George W. Bush
Visits Northern Indiana
October 27, 2024

In a 13-minute airport speech, Bush sounded his campaign theme that he “trusts the people, not the federal government” on issues from Social Security investment to determining how much of the surplus should go for a tax cut.

“We can do better in America than what we’ve got in Washington, D.C.,” Bush said, drawing applause from the 1,500 supporters at a late afternoon airport rally.

Representatives from LaPorte County included Michigan Township Trustee Mary L. Lombard, Chief Deputy Bart Lombard, Ron Lombard, and Tony Comegys. Mark Schoonaert from Naturally Wood Furniture donated the use of his digital camera, see the photos and video below.

Bush came in a bus caravan, winding up a day of campaign stops in Michigan, a battleground state in his race with Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore. After the rally, he boarded a plane in South Bend for a flight to Detroit for another Michigan event Friday night.

Chocola, beaming, was in the spotlight, introducing the presidential nominee and then standing beside Bush during the speech, the only other person at the microphone.

Bush sounded familiar themes of promising some privatization of Social Security to permit individual decisions on investment, returning more of the surplus through a bigger tax cut than Gore proposes and an education reform that “leaves no child behind.”

Bush also got in some of his favorite jibes at Gore.

He said Gore talked of Medicare reform in the 1992 and 1996 elections and talks of it again.

“My opponent says, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet,’” Bush scoffed. “And he’s right.” 

Bush concluded by making an all-out plea for Republicans to get out the vote.