Friday, August 31st 2012 - 12:01 UTC

“Now is the time to restore the promise of America” pledged candidate Romney

Mitt Romney has pledged “to restore the promise of America”, as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention in Florida. The former Massachusetts governor accused President Barack Obama of failing to deliver on his soaring promises of hope and change. Mr Romney will challenge the Democratic president in November's election.

The Republican presidential nominee addresses the packed convention with a family values and nationalistic message

The speech was the climax of the three-day Republican convention, which correspondents saw as an attempt to show the human side of a candidate who is sometimes accused of being opaque and distant.

Mr Romney began the most important speech of his political career by accepting the nomination that he was overwhelmingly awarded on Tuesday by thousands of delegates at the gala in Tampa.

It secured him the position that eluded him in his first presidential bid in 2008, when Arizona Senator John McCain became the Republican nominee. “I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed,” Mr Romney said, in a speech that was watched by millions across the US.

The 65-year-old presidential nominee recounted details of his Mormon upbringing, with anecdotes about his family life and his parents' loving marriage.

Mr Romney talked about his own experiences as a father, apparently becoming emotional as he talked about the times when he and his wife Ann would wake up to find “a pile of kids asleep in our room”.

He also levelled a barrage of attacks at President Obama: “The time has come to turn the page. Today the time has come for us to put the disappointments of the last four years behind us: to put aside the divisiveness and the recriminations.

”Now is the time to restore the promise of America,“ he added.

Mr Romney vowed to create 12 million American jobs over the next four years and turn around an economy saddled with an 8.3% unemployment rate. He also pledged to make the US energy independent by 2020, cut the national deficit and negotiate new trade agreements.

”I will begin my presidency with a jobs tour. President Obama began his presidency with an apology tour,“ he said.

He accused the president of having ”thrown allies like Israel under the bus“, while being too lenient with Iran. ”Under my administration, our friends will see more loyalty and Mr Putin will see a little less flexibility and more backbone,” Mr Romney said.

He brought the crowd to its feet when he pledged to repeal Mr Obama's signature healthcare bill.

The event ended with the entire Romney family - his wife, five sons and their wives and most of his 18 grandchildren - on stage with him as thousands of balloons were released over the convention floor.
 

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1 Idlehands (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 12:37 pm Report abuse
Why do all potential American presidents have to laud their love of god?

It's the last thing you'd do to get elected in the UK. Blair kept his conversion to ctholicism secret because of this. You could see him cringe when he was asked if he'd prayed with George Bush. A seemingly innocuous question to Americans but one that would have opened him to ridicule in Britain
2 Captain Poppy (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 01:08 pm Report abuse
Becuase the bible belt crusaders are a big voting block. Should they snob them......it could have impact in November. You see it primarily with Republicans and and not so much in Democrats.
3 Idlehands (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 01:30 pm Report abuse
My sister moved to North Carolina last year. She was baffled when everyone kept asking her which church she would be attending. I think she just answers “the mosque” nowadays.
4 British_Kirchnerist (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 02:04 pm Report abuse
But lets not forget “The 65-year-old presidential nominee recounted details of his Mormon upbringing” and the Mormon Church is seen by most mainstream Christians as non-Christina, and even more so by the evangelical “base” of the Republican Party, so I don't know if religion will be an advantage for this candidate...

#3 Brilliant!
5 Captain Poppy (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 03:16 pm Report abuse
As an American living in the USA, bk.....you need to do more reading. #3 The south in the USA has always been a region been heavly in religion. The religous block is ALWAYS a heavy factor due to Roe v. Wade, anyone that knows the smallest concepts of American politics knows that. The south is heavily steeped in their pre-civil war traditionals and pride. Claiming to go to a mosque in the south is tantamount to standing with signs in Plaza Del Mayo “stop bullying the Brits on their south atlantic island of Falkland”
6 Steve-32-uk (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 03:50 pm Report abuse
At the moment the betting odds equate to a 66% of Obama winning 33% of a Romney win, they aren't normally wrong.
7 Captain Poppy (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 04:08 pm Report abuse
The incumbant is always favored. The country is very polarized and has been since 9/11
8 ElaineB (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 04:28 pm Report abuse
Religion has always played a big part in USA politics whereas it is a non-issue in the UK. A recent poll in the US indicated that over 60% of US citizens would not vote for an atheist. It is just a cultural difference.

At this time I think the US election is too close to call.
9 Captain Poppy (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 04:33 pm Report abuse
It is it's a choice between I won't change things and I can't change things
10 The Chilean perspective (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 08:16 pm Report abuse
I feel very sad for the yanks and for the financial disaster what is coming very soon.
The Keynesian monopoly on both US political parties has taken this once wealthy nation and turned it into the worlds largest debtor and in fact made it insolvent. Only their ability to print unlimited amounts of Dollars keeps their head above water but this too will ultimately fail. The Americans refuse to live within their means and they forget that what made them economically mighty was production, efficiency and above all SAVINGS. Now they are reduced to using another countries savings and production to keep this mirage going. It's irrelevant weather Obama or Romney win, they both answer to the same masters.
11 Captain Poppy (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 09:26 pm Report abuse
lol
12 malicious bloke (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 10:01 pm Report abuse
The republicans were doing so well with their basic strategy until this year.

