George Bush for President 1980 Campaign Brochures

‘Take Charge America.’

"There is a very clear mandate for the next President of this country. It is quite simply to take charge of the resources and institutions of this government…so that we, as Americans, can take charge of our own destiny."

George Bush San Antonio, July 14, 1979

George Bush. He gets the tough job done.

Isn't it time America had a president who finishes what he starts? We are suffering serious doubts about the competence of our national leaders...their experience, their training. But, in 1980 we have an opportunity to put our country back on track again. The man for our future. George Bush.

More than any other candidate, George Bush has the experience and the qualifications to lead our nation into the decade of the 1980s.

His credentials aren't built on slick salesmanship or empty rhetoric, but on strength, candor, and effectiveness. He is -- on the record -- the man whose accomplishments and integrity have served this country well -- and will again.

We've called on him in the past to do what we would trust few others to undertake. And he has come through. He spoke up for America as our Ambassador before other nations. He went to China and ensured the success of a bold new foreign policy initiative. He was the one man America trusted to make sure our foreign intelligence system protected our rights while remaining effective in protecting our security. Republicans know his unfailing dedication to truth and principle as National Chairman.

Whatever the job, he has performed with excellence and earned respect.

George Bush brings these qualifications -- and his personal integrity -- to every job. He is a long distance runner, the one who perseveres, the leader who accomplishes what he sets out to do. Second to none.

We need to take charge and look to the 1980s. George Bush will get the tough job done.

George Bush A President we won't have to train.

Youngest Torpedo-Bomber pilot in the Navy, earning wings at 18. Shot down over Bonin Islands in WW II, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism.

First Republican elected to Houston Congressional seat; re-elected without opposition. Served on Ways & Means Committee; respected by colleagues as a doer.

Chief of U.S. Liaison Office in People's Republic of China. Strong forceful diplomat during the delicate period of transition between the two countries.

Captain of championship college baseball team, while completing college in 2 ½ years after war service. Phi Beta Kappa-Economics.

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations. Known for forthright, tough representation in standing up for U.S. interests.

A strong advocate of the free enterprise system, he co-founded and built a successful firm in Texas.

Chairman of the Republican National Committee; credited with holding party together through independence and dedication to principle.

Head of our national intelligence system. Initiated reform to protect individual rights of Americans while ensuring our national security.

‘George Bush on the Issues of the 80’s’

AGRICULTURE: Reliance on the agricultural and business know-how of the farmer is the foundation of my agricultural program. I believe in a free and unfettered market place. Government programs which either restrict the ability of the American farmer to produce -- or which diminish the value of that which the farmer has taken a lifetime to build must be eliminated. The federal government must assist in upgrading the rail system to get crops to market and must have a major role in assisting the farmer to conserve. The federal role must be supportive -- not dominant -- and must recognize the contribution of the American farm to the American standard of living -- the best in the world. And, we must aggressively pursue new foreign markets for agricultural products.

BUSING: I oppose busing to achieve racial balance in our schools because it breaks up the concept of neighborhoods and works against local control of our school systems. Quality education for all is what counts.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: America should not abolish capital punishment. An epidemic of crime continues to plague our citizens, and capital punishment can be an effective deterrent against some of the worst offenders, especially terrorists and those who attack law enforcement officers.

DECONTROL OF OIL: Immediate decontrol of oil and gas prices -- along with the elimination of the government's Rube Goldberg entitlements program -- is the single most important step we can take to break the back of the OPEC cartel. The Carter Administration has made it plain that continuing inaction will leave us more and more vulnerable to foreign potentates; we must act on our own -- and now! To ensure that the profits that come from decontrol are devoted to the production of new energy, I also favor a windfall profits tax, coupled with a plowback provision.

DEFENSE: The massive build-up of Soviet arms, along with the sadly deteriorating state of American Defense Forces, threaten us with grave consequences in the 1980's. Only with new leadership and a new commitment to U.S. military strength will we send a strong signal to the world. I am firmly committed to a long-term program of rebuilding our defenses, including a new manned bomber, a long-range cruise-missile neutron bomb and a three-ocean Navy.

DEREGULATION: Despite its rhetoric, the Carter Administration is continuing to churn out over 50,000 pages of new regulations a year, inundating small businesses and badly hurting big industries such as steel and autos. In the course of the last decade, over-regulation has cost the nation billions of dollars in compliance to sometimes unnecessary standards and millions of man-hours in the production, filling out and filing of thousands of government documents. This has placed an excessive burden on American business, particularly small business and farmers, and has contributed in no small measure to the inflation we are experiencing today.

DRAFT: I favor registration now. Without registration, it would take too long to mobilize in the event of of a national emergency. I do not know if a draft is required. The facts are not all in. I supported a volunteer army and would like to see it work more effectively.

