Transcripts For KQED Republican National Convention 20120830

election. >> ifill: we're not alone. with us are syndicated columnist mark shields and david brooks. welcome back we're glad to see you. what do you expect tonight? >> i expect history being made. i do. >> ifill: you're excited? >> i am. i'm excited. i think it's a defining moment, the biggest moment of mitt romney's public career. >> balloons will drop. before that we'll get to know something about the guy. as i said i think they have not done enough biography but we'll get a little autobiography that will be great. >> woodruff: we talked earlier about paul ryan's speech last night. how much did that sort of get the delegates fired up? >> paul ryan could have read the while pages of the phone book, they were excited. he delivered. he certainly in the room and i think beyond the room to conservatives in particular, particularly the sort of "wall street journal" economic conservatives, he -- it was enormously well received speech. >> ifill: aside from the nominee we'll hear from marco rubio then a mystery guest. >> woodruff: we know it's clint eastwood. >> senator and aiming knowledge movie star. we're also going to hear from people who knew mitt romney in church and some people who knew him in the community. i assume have just much better feel from the guy from the videos. this will be the night that is all about him. so far it's been a great convention for the party. what the party stands for, what its vision is. this is really more about the person. >> woodruff: bring in now very special guest, he is the senate minority leader, senate republican leader mitch mcconnell. good to have you with us. >> glad to be with you. >> woodruff: you've been here since sunday how is this convention going? what do you see? >> well, there's the folks inside the convention, the folks beyond the convention. obviously we're pretty enthusiastic about our nominee, not surprisingly. the question is, how good a job do we do reaching the rest of the country. as all of us know this speech tonight is very important. it's not a bunch of attack ads it's mitt romney laying out his vision of where the country ought to go. i think most of the biography is probably been done by his wife and by paul ryan, although autobiography can sometimes work. mainly i think, the romney mission tonight is to layout where he would take the country. we've made the case against the current administration with great repetition in the republican primaries. all the survey indicates reluctance to rehire the president for four more years of the same. but people want to know who mitt romney is how he lived his life but where he would take the country. what direction would we go in, i think we'll see that laid out tonight. >> ifill: i'm curious about what makes up the republican party at this point. biggest thing that happened since the last election and mid terms is the rise of the tea party and influence it's had on people who are getting sent to washington basically they think they stop bad thing from happening. what do you think the difference has been. how has the tea party affected them. >> we won. the american people issued national restraining order in november of '10 said we've had enough of the borrowing, the spending, the fay over of health care all the rest, explosion of government that we saw on full display the first two years of the obama administration where they controlled all of the government. from our point of view it bought in to the party a lot of people a lot of energy, they were concerned about spending and debt. the mega issues hanging over our future. only thing if we don't solve that it would ruin this country for future generations. good politics is multiplication. it added to our broad base of support and i think put us in a good position to finish the job this november. >> senator, if mitt romney wins you could be running a body, majority of leader with maybe 50 republican votes or 50 or 51 or minority leader. i don't see how you get things like romney-ryan medicare plan or tax plan through the senate that's so evenly divided. how do we know this isn't all make believe that it will -- washington will be split down the middle. >> we know that divided government which is what we've had the last two years has frequently done very important things. think of reagan and tip o'neal aging the -- raising the age of retirement. and balancing the budget in the plate '90s. looking back at last year's really a missed opportunity when president went awol after he sign the the budget control act did not participate in getting an out come out of the so-called super committee which was a process that could have produced a result. in a new government if it's unified government, republicans in all three branches it will probably even be harder to get democrats to do what we know needs to be done to save the country. but there are a number of democrats in the senate who understand what has to be done to save our country, to fix it, to fix the mega problem. the sun sustainable growth of tilingments. i hope they decide it's important to get this job done no matter who wins the election. if the president manages to survive we'll have divided government, he won't own the place, maybe he'll have epiphany and more of an adult leadership that we got used to with reagan and o'neal that allows us to get a solution to the biggest problem confronting the few fewer of course that would be done on a bipartisan basis if he's still there. >> senator, 19 months in to the current administration you told marriage garrett of the national journal single most important thing we want to achieve is to make president obama a one-term president. if governor romney is elected what would be the single most important thing you want to achieve beyond making him a two-term president? >> thank you once again for miss construing what i said. what i said -- may i finish? >> of course you may. >> the rest of what i said was, that that was the goal in the next election but that there were two years to go. at the same time i was negotiating an extension of the current tax rates with the vice president during that very same period of time. my three appointees to the commission voted for it. the most conservative guy that i put on the joint select committee offered the democrats a quarter of a trillion dollars in new taxes on high income people, they laughed at him. we were ready to deal. having an election goal is one thing but in the even time we were ready to govern the guy who was missing, that went awol was the president of the united states. we'll see whether the american people want to continue this record of basically not accomplishing anything, but we were red me to deal and of course, politically as the leader of my part in the seven add i'd like to have a new president. >> ifill: also have senate majority. what happens between now and november that allows you to get to that? what are the states that you're watching most carefully and how much what has occurred in missouri in the last week or two changed that formula? >> we have a lot of opportunities. as a result of having a really bad year in 2006, there are a lot ofemocrats up this year, 23, only ten republican seats. we have two incumbents with serious races i'm confident both will win. we're almost entirely on offense. and places like north dakota and montana and nebraska. we'll see what the final chapter is and missouri. and also in ohio and wisconsin and virginia and florida. probably enough we have very competitive race in deep blue connecticut, deep blue hawaii and fairly blue in new mexico. there are plenty of opportunities out there to net the now seats that we need to have a majority. >> woodruff: do you think missouri still salvageable? the final chapter i hope has not been written. >> ifill: thank you, senator, mitch mcconnell. now to the highlights of tonight's proceedings. for that let's go down to the floor to jeffrey brown, jeff? >> brown: hi, judy, we're getting to get things going, a little slowly today. but it's starting off at 7:30. right now down on the floor here people are green each other, remember that a lot of this is convention, people have been meeting each other all week, they have been at parties, doing all kinds of things now wait for the big event. i've been talking to people asking them what is it that they want to hear. what are they looking for they tell me they still want to hear mitt romney tell his story. one guy just told me that only thing he's afraid of is that it's going to be hard to top what happened last night with the speeches from condoleezza rice and paul ryan. >> woodruff: and jeff, sorry, we were joined by a guest here up in the sky box. tell us, when you talk to the delegates is this convention meeting their expectations? some of these folks have come to many, many conventions. >> brown: they certainly say -- they universally say that it is. they have been to a lot of these things, there's a purpose for them, it's partly for the party, of course, to show their colors, to get the energy going. i think there is still some questions. people say to me, off cam remarks say, there's still wondering about this guy, mitt romney, whether he's going to lead the party. still want to know more about him. want to hear more of his story. that's what they're looking for tonight. you are the thermometer on the floor, can you gauge the excitement? >> the balloons are above, gwen, they're ready to go. the stage over here has been expanded so that will allow mitt romney and his family no doubt to get out more info the crowd. and so -- there's a guest speaker, i think i heard earlier you two give that away. i'm not sure that that was such a good thing, guys. but you did it already. i think down here people know that is coming as well. >> ifill: stake out a spot, very crowded, don't move. we'll be back to you. now for now you here we to go contrarian view of all of these proceedings democrats have robust rebuttal team here including the senate majority whip, dick durbin of illinois, welcome, senator. >> my first republican convention. >> ifill: what are you doing here? >> i was sitting out there with mitch mcconnell he said he had this roll in democratic convention, do you get some unusual stares as you walk around. trying to stay respectable distance away from the floor. to acknowledge the grand old party's annual proceedings. but we're making sure that just in case, off chance someone makes a misstatement about president obama's position, there's at least someone here in his defense. >> woodruff: we heard senator mcconnell whom you saw outside say that what's happened in washington, the gridlock, fact that there hasn't been progress on a budget, hasn't been progress to bring the debt down is principally on the president's shoulder that it was the president who walked about and that he's looking forward of course to having a president romney come in because that gives republicans a chance. and the country a chance to move ahead on these questions. >> i'm afraid mitch's analysis ignores three important events. two direct efforts by the president to negotiate with john boehner in terms of deficit reduction where john just walked away. third through vice president biden where representative cantor said he was walking away. as a former member of the simpson bowls commission that at the end of the day 11 of us voted for it in bipartisan fashion including republican senators, but not one single house republican. paul ryan voted against the same ton bolls commission. last night i listened to his speech he was chiding the president nor at asserting the report. paul ryan told him, no. >> ifill: as you watch this unfold this week close up, what have you identified as the greatest threat to barack obama's re-election that you of seek here. >> i can tell you that a convention is made for true believers. you'll see it tonight in tampa and next week when it comes to our convention in charlotte. the most important audience though is not in this hall or in charlotte. the important audience are the uncommitted voters, independent voters who are really making a final decision about which of these presidential candidates will be best for the country and for their families. and for the future of our country. i think that is what remains to be seen. i have been listening to the speeches, i understand the republican point of view. next week you'll hear quite a different approach. we're focused on middle income and working families, the facts are there. many have written about them, they have fallen further and further behind, struggling paycheck to paycheck they want to know which party is going to give them hope they will have an american dream for their children. >> do you think if he became vice president would work with democrats and work with your colleague on piece of legislation, the he strike that you way? what was he like? >> that's my impression. i think he's type of person that really -- may see things differently. honest analysis from his side of the table. at the end when he voted no i wasn't sure, there are several things that came in. all three of the house republicans onesimo ton-bowles were up for election in their caucus. the new tea party members newly arrived. notion of proposing revenue increases to these new tea party members was not a very smart thing to do when you're up for election in your caucus. secondly of course it did have revenue, many signed the pledge, they know what happens when club for growth shows up in republican primary. and finely, there was really an appetite on republican side for what they call entitlement reform. deeper cuts in medicare and medicaid. that makes some of the criticisms of what president obama has done savings in medicare really hard to understand from a party that's called for even deeper cuts. >> we're only days away from charlotte yet the american electoral where only 32% thinks they were better off before president obama got elected. 43% say the president deserves to be re-elected. temp us, what went wrong and what is going to be different? >> we've had i think a wrenching experience in terms of our economy. i don't think anyone anticipated going in that this would -- this recession would last so long and be so painful. so many people would be unemployed and under employed. it is a transition in our economy, important transition and i think doing our best to come through it but the notion that returning to the old bush economic philosophy, having government step back in areas like education and training, i don't think the key to the success is the 21st century. i trail around illinois, i go to businesses that have been successful, still hiring. i know what they're looking for. skilled people, come to the workplace ready to work with the skills for the 21st century that will involve our schools, going to involve our government. making certain that kids from working families like mine have fighting chance for that kind of training and education. >> >> woodruff: senator dick durbin, thank you very much. we'll let you go back out take some more of those funny looks you're getting from people. >> i'll now prepare for my escape, i thank you very much. >> woodruff: see you newscenter 5 wine in charlotte. >> yes, you will, thank you. one of mitt romney's top surrogates both his 2008 campaign and this one his oldest son. tag, gwen and i spoke with him just a short time ago. >> tag romney, welcome to the "newshour" coverage of this convention. >> thanks for having me on. happy to be here. >> woodruff: big day, a lot of pressure on your dad especially, how is he dealing with it? >> he's doing great. the real pressure was tuesday night when my mom spoke that's when he was the most nervous. first ever prepared political speech. so to have her get up there and knock it out of the park like that was -- sure made all of us happy. raised the bar for him. >> woodruff: it was interesting she spoke before a group here in tampa she said, you are seeing so many people you know like going to your own funeral. >> we have 120 relatives in town from couple different families. lots ever friends we haven't seen in a long time, people from the olympics, just been really fun experience to see all these people. like "this is your life." >> woodruff: maybe more like wedding than a funeral. >> ifill: you are supposed to be character witnesses for your dad. that is it that people really need to know the most that they don't, misconceptions they that have right now? >> i think people know how good of a business person he was, and how good he is at fixing budgets turning things around, lot of people don't recognize because they know how good of a person he is. it's obviously we're his family, we love him. but he spent his life not only as a good father and husband, but very generous in his helped many people in their lives very quietly off camera. not political talking points, because he genuinely wants to help people. that's the side of mitt romney maybe hasn't come out as much as i'd like. but i think you'll maybe see more that have in the next few months. >> ifill: he has said, i am what i am. he seems to resist this idea that he should be held like a piece of beef but that's your job, isn't it? >> my job. he doesn't like to get out there try to -- he's taught that when you do something good you don't stand up and brag about it you let the actions speak for themselves. i think he's lived his life that way and not going to change because he's running for office. he's done a lot of great things, he doesn't like to talk about. that's why i'm here. >> woodruff: there's so much conversation, tag romney, about how much more he should reveal himself. in fact i think former florida governor jeb bush said today, he needs to reveal more about himself. do you think too much is made of that? what do you think? >> i think so. really what we want to do is get in there get the job done. the reason he's running, and very goodman, there are lots of very good people and reason he's running is because he is in the position to do something about the challenges that our nation is facing, he thinks he can get the 22 million americans back to work. create 12 million jobs in four years. get the gdp growing again, help solve the big issues that are facing us. help us fix the broken education. those are the reasons he's running, that is what he wants to talk about. what age he was when he learned to ride a bike. >> ifill: will we learn more about him from tonight's speech? >> i think you learned a lot about him when my mom spoke tuesday night. she opened up, told more stories that have been told in the past. i expect he'll talk a little bit about, don't know for sure, talk about his mom and his dad the role they played in his life. and i think see a little bit more revealed than he has in the past. >> ifill: i watched your dad watching your mom deliver the speech that you just referred to, i was trying to read his face, i don't know him well enough. but you've talked to him about this moment, what did you say he's going through? >> you know, this is a surreal experience for all of us. none of us expected ever to be here. didn't plan on having this happen. but he's doing this for the right reasons. he's not doing it because he wants to -- he really is doing this because he feels like he's in position to help fix the problems that america is facing. as a result of that, he's not worried about winning or losing, it's not weighing on him, not nervous about those things. just doing the best that he can and as a result he's pretty relaxed i think. he's in a good place. >> ifill: you said you don't plan on having this happen. i understand not being prepared for the moment but