giving me the thumbs up. it's always a gratifying experience. it makes me feel good about my car. i absolutely love my chevy volt. ♪ cnbc is tracking two major storms tonight. chris christie is addressing the republican national convention and hurricane isaac, this is a cnbc special report on tuesday night, august 28th. now, here's michelle caruso-cabrera. >> good evening. on your left, live picture of the hurricane loop swirling off the coast of louisiana, mississippi, alabama and the western most part of florida. on the right, a live shot of the floor of the republican national convention in tampa, but isaac's

path will still impact the tone of the event. john harwood, larry kudlow there and ready to go, but first, i need to bring in todd gross to help get us set up on the path offize i can. >> it's crazy. this is a really dramatic change of events this evening as the storm tried to make landfall, then moved back over the water and started to strengthen again. you can really see the organization of the storm. 80 mile per hour winds officially, but the last few minutes, showing signs of even coming together stronger than that. the first that first tried to make landfall, it increased surge in port sulphur. they have levees that are 16 feet high and they were already challenged with a 14-foot storm surge unofficially from reports off of twitter, but it's not just there. new orleans is suffering at this

hour with 150,000 without power already and the storm is not even near them yet and once again, what's happening in new orleans right now, with all the wind and rain coming down, they have gusts reported, 60 to 70 miles per hour and again, still miles and miles away from them. now, there is one thing interesting though. remember i said that the storm center is starting the jog to the west back out over the water? that also puts it a little farther from new orleans, so they may get spared to some extent that way. we watch this very carefully. i will have another report in just a few minutes. >> now, to new orleans as todd was talking about. scott cohn is live in the heart of the city as they wait hoping this storm will not test that city's levee system after the disaster that were hit with seven years ago when katrina struck. scott? >> there is going to be a test, that's for sure.

as you heard -- many ways, even as the storm -- because what this means, it makes a slow march up through louisiana with -- gets here, it's going to soak this area with rains and a lot of those rains and wins coming from the east. the way they did during -- much less potent storm, that pushes up the water levels -- puts pressure on the levees, but they have a defense this time. a $14.6 billion upgrade of that system. that is now going to put to the test. it is likely we will get flooding here as we get these out days of rain. on the lessons that it learned seven years ago. >> you can see that live picture of the city overhead there shaking in the wind already and giving you a sense of just how strong the winds are already and not yet there as pointed out by our meteorologist. now, to the energy impact. the gulf of mexico packed with

oil rigs. brian shactman is live in the port of new orleans. >> it's nighttime in new orleans, but behind me, the mississippi river, which is just a rush of wind and water. it's a good thing nobody's out there. the river shut down. the port is shut down. out in the gulf. 93% of all oil production. 67% of all gas is shut in and when it comes to these companies, there are two main pieces of equipment. the platforms, which don't move, and their rigs, which do move. in terms of the platforms, 593 of 596 are completely evacuated. they can literally get out and move out of the storm's path. the next big issue is when can they get up and running? if there's no damage, they need clearance from the coast guard as well as all security and safety checks and they need to get people back in position. some companies might have a

week. a lot might take a lot longer than that. >> thank you very much, brian. now, back to tampa and the republican convention. the gop has to juggle the schedule today due to the hurricane, but they held role call. delegates also holding a moment of silence today to remember the people in hurricane isaac's path. all right. as we wait for ann romney to start her speech, let's bring in larry kudlow. we're zooming in to you now. larry, john was saying earler ier that maybe ann romney's speech is the most important because she's the one who can raise the likability factor and personality factor for mitt romney. did i get it right, john and larry? do you agree? >> i do. i think her speech is in many respects, more important. i think ann romney's crucial to sort of telling the the story of

