A close second to Walter Mondale for the race for the 1984 democratic nomination and was considered by many observers to be the front runner going into 1988. But within weeks of this announcement senator hart face allegations of a next her marital affair which led him to withdraw from the race. Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis won the nomination but lost decidedly to Vice President george h. W. Bush in a general election. Senator hart thank you very much. Senator hart thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Welcome the colorado. If you dont like the weather, it will change in a few minutes. [laughter] i want to say thanks to my good friends tim wirth and Frederico Pena and all the elected officials and leaders of our community and state on this platform. I want to take this opportunity to introduce the best daughter anyone ever had, andrea hart. [applause] i was tempted to introduce the next first lady of the United States, but i will simply say the wife best wife anyone ever had, leigh hart. I may or may not do that. [applause] thank eachink and every one of you for coming out here today. You have been our supporters, contributed and boosters for many years. We are strengthened and heartened by your presence and we thank you. I want to say a special word of thanks to a very large group of the best organizers that any candidate for any office has ever had. And say a personal word of thanks to all of that organized this rally, particularly mike stratton. Lets give them a hand. [applause] i intend to seek the presidency of the United States in 1988. [cheers] [applause] i do so for one single reason. That is i love my country. This country is 250 million human beings united by a common history and heritage and set of beliefs. But america is and always has been an ideal. This plan has stood for equality, justice, hope and opportunity for generations and generations of americans and millions of people around the world. We have come close to that ideal, but i think all of us know deep down in recent years that this country has fallen short of the ideal of america. We have seen personal greed replace a sense of social justice and equity and the national good. We have seen right wing ideology skew this nations basic priorities. Single seen narrow, interests finance our campaigns and control our political process. We have seen high standards for Public Officials and public ethics be eroded. Most of all this nation has lost the sense of the National Interests, and we are in serious danger today of letting our future pass us by. I believe this nation can do better. And i believe thats what the issue in 1988 is all about. We must rebuild this nation using a blueprint of new directions and new ideas based upon a foundation of the National Interest. [applause] we must build the best Education System in the world. [cheers] [applause] we must renew andrew and revitalize our national economy, invest in new technologies and train our workers. [applause] we must make a moral commitment to our children that we will leave behind to them for National Heritage cleaner and better than today. [applause] we must reform our conventional defenses and drastically reduce our reliance on Nuclear Weapons for this nations security. [cheers] [applause] the stakes in 1988 could not be higher and the choices cannot be clearer. We can have a defense policy that takes School Lunches away from poor children to pay for mx missiles or b1 bombers, or we can have a defense policy that reforms are conventional defenses, saves the taxpayers dollars, and makes this country safer. One choice is in the National Interest and it could not be clearer. [applause] we can have an Agriculture Policy that turns over the productive farmland of this nation to a handful of giant corporations, or we can have millions of family farmers producing the food and fiber of this nation. One choice is in the National Interest and a choice cannot be clear. [applause] we can have Public Officials who represent the ethics of donovan, deiver and boesky, a weakened you were out of business. One choice is in the National Interest and that choice is clear. [applause] we can continue to have our political campaigns financed by special interests. And have a special interest control the flow of legislation and the quality of government. Are we can reform the Campaign Finance laws and restore dignity and honesty and integrity to this nations political process. One choice is in the natural National Interest and that choice is clear. [applause] and finally we can define patriotism. Patriotism ist only the symbols of this nation. And that the flag belongs to a handful of nero, rightwing ideologues, all we can say that patriotism and the flag belongs to all of us who care about this nation and love this nation. One choice is in the National Interest and that choice is clear. [applause] people want to know what is the issue of 1988. I will state that issue to you very clearly. Bestssue in 1988 is who is qualified to govern this country. The question is one of leadership. We can have leadership that unites us or leadership that divides us. We can have leadership that challenges us, for leadership that makes us feel good. We can have leadership in the National Interest, or leadership in the narrow interest. We can have leadership that tells this country it must move forward or leadership that says we will go back and recapture our past. That is the issue in 1988, and that is why i make this race. I make this race because i love this country and i want america to do better and to move forward. Untapped there is an idealism in the american spirit. And there is a quality in the american character that is yet to be unlocked. At its best that is what a National Campaign is and ought to be about, and i pledge to you this is what this campaign will be about. You give me 20 days in the next 20 months and i will give you a presidency you can be proud of. [cheers] [applause] thank you. Days go forward from this committed to restoring this plan to all of its people and restore a sense of june true patriotism to this country. March on. [cheers] [applause] senator hart thank you all very much. This land was made for you and me this land was made for you and me senator hart thank you very much. [applause] road to the white house rewind continues with more for the 1988 campaign of democratic candidate gary hart. Just weeks after entering the president ial race the former colorado senator faced allegations of an extramarital affair with a miami woman named donna rice. Next he addresses the con charges at a News Conference in new hampshire. This portion is just under 40 minutes. Senator hart