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CNN Live Event/Special

Mitt Romney Delivers Remarks in Cincinnati, Ohio

Aired September 01, 2012 - 11:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FORMER GOV. MITT ROMNEY, R-MASS., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What a welcome. Thank you.

Thank you so very much. What a welcome, Cincinnati. Thank you so much.

You know, I was asked why it was we made Cincinnati our first stop after becoming the nominee, our first political stop. I think you gave them the answer this morning. Thank you.

I brought with me a very special person who lit up the convention, who's going to light up America, my sweetheart, Ann Romney.

ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: Wow. That is an unbelievable reception. We are so grateful for all of you coming out. And I know why you're doing it. It's not just for us. You're doing it for the country.

You all have figured it out, and you know this is an important election. We've been across this country and we have seen so many families and individuals that are hurting, that are looking for hope and are looking for help. Well, guess what? Help is on the way.

I had a chance to talk a little bit about this guy that I love at the convention, and I wanted to talk from my heart. I hope that you all felt that it was so much from my heart.

I believe in America and I believe in this man, and I know he can get it right for us. So, thank you all very much.

M. ROMNEY: Now, getting ready for my convention speech, I read some speeches from some other people who had spoken at conventions. I actually also read the inaugural speech of some of our great presidents and heroes in my life.

And one of the speeches I read was the convention speech of Barack Obama. He was not one of the ones that I wanted to draw from, except I could not resist a couple of things he said, because he made a lot of promises. And I noted that he didn't keep a lot of promises.

One of the promises he made was he was going to create more jobs. And today, 23 million people are out of work or stopped looking for work or underemployed. Let me tell you, if you have a coach that's 0-23 million, you say it's time to get a new coach. It's time for America to see a winning season again and we're going to bring it to them.

Now, he famously said that he was going to slow the rise of the oceans and he was going to heal the planet. And our promise to you is this, we're going to help the American people and help the families of America.

This is a great state. You've got a great governor, by the way, John Kasich. He's doing a terrific job. And he's showing the President -- if the President would only look -- how it is he can bring more jobs back to a state. What he's done is he's made Ohio more business- friendly, he's held down taxes, he's balanced budgets.

We have a plan, Paul Ryan and I have a plan that's going to get America working again. It's going to create about 12 million new jobs in America and about 460,000 jobs right here in Ohio. Five things we'll do, five things that will get this economy growing again.

And by the way, I need Josh Mendel in the senate to make that happen, and of course, Rob Portman will be there and Speaker Boehner and all those good Republicans -- we need to have them as well.

Those five things. Number one, get north American energy and independence, use our oil, our coal, our gas, nuclear and renewables.

Number two, make trade work for us. We'll open up new markets where we can sell goods and services and we'll crack down on China and any other cheaters.

Number three, we're going to make sure our workers have the skills they need to succeed and that our kids have the skills they need to succeed in the coming century, because right now our schools and far too many places in America aren't doing the job they need to do. And I want to make sure we put our kids and the teachers first and the teachers' union behind.

Number four. Number four, you're not going to get entrepreneurs and businesses of all kinds to invest in Ohio and invest in our other states in America, put their life savings to work here, unless they know that we're not headed to the place Greece is in or Spain or Italy or those places that have had such trauma overseas. And so, to make sure that's the case, we're going to finally have to do something that Republicans have spoken about for a long time and for a while. We didn't do it. When we had the lead, we let people down. We need to make sure we don't leave them down this time. I will cut the deficit and get us on track to a balanced budget.

And number five, I want to champion small business. I want to make it easier for entrepreneurs and innovators to grow and build businesses, because that's where most of our jobs come from. And so, instead of doing what the President says he wants to do, which is raising taxes on our best small businesses, I want to bring them down. And I want regulators to understand their job is to help encourage small business.

And I want to take that big cloud off of small business that's keeping them from hiring people. I want to get rid of Obamacare and replace it with something that will hold down the cost of health care.

(APPLAUSE) M. ROMNEY: We don't --

AUDIENCE: Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!

(APPLAUSE)

M. ROMNEY: We recognize what a great responsibility you've given us, how much you expect from us to be able to get back to the White House and get America back on track. We've seen these last four years a lot of disappointment, a lot of families having hard times.

I saw a report just this morning that, even as some jobs are being created, as I look at the jobs being created, they note that the jobs we lost were middle-income jobs and the jobs we're getting back are low-wage jobs.

People in this country are having hard times. The average income in America, the median income in America, rather, has dropped by $4,000 a family, even as the price of gasoline is up and food is up and health premiums are up.

These are tough times for the American people. And added to all that is the divisiveness and bitterness that we've seen from the president's campaign.

Look, America is a story of the many becoming one and accomplishing extraordinary things because of our unity. I thought today of the great heroism, patriotism, courage of one of Ohio's best, Neil Armstrong. What a champion.

(APPLAUSE)

M. ROMNEY: The courage and character of that one man, combined with the unity of so many who came together to help achieve a great accomplishment, it's a model for our nation. I will do everything in my power to bring us together, because united, America built the strongest economy in the history of the Earth.

United, we put Neil Armstrong on the moon. United, we faced down unspeakable darkness. United, our men and women in uniform continue to defend freedom today. I love those people who serve our great nation.

(APPLAUSE)

M. ROMNEY: This is a time -- this is a time for us to come together as a nation. We do not have to have the kind of divisiveness and bitterness and recriminations we've seen over the last four years. I will bring us together. I'll put in place those five steps I described. America's going to come roaring back. A better future is ahead. It's out there waiting for us.

(APPLAUSE)

M. ROMNEY: Our families deserve it! Our children demand it! The peace of the planet depends upon it! I love America! We're taking this country back! We're going to get America strong again for you, for your children, for the future! God bless the United States of America and God bless the great people of Ohio! Thank you so very much, thank you!