Arnold Schwarzenegger - RNC 2004

[Applause] what a greeting Wow this this is like winning an Oscar [Applause] as if I would know speaking of acting one of my movies was called True Lies and that's what the Democrats should have called their convention [Applause] you know in a way up here to the podium a gentleman came up to me and said governor you are as good a politician as you were an actor what a cheap shots cannot believe it anyway man for anyway my fellow Americans this is an amazing moment for me to think that the one scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor of the state of California and then stand here then stand here in Madison Square Garden and speak on behalf of the President of the United States that is an immigrants dream it's the American dream you know I was born in Europe and I have traveled all over the world and I can tell you that there's no place no country that is more compassionate more generous more accepting and more welcoming than the United States of America as long as I live as long as I live I will never forget the day 21 years ago when I raised my right hand and I took the oath of citizenship you know how proud I was I was so proud that I walked around with the American flag around my shoulder all day long tonight I want to talk to you about why I am even more proud to be an American why I am proud to be a Republican what I believe that this country is in good hands [Applause] [Music] when I was a boy the Soviets occupied part of Austria I saw their tanks in the streets I saw communism with my own eyes I remember the fear we had when you had to cross into the Soviet sector growing up we were told don't look the soldiers in the eye just look straight ahead it was common belief that the Soviet soldiers could take a man out of his own car and ship him back to the Soviet Union as slave labor now my family didn't have a car but one day we were in my uncle's car it was near dark as we came to the Soviet Check Point I was a little boy I was not an action hero back then but I remember I remember how scared I was that the soldiers would pull my father or my uncle out of the car and I would never see them again my family and so many others lived in fear of the Soviet boot today the world no longer fears the Soviet Union and it is because of the United States of America [Applause] as a kid as a kid is also the socialist country that Austria became after the Soviets left the don't misunderstand me I love austria and i love the Austrian people but I always knew that America was the place for me in school when the teacher would talk about America I would daydream about coming here I would daydream about living here I would sit there and watch for hours American movies transfixed for my heroes like John Wayne everything about America everything about America seemed so big to me so open so possible I finally arrived here in 1968 what a special day it was I remember arrived here with empty pockets but full of Dreams full of determination full of desire the presidential campaign was in full swing I remember watching the Nixon Humphrey presidential race on TV a friend of mine who spoke German in English translated for me I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism which I had just left but then I heard Nixon speak then I heard Nixon speak he was talking about free enterprise getting the government of your back lowering the taxes and strengthening the military [Applause] listening to me to speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air I said to my friend I said what party is he my friend said he's a Republican I said then I am a Republican [Applause] and I have been a Republican ever since and trust me and trust me in my wife's family that's no small achievement [Applause] but I am proud to be with the party of Abraham Lincoln the party of Teddy Roosevelt the party of Ronald Reagan and the party of George W Bush [Applause] with my fellow immigrants listening tonight I want you to know how welcome you are in this party we Republicans admire you ambition we encourage your dreams we believe in your future and one thing I learned about America is that if you work hard and if you play by the rules this country is truly open to you you can achieve anything [Applause] everything I have my career my success my family I owe to America [Applause] in this country it doesn't make any difference where you were born it doesn't make any difference who your parents were it doesn't make any difference if you're like me and couldn't even speak English until you were you're in your twenties America gave me opportunities and my immigrant dreams came true I want other people to get the same chance as I did the same opportunities and I believe they can that's why I believe in this country that's why I believe in this party and that's why I believe in this president [Applause] the many of you out there tonight a Republican like me in your hearts and in you belief maybe you're from Guatemala maybe you're from the Philippines maybe you're from Europe or the Ivory Coast maybe you live in Ohio Pennsylvania or New Mexico and maybe it maybe just maybe you don't agree with this party and every single issue I say to you tonight that I believe that's not only okay but that's what's great about this country [Applause] here here we can respectfully disagree and still be patriotic still be American and still be good Republicans [Applause] my fellow immigrants met fellow Americans how do you know if you're a Republican well I tell you how if you believe that government should be accountable to the people not the people to the government then you are a Republican [Applause] if you believe that a person should be treated as an individual not as a member of an interest group then you are a Republican [Applause] if you believe that your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does then you are a Republican [Applause] if you believe if you believe that our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children then you are a Republican [Applause] if you believe if you believe that this country not the United Nations is best hope for democracy can you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and ladies and gentlemen and ladies and gentlemen if you believe that we must be fierce in relentless and terminate terrorism than you are Republican [Applause] now there's another way you can tell your Republican your faith in free enterprise faith in the resourcefulness of the American people and faith in the US economy and to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy I say don't be economic girly-man [Applause] the u.s. the US economy remains the envy of the world we have the highest economic growth of any of the world's major industrialized nations don't you remember the pessimism of 20 years ago when the critics said that Japan and Germany are overtaking the u.s. ridiculous now they say that India and China are overtaking us now don't you believe it we may hit a few bumps but America always moves ahead that's what Americans do we move prosperity ahead we will Chris carry their head we move freedom ahead and we move people ahead and on the President Bush and Vice President Cheney America's economy is moving ahead in spite of the recession they inherited and in spite of the attack on our homeland [Applause] now now the other party says that we had two Americas don't you believe that either I have visited that our troops in Iraq Kuwait Bosnia Germany and all over the world I visited our troops in California that they trained before they go overseas I have visited our military hospitals and I'll tell you this that our men and women in uniform do not believe they're two Americas they believed as one America and they're fighting for it [Applause] we have one America we have one America and President Bush is defending it with all his heart and soul that's what I admire most about the president he is a man of perseverance he is a man of inner strength he's a leader who doesn't flinch who doesn't waver and does not back down [Applause] I've color Americans my fellow Americans make no mistake about it terrorism is mine serious than communism because it yearns to destroy not just individual but the entire international order the president did not go into Iraq because the poles told him it was popular as a matter of fact the poles said just the opposite but leadership isn't about poles it's about me it's about making decisions to think a right and then standing behind those decisions [Applause] that's why America is safer with George W Bush as president [Applause] he knows he knows you don't reason with terrorists you defeat them he knows you can't reason with people blinded by hate you see they hate the power of the individual they hate the progress of women to hate the religious freedom of others and they hate the liberating breeze of democracy but ladies and gentlemen their hate is no match for America's decency [Applause] we are we are the America that sends out the Peace Corps volunteers to teach our village children we are the America that sends out the missionaries and doctors to raise up the poor and the sick we are the America that gives more than any other country to fight AIDS in Africa in the developing world and we are and we are the America that fights not for imperialism but for human rights and democracy [Applause] you know when the Germans brought down the Berlin Wall America's determination helped willed the sledgehammers and when the lone young Chinese man stood in front of those tanks in Tiananmen Square America stood with him and when Nelson Mandela smiled an election victory after all these years in prison America celebrated - we are still the lamp lighting the world especially those who struggle no matter in what labor camp this slave the Mellon what injustice they are trapped they hear our call they see our light and they feel the pull of our freedom [Applause] [Music] [Applause] they come here as I did because they believe they believe in us they come because the heart say to them as minded if only I can get to America you know someone once wrote there are those who say that freedom is nothing but a dream they're right it's the American dream no matter the nationality no matter the religion the midde Technic background America brings out the best in people and this governor as governor of the great state of California I see the best in Americans every day I see the best in Americans every day our police our firefighters our neuroses doctors and teachers our parents and what about the extraordinary men and women who have volunteered to fight for the United States of America [Applause] I have such great respect for them and their heroic families let me tell you about a sacrifice in the commitment that I have seen firsthand in one of the military hospitals have visited I met a young guy who was in bad shape he lost a leg hit a hole through his stomach and his shoulder had been shot through and the list goes on and on and on I could tell that there was no way he could ever return to combat but when I asked him when do you think he'd get out of the hospital he said to me sir in three weeks and you know what he said to me then he said he was going to get a new leg and then he was going to get some therapy and then he was going to go back to Iraq and fight alongside his buddies [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and you know what he said to me then you know what he said to me then he said Arnold I'll be back well ladies and gentlemen ladies and gentlemen America is back back from the attack on our homeland back from the attack on our economy and back from the attack on our way of life we are back because of the perseverance character and leadership of the 43rd President of the United States George Lucas [Applause] fellow Americans I want you to know that I believe with all my heart that America remains the great idea that inspires the world it is a privilege to be born here it is an honor to become a citizen here it is a gift to raise your family here to vote here and to live here our president george w bush has worked hard to protect and preserve the american dream for all of us and that's why I say sent him back to Washington for four more years [Applause] for for years for Thank you very thank you and God bless you [Applause]