if you run for president once then twice you were never planning for this to happen? >> i mean, most of our lives i was 24 when he ran for office the first time. most of my life just been dad. he was a business guy but he was dad. and to have all these things happen to your family all of a sudden, been in the last ten years really that this has happened and it happened quickly. after he ran the first time he wasn't sure that he was going to run a second time. i think probably thought he wasn't going to run. but i'm glad that he did, i think the country will be glad that he did. i think he will make a great leader and get america back on track. >> woodruff: tag romney, you are 42 years old. your father's running mate, same age. >> born in january, i was born in march. >> woodruff: he's a few months older, what did you think about that? somebody your age being vice president. >> it's wonderful. paul ryan is such a good man, good family man but also so skilled and really knows what he's talking about. like my dad, he's worried about the big issues that our country is facing and wants to get in there and fix them. not worried about the day-to-day political battle, this tweet versus that tweet, this political person said this, they're worried about the big issues. my dad was energized to have someone to get on that ticket with him who is marching toward the same goal that he is. >> ifill: led zepplin for you, too? >> we're the same generation, yes. i'm not sure i would have picked ac/d.c. but the same generation. >> go ahead. >> i was going to say, when it was reported that paul ryan and your dad hit it off the first time they really spent time together is that your understanding of what happened? >> that's true for a lot of the people who he was considering to be his pick. but they definitely hit it off real well. funny watching the two on bus together, they will start talking about this tax policy, how it affects that, they are very concerned about how does this affect gdp growth and the business world, they speak on the same plane. >> ifill: you went to harvard business school, your father went to harvard business school. have you ever considered following him in to politicians as well? >> at one point i thought about it. then we've been through this process i have to be honest with you, i am now focused on raising my family and working on my career and politicians is probably not in my future. i live in massachusetts, love it there, love the state. i'm a little bit more conservative than most of the population. >> ifill: so is your dad. >> that's true. he has extraordinary circumstances, the state was facing a huge budget deficit he was the right person at the right time. certainly not in my plan. >> woodruff: more conservative than your dad? >> no, not at all. my political views and things -- my dad is running not me. you don't need to worry about me. >> woodruff: you said that your dad was really nervous the other night when your mother, your mom spoke. how is she dealing with tonight? what is she going through? >> her turn to be nervous. it's funny watching -- during the debates i don't remember how many debates. >> ifill: a lot. >> more than -- almost inhumane. she would get so nervous before every debate, much more nerving than he was. it's like having a child on sporting field you watch them, you are so nervous, you want them to do well she goes through the same thing. i'm sure tonight she'll be nervous and crossing her fingers for him, saying little prayers for him. and rooting for him. >> ifill: you're not only the eldest son and chief spokesman, bottle washer a close advisor and fundraiser for your father. how do you grow in to that role? >> adviseers is probably too strong of a word. fundraiser -- >> ifill: he doesn't listen or -- >> he has group of very good advisors who are very good at what they do. i just go where they tell me to go, do what they tell me to do. do my best to raise money for the cause. i'm just trying to be a good son and spend time where they need to be me. >> woodruff: when tonight is over, what do you think the american people should know about your dad that maybe they haven't picked up before now? >> you know, i hope that they see the man that i know, the kind heart that he has, the largeness of his spirit, his love of country, his love of family. his love of his fellow men and i hope those things come through. i think they will come through not just tonight as people watch him in action. i know people want him to talk about the things that he's done, if they see him and way he treats other people and the way he holds himself those things will shine through not just tonight but throughout the campaign. >> ifill: what can you tell us about the big speech? give us something. >> i told you a little bit he's going to talk about his mom and dad a little bit. and anything else you have to tune in. i want your viewers to tune in and watch. >> ifill: when he walks out on that extended -- what was the purpose of the extended podium? >> i have not seen it. i have no idea. i'll be in suspense like you guys are. >> woodruff: we will be listening from the very position. thank you for taking time. tag romney, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: so good to have you with us. >> ifill: it's a always interesting to talk to the family members, five boys in that family, 18 grandchildren, never fails on the campaign trail to get ann romney a big round ever applause. >> woodruff: he was saying, we heard earlier 120 family members, in fact he said there were even some of my mother's cousins and nieces and nephews i never met before who have showed up here in tampa. >> ifill: i suspect he's going to find a lot more people who he's never met before who are related to him. >> woodruff: somehow know how to find him. >> ifill: we'll go down to our friend and colleague, jeff brown. >> brown: i'm down here i have another view of mitt romney from a former colleague, bob from the massachusetts delegation. welcome to you. >> thanks, jeff, great to be here. >> brown: you worked with him for a long time what is the important thing to know about a colleague? >> you know, mitt hired me himself in 1983 i got to work with him at the company. the thing you need to know about mitt, he's somebody who can inspire people who work for him. to work their hardest and do their best. when i joined him, almost everybody i knew from my business school class wanted to work for mitt romney. that's the kind of guy he is. >> brown: is there an anecdote, adversity or something when things weren't going right, the country is wondering about the leadership and that kind of inspiration you're talking about. >> that's a good question f.1983 to 1990 things were going well then we hit a tough spot in the consulting business. mitt came back from the capital, worked for a dollar and turned around our consulting business and saved the company. he saved my job, afterwards i met my wife, i have three young towers now and i feel like thanks to mitt romney the life i'm living is thanks to him and he's that kind of turn-around guy. >> brown: bane became an issue in this campaign, still is. are you surprised by that? >> a little bit. i see some really good -- from both sides people saying that's not fair. cory booker on the democratic side you can't criticize capitalize or free enterprise, small business, medium business, large business, we all need jobs. it's a little surprising that they took that tact to me because i know what a great company it is. i know what a great job mitt did there for so many years. >> brown: what about the personal qualities that are tied to that because we've been talking tonight about the likability factor, the empathy with the common man and when people talk about bane they talk about wealth, wealth management that somehow sticks to mitt romney in a way. >> well you know, after starting to work for him being a colleague then a friend i've known him for 29 years now, over 29 years i know all of his family members. you guys just done talking to my good friend tag. when you look at his family you can see what a great family man he isa person who is just an inspiring example. i've been to things with him where my three young daughters were at a cook out, mitt is right there feeding them hamburgers and hot dogs. just very humble guy who is kind to everyone and very generous. i think that people are starting to learn that. ann knows better than anybody she told us about it on tuesday. the more people get to know mitt romney like i do, they're going to know what kind of person he is and how humble he is, how he lives the simple life and life of family and has greatest values. >> brown: all right, bob, from the massachusetts delegation. thanks so much. >> thank you so much, jeff, great to talk with you tonight. >> woodruff: talking to the folks who have worked with mitt romney is the kind of thing that really does help fill out the picture. for more on the life and career of mitt romney we're joined by the taw those of the book "the real romney" they are "boston globe" reporters michael and scott. and welcome to you both. >> thank you, great to be here. >> woodruff: how much -- there's so much conversation at this convention about how much more we need to know about mitt romney. how much more is there to know, scott, that we don't already know? >> there's a lot more to know. remember that there are many people tonight who are really going to tune in to him for the first time. bob, who just talked, they can tell store tree about mitt romney. this is really the moment, this is his coming out i think for a lot of voters tonight. just the basics of his biography and what makes him tick and his faith and his family all these things that are important to him. these are all new stories. up to him to capacity that in a way that i think will help. >> ifill: as you were working on this book, that you conveniently have right in front of you, what did you learn that was new and interesting to you and surprised you? >> well the "boston globe" covered romney for 18 years but there's a lot of stories that we learn that did surprise us and interested us. for example, very briefly on bane capital talked about staples which is deal they put in $2.5 million came out with $13 million. we found deal that he in 50 million got back a billion was for italian yellow pages company. not something i've heard him talk about. but it's one of the most significant deals that he did gives you better idea about how he became such a wealthy investor. >> woodruff: what are some things that you -- you've been covering this man. what struck you? >> two things that struck me most. one was the depth i guess of his generosity and his charity work that he has done, he and his family they have been very, very generous to people. not just with their money but their time. many friends and people that have known him, even kind of acquaintance basis told stories about ways that he helped them. either pulling burning furniture out of a house or mowing lawns. >> woodruff: how much that have was through and because of the mormon church, the church much jesus christ of latter day saints and how many for other reasons. >> i think both. a big mormon value, community service is very important, expect to not only give 10% of your income of course to tithe but to do good work. i think that is part of it. yes, some of good work happened within that community but not all of it. there are plenty of people i talked to outside that who mitt romney didn't have to help but he did. that reflects well. >> woodruff: we hear that mitt and ann romney are reticent to talk about this that's part of the reason we're told that they haven't released tax returns. >> well, tax returns are bane capital issue. he worked there from '84 to '99. we have learned a lot about bane capital we know that he tithes 10% he says that. that is not a big question. but there would be a lot of interesting things in tax returns he has said when he ran against ted kennedy in 1949 that kennedy "release his tax returns to show he had nothing to hide. kennedy didn't, but romney raised the paradigm of releasing tax returns when he first ran for public office. >> ifill: his father did as well. >> when he ran for president. >> woodruff: when one of you mentioned what makes him tick, what do you think makes him tick, scott? >> i think he is somebody who is motivated, to tag's point he is somebody who feels like he has this service that he has to perform that he has a duty to help people, in this case to try to fix the country. i think that is part of it. also motivated hugely by a burning ambition and desire to follow the successful example of his father. >> woodruff: where does that come from? >> i think it's innate. he likes to tell story that the romney men have always liked to swim upstream, so i think this is something that goes back in the family more but a lot does come his dad. he saw his dad successful in business and politics and fallly life. >> woodruff: we talked to tag earlier we asked him how the family was dealing with this moment said, we never expected to be here. we covered many presidential candidates and presidents who it turns out were really planning to be here all along. which is right with mitt romney? >> let me tell you a story. 48 years ago in 1964, mitt was 17 years old he was at the republican convention in san francisco with his father, george. and george romney got up tried to get the republicans to represented by barry gold watter who won the nomination, he wanted them to approve platform plank for civil rights legislation, they refused. he wanted them to approve plank for rejecting extremism, the plat norm committee refused. george romney walked out of the convention if they dominate worry goldwater with it be political suicide. mitt romney is there at the epi-center of the republican party when his father was trying to turn it in a more moderate direction. all these years later that mitt romney today 48 years later is sort of representing the goldwater ring, calls himself conservative and spent primaries trying to win them over and yet tonight he's reaching out, so we're told, to more moderates a. an interesting path. >> ifill: fun and interesting to watch tonight to see how he closes that circle. michael, scott authors of "the real romney" thank you. >> woodruff: great to have you both. >> ifill: now for long view to put the events here in tampa in context joining us from washington, presidential historian richard norton smith and michael. i'd like to start with you because i'm curious about whether you think that presidential candidates always had it in mind, always part of the plan to be president. >> i think more in recent times because the system has changed so much. so that you could win at a national convention. now it is totally different, so much to do with raising money, you can go from being, in this case a one-term governor of massachusetts with a very successful business career to being nominated. i think the result is that in this system it's much more given to candidates who have been plotting for many years making sure that they have never made a tweet or written an e-mail that will embarrass them years later. so the result of this is that i think we are fated for the next couple of decades, unless the system changes, to have a majority of presidential candidates who probably were thinking about this and plotting in the womb. >> woodruff: i want to ask you about the same thing, i'll say we're keeping an eye on the proceedings here at the convention podium behind me because the convention did get underway just a few minutes ago. you have been hearing the national anthem and other things behind me. actually is this speaker john boehner? if it is, let's listen. >> as the permanent chair of this convention i am proud to declare the honorable mitt romney of massachusetts and honorable paul ryan of wisconsin the republican party nominees for president and vice president of the united states of america. [ cheering and applause ] >> woodruff: so, officially, this is it. he accepted it the other night. but this is the real moment. >> ifill: it is. interesting time to watch them. they're not dancing yet but they will be -- there you go, now they're dancing. this is what you like to see. they get to demonstrate, that's the plan. >> woodruff: these delegates have been through something this week, they came in to town probably saturday for sunday in the middle of what was maybe going to be a hurricane arriving here in tampa. the convention was cancelled completely on monday. they moved the proceedings, they lengthened tuesday and wednesday and thursday for that matter tonight. they all stood around and did whatever they could do on monday while the rain went away headed west. but have been waiting for this night, mitt romney, we keep hearing he has yet to win some of them over. but looks like pretty enthusiastic group. >> ifill: as we watch them continue to celebrate tonight on the floor. let's go back to washington. we didn't forget you still want you to answer that question. or was it richard? >> i'll defer to richard. >> the variable that proves that michael was talking about that we're in fact light it or not in era of the steps of pursuit of the office. who did in fact want to be president all his life. and david famously observed he was the least neurotic president. >> woodruff: we're going to slip back to the podium tonight where the candidate for united states senate from florida, congressman connie mack. >> growing up i had a plaque on my wall that read "life's battles don't always go to the fastest or the strongest." sooner or later those who win are those who think they can. we've always been a people with big dreams and limitless potential. after all, this is america. our success is built on our values and our principles. but so many of them are under attack. our commitment to freedom and liberty, flew everything that makes our country great seems to embarrass the blame america first crowd. they penalize individual achievements, praising the power of government. but they have not, cannot and will not destroy our spirit. [ applause ] we are proud to be americans. we're proud of our nation. we are proud of our heritage we are proud of our success. it is our commitment to the american story, it's our athletes in london who brought home more medals than any other country, even china. [ applause ] it's our best and our brightest who land extraordinary rover on marchs, it's nobel prize winners, scientists, writers, artists, second to none who inspire us all. these are the achievements that are brought about by a free society that honors individual effort. we owe it to those who have given so much to regain our strength and remain the strongest force for freedom the world has ever seen. our allys deserve an unwafering support. and our enemies need to know we stand to defend freedom at all costs. america was built on the belief of free enterprise, hard work, passion and faith. we have the awesome responsibility to make that dream a reality. that dream is not an impossible dream, it's the american dream, it's sure, it's strong and it's steady. mitt romney's plans to restore america's promise and purpose will be realized and the american dream will once again be available to all her children. we are a nation of dreamers, henry ford, thomas edison, alexander graham bell, the wright brothers, dreamers like neil armstrong who sought new lands and took giant leaps in to american exceptionalism. and dreamers like my friend, kiko viloa. you know the stories of the course. now let me tell you the story of kiko. in 1960, kiko fled castro's cuba he came to new york, he became a taxi driver. he worked hard and saved his money. he became a citizen, he moved to florida, he started a business building boats. he raised a family, he put his children through school, he sold his business. now he worries about happen opportunities lie ahead for his children and their children. kiko has lived the american dream, as have so many others. that's what if election is all about. making the american dream a reality again. [ applause ] it's not about the past, it's not about what was done wrong, it's not about blaming america, it's quite the opposite. tonight we embark on a renewal of the american dream. tonight we honor those who have come before us and done so much, many even giving their lives. and tonight we honor our children and their children to ensure their dreams whether it's playing under the lights or starting a business or being a doctor or a nurse or a soldier or a sailor, or even a president or vice president. dreams can become realities. after all, this is america and it's morning once again, thank you. [ applause ] god bless america. god bless you, thank you. i love you, florida! [ applause ] >> woodruff: four term representative connie mack challenging bill nelson, the great grandson -- going to the video, celebrating the life and legacy of ronald reagan. >> the american spirit has been vanquished. we've seen a triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now. history says these were golden years when the american revolution was reborn. when degree tomorrow gained new life and american reached for her best. as we continue our journey we think of those that traveled before us. these are the boys, these are the men who took the cliffs. these are the champions who helped free a continent, these are the heroes who helped end a war. and we see and hear again the ex cos of our past. the song that goes on forever and fills the unknowing air. it is the american sound, it is hopeful, big hearted, idealistic. >> and lift off -- >> daring, decent and fair. >> the first woman ever nominated to the supreme court of the united states. >> that's our heritage. that's our song. we sing it still for all our problems, our differences, we are together, we raise our voices to the god who is the author of this most tender music. and may he continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound in unity, affection and love. >> everybody is looking forward to being able to help that's what we're here to do. >> one people, under god -- >> mr. gorbachev tear down this wall. >> dedicated the dream of freedoms placed in the human heart. >> they rush forward -- >> called upon now to pass that dream of freedom on to a waiting and a hopeful world. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. >> mr. reagan will speak in his first public appearance. >> thank you very much. >> i have a letter with me, letter came from peter sweeny in the second grade in riverside school in rockville center. he said, i hope you get well quick or you might have to make a speech in your pajamas. whatever else history may say about me when i'm gone, i hope it will record that i appeal to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. in this springtime of hope, some lights seem eternal, america's is. thank you god bless you, god bless america. [ applause ] >> woodruff: if there is magical name of the republican party it is that of ronald reagan. now coming to the podium, former house speaker, newt gingrich and his wife, callista. >> thank you. thank you for that warm welcome. what a wonderful tribute to president reagan and the spirit of the american people. >> it's fantastic to see so many friends here. friends from decades of service to the party, service in public life and those who have helped us over the past few years. we are delighted that tonight we come together to once again renew the american spirit and put real leadership back in the white house this november. [ applause ] >> the election of mitt romney and paul ryan will decisively move america to a better future. remembering president reagan, reminds us that the choices we make matter and this year is as important as the choice we made in 1980. >> over three decades have passed since ronald reagan was first elected to the white house. yet the impact of his leadership is still evident today. while in office, president reagan had three major goals. to restore the economy, to revive the american spirit and to defeat totalitarianism spreading democracy throughout the world. >> by remaining true to his conviction, through his belief in the american people and with tremendous optimism president reagan achieved these goals. >> it's striking how president carter and president obama both took our nation down a path that in four years weakened american confidence in itself and our hope for a better future. >> both weakened the respect for america abroad. both increased government programs filled with waste and inefficiencies that failed to produce results. both made promises they couldn't keep and as a consequence of ineffective policies, both were unable to revive our economy and create jobs. >> for example, both crippled american energy production when there were better ways to develop and use our abundant energy resources. the romney plan for north american energy independence is exactly the kind of bold visionary leadership reagan believed in and it is what we need now. [applause] >> the reagan presidency also teaches us that there is a better way to put americans back to work, create millions of jobs and help every american achieve success. the reagan program of tax cuts, regulatory reform and spending controls worked. >> reagan's belief in small business owners and entrepreneurs is a remarkable contrast with obama's class warfare rhetoric, massive deficits and a passion for taxing those who create jobs. the romney plan for a stronger middle class has deep roots in ronald reagan's approach. >> reagan's commitment to reform welfare and to create a work requirement was a major achievement when he was governor of california. his pioneering works led to the historic welfare reform bill congress and the president passed 30 years later. this bipartisan legislation reduced the size of government. made our country more competitive and put millions of americans back to work. [ applause ] >> tragically president obama gutted this achievement and like jimmy carter, over four years he produced little effective legislation that brought the two parties together in the interest of the nation. obama's waving of the work requirements and welfare reform is just one example of his direct repudiation of president reagan's values. obama's proud of what he's done. and of his politically motivated partisanship. but he should be ashamed for putting politics before people. [ applause ] >> governor romney will return america to work and to the principles that are at the core of president reagan's legacy. this year the american people will once again have an important choice to make. >> now each much us must commit ourselves in the tradition of ronald reagan to come together. president reagan said, there is no substitute for victory. and this november we cannot settle for anything less. -- [ applause ] this is the most critical election of our lifetime. each of us must do our part now to ensure that america remains in the tradition of president reagan a land of freedom, hope and opportunity. thank you and god bless you and god bless america. [ cheering and applause ] >> woodruff: newt and calista gingrich. he fought mitt romney for the republican nomination and lost. mark shields, interesting they asked not just former speaker gingrich but his wife to join in this criticism of the obama administration. >> a package deal i think that was part of mr. gingrich teas deal with the convention. just a word, quick word on ronald reagan whom they do celebrate. both barack obama and mitt romney could learn well from ronald reagan's ability to deflect criticism by laughing at himself. when blamed for very short work hours he said, i'm not going to -- hard work never killed anybody i'm not going to take the chance. >> ifill: a lot of humor in that one. we heard say the uplift, the tough talk, mostly i've ever heard her speak. >> she played a major role in his primary campaign. the videos of the convention they brought in a new group, outside group not very politically experienced they're fantastic. >> greatest countryman kind has ever known is because throughout our history, people from across the world have made the choice to make america their home. >> in turn have helped make america the great symbol of hope and freedom that it is in the world. >> i believe in the promise of america that with hard work, anything is possible, regardless of where we come from. >> that inspiring story hasrepee again in the lives of millions of hispanic americans who have a hand in strengthen the promise of america. >> our convention is taking place in a city that exemplifies how hispanics have contributed to the building of our richly diverse national fabric. >> the one of the most dynamic and vibrant states in our country. >> at every corner of the united states hispanics have helped create america's history. >> enriching each aspects much our culture, strengthening our families, reinvigorating our faith. >> and selflessly defending america with bravery and exemplary patriotism. >> when i think of the republican party of lincoln and reagan i see political movement very much in line with the values of latino share. >> the core values of our parties share great common ground with those held dear by hispanics. >> we share the belief that america is truly an exceptional nation. >> with hard work, all dreams can come true. >> america's entrepreneurial spirit is alive in the hispanic community. millions of hispanics working hard to achieve a better future for their loved ones that's the american dream. >> it's not a coincidence that hispanic americans that have reached historic milestones are also republicans. >> from the first hispanic member of congress to the first hispanic woman elected to congress. >> first latina governor. >> will continue to be one of the leading voices in our party because the bonds that unite us are the pillars of the grand old party. >> our hispanic-american elected leaders are as diverse as our people. >> in recent years, we have seen the election of three governors. >> the senator from florida. >> soon to be elected senator from texas, ted cruz. >> just in 2010 alone all the new hispanics elected to congress in a wave of reform were republicans. >> and new faces are constantly emerging at the state and local level. >> inspiring examples of just how bright our future can be. >> for far too long the hispanic community has been taken for granted. hispanic community deser granted by the other party. >> they expect more than empty promises. >> from candidates during election time only to be forgotten once in office. it's not just about si se puede. >> for our grandchildren we must do better. i know how to revisit american dream. my commitment is this:ly not let you down. >> hispanics hispanics will cono have a critical role in the future of republican party and together with mitt romney, hispanics will play a leading role in the coming american resurgence. >> as the marvelous american experiment continues to unfold. >> our country will be further enriched brvelg i leadership of hispanic men and women who form the party. >> and the new leadership. >> together. >> together, together [speaking hispanic] >> we can revive the american dream. [cheers and applause] >> ifill: no accident they were appealing to hispanic voters. here we see craig romney, the baby son of ann and mitt romney who has it happened speaks spanishs that he learned while carrying out missionary work in chile. craig romney. >> i'm hon yoornd humbled to speak to you tonight. i'm incredibly proud of my father and i love him dearly. i it is my privilege to say a few words in hispanic so please bear with me for a moment. [speaking spanish] speak [speak spanish] [cheers and applause] thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. it's easy to forget that the story of my father's success begins with the story of two immigrants. thank you. [cheers and applause] my grandfathers who came to this country with little more than hope and the opportunity of america. through their hard work and perseverance they lived the american dream. they gave opportunities to their children they wouldn't have had anywhere else. the republican party is dedicated to preserving that opportunity for all americans. [cheers and applause] we've had the privilege of hearing about different chapters of this same inspiring story from governor san sandoval and martinez and soon-to-be senator cruz. we're seeing these stories play out in the lives of american hispanic americans throughout the nation. these leaders along with hispanics across the country play a vital role in the romney ryan comeback as we fight to put america back on the path to prosperity. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> a remarkable presentation by the youngest son of mitt and ann romney, craig romney, who has again said learned spanish as a missionary in chile. this is video that is going to introduce the former governor of the state of florida jeb bush. we know he is brother of one president and son of another. >> for some it's the opportunity to achieve pros spairt and make their own way. for others it's the opportunity to provide for their children strong education options and career opportunities. whatever the american dream is to you, at its very core it's a belief in freedom. freedom to go where you want to go, to choose what is important to you. to achieve your god-given talent to be who you want to be. ♪ >> i want to be a scientist. >> i want to be a doctor. ♪ >> i want to be a teacher. >> i want to be the next stephen king. >> i'm going to own my own business. >> i'm going to find the cure for cancer. >> i going to build the tallest building in new york. >> i want to be the next mark zuckerberg. >> i want to be an engineer. >> i'm going to run for office some day and help shape my country for the better. the next generation of americans has the drive to reach their dreams. will be they equipped to pursue them? >> ladies and gentlemen, delegates and al naives, please -- alternates, please give a warm welcome to the former governor of the great state of florida: jeb bush, sean duffy of texas. >> [cheers and applause] >> thank you all very much. thanks. [cheers and applause] thank you. welcome to florida. [cheers and applause] [welcoming the crowd in spanish] thank you. i have something personal i would like to share with you. i have been so blessed to be part a family that committed its life to public service. my grand dad, my grandfather and my father have been incredible role models for me and served our country honorably. and my brother, well, i love my brother. [cheers and applause] he is a man of integ grit, courage and honor and during incredibly challenging times he kept us safe. [cheers and applause] so, mr. president -- mr. president, it is time to stop blaming your predecessor for your failed economic policy. [cheers and applause] you were dealt a tough hand. you were dealt a tough hand but your poll advise not worked. in the fourth year of your presidency a real leader would accept responsibility for his actions and you haven't done it. [cheers and applause] now -- [cheers and applause] now that i've gotten that off my chest, let's talk about our kids and education. this education -- this election is about the future of this nation. we can shape that future with what we do here, with what we do on november 6. we can restore america's greatness. that starts with a strong economy, a smart energy policy, lower deficits and a president who puts america's workers and job creators first. but to have a great future, a secure future, a future that is equal to our potential as a nation, we need to do something else. we must make sure that our children and grandchildren are ready for the world we are shaping today. [ applause ] it starts in our homes, in our communities, and especially in our schools. as a candidate and governor, i've visited over 400 florida schools. i saw children read for their first sentences, solve their first long division problems, explore the miracles of chemistry and physics. that's the essence of he educat, students get a chance at a future. there are many reasons to believe america's future is bright but also reasons to worry. of 34 advanced nations in the world, american students rank 17th in science, 25th in math. only one-quarter of high school graduates are ready for their next steps. china and india produce eight times more students each year than the united states. this is a moral cost to our country, our failing needs -- fs schools need be fixed. [ applause ] we say every child in america has an equal opportunity. but tell that to a kid in whose classroom isn't respected. they'll to a parent stuck in a school without leadership. tell that a young talented teacher who just got laid off because she didn't have tenure. the sad truth is equality of opportunity doesn't exist in all schools. some kids get a chance but not all. that is a great moral and economic issue of our time and it's hurting all of america. [ applause ] i believe we can meet this challenge. we need to set high standards and provide student and paries the choices they deserve. the first step is a simple one. we must stop prejudging children based on race, ethnicity or household income. [cheers and applause] we must stop excusing failure in our schools and start rewarding improvement and success. [cheers and applause] we must have high academic standards benchmarked to the best in the world. you see all kids can learn. governor romney believes, and the data proves it. while he was governor massachusetts raised standards and today their students lead in the nation in academic performance. [cheers and applause] here in florida in 1999, we were at the bottom of nation in education. for the last decade, this state has been on a path of reform. under the leadership of governor rick scott and local leaders, our focus every day is whether students are learning. that's it. [cheers and applause] today more students are reading on grade level, passing rigorous college prep courses and graduating from high school. perhaps most exciting, those traditionally left hind are showing the greatest gains. among after -- african-american students florida t- is ranked 4 in the nation for improvements. among students with disabilities we're ranked first and among latino students, the gains were so big they require a new metric. right now florida's fourth grade hispanic students read as well or better than the average of all students in 21 states and the district of columbia. [cheers and applause] these kids -- these kids were once written off. but today thanks to teachers like sean duffy we're changing that. [cheers and applause] i'm honored to be an educator, to help the next generation of leaders, thinkers, builders and enter -- entrepreneurs. sadly, i'm part of a dwindling field. i've seen too many good teachers come and go mainly due to low paid. bad teachers locked into the system and good teachers leave for more money. on top of bureaucratic challenges what we're teaching doesn't always match what our students need. to that end i helped launch a stem lab at my high school. these labs focused on science, technology, engineering and math and help students learn proficiency in these fields. we turn students away from education each year by not providing a robust curriculum that keeps up in the world in which these students live and will eventually work. at the end of the day all of what we do from the educators to the policy-makers has to bep student-focused and student-centered. [cheers and applause] after all, students matter most and that's what counts. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, sean. i know that your high school is proud of your efforts and we need more great teachers like you, teachers who don't give up on a kid, who recognize every child can learn and don't waste a precious year of a student's life. if you are a great teacher and your students are mastering their subjects no matter your age or years of experience, you should have a job. id case is hard work -- education is hard work. if you follow core principles and challenge the status quo, you can get great results. here is another thing we can do. let's give every parent in america a choice about where their child attends school. [cheers and applause] look -- [cheers and applause] everywhere -- everywhere in our lives we get a chance to choose. go down to any supermarket aisle and you'll find an incredible selection of milk. you can get whole milk, buttermilk, 2% milk, low fat milk, skim milk, organic milk, flavored milk, chocolate, strawberry or vanilla and ate doesn't taste like milk. they even make milk for people who can't drink milling. my question to you is shouldn't parents have the choice in their scood schools -- have that choice in their schools that best meets the needs of their students. governor romney gets, mitt romney gets it. he believes parents regardless of zip code or income should be able to send their child to the school that fits them best. there are many people who say they support strong schools but draw the line at school choice. sorry, kid, giving you equal opportunity would be too risky and upset powerful political forces we need to win elections. i have a sim message for matters of delay and deferral. choose. you can either help the powerful unions or you can help the kids. [cheers and applause] now for those that have been involved in this, you know it's hard to take on the unions, they fund campaigns, they're well organized, election day they'll show up. meanwhile the kids are not old enough to vote. but you and i know who deserves a choice. governor romney knows it, too. let me introduce you to franz placide. because we gave him a choice, he got a great election. [cheers and applause] >> i grew up in the inner city of miami in a place where your zip code determines your chances of success. my only option was an unproductive and failing school. i knew that could lead to an unproductive and failing future. thanks to governor bush's school choice program, i got the chance to choose a better school. making my education my priority, i enrolled at one of toughest high schools in miami, arrest archbishop curly notre day. i'm sure it was my mother who pushed for a choice in my education. i'm glad she did. her devoition to my future has given me a chance to succeed. i've graduated from wagner college and i'm looking forward to a life of learning and serving my community. [cheers and applause] who knows what the future would have held if i didn't have a choice in my education, but i do know the numbers for failure and i probably wouldn't have a good chance. governor bush's school choice program gave me a chance to achieve academic success in a school best fit for me. i took it from there. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. it's an incredible honor to see you grow up. and his story is -- and many others -- is a driving force across this nation to bring about necessary change. some of the biggest reformers are republicans. governor mitch daniels in indiana and bobby jindal in louisiana have expanded school choice beyond what we have here in florida. governor martinez in new mexico is raising expectations, holding schools accountable for students gaining critical reading schools, governors in maine and georgia are transforming education by pushing schools to harness the power of technology and digital learning. idaho governor otter and superintendent luna are raising good teacher and separating out the underperforming ones. that earned them some enemies. governor scott walker in wisconsin led his state -- [cheers and applause] -- governor walker led his state to adopt reforms that promote early literacy and require teacher evaluations incorporate student achievement. in nevada governor sandoval pushed to end the practice of last in first out where teachers are hired or fired based on the years in the system not the impact on the classroom. the governor in tennessee is making sure every classroom has an effective teacher. because he is a former governor, mitt romney understands that states must lead this national movement. in massachusetts, governor romney narrowed the gap between students of different races, raised testing standards and put into place a merit scholarship, the john and abigail adams scholarship that gives students four years at any massachusetts institution of higher learning. he's a champion for bringing hope to education and intends to be a champion for equality of opportunity, a president who always puts students first. in this election, remember this our future as a nation is at stake. fact is this selection not just about one office it's about one nation. we want to continue to be the greatest nation on the planet, we must give our kid what's we promised them, an equal opportunity that starts in the classroom, starts in the communities, it starts where you live. and it starts with electing mitt romney the next presint of the united states. [cheers and applause] thank you. god bless you. god bless our excellent teachers, and god bless the united states of america. [cheers and applause] >> ifill: former florida governor jeb bush. we'll take a short break now back with the live broadcast in a few moments. you can continue watching on the livestream. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> intel he's in philosophy of investing for the future, we're helping to bring these new capabilities to market. we're investing billions of dollars and r & d around the globe to help bring the technologies that we hope will be tomorrow's innovations. i believe by investing today we can help make a better tomorrow. >> this program was made possible about it corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> trusted, in-depth i independent, pbs. >> i got my start as a community organizer. >> i know how the private sector works. >> they told us their stories but this october there's more. frontline's award-winning political team takes you behind the headlines and spin. >> what unites both of these characters is that this sense that there was a destiny that they had. >> the choice 2012, a frontline exclusive, tuesday october 9, 9:00, 8:00 central only on pbs. >> this fall pbs strikes gold. britain's number one hit comes to america. ken burns shows us a new way of looking at the past. >> the air itself could kel you. and frontline delivers balance and depth with its look tep -- at the candidates. >> this say make or break moment. >> there's only one place that can take you any place: pbs. >> woodruff: welcome about a to the pbs news hour's special coverage of 2012 republican national convention. i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: i'm gwen ifill. it was interesting listen to jeb bush, the former florida governor who started his remarks about education, defending his brother george w. it was the first ovation i've seen for him at this convention. i thought they got a nice response frankly to the video we saw of george w. bush and his father. but jeb bush raising the issue of education about specifically as any issue addressed in this entire convention. and it's interesting because george w. bush, more than most presidents, certainly more than most republican presidents, made that a centerpiece of his president six how long have we heard the figures the united states is 17th in science and 25th in math. it's time for almost a runar -- lunar change. >> he made reference to he loved his brother obvious his his brother neil. [ laughter ] this say convention about commerce, business and sole individuals starting from nothing and rising up. that's great but that's not all what shapes people in america. the social conditions of america shapes success, education, the family you are born into, the culture you are surrounded by. to my mind this convention has been too individualistic. so for jeb bush at that buck education, on things republicans have a good record, things like chaforters, merit pay, school choice, these things were republican ideas and governors like jeb bush and mitch daniels have been leading the way on. this the parties had a good record on this issue. >> the other think we saw was that video really demonstrating how many prominent hispanics there are shall republican hispanics around the country governor nors, senators, right now jeffrey brown is on the floor of this convention with one of the people we saw in that video. jeff. >> reporter: that's right i'm here with ted cruz, the republican candidate for senator from texas. welcome to you. >> thank you, great to be with you. >> reporter: there's a lot of tea party power in this party now. you are a big part of it yet i've not heard the words too much up on the podium there. >> well, what you've heard is the central animating idea behind the tea party which is getting back to principles of team, prince pies of -- principles of limited government, leaving within our means. that's the central choice that is facing the country in november. >> reporter: is the tea party's role in the party now still some kind of outsider snroal -- role? some wonder has it taken over the party how would you define it? >> i think tps transforming the party and getting us back to the core principles we should have been standing for in the first place. think part of reason barack obama got elected is republicans lost their principles, had been complicity with democrats in growing government too big, expangd our debt n.2010 we saw a tidal wave as millions of americans stood up and said live within your means, stop putting us on the path to bankruptcy for our kids and grand -- grand kids. >> mitt romney was not embraces early on by the tea party as their candidate. do you think he is fully embraces now? >> absolutely. i expect in november the tea party will overwhelmingly stand with mitt romney. and the reason is simple: this country faces a stark choice in november. it's a choice between continuing down the road of the obama democrats, more and more spending, debt and government control of the economy in our lives or getting back to the founding principles free market, fiscal responsibility and liberty. it's a choice for our nation. >> reporter: ted cruz, senate candidate from texas thank you very much. >> ifill: thanks, jeff. we go back up to washington now to michael beschloss. it's interesting to hear about the tea party transforming the g.o.p., michael? how often has that happened before? is this a brand new thing or an old thing with new dressing? -- a new outfit? >> happens all the time at least historically. in 1960 barry goldwater at the convention richard nixon was nominated at for president the first time said let's go to work and we can take this party back some day as they did four years later. one other thing interesting to me as i was listening to ted cruz he ruferred to the fact that republicans were complicity with democrats and growing government, the name george w. bush another prominent texan was not mentioned. he is the unmentioned name hovering aabove. >> woodruff: what about this idea of one party or another taken over by the tea party in 2010 and there's conversation about whether it's still the case. if you listen to ted cruz it very much is? >> it is. it's hard to argument that the movement that really began in 2010 has lost any momentum. if anything if you look at number of republican senate candidates, you know the tea party is gang momentum. if you look at this platform this say barry goldwater platform. this is not even a ronald reagan platform. this is very much reminiscent of what the gold water forces took over the republican party to be bipartisan when the antiwar movement and george mcgovern took over the democratic party in 1972 and redefined that party for a long time to come. so it's not unprecedented. and i would argue that -- it's interesting. teddy white famously said that conventions give overrations in lieu of nomination. that film of bushes was warmly received but it's impossible to over look the fact that this is not george h. w. bush's or george w. bush's republican party. >> ifill: we heard jeb bush speak warm about his brother so this was something at least. interviewer: what richard said he's absolutely right the barry goldwater part of tea party is here. what is not here is the antiwall street part of the party. paul ryan voted for tarp. that part of tea party movement has been defamed. >> woodruff: we're hearing from people in the mormon church, the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. that's mitt romney's faith. we'll hear from people who know mitt romney, worked with him through the church they are talking about really flushing out the picture of who he is. that is going to start in just a few minutes. >> ifill: how curious are you to hear that? >> i'm interested. because this say family that has said precious little. you have to figure anything that is said here basically is with the endorsement and encouragement and validation of mitt and ann romney. >> let's go to the stage and hear what they have to say. >> over many years with a dear friend and remarkable man named mitt romney. these wonderful a even glorious hours together were spent in serving our fellow men and women. they were spent in service in our church. [cheers and applause] we embraces christ's admonition in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. the church of jesus christ of latter day saints, of which we are members, has an unpaid lay clergy. while raising his family and pursuing his career, mitt romney served in our cup church devote, 15 and even 20 hours a week doing so. like all mormon leaders he do so on his own time and at his own expense. [ applause ] i was mitt's assistance when i was our pastor. i had a front row seat and it was marvelous to behold. as we began working together mitt asked, "how early can i call you in the morning?" i answered 6:00 a.m. regret my answer. [ laughter ] mitt romney became my alarm clock. a typical morning call, grant, it's mitt, i'm at the airport. hazel young tripped last night and bruised her hip. please visit her this evening, give her my love. i'll arrange for meals and visit her on the way home from the airport tomorrow. in the yirm morning -- early morning calls mitt doesn't discuss questions of theology. he found the definition of religion given by james notice new testament to be a practical guide. pure religion is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. [ applause ] so what specifically did mitt romney do as our pastor? for one or two evenings each week, and several hours every weekend, week after week and year after year, he met with those seeking mep with the burdens -- help with the burdens of real life, burdens we all face at one time or another, unemployment, sickness, financial distress, loneliness. mitt prayed and counseled with church members seeking spiritual direction, single mothers raising children, couples with mar marital problems, youth with addiction, immigrants vaipted from their families and individuals whose heat had been shouldn. to uphold the dignity and respect the privacy of those who came, he met with them in private and in confidence. he has upheld that trust. [cheers and applause] mitt's response to those who came was compassion in all it's beautiful varieties. he had a listening ear and a helping hand, drawing on the skills and resources of those in our congregation, mitt provided food and housing, rides to the doctor and companions to sit with those who were ill. he shostled snow and raikd -- shoveled snow and raikd leaves for the elderly -- raked leaves for the elderly. he took down tables and swept floors at church dinners. he was often the last to leave. years later, i became the pastor. only then i did understand the dedication this calling requires. and the clarity this service provides into the full range of our shared human experience. mitt challenged each of us to find our life by losing it in service to others. he issued that challenge again and again. [ applause ] the church itself was a marvelous vehicle for extending that challenge. mitt seldom delivered the sermon himself. he gave that opportunity to fellow church members. he sought to involve everyone so everyone could grow. mitt taught faith in good, personal integrity, self reliance and service to our fellow men. [cheers and applause] and mitt dl what he chalked us to do. he led by example. [cheers and applause] i treasure every minute we served together. i am grateful for my april my apprenticeship for the things that matter most under the hands of a deeply good man named mitt romney. [cheers and applause] it is my privilege to introduce two families from our congregation. first pat and ted operowski followed by pam and tim lacon. >> good evening, folks. my wife and i are people of modest means. i made my living as a professional firefighter for 27 years. [cheers and applause] prior to moving to randolph, vermont, we lived in medford, massachusetts. it was there we met mitt romney and his family. it's been over 30 years since we have lost our son david. the memories are still vivid and painful. but we wanted to share them with you because david's story is a part of mitt's story, and america deserves to hear it. back in the early 1970's, mitt visited our home numerous times with his oldest son tag tagging along. he was in the van guard of our support system when we received the news that no parent is prepared to confront. you cannot measure a man's character based on the words he utters before adoring crowds during times that are happy. the true measure of a man is revealed is any actions during times of trouble. the quiet hospital room of a dying boy well no cameras and no reporters. this is the time to make that assessment. in 1979, our tragedy struck our family when our youngest son david was diagnosed with hodgkin's disease, a non-- it was a cancer. >> over a period of seven months he was in and out of children's hospital in boston for treatment. throughout that agonizing period, mitt took time from his busy schedule to visit david. they developed a loving friendship. on one of his viftz mitt discovered -- visits mitt discovered that david was very fond of fireworks. he went out and bought a box full of big-time fireworks that had to sit on the closet shelf because they couldn't be set off in the city. we waited until we were able to good to maine where we set them off on the sand do you do you dh permission through the fire and police depps. through that sim but thoughtful gift mitt brought joy to a boy who had not experienced any for too long. he also gave the rest of us a welcome relief. on another visit, david knowing mitt had gone to law school at harvard asked mitt if woe help him write a will. he had some prized possessions he wanted to make sure were given to his closest friends and family. the next time mitt went to the hospital he was equipped with his yellow legal pad and pen. together they made david's will. that is a task that no child should ever have to do but it gave david peace of mind. so after