her husband as only ann romney can. >> john, you heard part of her speech earlier. >> well, we have gotten the text or excerpts of her speech. it is pretty well written. has the potential to really connect. she talks about speaking from my heart about our hearts. trying to connect the qualities of mitt romney as a husband, a father, as a grandfather, with the american family and challenges we face. that's the kind of personal connection mitt romney needs if he's going to reach some of these undecided voters, especially women. women are the key target of this convention. white women particularly that the republican ticket has been trailed badly to president obama. the key to getting over the hump is going to be approving their appeal to women vote es. >> she was tossing out this idea that their marriage has been described as a storybook

marriage, but she says it's not. they've had so many challenges and she seems to put those in a place as an example to the rest of america about what her husband can do. is that your assessment as well? >> exactly. one of the challenges for romney is good looking guy, got a lot of money, got a pretty wife. people say, is that ken and barbie? do they have any problems where people can understand? in a poll last week, we showed that by a margin of more than 2-1, americans said that barack obama, mitt romney rather understands the problems of average people. the health challenges she faced, challenges of raising children. those are things every family can relate to. that's why they moved it from monday night to broadcast network tv to tonight. >> i think her illness is also very important part of this story. and of course, her husband stayed with her, i don't mean

stayed with her, but stayed with her and helped nurse her and be with her constantly. i think that also is something that a lot of americans understand. people have been sick, through bloody hell, so i think this is just a really important speech. chris christie will be very interesting, but i'm up for ann romney. >> what do you expect to hear from him? how important is that going to be in terms of getting the crowd going as you mex mentioned? >> what i gather is he's going to take the high road. >> what does this that mean? >> that he's not going to blast obama. he's going to talk about leadership. he's going to use his position in new jersey as governor whether he was able to work things out with the democratic legislature and accomplish budget cuts and local tax breaks and so forth. apparently, he is not going to blast obama out of the ballpark as he sometimes has in the past. i remember when he was out at the reagan library, christie

took obama to task for being deviciv devicive. >> okay, as we are, if you are just joining us, what's happening is the the introduction to ann romney, the wife of governor mitt romney. we're expecting her speech to begin any moment and then later on, we're going to have governor chris christie of new jersey speaking as well. john harwood, when we talk about chris christie not blasting obama, is that a good strategy for the night? >> i'm just not sure it matters all that much because of the importance of ann romney's speech. i'm sure he's likely to pitch his speech. a lot of the bluster that chris christie's been associated with is something that appeals more to men, so having a softer tone by christie may make him more effective in reaching out to them. he's got to make the case though

that mitt romney as he has down in new jersey, get things done even with the other party. that's crucial to what chris christie's message is. i tell the truth. i get people's face. but then i get something done in the end. that's what american people want. results. >> is there any chance that tonight is also about governor christie looking four years down the road, eight years down the road, whatever it is, as possibly running for president finally, larry? >> that's a shocking thought. just shock to hear you even think about that. and put that on the table. really. shock. >> yes, michelle, the answer is yes, it is. because chris christie's got a bright future in the republican party at this moment and here, we've got ann romney taking a stage. >> yes, let's take a listen. the the crowd welcoming her with sign, we love ann. let's listen as she approaches the podium.

what a welcome! thank you and thank you, lucy. i can't wait to see what we're all going to do together! this is going to be so exciting! just so you all know, the hurricane has hit landfall and i think we should all take this

moment and recognize that fellow americans are in its path and just hope and pray that all remain safe and no life is lost and no property is lost, so we should all be thankful for this great country and grateful for our first responders and all that keep us safe in this wonderful country. well, i want to talk to you tonight, not about politics and not about party and while there are many important issues we'll hear discussed in this convention and throughout this campaign, tonight, i want to talk to you from my heart about our hearts. i want to talk not what about

divides us, but what holds us together as an american family. i want to talk to you tonight about that one great thing that unites us, that brins us our greatest joy when times are good and the deepest solace in our dark hours. tonight, i want to talk to you about love. i want to talk to you about the deep and abiding love i have for a man i met at a dance many years ago and the profound love i have and i know we share for this country. i want to talk to you about that love so deep only a mother can fathom it. that love we have for our children and our children's children and i want us to think tonight about the love we share for those americans, our brothers and our sisters, who are going through difficult times. whose days are never easy.

