Remarks in Highland, Florida

Mr. Mayor and all of you wonderful people of Highland Beach:

Gee, I see some wonderful signs and I see some wonderful people, and I just met an old and very good friend of mine, Russ Fuog, who lives here now, I guess. He used to push me around on the football field up at Ann Arbor all the time. [Laughter]

Let me say this is a great stop. We have been, I think 12 places since we arrived early this morning, and every place the welcome seems to get better, and the weather has improved. [Laughter] Maybe that is a special blessing you all have here in Highland Beach. But let me express my deep gratitude for all you coming, being here, and being so friendly and so nice.

But let me take just a minute with a group, such as yourself. Nineteen months ago when I became President, this country was faced with some very difficult problems. There was some disillusionment about Washington, D.C. Inflation was 12 to 14 percent per year. We were on the brink of the worst recession since the end of World War II. Our friends abroad had some questions about whether we were going to stick to the course and our adversaries were probably tempted to challenge us because of the experiences that we had had.

In the last 19 months, the strength of the American people has come through loud and clear. In the last 19 months, the strength of our Government has also shown itself beyond any doubt whatsoever.

Where are we today? I think the American people have more faith and trust in their leadership. I think the American people know that we have licked, to a very substantial degree, many of our economic problems. Inflation is half of what it was; unemployment is going down; employment is going up; personal income is increasing; and, yes, the stock market isn't doing too badly.

But the main thing that I find is that whether it is in New Hampshire--with some great voters up there who were very kind to me--or in Florida where a trip 2 weeks ago was just unbelievably friendly and kind and the one today just as good, I believe that we are on our way in this country.

We have the right policies both at home and abroad. We are not going to come up with some quick fixes. We are going to do what is right. We are going to show some commonsense and some realism. That is what has taken us out of our trouble, and that is what is going to make us better in the months ahead.

If we tried to do everything the way some people suggest--there are some people that want to have us try a new patent medicine about every week--they don't work. What we have done has worked. The net result is our friends abroad respect us. Our friends abroad are with us, and most of all, our adversaries know, because we are strong, they won't fool around with us. And we are going to stay strong.

I would like a special favor, if I could. We have an election here on March 9. I would appreciate your support. And after that convention out in Kansas City, I would be very grateful for your support on November 2.

Thank you very, very much.