>> this is an abc news special. >> i believe in the american people. our brightest days are ahead. >>? just minutes, mitt romney walks into the spotlight. >> together we'll get america on track. >> makes history, and makes his case for the white house. >> my job one is putting americans back to work. it's the biggest speech on the biggest night of the convention and it starts right now. this is the republican national convention, it's "your voice your vote." now reporting live from the tampa bay times forum in tampa bay, diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos. >> and we welcome you all to the final night of the republican national convention here in tampa, florida. countdown is on the republican

presidential candidate mitt romney to take the center stage. coming into the building and in so many ways, george, it all comes down to the speech of the lifetime. >> absolutely for a man who has been running for president for six years. this is his last and only chance to make his case in his way, his own words without rebuttal or edit. we'll bring it to you with our entire political team. david muir, jon karl and cokie roberts on the floor. donna breal and math through dowd right here in the studio. >> everybody's been watching the bog raf cal video, a lot of home movies, video of the kids. let's go to david muir because he's there in the middle of the crowd, which, by the way, has been roaring and jumping tonight. david, can you hear us? >> they are extraordinarily excited. this is the night they've been waiting for. they want to hear the governor and his speech just moments from now. the lights are down and this

hall is captivated by the story of this family playing out on the video. they've been married for 43 years, five sons, 18 grandchildren. you can hear the audience starting to chant with the video, usa, usa! make no mistake, they want to hear the speech tonight. one delegate saying, this is the speech we've been waiting all week for. another saying, we want to hear the human side from mitt romney tonight. she said ann romney started earlier this week, but he has to get out there and close the deal. he's sold it for the people inside this convention all. but millions of americans who are watching, not happy with the president, but not yet convinced governor romney connects with them on their level. that's the case he's got to make tonight. >> and we have a surprise. >> that's right. clint eastwood coming to the stage. he's endorsing romney, saying the country needs a boost. >> 83-year-old film star,

director, clint eastwood, about to speak. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. take a level from mitt. i know what you're thinking. you're thinking what's a movie tradesman doing out here? you're all left-wingers out there. at least that's what people think, but that's not really the case. there's a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, republicans, democrats,

in hollywood. just the conservative people, by the nature of the word itself, play it more closely to the vest. they don't go around hot-dogging it. [ cheers and applause ] >> but they're there, believe me, they're there. and i just -- in fact, some of them around town. i saw jon voight. there's a lot of people around here. jon's here, academy award winner, terrific guy. these people are like-minded like all of us. so i've got mr. obama sitting here. and i just was going to ask him a couple questions. i remember three and a half years ago, when mr. obama won the election, and though i wasn't a big supporter, i was

watching that night when he was having that thing, and they were talking about hope and change and they were talking about, yes, we can, and it was dark and outdoors and it was nice and people are lighting candles and they were saying, you know, i just thought this is great. everybody's crying. oprah was crying. [ laughter ] i was even crying. and then finally, i haven't cried that hard since i found out that there's 23 million unemployed people in this country. [ applause ] now that is something to cry for. because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven't done enough, obviously, this administration hasn't done enough to cure that. and whatever interests they have

is not strong enough. i think, possibly, now it may be time for somebody else to come along and solve the problem. [ applause ] >> so, mr. president, how do you handle -- how do you handle the promises that you made when you were running for election? and how do you handle that? i mean, what do you say to people? do you just -- you know, i know people are wondering -- you don't? you don't handle it. i know even some people in your own party was disappointed. and i thought, closing get mo,

why close that? we spent so much money on it. i thought it was an excuse. what do you mean, shut up? [ laughter ] i thought it was just because somebody had this stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown new york city. maybe that was it. [ laughter and applause ] i've got to hand it to you, i've got to give credit where credit's due. you did overrule that, finally. so now we're moving onward. and i know you were against the war in iraq and that's okay. but you thought the war in afghanistan was okay. you thought that was something that was worth doing. we didn't check with the russians to see how they did there for the ten years. [ laughter and applause ] but we did it, and it was --