david's death we were able to give his skateboard, his model rocket and fishing gear to his best friends. he also made it clear that his brother peter should get his ruger .22 rifle. how many men do you know would take friem their busy lives to visit a young sick child and help them settle his affairs. he wanted to be buried any boy scout uniform. he wants mitt to pronounce his eulogy and mitt was there to honor that request. we'll be ever grateful to mitt for his love and concern. [cheers and applause] >> we humbly wish that god will continue to bless mitt romney and paul ryan in their efforts. in doing so, he will bless the united states of america. [cheers and applause] >> in 1982, my husband grant and i moved from california to massachusetts with our newborn son. being a church-going family we looked for the nearest chapel and found ourselves in a congregation led by a clearly bright and capable man named mitt romney. i knew mitt was special from the start. at the time we didn't know -- own a dryer and the day he stopped by to welcome us, i was embarrassed to have laundry all over the house. he wasn't phased. as we spoke, without a word he joined me and helped me pluck the cloths from around the house and folding. they by the time mitt left not only did i feel welcome, my laundry was done. [ laughter ] as grant and i juggled school, jobs church and family we grew to love the romneys. they became role model and friends and they were honored when mitt and i trusted us to stay with their five ram bunning husband is but loving sons when we traveled. it was when our daughter kate was born three months early when i truly appreciated the friendship we had in mitt and ann. kate was so tiny and very sick. her lungs not yet ready to breathe, her heart unstable and after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage at three days old she was teetering on the very edge of life. as i sat with her in intensive care consumed with a mother's worry and fear, dear mitt came to visit and pray with me. as our clergy he was one of very few visitors allowed and i will never forget how when he looked down tenderly at my daughter, his eyes filled with tears and he reached out and gently stroked her tiny back. i could tell immediately that he didn't just see a tangle of plastic and tubes and wires. he saw our beautiful little girl and he was clearly overcome with compassion for her. during the month months our kate was hospitalized the romneys often cared for our two-year-old son peter. they treated him like one of their own, like a sixth son. they gave him a nickname and welcomed him to stay the night when needed. when thanksgiving rolled around kate was still struggling for life. brain surgery was scheduled and the holiday was the furthest thing from our mind but that morning, i opened my door to find mitt and his boys armed loaded down with a thanksgiving feast. of course, we were overcome. when i called to thank ann later she sweetly confessed it had been mitt's idea that most of shopping and shopping, cooking and chopping was done by him. she and the boys happily pitched in. eventually we moved from boston. our daughter kate grew into an amazing girl of faith and love. [cheers and applause] but complai cases of her -- complications of her birth remained with her and after 26 years of miracles and struggle she passed away just a year and a half ago. in the midst of making the final decision to run for president, which had to be the most difficult of their lives, when they heard of kate's passing both mitt and ann paused to personally reach out to us and extend us sympathy and express their love. it seems to me when it comes to loving our neighbor, we can talk about it or we can live it. the romney's live it every single day. when the world looks at mitt romney, they may see him as the founder of a successful business, the leader of olympic games or a governor, but when i see mitt romney, i know him to be a loving father, a man of faith, and a caring and compassionate friend. it is with great excitement and renewed hope that i think of how our country will be blessed as it is led by a man who is not only so very accomplished and capable but who has devoted his entire life quietly serving others. that man is mitt romney. [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: two deeply moving stories from people who were part of the community, who were helped not just by the church but by mitt romney personally and by his wife. joining us the haley barber. if tonight was meant to be a night where we learn more about mitt romney, we're learning. >> very powerful, touching. it's hard for the obama campaign to say romney doesn't care about people like you. >> ifill: is this what we were waiting for? likability factor, we had to know more about mitt romney? was this the turning point for you? >> i think it's one part of it. shows what kind of heart mitt romney has. people ask me in the south would baptists vote for a mormon snl this cofn about a baptist preacher, jew not about theology but how the religion moved him. i think the biggest thing at the end of the day is the message that comes from romney himself about getting the economy moving again, about taking issues seriously. and i think he will make a powerful case that he is ready not only to say what he can do but why it will work and how it will help your family and community. that's the next part of the message. >> woodruff: why do you think it's taken as long or been as difficult for him to get some of who he is across to the electorate? >> well, there's just some people that don't wear emotion or religion on their sleeves. there are just people like that some are us are gregarious and outgoing and you can take us or leave us but this man with obviously a giant heart is not somebody who wants to go out and toot his own horn that i'm a wonderful man. >> woodruff: mark? >> governor eight years ago at the new york convention i asked you who was going to win george bush and john kerry. he said if this election is about john kerry gosh bush will win. and i asked if it's about george bushed said he will carey mississippi. >> if the election is about. barack mitt romney will be president. if this a referendum on mitt romney on his policies he doesn't have a chance. the democrats have tried for five months to carpet bomb romney to make the election about romney but to make romney somebody who is a vulture captialist that doesn't care but. fires people, takes their wives, health insurance away. a plutocrat mar married to a known equestrian. tonight makes that tougher. >> woodruff: david? >> were you rnc chair, governor you know the medicare issue that has republicans in the past. romney and ryan have a specific plan that changes the structure of medicare. how do you think it's going to play? >> it's very part is smart of romney people. every campaign the democrats have attacked the republicans, republicans going to cut medicare, take aware your social security. that was going if he an issue the whole time. one thing we've learned, david, the longer the debate and the more people learn about medicare, the more likely they are to be on our sierkd the more facts they get, the more information they have. not only did obama took $716 and die vertd it over ten years away from medicare but there's only been one time since medicare came into being in 1965 spending actually went down. only one time. went down a fraction under bill clinton. it wasn't under a republican president. people know that medicare -- barack obama has told us it's unsustainable in its current form and something has to be done. this debate about is what? the longer the debate goes on the better for us. >> woodruff: coming out of this convention governor barbour what is mitt romney's challenge? nobody thinks he's going to coast through the election. i know you are confident he will win but what does very to do? >> there's a dozen states that are going to be very close. it could go one way or the other. he's got to keep people's focus on romney, who he will do to solve our problems and then the rest of us have to keep attention on obama, what he has done to make the problems worse. >> ifill: but it sounds like your answer to mark's question is that this whole things that be president obama. and that as long it's a choice between president obama and governor romney president obama has an upper hand but it's a referendum -- >> if i sid said that it's not what i went. i said if it's obama's record he doesn't have a chance. romney has got to make -- obama is going to try to make it about -- romney is going to try -- obama is going to try to make it a romney as a bad person. romney is going to make it as romney the guy who can solve the problems facing the country that have gotten worse under obama because of obama policies. so, yeah, romney is going to be selling here is the alternative that i proposed but it is proposing an alternative to a failed group of policies that have made the country worse not better. >> sounds like you are saying a lot of this attack on obama needs to come from others in this campaign and not so much from governor romney himself. >> the challenger is not as well known. the president is in your living room every day. the challenger is not as well known. he needs to focus his time on letting people see more and more and more of mitt romney. they like what they see the more they see. but there's got to be in this always reelection campaign is always a referendum on the president's record. >> ifill: governor your many things including a strategist is there a bounce out of this convention? >> i don't think there's much of one. >> why not? >> because we put them back to back. three weeks or a month. go on a five day road trip and it was a big deal. they put them back-to-back i think that day is pretty well gone. think it's three weeks after the democrat convention before we really kind of see how we're starting out the general election campaign which started this week here. >> woodruff: in your home in the south has been solidly -- almost solidly republican for a longtime. is romney -- is governor romney can take that for granted and coast through, doesn't have to do campaigning -- >> no mam -- >> he doesn't need to come to mississippi he's been there two or three times already. florida, north carolina begun virginia we consider them south. these fight for those and fight hard for them. >> governor, we've seen susana martinez and governor sandoval, a heavy latino presence here with you and jeb bush have been critical of governor romney's immigration policy. what would be your recommend decontamination to him? he ran on a strident and stringent immigration, almost an endorse. of january brewer and arizona's law in the pry imlairs, much to the right of gingrich and perry and the oarchls. what is your suggestion to him? >> we know that we're not going to have real immigration reform stl we secure the border. that's the first thing democrats, republican, no matter what. once we secure the border, then we need to make an immigration policy in the united states that faces up to the fact we're in a global battle for capital and global battle for labor. and that this will is part of labor we need as we become more and more an aging population. you are saying that the party hasn't made that message as clear as it should so far. is that what i hear you saying? >> i think romney can do better this year. this is not really between november policy. this is next year and the going forward where the policy is really -- you have to secure the border first. if you ask alan simpson he will tell you, the last big immigration bill passed under reagan a republican, failed because they didn't secure the borders and -- >> ifill: we're keeping an eye on the floor for next speaker but we have time for another question. >> a bunker hill of reform governors -- [cheers and applause] >> ifill: of course. >> that question will go unanswered it was a tough one. >> ifill: think about that question. thank you governor. we go down to hear tom -- okay maybe we were misinformed. answer the question. >> let me finish mitt romney you guys laid out tough cuts to have a mandate. governor romney hasn't laid out tough cuts except public broadcast. >> that's not a tough cut. >> give us back our mug. [ laughter ] >> ifill: come on, governor. [ laughter ] >> we didn't cut public broadcasting in mississippi any more than anything else. we reduced it some. and they are doing just fine, thank you. i think it's unfair to say to somebody you have to make this decision when nobody said that to barack obama. you look at barack obama's proposals in 2008. there wasn't all this great specificity. it was hope and change but not we're going to this and that. that's not normal in a presidential campaign. frankly, i thought his 59-point economic made my eyes -- [ laughter ] governor barbour we thank you for being with us. we'll go to the floor where we're about to see tom stemberg shall the c.e.o. of staples who we talked to a short time ago. [cheers and applause] >> 25 years ago i had a crazy idea for a new business. i wanted to do to office supplies what home depot had done with homive -- home improvement. it would be called staples. i wasn't easy at first. his a vision and a business plan. then i met mitt romney. he helped make it come alive. now mitt was an unusual guy. he had already enjoyed great success at bain and company but he knew the value of a doll yample i dollar. when i told him about staples he got excited about the idea of save a few centness on paper clips. funny thing, but i ask you: who would make a better president? someone who knows how to save a dollar on pens and paper or someone who knows how to waste $535 million on solyndra? mitt was a true partner. he saw a store that could save people money. he recognized that efficiency creates consumer value. and he never looked at staples as a financial investment. he saw the engine of prosperity it would become. today, staples employs nearly 90,000 people and it has over 2000 stores over 50 distribution centers. and the competitive industry that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses get started on their own. [applause] for me, as a founder, it was the realization of a dream. so you can imagine my dismay when i see this white house and their campaign demonizing mitt romney. demonizing bane capital and the private equity industry that has created so many new jobs. over and over again. fiction, half truths, and down right lies. [applause] now, you have to ask yourself: why would an administration that can't create any jobs demonize someone who did? i've got a theory. i think when it comes to jobs, new businesses and the economic growth, they just don't get it. you know, they say mitt romney is out of touch with ordinary americans. they just don't get it. the night before we opened the first store, i asked our people to do back-to-back all nighters. that's when i got a phone call from mitt. he wanted to come over and talk with the team and spend some time with them and he told me in very clear terms, "tom this business is all about the people." but this obama-biden campaign, they just don't get it. they will tell you that private equity is focused only on the short-term. tell that to the founders of bright horizons daycare. a company that has transformed corporate daycare. most people didn't give the business a chance. it went five straight years without making a profit. but mitt and bane capital stood by them. mitt and bane capital believed in the vision and they understood how important it was for women to join the workforce and have on-site daycare for their children. today that company emimplements 19,000 people. but president obama and his friends they just don't's get it. the obama campaign will tell you that bain capital was a form of vampire capitalism, draining the blood from a company and move on. they just don't get it. you know, where were they when mitt stayed with staples for 15 years, long after bain capital sold its stock? where were they when bain capital helped start steel dynamics when most people had given up opportunity the american steel industry? 18 years later, that company employs 6,000 people. [applause] but this administration, they just don't get it. you know, they've got a job council that never meets. a democratic senate that doesn't act. a president who doesn't believe and a vice-president who just can't stop talking. [laughter] [applause] they just don't get it. and you know, they don't get it because they don't believe in the spirit of the entrepreneur. they don't understand what it means to risk money to create something new. and they don't understand the hard work it takes to get a business off the ground. the sacrifices you make. the little league games you miss. they don't see this as a country of opportunity where someone like myself, the son of immigrants born in newark, new jersey and proud of that governor christie, can live the american dream. well, let me tell you, my friend, mitt romney, gets it. [cheers and applause] and i could not be more confident in saying the american people get it. that's why this november they will elect mitt romney as the next president of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> where have we heard that term before? >> you know tom stemberg we talked at the newshour and he is very insistent that mitt romney's background is key. and that is going to make all the difference in the world. is it a plus or a negative? >> you have to show you have character and you cannot show it within politics you have to show it you had it before so the business helps. right now, my reaction to the mormon family that came out was some of the best convention best moments of this convention. and the fact that those people are not an ad for the past six months, to show us who mitt romney is. >> why do you think they haven't been? >> i have no idea. that is political malpractice because were deep important insights into mitt romney's character and we should be seeing this every night. >> i had not heard this. wrote down they were on campaign malpractice. that is exactly what it is. the failure and the unwillingness for some reason. why it cannot be a matter of personal discretion or judgment. if you are going to do it at a national convention that you would not do it during the campaign? >> this is the broadest audience yet. maybe this was the time. save to go for this. >> i built up the negatives he has more unfavorable rating than any presidential nominee. >> why don't we believe him and ann romney when they say they would rather keep this part of their lives private? maybe that is what kept them from telling the stories before. >> george h. w. bush but you are running for office and people want to know about you. and we've heard stories thirdhand and been in the newspapers but to see it in this form is tremendously powerful. and to not give that insight to people, it just missed a mark. >> he thinks that turns the corner. nobody can say again that mitt romney doesn't care. >> no. i think hayley was putting a very, very positive light on it. and he is wonderful. but richard norton smith said earlier and rightly so, that -- what you have is people are interested the higher the office, the more important the candidate. you really care about a county commissioner or a member of congress how he votes and what he does. but a president you want to know what kind of a person he is. >> we will find out more about mitt romney from ray fernandez. he is a businessman who worked for a company that was taken over by bain capital. >> i always believe we are part of the american dream. in 1996, i became a sales rep for a business. my sales