nights are always long and whose work never seems done. they're here tonight among us in this hall. in neighborhoods across tampa and all across america. the parents who lie awake at night side by side wondering how they'll pay the mortgage or make the rent. the single dad who's working extra hours tonight to buy his kids some clothes to go back to school, to play a sport or take a trip, so his kids can feel like other kids. and the working moms, who love their jobs, but would like to work a little less to spend time with the kids. or the couple who would like to have another child, but wonder how they'll afford it. i have been all across this country, and i know a lot of you guys.

and i have seen and heard stories of how hard it is to get ahead now. you know what? i've heard your voices. they've said to me, i'm running in place and we just can't get ahead. sometimes, i think that late at night, if we were all silent for just a few moments and listened carefully, we could hear a collective sigh from the moms and dads across america who made it through another day and know they'll make it through another one tomorrow, but in the end of that day moment, we just aren't sure how and if you listen carefully, you'll hear the women sighing a little bit more than the men. it's how it is. isn't it? it's the moms who have always had to work a little harder to make everything right. it's the moms of this nation, single, married, widowed, who really hold this nation

together. we're the mothers, the wives, the big sisters, the little sisters and we are the daughters. you know it's true, don't you? i love you, women! and i hear your voices. those are my favorite fans down there. you are the ones that have to do a little bit more and you know what it's like to work a little harder during the day to earn the respect you deserve at work and then you come home at night and help with a book report just because it has to be done. you know what those late night phone calls with a an elderly parent are like. you know the fastest route to the local emergency room and which doctors answer the phone when you call at night. i know all about that. you know what it's like to sit

in that graduation ceremony and wonder how many so long days turned to years that went by so quickly. you are the best of america. you -- you are the hope of america. there would not be an america without you. tonight, we salute you and sing your praises! i'm not sure if men really understand this, but i don't think there's a woman in america who really expects her life to be easy. in our own ways, we all know better. you know what? that's fine. we don't want easy, but the last few years have been harder than any to be. it's all the little things, the price at the pump, you just can't believe.

the grocery bills that just get bigger. all those things that used to be free. like school sports are now one more bill to pay. it's all the little things to pile up and the big things, the good jobs, chance at college, that home you want to buy just get harder. everything has become harder. we're too smart to know there aren't easy answers, but we're not dumb enough to accept that there aren't better answers. and that is where this boy i met at a high school dance comes in. his name is mitt romney and you should really get to know him. i could tell you why i fell in love with him. he was tall, laughed a lot, he was nervous. girls like that. it shows a guy's a little

intimida intimidated. he was nice to my parents, but also really glad when they weren't around. i don't mind that, but more than anything, he made me laugh. i am the granddaughter of a welsh coal miner. he was determined, he was determined that his kids get out of the mines. my dad got his first job when he was 6 years old at a little village in wales, cleaning bottles at the collier's arms. when he was 15, dad came to america. in our country, he saw hope and opportunity to escape from poverty. he moved to a small town in the great state of michigan. michigan. there, he started a business, one he built by himself, by the way.

he raised a family and he became mayor of our town. my dad would often remind my brothers and me how fortunate we were to grow up in a place like america. he wanted us to have every opportunity that came of life in this country, so he pushed us to be our best and give our all. inside the houses that line the streets of our town, there are a lot of good fathers teaching our sons and daughters those values. i didn't know it at the time, but one of those dads was my future father-in-law, george romney. mitt's dad never graduated from college. instead, he became a carpenter. he worked hard. became the head of a car company, then the governor of michigan. when mitt and i met and fell in love, we were determined not to let anything stand in the way of our life together.

i was episcopalian, he was a mormon we got married and moved into a basement parmwe balked t class together, shared a housekeeping, ate a lot of pasta and tuna fish. our desk was a door propped up on sawhorses. our dining room table was a fold down ironing board in the kitchen. but those were the best days. then our first son came along. all at once, i'm 22 years old with a baby and a husband going to business school and law school at the same time and i can tell you, probably like every other girl who finds herself in a new life far from family and friends with a new baby and husband, that it dawned on me that i had absolutely no idea what i was getting into. well, that was 42 years ago.

