Elizabeth Dole '08

Watch Elizabeth Dole’s first video blog.

The people of North Carolina elected me to the United States Senate in 2002 and I consider each day that I work on your behalf a true privilege.

North Carolina - and the nation - face many difficult challenges. Some of the most complex of those challenges - such as energy policy that is clean and independent of foreign oil, protecting our nation from terror, strengthening our economy in a competitive world market and securing our borders from massive illegal immigration will require carefully crafted solutions. How our nation resolves these crucial issues will have very real implications on the daily lives of every person, every family and every business for generations to come.

There has been a great deal of partisanship and political posturing over how to deal with our challenges. But gasoline prices approaching $4 per gallon hurts every person and every business. Paying for the millions of illegal immigrants now in the nation – and the millions of potential illegal immigrants that will come to this nation if allowed – affects every person and every business. If terror is allowed to come to America, it will have a negative impact on the economy of every community and the liberties of all North Carolinians and all Americans. These – and other prominent issues don’t just impact Republicans or just Democrats. They affect of us all. They are American issues.

I believe the “change” that most people want in North Carolina is to simply move toward finding common ground and real and long lasting solutions to the big challenges we face. In the campaign ahead, I want to hear from YOU – the voters of North Carolina – to hear what challenges you see and your ideas on how we can solve them.

Modern campaigns have become a contact sport, so please anticipate that this campaign – and yours truly – will come under attack. There will be careless attacks – personal attacks – votes and issues taken out of context – maybe even outright falsehoods. There is little I can do to prevent that, but I will defend my record and this campaign will do all that it can to get the truth to the voters each and every day through November 4th.

I hope you will take this opportunity to join the Dole Team today. My campaign cannot be successful without your help and support. When I was President of the American Red Cross, I was apt to tell potential volunteers that I needed their time, their money and their blood. Well…I’m not asking for your blood, but I do hope you will honor my campaign with your time, your ideas and your financial support.

Thank you for coming to my web-site and reading my first blog.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Elizabeth