it's something to be thought about. and i think that when we get to -- maybe i think you mentioned having a target date for bringing everybody home. you gave a target date and i think mr. romney asked the only sensible question. he said, why are you giving the date out now? why don't you just bring them home tomorrow morning? [ applause ] i thought, yeah, there's -- i'm not going to shut up. it's my turn. so, anyway, we're going to have -- have to have a chat about that. and then i just wondered, all these promises, and then i wondered about, you know, when

the -- what do you want me to tell romney? i can't tell him to do that. can't do that to himself. [ laughter ] you're absolutely crazy. you're getting as bad as biden. [ applause ] >> of course we all know biden is -- biden is the intellect of the democrat party. [ laughter ] >> just kind of a grin with a body behind it. but i just think that there's so much to be done, and i think that mr. romney and mr. ryan are two guys that can come along.

see, i never thought that it was a good idea for attorneys to be president anyway. [ cheers and applause ] i think attorneys are so -- you know, they're always taught to argue everything and weigh everything and weigh both sides, and they're always, you know, they're always devil's advocating this and bifurcating this and bifurcating that, you know, all that stuff. but i think it's maybe time, what do you think, for maybe a businessman? how about that? [ cheers and applause ] >> a stellar businessman. quote, a stellar businessman. i think it's that time. you just got to step aside and mr. romney can kind of take over.

you can still use the plane. though, maybe a smaller one. not that big gas guzzler that you're using, going around to colleges and talking about student loans and stuff like that. you're an ecological man. why would you want to drive that truck around? okay, well, anyway, i'm sorry. i can't do that to myself either. anyway, i'd just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen, something that i think is very important, is that you, we, we own this country. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. we own it. and it's not you owning it, and

not politicians owning it. politicians are employees of ours. [ cheers and applause ] they're just going to come around and beg for votes every few years and it's the same old deal. but i just think that it's important that you realize and that you're the best in the world. whether democrat or whether republican or whether you're libertari libertarian, you're the best, and we should not ever forget that. and when somebody does not do the job, we got to let them go. [ applause ] >> let 'em go.

>> all right, okay. okay, just remember that. and i'm speaking out for everybody out there. it doesn't hurt -- we don't have to be -- i don't say that word anymore. maybe one last time. we don't have to be -- what i'm saying is, we don't have to be metal masochists and vote for someone that we don't even really want in office, just because they seem to be nice guys, or maybe not so nice guys, if you look at some of the recent ads going out there, i don't know. but -- okay, you want to make my day? [ cheers and applause ]

>> i'll start it. you finish it. >> go ahead -- [ crowd shouts, make my day! ] >> thank you. thank you very much. >> and there we were. clint eastwood, as we sit. >> didn't to be reading from a teleprompter. speaking to an empty chair where the president was supposed to be sitting. getting a lot of questions and we'll talk about that later. >> the twitter universe is lighting up, of course. and they're running a little late because of the improvised clint eastwood performance. let's go now to senator marco rubio who is going to introduce governor romney.

>> i think i just drank clint eastwood's water. thank you. thanks so much for having me here today and for having this convention here in florida. before i begin -- thank you. before i begin, this is such an important night for our country. i want to take just -- with your permission, just a few seconds to talk about another country. a country located just a few monday miles away from this city, the country of my parents' birth. there's no freedom or liberty in cuba. tonight i asked for your prayers that soon freedom and liberty will be theirs as well. [ applause ] >> it's a big honor for me. not so long ago, i was just a deep underdog candidate. the only people that thought i could win all lived in my house. four of them were under the age of ten.