If, however, I conclude that a draft is necessary, it would be a fair and equitable process.

EDUCATION: Local control of the education process must be strengthened. I fully support the trend in education today to focus on the basics, the

4-R's: reading, writing, arithmetic, and respect for one's heritage. A strong education is a strong investment in America's future.

ENERGY: Our most critical energy problem is not a shortage of resources but a surplus of government. We should move immediately with a comprehensive program to decontrol oil and gas prices, expand federal leasing, build up a strategic petroleum reserve, and engage in a massive effort to bring alternative sources of energy -- synthetic, solar, geothermal, gasohol and the like into the production stream. Rationing and major new gas taxes are not warranted; meaningful conservation will result, I believe, if we simply let prices rise to a market level. At the same time, I think the government does have a responsibility to protect the poor from the effects of energy and inflation.

ENVIRONMENT: My record of support on environmental matters is strong. No one today can or would -- accept the belching smokestacks or polluted air and rivers of yesterday. We do, however, have to achieve a better balance among our economic, energy, and environmental goals. We may have to accept some temporarily relaxed environmental timetables until we can get the country moving toward energy self-sufficiency.

ERA: I support the Equal Rights Amendment. Women participate effectively in all areas of this society, and their rights should not be abridged or denied because of sex.

FEDERAL FUNDING OF ABORTION: I am personally opposed to abortion. I am also opposed to a constitutional amendment which would override the Supreme Court decision by totally prohibiting abortion because there is a need to recognize and provide for exceptional cases -- rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. I oppose federal funding for abortion, with the exceptions noted above.

FOREIGN POLICY: Since Jimmy Carter took the helm, America has begun drifting in dangerous ways, seemingly unable to defend her interests or her friends. The hostages in Iran have become a tragic symbol of our helplessness. That's why we desperately need new leadership in Washington -- leadership that will send a signal to Moscow and to friend and foe around the world that a new day has come, that we mean to stick up for our principles, that we take our alliances seriously, and that we will not sit on our hands if anyone ever again tries to humiliate us.

GUN CONTROL: I oppose registration of guns. Disarming the law-abiding will do nothing to reduce crime. Legislation that will make those who are convicted of the use of a weapon during the commission of a crime subject to automatic, mandatory prison sentences will do more good.

INFLATION: The first priority of my administration will be to break the back of inflation. My goal is to cut inflation in half and then in half again. Inflation is not inevitable. When Jimmy Carter took office it was 4.8%; now it is 13%. To break the back of inflation I will submit a balanced budget plan to Congress within 100 days of taking office. Secondly, I will restrain government spending levels to below the rate of inflation to reduce the size of the federal government. Finally, I will commit the government to a broad-based attack on unnecessary and inflationary government regulations.

INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES: It's time to stop tearing down the CIA -- and the FBI, too. Events of recent months have made it abundantly clear that we need a stronger intelligence service to understand and interpret the world about us. A few years ago, I helped to bring reforms to the CIA and I am convinced that we can have an intelligence service that is both responsive and responsible in its actions. Good intelligence forms the building blocks of good decisions.

MIDDLE EAST: Maintaining Israel's security is in the strategic interest of the United States. A stable Middle East free of Soviet domination is of paramount importance. We must improve relations with the moderate Arab states. We must encourage creative and imaginative solutions to regional problems and clearly demonstrate our interest in the security of the Middle East.

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE: I favor insurance that would protect families against catastrophic illness. I oppose, however, the so-called Kennedy approach which would both wreak havoc on a balanced budget and lead to lower quality health care.

RAILROADS: We cannot allow our rail system to continue its present decline. We should explore new methods of capital generation, to help the states finance cars and maintenance. I do not favor a federal takeover of the railroads. I applaud Iowa's branch line assistance program -- a partnership between the state, the railroads, and the federal government.

SALT II: I would like to be able to, but cannot, support SALT II as it now stands. As a former CIA Director, who prepared national intelligence estimates, I am convinced that amendments to make the treaty more verifiable, to count the Backfire bomber and to eliminate the inequalities are essential.

TAX REFORM: We need a tax cut of $20 billion sizeable enough to stimulate investment and create jobs. The reduction should be divided equally between individuals and businesses, coupled with a reduction in the growth of government spending. Every facet of the tax cut must be "supply side" -- its purpose being to stimulate investment and capital formation.

TUITION TAX CREDIT: I favor tuition tax credits for students attending parochial and non-public schools. The emphasis of federal funding should be on the student rather than on the institution.

WELFARE REFORM: Our welfare programs must be reformed to insure that benefits extend to those truly in need. Those programs that simply do not work -- the dependent children program for example -- provide incentives for couples to live apart in order to qualify for benefits, and divide, instead of strengthen families.