Total obstruction to prevent the administration getting any legislation passed coupled with some well-drilled propaganda pointing out how ineffectual the government has been...that's classic if you want to turn the electorate against the government.

The thing is, all you have to do to ensure you win the next election is make yourselves vaguely electable. I mean I understand that 46% of the American electorate meet the medical definition of retarded (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationist) but there are enough sane people in either camp to ensure you can swing an election whichever way you choose unless you go full mentalist...

...but no, the republicans this year are dead set on the most insane set of policies you'll ever see outside of the khmer rouge.
13 Hepatia (#) Aug 31st, 2012 - 11:00 pm Report abuse
The United States' current problems are manifestations of larger world wide changes which will benefit the rest of America. Ultimately they will benefit the US as well but that will take a generation to become evident. The big loser will be Europe - other than the Russian Federation.
14 British_Kirchnerist (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 12:24 am Report abuse
#10 “The Keynesian monopoly on both US political parties”

Are you crazy?!
15 Captain Poppy (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 12:48 am Report abuse
I would hardly agree that both parties are Keynesian by any stretch. Either you do not understand Keynesian economics or you to not know anything about our two major parties.....or both.
16 The Chilean perspective (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 10:21 am Report abuse
@15
You hardly agree, right? Well maybe you can share your wisdom with the rest of us Austrians and enlighten us to what macroeconomic school of thought dominates the US government.
@10
Well Mr. British Kirchnerist, you surprise me. I thought as a Kirchnerist you better than anyone would agree with my assessment, as the Argentine model is Keynesian on steroids.
17 Captain Poppy (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 02:24 pm Report abuse
An Australian huh...sure ok. While all governments spend money in any economic system, that in itself does not class them Keynesian. I would agree that Democrats my nature are liberal (by USA standards) and Keynesian by nature. However, Republicans are far from being Keynesian. They prefer to shrink government spending, reduce taxes and remove barriers that would otherwise prevent growth based on supply. Supply side economics.......built it and they will come.
18 British_Kirchnerist (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 02:44 pm Report abuse
#16 Yes but I don't think its the same as Romney's model! Or Obama's, for that matter...
19 The Chilean perspective (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 09:24 pm Report abuse
@15 + 17 Captain Poppy.
First you wrote.....
“I would hardly agree that both parties are Keynesian by any stretch. Either you do not understand Keynesian economics or you to not know anything about our two major parties.....or both.”
Then you came up with this gem....
”I would agree that Democrats my nature are liberal (by USA standards) and Keynesian by nature”
I don't know why I waste my time interacting with people like you. Firstly I clearly wrote AUSTRIANS (as in the Austrian school of economics). Not Australian. Secondly, the Republicans use SPIN to fool Yanks like you into believing that they are fiscally responsible, remember that they are the ones that took the US dollar off the gold standard and they are the ones that have never run a fiscal surplus in more than 50 yrs bar one in 1969. Deficit spending is in their DNA, they don't have a fiscally conservative bone in their bodies. So without being an asshole learn about the subject matter before you make these uninformed comments and make a complete fool of yourself. It's fine having strong opinions pal, but make sure they are informed.
Cheers.
@18
As for you Mr. BK. The Democrats are closer to the CFK model in social policies but the Republicans are closer in fiscal matters. Take quantitative easing, deficit spending, crony and corrupt capitalism, just some of the similarities. You have to look past the spin and analyze the kernel.
You know I wish the Argentines the best of luck because they are family, sure we have our disagreements and sometimes we almost come to punches but this happens in all families, however if they do not get their house in order soon they will crash and burn. Time is running out.
20 Captain Poppy (#) Sep 01st, 2012 - 11:30 pm Report abuse
Wow your so smart!!!! Your smugness is ingrained from your nazi heritage....eat shit and bark at the full moon. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME . if you knew anything of economics, you would not be here.
And they talk about Americans looking down their noses. I think the nazi superiority was not kicked out of you. Do you seig heil?
21 The Chilean perspective (#) Sep 02nd, 2012 - 12:54 pm Report abuse
@20
Ahoy there Captain Poppy.
It is self evident that you have the intellect of a house brick but that's your problem not mine. My user name clearly indicates that I am NOT German so I don't have any of that evil heritage you speak of.
How you came up with that conclusion baffles me, but then again if you are a Yank, well.......20% of you believe that the sun revolves around the earth. You may well be part of that 20%. Enough said.
22 toooldtodieyoung (#) Sep 02nd, 2012 - 04:41 pm Report abuse
The event ended with the entire Romney family - his wife, five sons and their wives and most of his 18 grandchildren.

So I'm guessing that good ol' Mitt is not going to campain on the “Let's reduce our Carbon footprint” ticket then.
23 Captain Poppy (#) Sep 02nd, 2012 - 06:50 pm Report abuse
Hardly he's a republican
24 British_Kirchnerist (#) Sep 03rd, 2012 - 12:01 pm Report abuse
#19 The reason the Republicans are so fiscally irresponsible though is that they support massive military spending, and its a paradoxical fact of American political life that the same right wing that supports Austrian economics supports that too. Perhaps in order to impose “Austrian economics” on an unwilling rest of the world, like for example your country....

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