Acceptance Speech

PHILADELPHIA - Freshly anointed Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush departed from here on his quest for the White House yesterday mindful that he is bearing the hopes of a party that believes it may be about to taste victory for the first time since 1988. "We leave the city of brotherly love energized and united, focused on victory," the Texas governor told an airport rally of about 500 supporters who bid him farewell on the morning after he accepted his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention.

PHILADELPHIA - George W. Bush is preparing to accept the Republican Party's presidential nomination with one object in mind - to wipe away with his speech tonight whatever doubts there may still be about whether he has the stature and gravitas for the office. The Texas governor is presiding over a party with no significant divisions and, if the opinion polls are accurate, running well ahead of his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore. But he is still an unknown or vaguely known leader to most of the tens of millions who will see him on their television screens tonight.

The time was August 1988, the occasion the Republican National Convention in New Orleans, the speaker Vice President George H. W. Bush, the party's nominee for president. His acceptance speech - excerpted here - helped introduce themes that would aid his campaign and also later haunt him - the "read my lips" pledge of no new taxes, for example. It also helped prepare the ideological ground for this year's campaign by his son, George W. Bush. The elder Bush talks of compassion, family and life in Texas - a preview, perhaps, of remarks by the younger Bush, who takes the stage in Philadelphia tomorrow night to deliver an acceptance speech of his own. I've come to this hall to tell you, and to tell America: tonight is the night.

Up until March 26, Chestertown's Washington College held as its biggest claim to Hollywood fame former student Linda Hamilton, famous for her role as guerrilla mom Sarah Connor in the "Terminator" movies. But this year's Academy Awards blew Hamilton out of the water when Washington graduate Tamara Tiehel Stedman took home the Oscar for best live-action short film. Stedman, herself a mom-to-be, took the Oscar stage wearing a spaghetti-strapped silver gown (an original by maternity designer Liz Lange)

WASHINGTON -- There were no shouts of "Newt, Newt, Newt" this time around. No clamoring by House Republicans to get near the man. No talk of "revolution" or history in the making.In fact, the contrast was so stark -- between the giddy, larger-than-life Newt Gingrich of two years ago and the beleaguered House speaker who stood before his colleagues yesterday contrite and apologetic -- that even the Georgia Republican himself couldn't help but comment."Let me say to the entire House that two years ago, when I became the first Republican speaker in 40 years, to the degree I was too brash, too self-confident or too pushy, I apologize," Gingrich said in his acceptance speech yesterday after winning back his speaker's gavel by the skin of his teeth.

CHICAGO -- Casting himself as a bridge to the future and a bulwark against Republican budget cuts, President Clinton claimed the Democratic presidential nomination again last night after the most turbulent day of his re-election campaign."

PRESIDENT CLINTON's acceptance speech last night was loaded with unforeseen nuances as he stuck by the centrist, balanced-budget, welfare reform, families-first agenda urged on him by newly disgraced political guru, Dick Morris, the object of a sex scandal that left party loyalists dismayed but apparently still confident of their candidate's survivalist instincts.Despite this cloud over an otherwise exuberant Democratic National Convention, Mr. Clinton was at his oratorical best as he urged supporters to "build a bridge to the 21st century."

CHICAGO -- Vowing that "the best is yet to come," Bill Clinton gained his party's nomination last night for a second term as president.Clinton, the first Democratic president in more than half a century to gain renomination without opposition, made his triumphant entry into the convention city after a four-day railroad jaunt across the Midwest.Saying he did not wish to upstage his own acceptance speech to the convention this evening, Clinton told a welcoming rally at a Chicago college ball field: "Just let's say the best is yet to come, the best days of America, the best days of the Clinton-Gore administration, the best days of our efforts together, to lift up our country and move forward."

Here is the text of Bob Dole's acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention in San Diego last night:Thank you. Thank you very much, thank you. Thank you very much, what a night. The folks in Hollywood would be happy to know that I've found a movie I like, the one I just saw.L This is a big night for me and I'm ready. We're ready to go.Thank you California. And thank you San Diego for hosting the greatest Republican convention of them all, the greatest of them all.Thank you President Ford and President Bush and God bless you Nancy Reagan for your moving tribute to President Reagan.

SAN DIEGO -- Tonight Bob Dole will get the chance to tell millions of Americans who he is, how he thinks and what he wants for the country. He's fretting over every word.Months of work on his nearly one-hour speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination ended with Dole crashing on deadline. The original speech writer left town Tuesday night after four Dole aides were brought in to rewrite the ending.The last-minute reworking is troubling to some in the Dole camp, but is not unexpected.