
On the -- whole issue of religious liberty and I appreciate very much -- working relationship we have with human events in developing issues like this.
Well -- -- continue to work on American energy independence.
This is central to job creation it is central to our balance of payments.
It is central to strength of the American dollar it is central to our ability to deal with radical Islam.
And if we do it right.
We actual not only create energy independence.
When millions of new jobs but we will create trillions of dollars of royalties which if we impose discipline in Washington.
Could be put into a fund to repay the national debt.
And -- leave Maggie and Roberts generation debt free.
By the end of their lifetime by having a disciplined serious approach.
-- first balancing the budget and then using American energy.
To pay off the national debt.
So the very real sense we could be free both radical Islam Saudi kings and Chinese bond -- all with the same strategy.
In addition we're gonna go to college campuses and talk about personal Social Security savings accounts for -- and Roberts generation and the historic reality.
How brilliantly Chile and Galveston and two other Texas counties that use that model so that people and their generation.
Gonna have to do three times as large -- retirement account.
Well growing the national economy independent of political influence and interference in a system it's much fairer than the current system.
We're -- also.
Re emphasize the work ethic something which I know was controversial at least one of our debates.
And one of the proposals for re emphasize and work ethic is going to be -- modernize.
Unemployment compensation to attached to it.
A training component so -- if you sign up to get the money you have to sign up to learn.
Because by definition if you currently unemployed you need better job skills and if you look at North Dakota.
-- three and a half percent of the population is unemployed and there's 161000.
Jobs they can't fill in the oil field.
Because of people unemployed don't have the skills for the people who.
Well there's no reason you should give people 99 weeks for doing enough.
And this is important national debate about a country which -- found in the six you know seven.
But captain John Smith saying to aristocrats not the -- to aristocrats.
Citing a Saint Paul if you don't work you'll meet for a conversation which apparently -- all it was suppressed and up who worked as -- behavior.
And you'll see -- come back and talk about that.
But beyond that I want to come back on one of projects I feel -- about not communicating very well and talk about brain research and talk about regenerative medicine.
If we reorganized the national institute of health and if we reorganized the Food and Drug Administration.
We can't have -- remarkably short time absolute revolutions of better health.
More independent living longer living and dramatically lower cost part of the great challenge of Washington is how do you take an idea like that.
And move it from the scientific world where everybody and he -- says it's right.
Into the political governmental world -- nobody has a clue what it means for this is an enormous challenge to us as a society.
-- out of focus on what a post Obama care personal health and health care system should be like.
And take back -- -- network going for my entire career going back to 1958.
And I was the before I ran for president.
The longest serving teacher for one -- -- star generals in the military -- 23 years of the national defense university and at the -- University.
My -- focus again on national security and three zones radical islamists -- we still do not have a grand strategy.
That was nice that the president broadcast from Afghanistan the senator of al-Qaeda today -- Yemen.
I'm not sure the White House has gotten -- -- yet but they will eventually.
The fact that we assume more opponents are as stupid as our bureaucracy is very dangerous.
And I think you have to recognize we do not have a grand strategy in the -- We have to deal with the rise of China which is not automatically a threat but is a reality.
And we have to deal with new technologies that do in -- threaten us whether it's cyber warfare.
Electromagnetic pulse or -- -- science and technology.
Finally that -- new technologies I wanted to say I am cheerfully going to take back up the issue of space.
My wife has pointed -- to me approximately 219 times.
Give or take three.
That it's moon colony was probably not my most clever comment in this campaign.
I thought frankly in my role as providing material for segment -- it was helpful.
And head but the underlying key point is real.
The fact is if we're gonna be the leading country in the world we have -- the leading country in space the fact is our bureaucratic red tape -- system doesn't work.
What I call towards -- and happen he may have noticed a last week.
The founders of Google -- now talking about a private sector effort to mine an asteroid and somebody's pointed out.
It's actually less red tape to mine an asteroid there is to get through EPA in the United States.
The space adventure program hopes to actually have a private sector opportunity to.
Circled the moon by 2015.
Branson has many of you know as a low earth orbit project underway in the private sector and next week that -- building on something.
George W.
Bush started and Obama has expanded -- National actually launching.
A private sector rocket that Elon -- has invested a great deal in.
And an effort to broaden our capacity so this is not a trivial -- It's a fundamental question of whether it was still a country the dreams and that goes out to pursue great adventure and that has the courage to say to young people yes you -- the math and science.
Because there's a wonderful future doing really important things.
I -- I think that's a better future than methamphetamine and cocaine and I'm -- argue for a romantic American future.
Of doing things that matter the -- get to the human spirit.
We also need to have new models of effective affordable lifetime learning.