Channel: AmericanRhetoric.com

Views: 47,990

Rating: 4.818182 out of 5

Keywords: schwarzenegger rnc speech, schwarzenegger speed, schwarzenegger convention speech

Id: ZJJ6h72oiLk

Length: 22min 51sec (1371 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 17 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/martisoundsgood]

downvoted because gaslighting shill.

[u/ShareBluePaybot]

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[u/spidaL1C4]

Obama's speech pledging that he wouldn't rest until every single person in Flint Michigan had clean water was also a superior speech. It was absolutely lovely.

[u/Paineintheass]

You've reached a new low here Manatee. Arnold maintains his Austrian accent way past its sell date. So to put him in rhetorical competition with anyone beyond Sgt. Schultz is a long reach. Piss off.

[u/rundown9]

Just some other quotes from Ahhhnold ...

"I don't understand how they can call me anti-Latino when I've made four movies in Mexico."

"I like the color red because it's a fire. And I see myself as always being on fire."

"To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say, Don't be economic girlie men!"

"If I would do another 'Terminator' movie I would have Terminator travel back in time and tell Arnold not to have a special election."

"I can promise you that when I go to Sacramento, I will pump up Sacramento."

"As you know, I don't need to take any money from anybody. I have plenty of money myself. I will make the decisions for the people."

"The public doesn't care about figures."

"As much as when you see a blonde with great tits and a great ass, you say to yourself, 'Hey, she must be stupid or must have nothing else to offer,' which maybe is the case many times. But then again there is the one that is as smart as her breasts look, great as her face looks, beautiful as her whole body looks gorgeous, you know, so people are shocked."

"The best activities for your health are pumping and humping."

"Having a pump is like having sex. I train two, sometimes three times a day. Each time I get a pump. It's great. I feel like I'm coming all day."

"I have inhaled, exhaled everything."

"Having chicks around is the kind of thing that breaks up the intense training. It gives you relief, and then afterward you go back to the serious stuff."

"My relationship to power and authority is that I'm all for it. People need somebody to watch over them. Ninety-five percent of the people in the world need to be told what to do and how to behave."

"I admired Hitler, for instance, because he came from being a little man with almost no formal education, up to power. I admire him for being such a good public speaker and for what he did with it."

And my personal fave ...

"I think that gay marriage should be between a man and a woman."

Nice follow up to your women's lib LARP post yesterday BTW.