CNN 20: George Bush Wins Election
GENE RANDALL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There would be no early morning suspense for George Bush and his supporters. By the time the vice president walked into the Brown Convention Center in Houston, it had long been evident he would become the country's 41st chief executive.</s>GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: The people have spoken and with...</s>RANDALL (on camera): It was clear in 1988 that George Bush was really running for Ronald Reagan's third time. You know, if Reagan could have ran for a third term, he would have won. So, I mean, it was a kind of "don't rock the boat" campaign in 1988.</s>BUSH: When I said I want a kinder, gentler nation, I meant it, and I mean it.</s>RANDALL: It was apparent for sometime before the election took place that Bush was going to be elected. So election night, you know, was a big celebration, but it was almost an atmosphere of we did it and now we're going to celebrate what we knew we were going to do.</s>BUSH: Thanks for everything and God bless America. Thank you all very much.</s>RANDALL: After his Wednesday morning news conference in Houston, George Bush returns to Washington. He'll meet first with his running mate, Senator Dan Quayle, and later in the day with President Reagan. Thursday, George Bush and his wife leave for a long weekend in Florida for what is called strictly private time. Gene Randall, CNN, with the president-elect in Houston.