John Glenn for President 1984 Campaign Brochure

‘Believe in the future again.’

What This Election Is All About

The election of 1984 is about America's future. In 1985, we will inaugurate a President who will face the most complex challenges in our history. We stand on the brink of a period unlike anything we have experienced before; a period marked by the most dramatic changes since the industrial revolution. We face serious challenges, but our future is also filled with opportunities and hope.

Ronald Reagan Cannot Meet the Challenges of the Future

Our economy is temporarily on the upswing, but serious problems remain; huge deficits, the decreasing quality of American education, a lack of commitment to the research and development that creates jobs for the future. The Reagan Administration has demonstrated no ability to address our long range economic and national security needs. It has abandoned our historic commitment to fairness, opportunity, the environment, and economic equity. Most dangerously, President Reagan's shoot-from-the-hip foreign policy threatens to take us to the brink of war.

This is No Time for the Politics of the Past

Some candidates want to replace this administration with the tired ideas and big spending policies of the past. John Glenn wants to set a new and steady course for our country's future. He has refused to wage a campaign of over-promising; his only special interest is America. That's what he has demonstrated in his military service, as an astronaut, and in the United States Senate.

With your help, John Glenn can lead our Party and our country to new horizons.

John Glenn's Only Special Interest is America

Leadership For The Future: Honesty, Independence, Courage, Common Sense

The Economy

John Glenn is the only candidate talking about the real problem with our economy: the huge Reagan deficits. If we don't reduce the federal debt, it will mean soaring interest rates, stalled economic growth and millions of jobs lost. It will mean jeopardizing our future.

While his opponents continue to promise costly government programs that would INCREASE the federal debt, John Glenn is independent enough to say NO and responsible enough to propose ways of REDUCING the debt.

Waste in the budget, particularly in military spending, has to be eliminated but cuts alone won't be enough to shrink the deficit or meet the needs of our people. John Glenn is honest with the American people in saying that new revenues will be needed, and practical in proposing that they be generated on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Education

The Reagan Administration ignores the crisis in American education that has seen us fall to tenth place in the world in International Assessment Tests.

That affects our economy, our trade competitiveness...but worst of all, it affects our children's future.

Simply throwing money at the problem is not the solution. John Glenn thinks we must begin by setting the highest standards of excellence for students and teachers. We must give our children the resources and discipline needed for learning, and our teachers the training and pay needed for educating.

One of the best things to happen to American education in the past decade was the creation of the network of magnet schools (through the legislation John Glenn coauthored), a great step toward diversity, excellence and opportunity in American education. As President, he would expand that system. He would set goals of achievement for S.A.T. scores, for the elimination of functional illiteracy in our schools, and for the attainment of first place in the world on International Assessment tests.

National Defense/Arms Control

Some people believe there is a conflict between having a strong defense and pursuing arms control.

John Glenn believes we must have both.

The first duty of government is to keep our people alive, independent and free. John Glenn would be the first to stand up FOR the military when that is in our national interest. But he will also stand up TO the military when they propose extravagant spending -- and he has the background to know the difference.

He is a highly decorated Marine veteran of two wars. He has seen the horror of war first hand, and no one would negotiate harder to protect the peace.

Senator Glenn has proposed the most comprehensive arms control program of any candidate. First, an immediate, mutual and verifiable freeze on the production and deployment of nuclear weapons. Second, reductions in US/Soviet nuclear arsenals. Third, an end to the spread of nuclear weapons technology by strict enforcement of the nuclear non-proliferation legislation he authored in the Senate. Fourth, involvement of all other countries with nuclear weapons in the arms control process And, fifth, negotiations on reductions of conventional weapons.

Environment

The Reagan Administration has virtually abandoned the goal of a clean and healthy environment in favor of economic exploitation.

John Glenn would reverse that policy and pursue four central goals. First, returning professionalism to the Environmental Protection Agency by giving it the resources it needs for research and the people it needs for enforcement. Second, ending the reckless sale of millions acres of public lands and establishing instead a balanced oil, coal and gas leasing policy Third, exploring every avenue of international cooperation to control the dangerous technologies that not only threaten our country but our planet. And, fourth, developing plans now to deal with the hazardous and toxic wastes that endanger this and future generations, including implementation of his comprehensive plan to control acid rain.

Rights and Opportunities

The most important goal for the cause of right and opportunities in America is to put a Democrat in the White House.

John Glenn has established a record of unyielding commitment to equal opportunity, strict enforcement of our civil rights laws, passage of the E.R.A. and the Women's Economic Equity Act. But, best of all, he has shown that he is the one Democrat who can take the commitment to victory in 1984.

Agriculture

American farmers are the most productive on earth. But the Reagan Administration has mismanaged our farm policy at home and abroad. Farmers are unable to compete, unable to produce, and have been used as pawns of our foreign policy.

John Glenn would work to stimulate demand for agricultural products at home and abroad, stabilize farm production and prices at levels that are fair to the farmers and the consumer, encourage soil and water conservation and preserve our most precious commodity: the farming way of life.

Research and Development

Our economic greatness was built on American ingenuity: our commitment to the research and development of new ideas and technologies.

The Reagan Administration has cut back on R & D. Other countries are beating us to the new technologies that mean economic growth. This is costing us millions of jobs today and robbing a coming generation of Americans of economic opportunities.

As President, he would revive our commitment to finding the new ideas first.

Health Care

John Glenn believes that the Democratic Party must take the lead proposing fair and tough-minded solutions to rising health care costs.

We must have the courage to say "No" to those who are abusing the system and making health care costs skyrocket. Only then can we be assured of protecting Medicaid and Medicare funding and strengthening our Social Security system.

John Glenn is committed to preventive health care, safety programs and medical research. He would target resources to health and nutrition programs for America's children, and has set as goals lowering our infant mortality rate and eliminating hunger in this country.

A Record of Service to America and Leadership in the Senate

Glenn was a Marine officer for over twenty years, a test pilot, an astronaut, a successful business executive, and has been a United States Senator for nine years.

He has long been a leader in national Democratic politics. In 1968, he campaigned across the country for Robert F. Kennedy. He was elected to the Senate from Ohio in 1974 and re-elected in 1980 with the largest victory in Ohio history.

He was the principle author of the 1978 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, which is designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons throughout the world, and he is considered one of the Senate's leading authorities on foreign affairs, and arms control.

He has championed the revitalization of American education and worked to re-establish our commitment to research and development. He has an impressive record of support for civil rights, women's concerns, and issues that affect the elderly.

John Glenn is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee, and the top ranking Democrat on the Special Committee on Aging.

John and Annie Glenn have been married for forty years. They have two children, Lynn and David, and one grandchild, Daniel.