[ laughter ] >> but this is incredible when i was asked to introduce governor romney, who we'll hear from in just a moment. i promise you, he's backstage, ready to go. and i called a few people, i asked them, what should i say? they had a lot of different opinions. the one thing they all said, don't mess it up. so i thought the best way to introduce mitt romney tonight, the next president of the united states, is to talk about what this election is about. and i'm so honored to be able to do it here in florida, at the republican national convention in front of all you patriots. [ applause ] >> i watched my first convention in 1980 with my grandfather. my grandfather was born to a farming family in rural cuba. childhood polio left him permanently disabled. his family sent him to school because he couldn't work the

farm. he was a huge influence on me growing pup. i used to listen to his stories about history, politics, and baseball. as he would puff on one of three daily cigars. i don't remember, it's been three decades since we last sat on that porch. i don't remember all the things he talked to me about, but the one thing i remember, is the one thing he wanted me never to forget. that the dreams he had when he was young became impossible to achieve, but there was no limit how far i could go, because i was an american. [ applause ] >> now, for those of us, here's why i say that. here's why i say that, because for those of us who were born and raised in this country, sometimes it becomes easy to forget how special america is, but my grandfather understood

how different america was from the rest of the world, because he knew life outside america. tonight, you will hear from another man who understands what makes america exceptional. [ applause ] mitt romney knows america's prosperity didn't happen because our government simply spent more money. it happened because our people used their own money to open a business. when they succeed, they hire more people, who invest and spend their money in the economy, helping others start a business or create jobs. now, tonight we've heard for a long time now about mitt romney's success in business. it's well-known. but we've also learned that he's so much more than that. mitt romney's a devoted husband, a father, a grandfather, a generous member of his community and church, a role model for younger americans like myself. everywhere he's been, he's

volunteered his time and talent to make things better for those around him. and we are blessed that a man like this will soon be the president of these united states! [ cheers and applause ] >> now, let me be clear, so no one misunderstands, our problem with president obama isn't that he's a bad person. by all accounts, he's a good husband, and a good father and thanks a lot to practice, a good golfer. [ laughter ] our problem is not that he's a bad person. our problem is that he's a bad president. [ applause ] >> you think he's watching

tonight? because his new slogan for his campaign is the word "forward." forward? a government that spends one trillion dollars more than it takes in. continue 800 billion dollar sim lus that created more debt than jobs. a government with higher taxes, cuts to medicare, and scores of regulations. these ideas don't move us forward. these ideas move us backwards. [ applause ] these are tired and old big government ideas that have failed every time and everywhere they've been tried. these are ideas that people come to america to get away from. [ applause ] >> these are ideas that threaten

to make america more like the rest of the world, instead of helping the rest of the world become more like america. the only hope is that change is hard to find. now sadly, millions of americans are insecure about their future. but instead of inspiring us, by reminding us of what makes it special, he divides us against each other. he tells americans that they're worse off because others are better off, that rich people got rich by making other people poor, hope and change has become divide and conquer. but in the end, this election, doesn't matter how you feel about president obama, because this election is about your future, not about his, and --

[ applause ] >> and this election is not simply a choice between a democrat and a republican. it's a choice about what kind of country we want america to be. [ applause ] >> and as you prepare to make this choice, we should remember what made us special. you see, for most of our human history, almost everybody was poor. power and wealth only belonged to a few. your rights were whatever your rulers allowed you to have. your future was determined by your past. if your parents were poor, so would you be. if you were born without opportunities, so were your children. but america was founded on the principle that every person has god-given rights. [ applause ] -- founded on the belief that power belongs to the people,

that government exists to protect our rights and serve our interests and that no one should be trapped in the circumstances of their birth. we should be free to go as far as our talents and our work can take us. [ applause ] >> and we're special. we're special because we're united, not as a common race or ethnicity. we're bound together by common values, that family is the most important institution in society. and that almighty god is the source of all we have. [ applause ]

>> we're special. we're special because we've never made the mistake of believing that we are so smart that we can rely solely on our leaders or on our government. our national motto, in god we trust, reminding us that faith in our creator is the most important american value of them all. [ applause ] >> and we're special because we've always understood the scriptural moition that for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. well, my fellow americans, we are a uniquely blessed people and we have honored those blessings with the enduring example of an exceptional