region was here in florida. where my parents immigrated from cuba when i was 13 years old. [applause] from a country where government owns everything but nothing works. [applause] wesley had been struggling losing over $50 million a year under the previous owner. then mitt romney and bain capital came in. bain capital saw something others did not see. they invested money in marketing. they brought in a dynamic c.e.o. kevin ryan. they did everything to make the company succeed. this is the real bain capital. the story the obama campaign doesn't want you to hear. because of bain capital's attention to management, wesley roared back and workers like me were inspired by what we saw and our careers thrived. and when the company went public, a few years later, i was well rewarded. with that money, my wife sylvia a pharmacist and i, started our own business in florida, vida pharmacy. none of this would have been possible without bain capital's investment that brought commitment to a struggling company. as a result we are doing what we love. serving our community. we are building our future. stories like this need to be told. my life today is better because of bain capital. mitt romney helped turn around my company. i cannot imagine anyone better prepared to turn around this country. [cheers and applause] thank you. >> pharmacy owner ray fernandez explaining how mitt romney and his company bain capital made all the difference in his business. how might the proceedings tonight be used on the campaign trail? we take a look. >> i'm joined by nathan gonzales of the role call and newshour political hour christine. one of the most important nights of mitt romney's political career we heard about his faith and touching stories and yet we have had two corporate videos about bain capital a couple of small business testimonials why is bain capital running for president tonight? >> you've heard the last speaker said this but you've heard the obama campaign's definition what bain capital s mitt romney has talked about the different things the staples success story but you are not seeing it in the ads and not hearing it in this form. this is it the first way for him to humanize the story and talking about the commitment to staying with bain for so many years. they are trying to give that human element because the obama campaign has been trying to paint him as a job killer. >> and this goes back to the 2004 campaign and the lesson that democrats learned that john kerry and the ad that you cannot let the attacks on character go unanswered. you have to fight back and use forceful and that is why we're seeing republicans take this very primetime spot to answer these attacks. >> all right. back to you. >> i had a message from the grassroots. come back to massachusetts, our state needs you. mitt romney had turned around companies and turned around the olympics. now, massachusetts needed mitt romney to turn us around. massachusetts was in deep trouble. we had a massive budget gap and soaring unemployment. people in my state were losing hope for themselves, their families, and their children. sadly, very much like our country finds itself today. mitt romney answered the call of service and accepted the challenge. how did he fix our state? well, he quickly assembled a cabinet of the best and the brightest. drawing on both parties, republicans and democrats, half women, half men to give him the full spectrum of ideas and advice. he respected different opinions. he valued open debate. and when it was all said and done, mitt romney knew how to make a decision. [cheers and applause] governor romney did what many thought was impossible. he turned around a $3 billion budget gap and created a $2 billion rainy day fund. he even worked to streamline government but at the same time made certain to safeguard protections for the elderly, children, and the homeless. in education, governor romney gave parents more choices, insisted on tough standards for both teachers and students and massachusetts schools became the best in the nation. [cheers and applause] we cleared out regulations on small businesses and we cut taxes 19 times. [cheers and applause] and as a result unemployment dropped to only 4.7%. and unlike president obama, governor romney's economic policies were rewarded with a credit upgrade. [cheers and applause] now, those are the facts and figures. but when people find out that i served as mitt romney's lieutenant governor they ask me the same question. what is he like? first, and foremost, mitt romney is a good and honorable man. committed to public service and his country. on the morning he took the oath of office, his first act was to focus public attention on those in need. we served breakfast to homeless veterans encouraging volunteerism and acknowledging the special debt we owed to those who sacrifice for our country. you know, you may not know this but mitt romney never sooke a salary as governor. took a salary as governor. but he worked harder than anyone i know. every morning very early q?#ore the rest of us arrived, mitt would meet with his economic secretary. they worked tirelessly. because for mitt, creating jobs was his top priority. [cheers and applause] mitt was always a hands on leader. when one of boston's tunnels collapsed tragically killing a passenger in her car, mitt did not blame others. he dove in and fixed the problem. mitt immersed himself in the engineering challenges, personally oversaw safety inspections abolished cronyism and corruption and restored public confidence. that is the mitt romney i know. and he is ready to bring that same work ethic, vision and integrity to the white house. mitt romney will never let our children's education be second best or allow their future prosperity to be mortgaged by today's political cowards. he will respect those who build things with their own minds and their own hands. and mitt romney won't just talk about family values. he will live them. everyday. and i'll tell you another thing, mitt romney understands that the world is safer when our country leads and he will never apologize for america. [cheers and applause] mitt romney will lead an america we can be proud of and ahead to a future where the american dream is alive again. and within every man and women's reach. thank you, mitt romney. for believing in america and america, you can believe in mitt romney. [cheers and applause] thank you. into christine this is one of the first times we've seen mitt romney's massachusetts record not for trade and framed by the obama administration most likely we have been hearing that romney and obama-care so closely tied. this plus the bain capital thrust tonight is this neutralize the line of attack from the obama administration? >> one thing that was struck by what david said why haven't we seen these stories on television? and this is now there are rumors they will announce they raised $100 million. they have the money to fund ads now. these are the types they are playing all the humanizing stories at every part of his record we are hear to go from olympians and bain folks and the massachusetts side of the personal stories. tt is what they will put on the air. >> we have to remember the timing, going back to the back-to-back conventions that next week there's going to be three solid days of democrats beating up on mitt romney again and bringing up the other side of the record than what we are hearing tonight. >> this is the beginning of the biopic that we will see rolled out. how does the campaign deal with the idea that here is your opponent who is going to exhaust all of the media attention for the next week? >> yes, one thing that is important to point out, that the jobs numbers will be coming out after president obama gives his renomination speech next week. so there's not a lot of room for either of them to take this record. what they have to do is become as likable as possible and trustworthy as possible. that is where you hear the stories. >> we are hear being bain i do think that pivot is important to return to focusing on president obama and his record. because that is where mitt romney has the best chance of winning. >> and one of the things going on in florida they were playing the remarks the president said about infrastructure and the infrastructure that goes no business and that has been a theme. are you hearing the attacks come on president obama tonight as well. >> quen, judy? thank you. and we are going to go now to jane edmonds she is a democrat and she was a member of the governor romney's cabinet, secretary of the workforce in massachusetts. >> thank you for the warm welcome. i am honored to be here with you tonight to share my feelings about mitt romney. by way of background, my politics is as a liberal democrat. my passion is about education, workforce training and leadership. when i first met governor romney, i was struck by his humanity, his grace, his kind manner,. it was just the two of us in his office when i met him. as a finalist for a cabinet position in his administration. i could tell immediately just by our interaction that he is the real thing. authentic. [cheers and applause] he struck me then and now as honest, transparent, and inclusive. i somehow knew during that meeting that he is demanding of himself and he would be demanding of anyone who is part of his administration. i wanted to be around him. and in that kind of environment where my energy, skills and talents could be channeled with others toward the public good. i could tell by our conversation that the governor was in office, not for himself or to promote himself, but for the people. [cheers and applause] my initial size-up of the man held true. during the four years i served in his cabinet, i saw him up close and personal manyevnñ tim. and he always drove us in his administration to make government better for the people. one area where he made a positive difference is in improving the representation of women in senior positions in massachusetts state government. before governor romney took office in 2003, women were significantly underrepresented among top roles in government. with 52% of the population, but just 30% of the jobs. over the next two-and-a-half years, 42% of the new appointments made by governor romney were women. [cheers and applause] in fact, based on a survey by the state university of new york, massachusetts was ranked first in percentage of women holding top state positions. [cheers and applause] this led the "boston globe" to note women filled 10 of 20 top positions in governor mitt romney's administration. making the commonwealth one of five states that come close to matching the percentage of top women appointees to the proportion of women in the overall population. this achievement happened because mitt romney cared about the issue. he took action to fix it and he delivered results. [cheers and applause] he is unquestionably an amazing steward and leader. a servant leader. and someone whom i respect very much. that's the kind of leadership that has always inspired me. unselfish leadership. the late steven covevie writes about two kinds of people. one type is all about themselves and their success. and the other type works as hard as they can and certainly, succeed. but their success is motivated by doing good for others. that's how i see governor romney. he is authentic. [cheers and applause] he is open to good ideas wherever they come from. it doesn't matter if they are from a liberal democrat like me. he will listen and he is inclusive. as a great leader, he brought out the best in me. and i know as president, he will bring out the best in our country. [cheers and applause] thank you. >> that is jane edmonds the former secretary of the workforce in massachusetts. and she likes to point out that she is a liberal democrat who likes mitt romney and i will go back to washington now to richard norton smith and michael, you heard her use the word authentic more than once. michael how important is that when you are trying to define someone like a presidential candidate? >> well, very important in the case of romney because as has been published a lot of the polls when they ask people what adjective they think of some they authentic and this goes right after that. but could i say one other word, and that is that there is a historical to this tonight. remember there used to be a show called this is your life when they would bring out people from your past and say how great you are. this has been a staple at most conventions since 1972 when there was a movie about president richard nixon beingqad saying what a wonderful person he was. that was the first really scripted convention. >> michael before you asked the question, i want to make for the record i'm too young to remember. >> and that is exactly what i was going to say. gwen does not have a clue what are you talking about. there maybe others at the table who have a memory of this. so while we have your attention, what about it, richard? i think at this point in the night, i think it's ordinary citizens who are making some of the most powerful statements about this nominee. this is something new in american politics or not? >> no, that is interesting. judy. let me tryout a theory because i know we have been asking beginning with david, very understandably, why haven't we heard the stories before? or in a broader sense why have we not heard more about governor romney's record as governor of massachusetts? and the theory is this... in some ways i think he maybe a victim of the way the republican nominating process unfolded the way the party itself as unfolded in recent years. we've seen a whole host of people cheering individual acts of compassion, celebrating institutionalized compassion through their faith but you know those same people are suspicious of institutionalized compassion of government. >> but isn't the point in all of this, guys, that this is how you convince people at home that this candidate is more like you rather than different? richard? >> absolutely. no. sure. that is what the whole week is about supposed to be about. and i think you are quite right. it's curious that we quite frankly chris christie that night maybe that time would have been better used hearing the folks offering their personal and credible testimonial to mitt romney's character, and authenticity. >> michael? yes, i think that is right. and that is the way the modern conventions are planned. unlike most of american history. the planners look at what are our problems? what are the reservations that people have about our candidate and try to plug the holes and fix it by bringing in live people like the ones you've seen tonight. the candidates acceptance speech they are able to do this all week because conventions have been in recent years a little spontaneous. >> we don't know whether this song we are listening to is on mitt romney's play list or paul ryan. tailor hicks and the crowd is out there dancing. and having a good time. michael and richard, thank you very much. and this signal we believe beginning of an olympics segment where we will meet some of the athletes who will talk personally about what mitt romney's leadership of the winter olympics in 2002 meant to them. >> please welcome three-time gold medal olympian and the first american to ever win five medals in an individual event in five consecutive olympic games, team u.s.a.'s rim rim.8jr >> represent this great country as a proud member of team u.s.a. at the last five olympic games in skeet shooting competitions. and won my first gsm in atlanta in the summer of 1996 and i just returned from the olympics in london a few weeks ago with another gold medal. [cheers and applause] this was one of a record-setting 104 medal won by team u.s.a. including 58 by women which is the most ever. i think it's safe to say we showed the world that women of america are a force to be reckoned with. i am honored to share the stage tonight with the handful of olympic champions allow me to introduce them to you. dan janzen, an american favorite throughout four olympiads and gold medalist. andy gable, a four-time short track speed indicate skating owelismian and a silver medal winner. rowdy gains an olympic hall of famer and three-time olympic gold medal winner. leanne parsly, a silver medalist in the women's skeleton in 2002. noel paste, the 2007 skeleton world champion and 2010 olympian. bill, a three-time olympic and olympic bobsled silver medalist in 2002. jimmy shea, the only third generation olympian winning the gold medal in skeleton in 2002. jeanne, a 2-time champion bobsledder and two-time olympian. scott hamilton an american icon, 1984 gold medalist known for his back flips. christopher delvin young an american paralympic alpine skier who won two gold medals and two silver medals. derek derek derek a derek parra. captain of the 1980s winter olympics u.s. hockey teamñogñ t defeated the soviet union in the famous miracle on ice. [ crowd chanting u.s.a., u.s.a., u.s.a.! >> from the time when i walked into the olympic games in atlanta as a wide-eyed 16-year-old, to the moment a few weeks ago when i heard our national anthem played in london as the seasoned veteran, i've seen our country both prosper and more recently faulter. not unlike my athletic career there were many times when things were going very well and times when they were not. it was in those times when things were difficult that i learned to rely on strong leadership. to get me as they would say in my world, back on target. the strong leadership of a more experienced teammate of my coaches and, of course, most importantly, the strong leadership of my mom and dad. [cheers and applause] i came here tonight because i believe that today our country is off target. we need the leadership of mitt romney and paul ryan to turn our country around. so the millions of americans who have taken aim at their own dreams whatever they may be have the opportunity for those dreams to come true just like our olympic dreams did. we need strong leadership. we need new leadership. and we need it now. [cheers and applause] we are here on stage because we know americans need the leadership of mitt romney and paul ryan. thank you all so much and good night. [ crowdxñ6r chanting u.s.a.! u.s.a.! u.s.a.! >> ok, thank you. thank you. good evening. i am michael eruzione. and i am honored to have this opportunity tonight to talk with you about the global significance of the olympic movement. its ideals and its meaning and how it was rescued by mitt romney. [cheers and applause] it's been more than 10 years so many of you may have forgotten but in 2002 due to bribery scandals and mismanage many, the olympics not just the games but the olympics as an institution were threatened. thankfully mitt romney was there to salvage a desperate situation. mitt's leadership not only turned around those games by solving the operational and financial problems but he did somethingññió deeper. he drew a line in the sand. and said that the 2002 games would have the highest standards of ethics and integrity. [cheers and applause] he put olympians, the athletes and the ideals of the olympics back at the center of the games. he focused on restoring the olympics to the top pedestal of sports and he preserved the opportunity and idealism of the olympics for future generations. i was fortunate to compete in the olympics as captain of the 1980 miracle on ice u.s. hockey team. thank you. and that team was proud and honored to light the caldron for the 2002 winter olympics in salt lake city. that action of passing along the flame of the olympic spirit symbolizes something grander than all of us. it is the single greatest movement that brings all humans across the world together. we are all fortunate