i've survived. we now have five sons and 18 beautiful grandchildren. i'm still in love with that boy i met at a high school dance and he still makes me laugh. i read somewhere that mitt and i have a storybook marriage, well, let me tell you something, in the storybooks i read, there were never long, long rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once and those storybooks never seemed to have chapters called ms or breast cancer. a storybook marriage? no, not at all. what mitt romney and i have is a real marriage.

i know this good and decent man for what he is. he's warm and loving and patient. he has tried to live his life with a set of values centered on family, faith and love of one's fellow man. from the time we were first married, i've seen him spend countless hours helping others. i've seen him drop everything to help a friend in trouble and been there when late night calls of panic come from a member of our church whose child has been taken to the hospital. you may not agree on his politics. by the way, massachusetts is only 13% republican, so it's not like it's a shock to me, but, but let me say this. to every american thinking about who should be our next president. no one will work harder.

no one will care more. and no one will move heaven and earth like mitt romney to make this country a better place to live. it's true that mitt's been successful at each new challenge he's taken on. you know what? it actually amazes me to see his history of success being

attacked. are those really the values that made our country great? as a mom of five boys, do we want to raise our children to be afraid of success? >> no! >> do we send our children out in the world with the advice, try to do okay? >> no! and let's be honest, if the last four years had been successful, dewe think there would be this attack on mitt romney's success? of course not. mitt has two loving parents who gave him strong values and taught him the value of work. he had the chance to get the education his father never had, but as his partner on this amazing journey, i can tell you mitt romney was not handed success. he built it.

>> let 's go, mitt! let's go, mitt! let's go, mitt! >> he stayed in massachusetts after graduate school and got a job. i saw the long hours that started with that first b job. i was there when he had a small group of friends talking about starting a new company. i was there when they struggled and wondered if the whole idea just wasn't going to work. mitt's reaction was to work harder and press on. today, that company has become another great american success story. has it made those who started the company successful? made them successful beyond their dreams? yes, it has. it allowed us to give our sons the chance at good educations and made all those long hours of book reports and homework worth

every minute. it's given us the deep satisfaction of being able to help others in ways that we never would have imagined. this is important. i want you to hear what i'm going to say. mitt doesn't like to talk about how he has helped others. because he sees it as a privilege. not a political talking point. we are no different than the millions of americans who quietly help their neighbors, their churches in their communities. they don't do it so that others will think more of them. they do it because they're is no greater joy. give and it shall be given unto you.

but because this is america, that small company which grew has helped so many others lead better lives. to become college educations and first homes. that success has helped funds scholarships, pensions and retirement funds. this is the genius of america. dreams fulfilled, help others launch new dreams. at every turn in his life, this man i met at a high school dance has helped lift up others. he did it with the olympics when many wanted to give up. he did it in massachusetts where he guided the state from economic crisis to unemployment of just 4.7%. under mitt, massachusetts' schools were the best in the nation. the best.

he started something that i really love. he started the john and abigail adams scholarship which give applicants a tuition free scholarship. this is the man america needs. this is the man who will wake up every day with the determination to solve the problems that others say can't be solved, so fix what others say is beyond repair. this is the man who will work harder than anyone so that we can work a little less hard. i can't tell you what will happen over the next four years, but i can only stand here tonight as a wife, as a mother, a grandmother and an american and make you this solemn commitment.

this man will not fail. this man will not let us down. this man will lift up america. it has been 47 years since that tall kind of charming young man brought me home from our first dance. not every day since has been easy, but he still makes me laugh and never once did i have a single reason to doubt that i was the luckiest woman in the world tonight. i said tonight, i wanted to talk to you about love. look into your hearts. this is our country. this is our future.