And we have to replace -- 130 year old civil service model.
With modern management -- this is a big issue that is fundamental to the -- -- the United States we have an obsolete bureaucratic system that is impossible.
To make work effectively.
And yet in the forces that supported I'm gonna fight every inch of the way against -- There's maybe two biggest challenge even for somebody is the speaker of the house but we do need to have a national discussion about how to get congress to be -- to be effective.
Congress has decayed dramatically in the last twenty years the senate in particular has become a stunningly dysfunctional institution this is a really big problem.
Under our constitution in the long run if congress doesn't understand things and can't legislate things you can't fix it.
And it's really important that we have a much bigger national debate about what an effective 21 century congress would be like and it's something that we will be involved.
Because we're gonna pursue solutions.
We want those to solutions be real personally -- and me to campaign for a Republican president.
A Republican house Republican senate Republican governors Republican state legislators.
If you can recognize America is a complex mosaic of self government.
The presidency matters but so do all the other offices of self government.
If you truly don't have a wave of change in America that wave has to occur in many many places simultaneously.
-- to the presidency.
-- -- sometimes is Mitt Romney conservative enough.
And my answer simple.
Compared to Barack Obama.
You know this is not a choice between Mitt Romney and Ronald Reagan.
This is a choice between Mitt Romney and the most radical leftist president in American history.
If -- if -- simply take its judges.
And ask yourself who are the kind of people governor Romney would be inclined to appoint and who -- the kind of people we know Barack Obama points.
The gap is as wide as at any point in American history I would argue it's wider -- between Romney between Reagan and Carter.
If you look at Romney's pledge to cut spending something which we -- gonna cheerfully helping.
To balance the budget so they have had some involvement -- To work with Paul Ryan and others on the entitlement crisis.
To focus on economic growth by creating private sector jobs.
Something I would suggest governor Romney knows about 60000 times more than does President Obama.
Just think about appointing common sense regulators.
As compared to the Obama EPA regulators said it's nice to occasionally crucify an industry because it teaches them a -- To -- -- as I said it's nice to work with an industry so they can create jobs.
And you can't get a much bigger -- Than those kind of things.
A Republican sweep this fall.
Would revitalize.
America just as a Reagan sweep of 1980.
Revitalize America.
We have done it before.
We can do it again.
I always -- people.
Economic recovery will Begin late on election night.
When people realize that Obama is gone and by the next morning people make new decisions about investing hiring.
But beyond this election I remember -- everybody having been through this a long time.
The election is just an interim step and then you have the next struggle.
When you work for eight months in 1981 to pass -- Reagan tax cuts.
Mean look the what Scott Walker's going through in Wisconsin you want really big change the election just starts -- -- it doesn't end.
And so every conservative should be prepared to work every single day.
Long -- on this election to bring to bear the best ideas.
And to develop the best future.
Now I think in the Reagan tradition.
That there is a shining future ahead -- -- Megan -- generation.
Will live on a freer safer.
More prosperous America with a greater opportunities.
I'm not totally certain I won't get to the moon colony.
I am certain Maggie and Robert world that afternoon -- take.
I think is almost inevitable in just a sheer scale of technological change.
I think they will live in a generation that has resolved the challenge of autism that is resolve the challenge of alzheimer's that is resolve the challenge of parkinson's.
That has mastered mental health.
I think -- generation look back in the olden days.
When people didn't have holograms at home and -- actually had to do so many things manually.
And they will have -- -- world just as we look back on our grandparents world.
I'm confident about this future for Maggie and Robert.
Because.
I've written three novels and George Washington.
And I know he once -- for us to become a country.
Written four novels -- the civil war and I know we went we went through as a people to preserve this country.
And other Keyser was convinced the -- World War I that we are weak helpless country and that we didn't matter much.
The Germans and Japanese or two grotesquely underestimated -- and thought we could never mobilize and we didn't know how to fight.
The Soviets said -- Khrushchev once said publicly that they would bury us.
The Japanese in the 1980s were going to be the next superpower.
Until -- system collapsed in 1989.
Currently the Chinese.
Are the latest example of somebody else is magically going to appear.
Who's gonna take on 305 million free people.
Can somehow be more innovative more effective more clever.
I don't believe it.
I think.
Lived with every great challenge.
Americans have reinvented themselves and their country.
Building within the framework of the declaration independence the constitution.
And the Federalist papers we are liberated.
To use common sense and courage to create a better future.
-- I pledge to work with you and with every American who wants to create a better future to once again.
Challenge.
The institutions that don't work.
Challenge the premise is that don't work.
To create new solutions.
New opportunities.
So that the 21 century.
Will be the third century.
Of freedom and American exceptional.
Thank you all very very much.