that mitt romney kept that fire burning. [cheers and applause] as a result of the 2002 olympics i had the opportunity to get to know mitt and ann romney. and to see what they have accomplished. mitt is a brilliant leader who is committed to the highest ideals. and he is a wonderful and caring family man. just like the olympics needed mitt's leadership 10 years ago, america desperately needs mitt romney's leadership today. please join me in making him the next president of the united states. [cheers and applause] thank you. >> i'm derek parra i am a 5'4" mexican-american from southern california. now those are the three reasons that it did not add up for me to become winter olympic champion. but somehow inside a roller rink in a teenager a dream grew in my heart that some day, maybe, i could represent my country at the olympic games. and i chased that dream for over 20 years. and eventually, it led me to salt lake city. with great effort and the help of amazing people along the way, i have become one of the top speed indicate skaters in the world and the finish line was in sight. that dream was almost derailed. the olympics were marred in scandal and budget deficit and worse, the national tragedy of september 11th that shook our nation to the core. it was a time of uncertainty. but in my olympic world, mitt romney was at the helm. [cheers and applause] his vision and commitment got the games back on track and gaf me the opportunity to realize my athletic dreams. not only did mitt facilitat my dream in 2002, he facilitated the dreams of all athletes from around the world. at that time i only met mitt briefly. but after the olympics i got to know him and for a period of time i lived with him and his family. i know mitt. and i know him well. i know him as a businessman. and as a leader. i know him as a father and a very, very busy grandfather. and i'm proud to say that i know him as a friend. [cheers and applause] now, you might think my greatest olympic moment came when i stood on the podium for the first time with a gold medal wrapped around my neck. but you would be wrong. in fact, my most powerful olympic memory came before the olympics started. it is a story i've heard mitt reference a number of times on the campaign trail. so i can share it with you firsthand what it was like for me. february 8th, 2002, was a cold but clear night in salt lake city. it was a night of the opening ceremonies. i was competing the very next morning. so i was planning not to attend but that all changed the second i got the call from the u.s. olympic committee hours before the ceremony asking me if i would be able to be one of the eight athletes selected to carry the world trade center flag into the opening ceremonies. [cheers and applause] i was floored. instantly i knew it was something that i had to do. something i wanted to do. it was an honor beyond anything i could have ever imagined. and while it's just over 10 years later, at that time our country was still reeling from the wounds, the trauma, and the pain of september 11th. as the opening ceremonies got underway, the flag bearing athletes and i gathered backstage. we were standing with the port authority officers whose job it was to oversee the flag they began telling us how proud they were of us and the families of the victims were proud of us. and all the people who lost their lives were proud of us. when it came time to begin the procession i touched the flag for the first time and i remember a physical sensation unlike anything i had ever experienced. [cheers and applause] if it's possible, to feel your soul being touched and that is what i felt. as we carried the flag out before a capacity crowd in a worldwide television audience, the silence was deafening. that flag which has blown over so much pain and loss still stood for life, love, and the hope of a nation. [cheers and applause] there are few times in any life when the emotion of a moment is all that exists. that nighttime stood still. as our national anthem rang out like never before i stood there holding that flag the symbol of everything our country had ever been through, with tears streaming down my face. that moment came under the leadership of mitt romney. and not only inspired me but inspired all of team u.s.a.. we went on to win a record number of medals. today our country is struggling. but the right leader can inspire us to push on. overcome seemly insurmountable challenges and to accomplish great things. mitt romney is that kind of leader. thank you. and god bless. [cheers and applause] >> speed skater derek para, winner of the gold and silver medals in 2002 with two other gold medal winners and a dozen other olympians there being cheered by this crowd are jeff brown is out there in the with the delegates. how are they reacting to the stories? we have had several emotional presentations tonight, including derek parra's. >> absolutely, judy. you could hear the roar behind me as a good son of boston we have to know our hockey legends and one is michael eruzione from winthrop, mis. the crowd knows him and they remember this guy. the olympic heros scored well. i want to backup what i think i heard mark and david talking about the emotion of what i call the real people here with all due respect to the politicians who have been speaking. the friends of mitt romney. the people who he helped. the firemen early on. those people with the emotional clout. i got to say that was the first time you really felt that on the floor here. >> this has not been a convention with that kind of emotion. perhaps ann romney i talked about the other night as the emotional highlight so far. but i think we hit another high here. and you could see people paying attention and taking effect. >> so a temperature check. we know that paul ryan is now in the vip box sitting there waiting for mitt romney's big speech. and i know that interlewd with the real people as you wer=d calling them, spoke so movingly about mitt romney. but it brings them to attention. >> i think it did. i think it did. everybody is at full attention now. and they are getting ready for this. you know, we talked over the last few nights about the theater of these kinds of things. theater in the best sense and a good theater performance has to build and build. that is what is happening. we had the emotional moment and the music, we had right behind me was the texas delegation waving their hats. we have not had a the lot of that in the last few days. we have not had a lot of chants and had the mitt, mitt, mitt. we have not had that and we are starting to get that now. >> and it's interesting it's coming from ordinary people. these are people telling powerful stories. who had connections with mitt romney either through the church or the olympics or bain capital. but it's fascinating to me that it's not the polished speakers, the politicians. in fact it's the people who are uncomfortable speaking. who have just stopped the house dead cold. >> i think that is right. it's real loud behind me. it has been the real people. and there were some people earlier. jeb bush clearly connects with the crowd here in florida and a great speaker and talk being educational issues. yeah, i think it really has been the people we are talking about with that emotional connection and the olympians who raised it to a new level. >> jeff thank you. i know you can barely hear yourself think let alone what are you saying. we are listening to a gospel singer performing on stage. and let's listen for a few seconds here. [♪] ♪america land of the free ♪america >> that was worth listening to. . we are coping up now on i guess, the money hour. when we are going to hear from marco rubio, the senator from the state of florida who is going to introduce the candidate. david are they setting mitt romney up as he wished to be setup, do you think? >> they have had a great night. this has been the most biographical night. my fear is about to be overshadowed by the event of the convention in about an hour or two, the mitt romney speech. and everybody will be underneath that. and a lot of stuff that stuff that came out will not be talked about. >> or clint eastwood. we look forward to that. judy even though it was a stressful moment for the fight for the republican nomination, scott reed who ran bob dole's campaign said whatever happens we have to defeat barak obama. that has been the principle of the republican party in 2012. against obama rather than for romney. and i think tonight they have given people a reason to be for romney. they are for romney in a sense but there's been no emotional dimension untilog tonight. >> and a convention tradition we will hear a video. >> i believe this is the land of opportunity. i believe that if we restore the principle of opportunity and hope and give everyone a fair chance you are going to see this country comev]j roaring back. >> you can never predict what kind of tough decisions are going to come in front of the president's desk. and if you really want to know how a person will operate, look at how they've lived their life. >> they were asking me about what is going on with you know, what happened with the scandal and what my opinion is of if we can cope this thing off i said it will be fine. and how do you know? and i said because i just met mitt romney. >> people were afraid and thinking that some terrible could happen after 9/11 the way we looked at these events changed drastically more so than any other games the world has watched. and how is;x the united states going to respond? could they put on olympic games? >> it was worse than i expected. i thought the salt lake city turn around was a public relations turn around. instead it was a financial turn around and a governmental turn around. >> he was not a figurehead not only running the show but he was out there speaking to the people and showing them through his words through actions what the olympics would mean to the united states. >> when i was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, we both just dissolved in tears. >> the toughest time in my life was standing with ann as we hugged each other and the diagnosis came. >> i was very, very ill. i don't know people knew how sick i was. i was frightened. but i needed him desperately. >> as long aas i have my soul mate with me. >> mitt decided that he would honor heros in the country. and mitt chose me as his hero. my life was in jeopardy. and i was like as vulnerable as a person could be. and i trust mitt. i trust him with my life. >> she's gorgeous. absolutely beautiful. you know, i cannot explain love. i don't know why it happens. i don't know why it endures the way it does. you know, at the very beginning i sat with her and chatted with her and put my arm around her and something changed. >> my 16th birthday party was when mitt and i became sort of an item. it was just sort of the beginning of outour romance. 1968 he flew into the detroit airport right before christmas. of course his mother is like cut her arms open and he runs right by her and grabs me. >> on the car ride home from the airport i turned to ann and said i feel like i've never been away. and she said i feel the same way. >> we tell everybody we are getting married like next week. we compromised and waited until march 21st. >> sweet baby. i had the two. my brother and matt and i fought a lot. >> four got to be a little much. hello, ben. gosh. very rambuncious. >> and then it was the fifth one and craig was my most active. he was a handful. >> craigy. hi. craig don't squirt me. >> i remember my mom was always begging for us to be quiet. we need to have quiet in the house. >> we could get into a lot of trouble and we could never ever, say anything bad about my mom. >> i traveled in my early career and i called ann and i could hear the voice in the background and she might be exaspirated and i said don't forget what you are doing is more important than what i'm doing. >> often i had more than five sons i had six sons. >> how are you doing? e was really playful. you know, you know. it's like you know, you know. >> mitt would walk in the door after work and that was it. he never thought about work again until the morning. >> we felt like we were the most important thing in his life. >> i went to mom if i needed money. never went to dad he was too cheap. >> my dad did not have the right bull unso he replaced it with whatever he had. he put on tin foil and duct tape. >> i've been poor and worked from the time i was 12. i know what poverty is i've been through it. >> for mitt, i think he identifyizeed his father. he has his hero. >> in the summer my dad used to pack up our family and take us to the great national parks. it was during those trips that i fell in love with america. dad was born in mexico. his parents and grandparents had moved to mexico. they were refugees from a revolution. i remember ann asking my dad what was the most meaningful accomplishment of your life and without hesitation he said the greatest accomplishment of my life is having raised you four kids. like me he fell in love young. family was everything. my dad worked for his dad. he was a dry wall guy. he could put nails in his mouth and spit them out. i grew up watching my dad lead. >> look i'm in public life today because i'm concerned about america. i'm concerned about what is happening to america. >> if he tells some -- if he felt some way about a particular issue there was no question. friends called him the brick because he was immovable. he let me tag aalong in unusual settings. i didn't realize he was giving me an experience that was more helpful from a leadership standpoint than anything that i learned in school. staples is a good example of where bain and company supported an excellent company. >> mitt used what is behind the numbers is the people. >> mitt romney valued every employee was critical to the success of staples. >> i want to save on envelopes and file folders. >> smith a cheap son of a gun. if he could save 50 cents on paper clips he would drive a mile. ask me why because i've seen him do it firsthand. >> he was dealing with the the fundamental problems that companies confront. he was dealing with them in a wa that allowed them to grow, to add jobs and build factories, wicked smart. >> when i became governor of massachusetts, i took the skills i learned in business and looked at our budget. we were $3 billion out of balance. >> i will never forget the first cabinet meeting the governor list of billion gap iny-day fund. >> when he came into office we were in fiscal crisis. when we came out we were on much more solid footing. >> his whole life has brought him to this point of being able to have the skills and the experience to be able to tackle something as difficult as this the, as turning this country around. >> mitt romney is in this race, i believe, not just for himself. he's in it to improve the lives of the american people. >> an extraordinary chief executive officer. i know he understands the economy. >> uniquely qualified to get our economy moving again. >> takes control. >> not a stuffed shirt guy. >> charismatic. >> he is rock solid. >> an authentic leader. his values are so strong. >> he's a man of faith. >> extraordinary character. >> he cares about the lives of those and voices that are unheard. >> amazing, humble man. >> i think he has a great deal of pride. >> finds a way of turning adversity into opportunity. >> he knows he is the only guy that can do what it will take to turn this country around. within i did devote every waking hour of my energy to getting america strong again. that's what an american president has to do. >> u.s.a.! u.s.a.! u.s.a.! u.s.a.! u.s.a.! >> woodruff: i've seen some effective video presentations of a nominee that has to be at the top. >> ifill: we've been talking all night everything seems to be a progression of one to the other. we have had lows with emotion and highs with excitement and music and now obviously they're building to a dramatic mystery again. >> we know who it is but we'll let everybody who is watching figure it out when they see him, when he walks out on stage. pay attention, i think we'll recognize him. (cheers and applause) >> thank you very much. (cheers and applause) >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you. save a little for mitt. (laughter) i know what you're thinking, you're thinking what's a movie tradesman doing out here. you know they are all left wingers out there, left of lennon, at least that is 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. it is just the conservative people by the nature of the word itself play it a little more close to the vest and they don't go around hot dogging it. so-- (laughter) (cheers and applause) >> but they're there, believe me, they're there. and i just think, in fact, some of them around town, i saw jon voilt, there's-- vote, terrific guy, and these people are all like-minded like all of us. so i have got-- i've got mr. obama sitting here and he's-- i just was going to ask him a couple questions. but you know, about, 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 outdoors and it was nice. and people were lighting candles. and they were saying, you know, i just thought this is great. i mean 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-- whatever interest they have is not strong enough. and i think possibly now it may be time for somebody else to come along and solve the problem. (cheers and applause) >> so mr. president, how do you handle-- how do you handle promises that you have made when you were running for election? and how do you handle-- how do you handle it? i mean what do i say to people? do you just-- you know, i know people, people are wondering-- you don't-- you don't-- okay, well, i know even some people in your observe party were very disappointed when you didn't close gitmo. and i thought well, i think closing gitmo, why close that, we spent so much money on it. but i thought maybe it is an excuse, what do you mean shut up? (laughter) okay, i thought it was just because somebody had a stupid idea of trying a terrorist in downtown new york city, maybe that was it. (cheers and applause) i've got to hand it to you. i have to give credit where cede sit due, you did overrule that finally. and that's, so now we're moving onward. and i know, 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) but we did it. and it was-- you know, it's something to be thought about. and i think that when we get to maybe, i think, you mentioned something about having a target date for bringing everybody home. and you've given that target date and i think mr. romney ask thed 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-- i'm not going to shut up. it's my turn. (laughter) >> so anyway, we're going to have to have a little chat about that. and then i just wondered, all these promises. and then i wondered about you know, when the-- what? what do you want me to tell romney? i can't tell him to do that. he can't do that to himself. you're crazy. you're absolutely crazy. (laughter) you're getting as bad as biden. (laughter) (cheers and applause) of course we all know biden is the intellect of the democratic party so-- (laughter) just a kind of a grin with a body behind it, you know, that kind of thing. 