america. i know for many of you watching at home tonight, t last few years have tested your faith in the promise of america. maybe you're at an age when you thought you'd be entering retirement but now because your savings and investments are wiped out, your future is uncertain. maybe you expected this to be your prime earning years, but you've been laid off and your house is worth less than your mortgage. maybe you did everything you needed to do to ged ahead, studied hard, and finished school, but now you owe thousands of dollars in student loans, can't find a job in your field, and you moved back in with your parents. you want to believe that we're still that special place where anything is possible, but things just don't seem to be getting any better, and you wonder if things will ever be the same again. yes. we live in a troubled time, but the story of those who came

before us, reminds us that america has always been about new beginnings and mitt romney is running for president because he knows if we are willing to do for our rn which what our parents did for us, life in america can be better than it has ever been! [ applause ] my mother was one of seven girls whose parents often went to bed hungry so their children wouldn't. my father lost his mother when he was nine. he had to leave school and go to work, and he would work for the next 70 years of his life. they emigrated to america with little more than the hope of a better life. my dad was a bartender. mom was a cashier, a hotel maid, a stock clerk at kmart. they never made it big. they were never rich.

and yet they were successful. because just a few decades removed from hopelessness, they made possible for us, all the things that had been impossible for them. many nights growing up, i would hear my father's keys jingling at the door. as he came home after another 16-hour day. many mornings i woke up just as my mother got home from the overnight shift at kmart. when you're young and in a hurry, the meaning of moments like this escape you. but now, as my children get older, i understand it better. my dad used to tell us -- [ speaking foreign language ] >> in this country, you're going to be able to accomplish all the things we never could. few years ago during a speech, i noticed the bartender behind the portable bar in the back of the ballroom. i remembered my father who

worked for many years as a banquet bartender. he was grateful for the work he had, but that's not the life he wanted for us. you see, he stood behind a bar in the back of the room all those years so one day i could stand behind a podium in the front of a room. [ applause ] >> that journey from behind that bar to behind this podium, goes to the essence of the american miracle. that we're exceptional not because we have more rich people here, we're special because dreams that are impossible anywhere else, they come true

here. [ applause ] >> but that's not just my story. that's your story. that's our story. that's the story of your mothers, who struggled to give you what they never had. that's the story of your fathers who worked two jobs so that the doors that had been closed for them, would be open for you. that's the story of that teacher or that coach that taught you the lessons that made you who you are today. and it's the story of a man who was born into an uncertain future in a foreign country. his family came to america to escape revolution. they struggled through poverty and the great depression. and yet he rose to be an admired businessman and public servient. in this november his son mitt romney will be elected president of these united states.

[ cheers and applause ] >> in america, we are all just a generation or two removed from someone who made our future the purpose of their lives. america is the story of everyday people who did extraordinary things. a story woven deep into the fabric of our society. their stories may never be famous, but in the lives they lived, you will find the essence of america's greatness. and to make sure that america is still a place where tomorrow is always better than yesterday, that is what our politics should be about, and that is what we

are deciding this election. [ applause ] we decide, do we want our children to inherit our hopes and dreams? or do we want them to inherit our problems? because mitt romney believes that if we succeed in changing the direction of our country, our children and grandchildren will be the most prosperous generation ever and their achievements will astonish the world. [ applause ] the story of our time will be written by americans who haven't yet even been born. let us make sure they write that we did our part. that in the early years of this new century, we lived in an uncertain time, but we did not allow fear to cause us to

abandon what made us special. we chose more government instead of more freedom. we chose the principles of our founding to solve the challenges of our time. we chose a special man to lead us in a special time. we chose mitt romney to lead our nation and because we did, the american miracle lives on for another generation to inherit. [ cheers and applause ] #. >> my fellow republicans, my fellow americans, i am proud to introduce to you the next president of the united states of america, mitt romney!