these are our children and grandchildren. you can trust mitt. he loves america. he will take us to a better place. just as he took me home safely from that dance. give him that chance. give america that chance. god bless each and every one of you and god bless the united states of america. ♪

>> ann romney has finished, we see mitt romney, her husband, coming out. their children, their family. condoleezza rice sitting near them as well. so, gentlemen, it was her job to help seal the deal. bring a bigger likability factor to mitt romney. did she manage to do so? >> i think she did manage to do that. i also noticed, but can't fail to point out that mitt romney didn't kiss his wife as long as al gore did a few years ago, but ann romney, i thought her speech was most effective at the beginning and the end. the beginning where she tried to connect with ordinary american women, trying to make them see

in her that she understood that and therefore, that mitt romney did. people look at the spouses of candidates and by trying identify with them and saying at the end, you can trust mitt romney. she is trying to help mitt romney become acceptable to american voters in a way that he hasn't so far. >> first of all, i agree with much of what john says. i'm so impressed with the speech. i think it's so unusual. when has a first lady done such a thing like this and i love that mitt came out and gave her a hug. it was a heartfelt hug. i think her whole narrative here, from the heart, was extremely effective. i think this was a home run. she hit it out of the ballpark and i was glad to see her husband came out and gave her a big kiss. i'm waiting to see when mitt himself speaks, but she did a wonderful job and a very unusual and unique speech. >> just wanted to point out that

i talked to a top romney str strategist the other night who said look, the american people are disappointed with obama, they want him replaced, but haven't come to accept mitt romney as a choice who could take over for him. the speech by ann romney was to help him. >> speaking of which, maybe being female, one of the lines that struck me toward the end where you talk about the importance of the end of the speech where he said he'll keep you safe that same way he got me home from that dance way back when. a very personal connection. >> that was a great line. i must confess, i'm not sure that i buy into the idea , you know, the women bear the hardships more than the men. i've never been, i don't know. >> of course you don't. >> there's something that sort of battle between the sexes. i don't know. i'm not going to go there. it wasn't my favorite -- >> would you say that's sex

warfare? >> it wasn't my favorite part of that. it was a little bit. >> we want to let people know that right now, we're in a video introduction of chris christie. one other line that struck me, when she looked straight at the camera and said my husband doesn't talk about helping others because he sees it as a privilege, not as a political talking point. hold on. let's see, here comes governor chris christie of new jersey. let's listen in. ♪ >> thank you! thank you! thank you, all, very much. thank you. well, this stage and this moment

are improbable for me. a new jersey republican. delivering the keynote address to our national convention. from a state, from a state with 700,000 more democrats than republicans. a new jersey republican. stands before you tonight, proud of my party. proud of my state. and proud of my country. now, i am the son of an irish father and sicilian mother. my dad, who i'm blessed to have with me tonight is gregarious, outstanding and lovable. my mom, who i lost eight years ago, was the enforcer. now, she made sure we all knew who set the rules.

tell it to you this way. in the automobile of life, dad was just a passenger. mom was the driver. now, they both lived hard lives. dad grew up in poverty and after returning from army service, he worked at bryers ice cream plant and put himself through rutgers university at night to become the first in his family to earn a college degree. and our first family picture, our first family picture was on his graduation day with my mom beaming next to him, six months pregnant with me. now, mom also came from nothing. she was raised by a single mother who took three different buses every day to get to work. and mom spent the time that she was supposed to be a kid

actually raising children. her younger brother and younger sister. she was tough as nails. and didn't suffer fools at all and truth was, she couldn't afford to. she spoke the truth. bluntly, directly and without much varnish. i am her son. i was her son, i was her son as i listened to darkness on the edge of town with my high school friends on the jersey shore. i was her son when i moved into that studio apartment with mary pat to start a marriage that's now 26 years old. i was her son as i coached our sons, andrew and patrick on the fields and as i watched with pride as our daughters, sarah and bridgette, marched with

their soccer teams on the labor day parade and i'm still her son today, as governor, following the rules she taught me, speaking from the heart and to fight for your principles. you see, mom never thought you'd get extra credit just for speaking the truth. the greatest lesson she taught me was this one. there would be times in your life when you'd have to choose between being loved and respected. she said to always pick being respected. she told me that love without respect was always fleeting, but that respect could grow into real and lasting love. now, of course, she was talking about women. but, but i've learned over time that it applies just as much to leadership. in fact, i think that advice applies to america more than ever today.