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 because-- (applause) i think attorneys are so busy, 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, unquote, a stellar businessman. and i think it's that time. and i think if you just kind of stepped aside and mr. romney can take over, you could still use the plane. though maybe a smaller one, not that big gas guzzler that you are driving around when are you 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, all right, i'm sorry. i can't do that to myself either. anyway. (laughter) but i would 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, thank you. yes, we own it. and it's not you owning it and not politicians owning it. politicians are employees of ours. and so-- they're just going to come around and beg for votes every few years. it's the same old deal. but i just think that it's important that you realize that, that you're the best in the world. and whether you are democrat or whether you are a republican or whether you a libertarian or whatever, you are the best. and we should not ever forget that. and when somebody does to the do the job, we've got to let them go. (cheers and applause) let them go. 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 any more. well, maybe one last time. we don't have to be, what i'm saying is we don't have to be masochists and vote for somebody that we don't 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. (applause) but okay, you want to make my day, huh? all right. (cheers and applause) >> all right, i'll start it, you finish it. go ahead -- >> make my day! (cheers and applause) >> all right, thank you, thank you very much. >> of course that was the actor clint eastwood getting the crowd to chant along with him, make my day. when someone doesn't do the job you've got to let him go is what he says. and now the introduction of the nominee, falls to florida senator marco rubio, rising star, son of cuban immigrants. tough act to follow in some ways, gwen. >> ifill: i'll say. >> thank you. i think i just drank clint eastwood's water, thank you. i want to thank you so much. thank you so much for having me here today. and thank you so much for doing this convention here in florida. you know, 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 hundred miles away from the city, the country of my parent's birth. there's no freedom or liberty in cuba. and tonight i ask for your prayers that soon freedom and liberty will be theirs as well. (cheers and applause) this is a big honor for me. not so long ago i was just a deep underdog candidate, the only people that that thought i could win all lived in my house. (laughter) four of them were under the age of ten. but this is incredible when i was asked to introduce governor romney who we will hear from in just a moment. i promise you, he is backstage ready to go. (cheers and applause) >> and so i called a few people and i asked them, what should i say. and they had a lot of different opinions. but the one thing they all said was, don't mess it up. (laughter) so i thought the best way to introduce mitt romney tonight, the next president of the united states-- (cheers and applause) 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. (cheers and applause) >> i watched my first convention in 1980 with my grandfather. my grandfather was born to a farming-- farming family in rural cuba. childhood polio left him permanently disabled. because he couldn't work the farm his family sent him to school. he was the only one in his family that knew how to read. he was a huge influence on me growing up. as a boy, i used to sit on the porch of our house and listen to the stories about history and politics and baseball, as he would puff on one of his three daily pedrone cigars. now i don't remember, it's been three decades since we last sat on that porch. and i don't remember all the things he talked to me about. but the one thing i remember is 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. (cheers and 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. (cheers and applause) mitt romney knows america's prosperity didn't happen because our government simply spent more money. it happened because our people used our own money to open a business. and when they succeed, they hire more people who invest or spend their money in the economy, helping others start a business or create jobs. now tonight we have 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 is 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, okay. by all accounts, he too is a good husband, and a good father, and thanks to a lot of practice, a good golfer. (laughter) our problem is not that he's a bad person. our problem is that he is a bad president. (cheers and applause) >> you think he's watching tonight? (laughter) because his new slogan for his campaign is the word "forward" forward, a government that spends $1 trillion more than it takes in? an $800 billion stimulus that created more debt than jobs? a government intervention into health care paid for with higher taxes and cuts to medicare, scores of new rules and regulations. these ideas don't move us forward. these ideas move us backwards. (cheers and 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. (cheers and 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. (cheers and applause) as for his old slogan, under barack obama the only change is that hope is hard to find. (laughter) now sadly millions of americans are insecure about their future. but instead of inspiring us, by reminding us of what makes us 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. (applause) but in the end this selection doesn't matter how you feel about president obama because this election is about your future, not about his. (cheers and applause) an 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. (cheers and applause) and as we prepare to make this choice, we should remember what made us special. you see, for most of our human history,-- history, almost everybody was poor. power and wealth only belong to a few. your rights are 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 principles that every person has god given rights. (cheers and 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 talented and our work can take us. (cheers and applause) and we're special, we're special because we're united not as a common race or a common ethnicity. we're bound together by common values, that family is the most important institution in society. (applause) and that almighty god is the source of all we have. (cheers and 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. (cheers and applause) an we're special, we're special because we've always understood the script actual admonition that for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. (applause) well, my fellow americans, we are a uniquely blessed people. and we have honored those blessings with the enduring exame pell of an exceptional america. (cheers and applause) i know from any of you watching at home tonight the last few years have tested your faith in the promise of america. maybe you're at an age when you thought you would be entering retirement. but now because your savings and investments are wiped out, your future is uncertain. maybe after years of hard work this was the time you expected to be your prime easterning years but instead are you laid off and your house is worth less than your mortgage. maybe did you everything you were told to do to get ahead. you studied hard and finished school. but now you owe thousands of dollars in student loans, you can't find a job in your field and you've had to move back in with your parents. you want to believe that we're still that special place where anything is possible. but you just-- 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 reminded us that america has always been about new beginnings. and mitt romney is running for president because he knows that if we are willing to do for our children what our parents did for us, life in america can be better than it has ever been. (cheers and 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 immigrated to america with little more than the hope of a better life. my dad was a bartender, my mom was a cashier, a hotel made, 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 you're 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 u us-- (speaking spanish)-- in this country, in this country are you going to be able to accomplish all the things we never could. a few years ago during a speech i noticed the bartender behind the portable ball in the back of the ballroom. and 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 ood 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. (cheers and applause) >> that journey, 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 you never had. that's the story of your fathers that worked two jobs so that the doors that had been closed for them would be open for you. that is the story of that teacher or that coach that taught you to 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 servant. and in november, his son mitt romney will be elected president of these united states. (cheers and applause) >> in america,-- 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 every day 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 live, 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 have been about. and that is what we are deciding this election. (cheers and 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. (cheers and applause) its 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 it 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 principleses of our foundings 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 will dawn 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! (cheers and applause) is. >> thank you. >> that's mitt romney making his way through the crowd. they changed in the few moments in the time if took him to come out from the back of the hall, shaking hands along the way, they have taken the stage and changed it again. the podium where mark o-- marco rubio was standing has been dismantled to make it closer to the crowd, in front of a row of plexi glass that has been puts up today with a whole extension of the stage that was built just last night. this is quite a transformation of it. he is making his way to the front. i guess we should have figured this out when they were holding people back along that aisles but this is a quick change and it is-- it's going to be dramatic, mark. >> the antidote, which is a way symbolically trying to rebut that. >> michael dukakis did this in 1988. >> it really worked for him. >> coming out to neil die pond's coming to america. it was quite a rather remarkable moment t was interesting, mark, how many references there have been to immigration and immigrants. mitt romney, the nominee of the republican party. (cheers and applause) >> thank you. mr. chairman, mr. chairman and delegates-- (cheers and applause) mr. chairman and delegates, i accept your nomination for president of the united states. (cheers and applause) >> i do so with humility, deeply moved by the trust you placed in me. it's a great honor. it's an even greater responsibility. and tonight i'm asking you to join me to walk together to a better future. and 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 debt to know paul and jana better. but last night america got to see what i saw in paul ryan, a strong and caring leader who's down to earth and confident in the challenge this moment demands. and i love the way he lights up around his kids and how he's not embarrassed to show 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're united by so much more than what divides us. when that election was over, when the yard signs came down and the television commercials finally came off the air, americans were agency other 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 where the 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 life 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 felt down and kissed the shores of freedom just 90 miles from castro's tyranny, these new americans surely had many questions. but none doubted 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 that's now living alone or give a little more to their church or their charity. every small business wanted these to be their best years ever when they could hire more, do more for those who had stuck with them through the hard times. open a new store or sponsor that little league team. every new college graduate thought they would 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 those massive deficits. this this was the hope and change america voted for. it's not just what we wanted, it's not just what we accepted-- expected, it's what americans deserved. (cheers and applause) >> u.s.a., u.s.a.,. is amount of! u.s.a., u.s.a., u.s.a.! >> you deserved it because during these years you worked harder than ever before. you deserved it because when it cost more to fill up your car you-- put in longer hours. or when you lost that job that paid 22.50 an hour with benefits you took two jobs at $9 an hour. (applause) >> u.s.a., u.s.a.! >> 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 realtor told you that to sell your house you would have to take a big loss, in those moments you knew that this just wasn't right. but what could you do except work harder, do with less, try to stay optimistic, hug your kids a little longer. maybe spend a little more time praying that tomorrow would be a better day. i wish president obama had succeeded because i want america to succeed. chirs plaus-- (cheers and applause) but his 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. >> (cheers and applause) >> now is its 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. (cheers and applause) so here we stand, americans have a choice, a decision, to make that choice you need to know more about me an where i would lead our country. i was born in the middle of the century, in the middle of the country. a 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 americans to go to the moon the question wasn't whether we would get there, it was only when we'd get there. the souls of neil armstron armstrong-- the soles of neil armstrong's boots on the moon made permanent impressions on our souls. ann and i watched those stepsing to on our parent as sofa. like all americans we went to bed that night knowing we lived in the greatest country in the history of the world. (applause) god bless neil armstrong. (cheers and applause) 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 never made it through college and he apprenticed as a lathe and plastic carpenter. he had big dreams. he convinced my mom, a beautiful young actress to give up hollywood to marry him. they moved to detroit. he lead a great-- (cheers and applause) -- he lead a great automobile company and became governor of its great state of michigan. (cheers and applause) we were-- 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 sport teams we followed than what church we went to. my mom and dad gave their kids the 2k3wr5e9est-- greatest gift of all, the gift of unconditional love. they cared deeply about who 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 loving 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. (laughter) because every day dad gave mom a rose, which he 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 every day example. when my mom r for the senate, my dad was there for her every step of the way. i could still see her saying in her beautiful voice, why should women have any less say than men about the great decisions facing our nation? (cheers and applause) don't you wish she could have been here at this convention, and heard leaders like governor narry fallon, governor haley, governor martinez, secretary of state condoleezza rice! (cheers and applause) as governor of massachusetts i chose a woman lt. governor. a woman chief of staff. 456 of-- half of my cabinet and senior officials were women. and 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 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 would 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 night. but if you asked ann and i what we would give to break up just one more fight between the boys, or wake up in the morning and discover a pile of kid as sleep in our room, well, 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 would call and try to offer support. but every mom knows that doesn't help get the homework 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. (cheers and applause) >> like a l of families in a new place with no family, we found kinship with a wide circle of friends through our church. when we were knew to the company it was kel come-- welcoming and as the years went by it was a joy to help others that 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 were knew to america. we pray 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 faith, our families for our joy, our support and good times and bad. it's both how we 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 faith. (applause) that's the bed rom-- bedrock of what makes america america n our best days we can feel the vibrancy of america's communities large and small. when we see that new business opening up downtown, it's 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 they should take and you try not to choke up when you hear that the one you like best is not too far from home. it's that good feeling when you have more time to volunteer to coach your kid's soccer team or help out on school trips. but for too many americans, those kind of good days are harder to come by. how many days have you woken up feeling that something really special was happening in america. many you felt that way on election day four years ago, hope and change had a powerful appeal. but don't-- tonight i would have 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 the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him. (laughter) the president hasn't disappointed you because he wanted to. the president has disappointed america because he hasn't lead 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 have 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 was while we believed in ourselves, not many other people did. we were young and had never done this before and we almost didn't get off the ground. in those days sometimes i wondered if i had made a really big mistake. by the way, i thought about asking my church's pension fund to invest, but i didn't. i figured it was bad enough that i might lose my investor's money but i didn't want to go to hell too. (applause) shows what i know. another of my partners got the episcopal church pension fund to invest. and today there are a lot of happy retire-- retired priests who should thank him. (applause) 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 su have heard from tonight. an office company called staples where i'm pleased to see the obama campaign has been shopping. the sports authority which, of course, became a favorite of my boys. we helped start an early childhood learning company called bright horizons that first lady michelle obama rightly placed-- praised. and at a time when nobody thought we would see a new steel mill built in america we took a chance and built one in a corn field in indiana. today steel dynamics is one of the largest steel producers in the united states. these are american success stories. and yet the center piece of the president's entire re-election campaign is aya tacking success. is it any wonder that someone who attacks success has lead the worst economic recovery since the great depression? 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 real world of business. that's what this president doesn't seem to understand. business and growing jobs is about taking risk, 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. (cheers and applause) this president can ask us to be patient. this president can tell us it was someone else's fault. this president can tell us that the next four years he'll get it right. but this

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