>> and here he comes from the back of the forum, 20,000 people looking down. the presidential candidate, the nominee, mitt romney, walking into this giant arena. 20,000 people, as we said. >> marco rubio, 42-year-old senator from florida, rising star in the republican party, talking about their ideals, his story, and the m who leads that party's candidate for president, mitt romney. >> and as we watch governor romney come in, jon karl, i know you're out there. i can't find you, but i hope you can hear me. tell me what the crowd is saying around you. >> i can hear you and i am right here in the massachusetts delegation. if you can imagine a group of people more fired up about this, the massachusetts republicans, i would be surprised. they are excited about this. they are doing nothing to lower

expectations. they just heard from probably the most effective speaker the republicans have, the most effective person for giving an inspiring message, give as strong an endorsement as we've heard for mitt romney. i asked one of his friends, someone who's known him for years, just how big this is. the answer was simple. this is huge. this is the moment. this is the moment that he has the attention of the country, they're hoping for up to 40 million people, to finally tell his story. they believe they can do that, romney will win. >> and we saw mrs. romney there. he will be approaching her box soon, as best i can tell from where we're looking, our perspective. she's here tonight with her sons, of course, 16 romney grandchildren are there as well. after all these years, all these miles, george, this is his night. >> this is his night.

they tweeted out that his father ran for president all these years ago. >> david muir, can you hear us? where are you and what do you think? >> the floor is going wild as mitt romney makes his way to the expanded platform. and they basically rebuilt the stage for tonight as the governor takes the stage. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> the nominee of the republican party, the president of the united states, former governor

of massachusetts, mitt romney about to speak. >> thank you. ♪ >> mr. chairman, mr. chairman, and delegates -- [ cheers and applause ] mr. chairman and delegates, i president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ]

>> i do so with humility, deeply moved by the trust you've placed in me. it's a great honor. it's an even greater responsibility. tonight i'm asking you to join me to walk together, to a better future. by my side i've chosen a man with a big heart from a small town. [ applause ] >> he represents the best of america. a man who will always make us very proud, my friend and america's next vice president, paul ryan. [ cheers and applause ] >> in the days ahead, you're

going to get to know paul and janna better. but last night america got to see what i saw in paul ryan, a strong and caring leader, who is down to earth and confident in the challenge this moment demands. i love the way he lights up around his kids and how he's not embarrassed to show the world how much he loves his mom. [ applause ] >> but paul, i still like the play list on my ipod better than yours. [ laughter ] four years ago, i know that many americans felt a fresh excitement about the possibilities of a new president. that choice was not the choice of our party, but americans always come together after elections. we're a good and generous people and we are night by so much more than what divides us. when that election was over, when the signs came down and the television commercials came off

the air, americans were eager to go back to work, to live our lives the way americans always have. optimistic and positive, and confident in the future. that very optimism is uniquely american. it's what brought us to america. we're a nation of immigrants with children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of the ones who wanted a better life. the driven ones. the ones who woke up at night hearing that voice telling them that live in the place called america, could be better. they came not just in pursuit of the riches of this world, but for the richness of this life. freedom. freedom of religion, freedom to speak their mind, freedom to build a life, and yes, freedom to build a business with their own hands. [ cheers and applause ]

>> this is the essence of the american experience. we americans have always felt a special kinship with the future. when every new wave of immigrants looked up and saw the statue of liberty or knelt down and kissed the shores of freedom just 90 miles from castro's tyranny, these new americans surely had many questions, but not that here in america they could build a better life. that in america, their children would be blessed more than they. but today, four years from the excitement of that last election, for the first time, the majority of americans now doubt that our children will have a better future. it's not what we were promised. every family in america wanted this to be a time when they could get a little ahead, put aside a little more for college, do more for the elderly mom living alone, or give more to their church or charity.

every small business wanted these to be their best years ever, when they could hire more, do more for those who stuck with them through the hard times, open a new store, or sponsor that little league team. every new college graduate thought they'd have a good job by now, a place of their own, they could start paying back some of their loans and build for the future. this is when our nation was supposed to start paying down the national debt and rolling back the massive deficits. this was the hope and change america voted for. it's not just what we wanted. it's not just what we expected. it's what americans deserved. [ cheers and applause ]

[ crowd chanting usa ] >> you deserved it because during these years, you worked harder than ever before. you deserved it because when it costs more to fill up your car, you cut out movie nights and put in longer hours. or when you lost that job that payed $22.50 an hour with benefits, you took two jobs at nine bucks an hour. you deserve it because your family depended on you, and you did it because you're an american, and you don't quit.