you see, see, i believe we have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved. now, our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance and popularity were fleeting and that principles needed to be rooted in strengths greater than the passions and o motions of times, but our leaders today have decided it's more important to be popular, to say and do what's easy and say yes, rather than no, when no is what is required. in recent years, we as a country have too often chosen the same path. it's been easy for our leaders to say not now, in taking on the really tough issues and unfortunately, we've stood silently by and let them get away with it, but tonight, i say

enough. tonight, tonight, i say together, let's make a much different choice. tonight, we are speaking up for ourself and stepping up. tonight, we're beginning to do what is right and necessary to make america great again! we are demanding our leaders stop tearing each other down and take action on the big things facing america. tonight, we are going to do what my mother taught me. tonight, we're going to choose respect over love. see, we're not afraid. we are not afraid, we're talk taking our country back because we are the great grandchildren of the men and women who broke their backs in the name of

american ingenuity. the sons and daughters of immigrants. the brothers and sisters of every day heroes. the neighbors. entrepreneurs and firefighters. teachers and farmers. veterans and factory workers and everyone in between who shows up, not just on the big days or the good days, but on the bad days and the hard days. each and every day. all 365 of them. you see, we are the united states of america. now, now, now, it's up to us. we must lead the way our citizens live. to lead as my mother insisted i live. not by avoiding truths. especially the hard ones, but by facing up to them and being b

better for it. we can't afford to do anything less. now, i know this because this was the challenge in new jersey. when i came into office, i could continue on the same path that led to wealth and jobs and people leaving our state. or i could do the job people elected me to do. do the big things. now, there were those who said it couldn't be done, but the problems were too big, too politically charged and too broken to fix. but we were on the path we could no long er afford to follow. now, they said it was impossible. this is what they told me. to cut taxes in the state where taxes were raised 115 times in the eight years before i became governor. that it was impossible to balance a budget at the same time with an $11 billion deficit, but three years later, we have three balanced budgets in a row with lower taxes, we did it.

they said it was impossible to touch the third rail of politics to take on the public sector unions and to reform a pension and health benefits system headed to bankruptry, but with bipartisan leadership, we saved taxpayers $132 billion over 30 years and saved retirees their pensions. we did it. they said it was impossible to speak the truth to the teachers union. they were just too powerful. a real teacher tenure reform that demands accountability and ends the guarantee of a job for life regardless of performance. they said it would never happen, but for the first time in 100

years, with bipartisan support, you know the answer. we did it. now the disciples, they always underestimate the will of the people. they assumed our people were selfish, the tough choices and complicated decisions. that they would simply turn their backs. that it was every man for themselves. they were wrong. the people of new jersey stepped up. they shared in the sacrifice and they rewarded politics who led instead of politicians who pandered. we shouldn't be surprised, we've

never been a country to shy away from the truth. our history shows that we stand up when it counts and it's this quality that has defined america's character and our significance in the world. now, i know this simple truth and i am not afraid to say it. our ideas are are right for america and their ideas have failed america. let me be clear with the american people tonight. here's what we believe as republicans and what they believe as democrats. we believe in telling hard working families the truth about our country's fiscal realities. telling them what they know. the math of federal spending does not add up. with $5 trillion in debt added over the last four years, we have no other option but to cut

federal spending and fundamentally reduce the size of this government. want to know what they believe? they believe that the american people don't want to hear the truth about the extent of our fiscal difficulties. they believe the american people need to be coddled by the government. they believe people are content to live the lie with them. they're wrong. we believe in telling our seniors the truth about our overburdened entitlements. we know seniors not only want these programs to survive, but they want them secured for their grandchildren. our seniors are not selfish. here's what they believe. they believe seniors will always put themselves ahead of their