you did it because it was what you had to do. but driving home late from that second job, or standing there watching the gas pump hit $50 and still going, when the realtior told you that to sell your house you'd have to take a big loss, in those moments, you knew that it wasn't right. but what could you do? except work harder, do with less, try to stay optimistic, hug your kids longer, spend more time praying that tomorrow would be a better day. i wish president obama had succeeded because i want america to succeed. but as promises gave way to disappointment and division, this isn't something we have to accept. now is the moment when we can do something, and with your help, we will do something.

[ applause ] >> now is the moment when we can stand up and say, i'm an american, i make my destiny, we deserve better, my children deserve better, my family deserves better, my country deserves better! [ applause ] so here we stand, americans have a choice, a decision, to make that choice, you need to know more about me and where i'd lead our country. i was born in the middle of the century in the middle of the country, classic baby-boomer. it was a time when americans were returning from war and eager to work. to be an american was to assume that all things were possible.

when president kennedy challenged the americans to go to the moon, the question wasn't whether we'd get there, it was only when we'd get there. [ applause ] >> the soles of neil armstrong's boots on the moon made permanent impressions on our souls. we watched that and went to bed that night knowing we lived in the greatest country in the history of the world. [ applause ] >> god blessed neil armstrong. tonight that american flag is still there on the moon.

and i don't doubt for a second that neil armstrong's spirit is still with us. that unique blend of optimism, humility, and the utter confidence that when the world needs someone to do the really big stuff, you need an american. [ applause ] >> my dad had been born in mexico, and his family had to leave during the mexican revolution. i grew up with stories of his family being fed by the u.s. government as war refugees. my dad didn't make it through college and he apprenticed as a lath and plaster carpenter. he had big dreams. he convinced my mom, a beautiful actress, to give up hollywood and marry him. they moved to detroit and led a great -- [ cheers and applause ]

>> he led a great automobile company and became governor of the great state of michigan. we were mormons and growing up in michigan that might have seemed unusual or out of place, but i really don't remember it that way. my friends cared more about what sports teams me followed than what church we went to. my mom and dad gave their kids the greatest gift of all, the gift of unconditional love. they cared deeply about what we would be and much less about what we would do. unconditional love is a gift that ann and i have tried to pass on to our sons and now to our grandchildren. all the laws and legislation in the world will never heal this world like the loving hearts and arms of mothers and fathers. [ applause ]

>> you know, if every child could drift asleep feeling wrapped in the love of their family and god's love, this world would be a far more gentle and better place. [ applause ] >> my mom and dad were married for 64 years. and if you wondered what their secret was, you could have asked the local florist. because every day dad gave mom a rose, which she put on her bedside table. that's how she found out what happened on the day my father died. she went looking for him because that morning, there was no rose. my mom and dad were true partners. a life lesson that shaped me by everyday example. when my mom ran for the senate, my dad was there for her every step of the way. i can still see her saying in

her beautiful voice, why should women have any less say than men about the great decisions facing our nation? [ applause ] >> don't you wish she could have been here at this convention? and heard leaders like governor mary fallon, governor nikki haley, and secretary of state condoleezza rice. [ applause ] >> as governor of massachusetts, i chose a woman lieutenant governor, a woman chief of staff, half of my cabinet and

senior officials were women. in business, i mentored and supported great women leaders who went on to run great companies. i grew up in detroit, in love with cars and wanted to be a car guy like my dad. but by the time i was out of school, i realized that i had to go out on my own. that if i stayed around michigan in the same business, i'd never really know if i was getting a break because of my dad. i wanted to go someplace new and prove myself. those weren't the easiest of days. many long hours and weekends working, five young sons who seemed to have this need to reenact a different world war every [ laughter ] >> but if you ask ann and i what we'd give to break up just one more fight between the boys or wake up in the morning and discover a pile of kids asleep in our room, every mom and dad knows the answer to that. those days were the --

[ applause ] >> these were tough days -- on ann, particularly. she was heroic through it all. five boys with our families a long way away. i had to travel a lot for my job then and i'd call and try to offer support. but every mom knows that doesn't help get the home work done, or get the kids out the door to school. and i knew that her job, as a mom, was harder than mine and i knew without question that her job as a mom, was a lot more important than mine. [ applause ] >> and as america saw tuesday night, ann would have succeeded at anything she wanted to do.

[ applause ] >> like a lot of families in a few place with no family, we found kinship with a wide circle of friends, through our church. when we were new to the community, it was welcoming, and as the years went by, it was a joy to help others, who had just moved into town or just joined our church. we had remarkably vibrant and diverse congregations from all walks of life, and many who are new to america. we prayed together, our kids played together, and we always stood ready to help each other out in different ways. that's how it is in america. we look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy and support, in good times and bad. it's both how he live our lives and why we live our lives. the strength and power and

goodness of america has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families, and our faiths. [ applause ] >> that's the bedrock of what makes america, america. in our best days, we can feel the viberancey of america's communities large and small. when we see that new business opening up downtown, when we go to work in the morning and see everybody else on the block doing the same thing. it's when our son or daughter calls from college to talk about which job offer to take. and you try not to choke up when you hear the one they like best is the one not too far from home. it's that feeling when you have more time to coach your kid's soccer team or help out on school trips. but for too many americans, those days are hard to come by. how many days have you woke up

feeling that something really special was happening in america? many of you felt that way four years ago. hope and change had a powerful appeal. but tonight i'd ask a simple question. if you felt that excitement when you voted for barack obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's president obama? [ applause ] >> you know there's something wrong with a kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him. [ applause ] >> the president hasn't disappointed you because he wanted to. the president has disappointed america because he hasn't led america in the right direction. he took office without the basic qualification that most americans have, and one that was

essential to the task at hand. he had almost no experience working in a business. jobs to him are about government. [ applause ] >> i learned the real lessons about how america works from experience. when i was 37, i helped start a small company. my partners and i had been working for a company that was in the business of helping other businesses. so some of us had this idea that if we really believed our advice was helping companies, we should invest in companies. we should bet on ourselves and our advice. so we started a new business called bain capital. the only problem, while we believed in ourselves, not many other people did. we were young and had never done it before. almost didn't get off the ground. in those days, i wondered if i had made a really big mistake.

i thought about asking my church's pension fund to invest, but i didn't. i figured it was bad enough they might lose my investors money, but i didn't want to go to hell too. [ applause ] shows what i know. another of my partners got the episko pal pension fund to invest and today there are a lot of happy retired priests who should thank him. that business we started with ten people has now grown into a great american success story. some of the companies we helped start are names you know and you've heard from tonight. an office company called staples, where i'm pleased to see the obama campaign has been shopping.

the sports authority, which became a favorite of my boys. we helped start an early childhood learning company called bright horizons that michele obama rightly praised. and a new steel mill, we took a chance and built one in a corn field in indiana and today -- [ applause ] -- today steel dynamics is one of the largest steel producers in the united states. these are american success stories. and yet the centerpiece of the president's entire re-election campaign is attacking success. is it any wonder that someone who attacks success has led the worst economic recovery since the great depression? [ applause ] >> in america, we celebrate success. we don't apologize for success.

[ cheers and applause ] >> now we weren't always successful at bain. but no one ever is in the world of business. that's what this president doesn't seem to understand. business and growing jobs is about taking risks, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always striving. it's about dreams, usually it doesn't work out exactly as you might have imagined. steve jobs was fired at apple, and then he came back and changed the world. it's the genius of the american free enterprise system, to harness the extraordinary creativity and talent and industry of the american people,

with a system that's dedicated to creating tomorrow's prosperity, not trying to redistribute today's. [ cheers and applause ] >> that's why -- that's why every president since the great depression, who came before the american people, asking for a second term, could look back at the last four years and say with satisfaction, you're better off than you were four years ago. except jimmy carter. and except this president. [ applause ] >> this president can ask us t