grandchildren and here's what they do. they prey on their vulnerabilities and scare them for misinformation for the single cynical purpose of winning the next election. here's their plan. whistle a happy tune while driving us off the fiscal cliff as long as they are behind the wheel of power when we fall. now -- we believe that the majority of teachers in america know our system must be reformed to put students first so that america can complete. teachers don't teach to become rich or famous. they teach because they love children. we believe -- we believe that we should honor and reward the good ones while doing what's best for our nation's future. demanding accountability, demanding higher standards and demanding the best teacher in every classroom in america.

get ready. here's what they believe. they believe the educational establishment will always put themselves ahead of children. that self-interests will always trump common sense. in pitting unions against teachers, lobbyists against children. they believe in teachers unions. we believe in teachers. we believe that if we tell the people the truth, that they will act bigger than the pettiness we

see in washington, d.c. and stand up for our conservative principles. health care

system in the hands of federal bureaucrats and the hands of an american citizen and her doctor. now, we ended an era of absentee leadership without purpose in new jersey. we're here to tell you tonight, it is time to end this era of absentee leadership in the oval office. america needs mitt romney and paul ryan and we need them right now.

now, we've got to tell each other the truth, right? listen, there is doubt and fear for our feature in every corner of our country. i have traveled all over the country and i have seen this myself. these feelings are real. this moment is real. it's a moment like this where some skeptics wonder if american greatness is over. they wonder how those who have come before us had the spirit and tenacity to lead america to a new era of greatness in the face of challenge. to look around and say yes, me. now, i have an answer tonight, for the skeptics and nay sayers, i have faith in us. i know -- i know we can be the

men and women our country calls on us to be tonight. i believe an american in history and there's only one thing missing now. leadership. takes leadership that you don't get from reading a poll. you see, mr. president, real leaders don't follow polls. real leaders change polls. and that's what we need! that's what we need to do now! we need to change polls here. the power of our principles. we need to change polls through the strength of our convictions. tonight, our duty is to tell the american people the truth. our problems are big and the solutions will not be painless. we all must share in the sacrifice and any leader who tells us differently is simply not telling the truth. now -- i think tonight, i think

tonight is the greatest generation, we look back and marvel at their courage. overcoming the great depression, standing up for freedom around the world. now, it's our time to answer history's call. every generation will be judged. so will we. what will our children and grandchildren say of us? will they say we buried our heads in the sand, that our problems were too big and we were too small, that someone else will make a difference because we can't or will they say of us that we stood up and made the tough choices that needed to be made to preserve our way of life. i don't know about you, but i don't want my children and grandchildren to have to read the history book on what it was like to live in an american century. overtaxed and borrowed, i want

them to live in a second american century. a second american century! a second american century of strong economic growth of those willing to work hard. a second american century will real american exceptionalism is not a punch line, but by watching the way americans conduct business. a second american century where our military's strong, our values are sure, our work ethic is unmatched and our constitution remains a model for everyone in the world struggling for liberty.

let's choose a path that will be remembered for generations to come. standing strong for freedom will make the next century as great tas laz one. we have never been victims of destiny. we have always been the masters of our own. and i know, i know you agree with me on this. i will not be part of the generation that fails that test and neither will you. all right. all right. it's now time to stand up. let's stand up, everybody stand up. stand up. because there's no time left to waste. if you're willing to stand up with me for america's future, i will stand up for you, if you're willing to fight for me with

mitt romney, i will fight with you. if you're willing to hear the truth, to hear the truth about the hard road ahead and the rewards for america that truth will bear, i'm here to begin with you this new era of truth telling. tonight, we choose the path that has always defined our nation's history. tonight, we finally and firmly answer the call that so many generations have had the courage to answer before us. tonight, we stand up for mitt romney as the next president of the united states and together -- and together -- and together, everybody, together, we will stand up