Live blog of Mitt Romney's powerful, scary acceptance speech

8:08: I will begin my presidency with a jobs tour.  President Obama began his presidency with an apology tour. 

Every American was relieved the day President Obama gave the order and Seal Team 6 took out Bin Ladin.  On another front, every American is less secure today because he has failed to stem Iran's nuclear threat.  He said we should talk to Iran.  He has thrown allies like Israel under the bus.  He abandoned our friends in Poland. (booooo)

But he's eager to give Putin the flexibility he desires after the election (boooo)

Afte rmy election, Mr. Putin will see a little less flexibility, and more backbone. (woooooo!)

We will honour America's democratic ideals because a free world is a more peaceful world.

You might have asked yourself if these last years are really the American we want. (noooooooo)

Does the America we want borrow a trillion dollars from China (noooooooo)

Does it fail to find jobs for kids graduating from college (nooooooo)....

Everywhere I go in America there's monuments to those who have given their lives for America.  There's no mention of their race or what they did for a living.  They lived and died under a single flag for a single purpose.  They pledged allegiance to the United States of America.  That America can...put Americans back to work...restore mother and father's confidence that their chlidren's future is brighter than the past....

(Yay!!!!)

That America, that United America, will uphold the constellation of rights that were endowed by our creator and codified in our Constitution.

that united america will care for the poor and the sick, care for the elderly...that america ...if I'm elected president of these united states, I'll work with all my energy and soul to lift America, that future is our destiny, it is out there waiting for us, our children deserve it and with your help we will deliver it.  Let us begin tonight.  May God bless you.  May God bless the American people and may God bless the United States of America!!

(wooooo!)

8:04 now on to energy independence after saying he would create 12 million jobs.  More trade agreements...to assure every entrepreneur and every job creator that their investments will not vanish as they have in Greece, we wlll ...put American on track for a balanced budget.  Reduce taxes on small business.  Simplify regulations.  Rein in skyrocketed cost of health care by repealing and replacing Obama care.

Now the crowd goes insane as if inexpensive health care is awful.

Talking now about women.  Says, unlike Obama, I will not raise taxes on the middle class of America.  As president, I'll protect the sanctity of life, I'll honor the institution of marriage.  And I will guarantee America's first liberty, the freedom of religion.  President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans. Looks around like that was the stupidest thing ever to come out of a human's mouth. 

And to heal the planet.

My promise is to help you and your family.

Wild applause erupts.

7:56 That business we started with 10 people has now grown into a great American success story... Names the stuff the business has done...
These are American success stories.  And yet the centerpiece of the president's re=election campaign is attacking success.  Says it's not remarkable that a person who attacks success has led worse economy since depression.  Says in American we celebrate success, we don't apologize for success. (Positioning himself quite well with Americans?)

What this president doesnt understand he says is business and jbos is about taking risk, striving dreams, usually it doesn't work out exaclty as you imagine. Steve Jobs was fired at Apple and then he came back and changed the world. ....getting very worked up about how the system is there to support prosperity for future not redistribute wealth of today.

That's why every president since the great depression could look back at the last four years and say with satisfaction and say you're better off than you were four years ago, except Jimmy Carter and exept this president. (Uh, I seem to remember Bush walked into office with no deficit and left with a ginormous one. Oh, well.)

....Americans have been patient but today the time has come to turn the page.  Put disappointments behind us.  Forget what might have been and look ahead to what can be. Now is the time to restore the promise of America.

Many Americans have given up on this president but they haven't ever thought about giving up...what is needed in our country today isn't complicated or profound.  What America needs is jobs, lots of jobs.

In the richest country in the history of the world, this Obama economy has crushed the middle class.  Health insurance premiums are higher, gas has doubled. Nearly one out of six Americans are living in poverty. Look around, these aren't strangers.  ....  his plan to raise taxes on small b usiness won't add jobs, it would eliminate them.

His assault on coals and gas and oil will send...jobs to China.

)boos

...cuts to military will eliminate jobs and put our security at risk.

boos

something about Obama care hurting seniors..

boos

...if Obama is relected you'll be right (that the future will be worse than the present...

I'm running for President to create a better future...etc

7:48  Does big appeal to women through story of his parents relationship, saying his father left a rose for his mother every day...wished she could be there to see all the women in leadership positions.

Now talking about his adventures in business.  Many long hours and weekends working...but if you ask Ann and I what we'd give to break up just one more fight between the boys or wake up in the morning and discover a pile of kids in the room, well every mom and dad knows the answer to that.  Those days were the ...these were tough days on Ann, five boys, she was heroic through it all. I had to travel a lot for my job then. I'd call and offer s upport but every mom knows that doesn't get the homework done or get the kids off to school.

Says he knew her job was harder than his and more important than his.  Women in the audience are weeping.

As America saw Tuesday night Ann would have succeeded at anything she wanted to do. (But she stayed home and sacrified for Mitt. Cool.)

Now talks about church, found kindship there.  It was a joy to help others. Says congregation was vibrant and ready to help each other out.  That's how it is in America.  We look to our communities our faith our families for our joy.  Tha'ts how and why we live our lives.  The strength and goodness and power of American has always been based on the strength and goodness and power of our families and our faith.

That's the bedrock of what makes America American....

..for too many Americans, good days are hard to come by. 

How many times do you wake up and feel something really special is happening?  Says people felt that way when they woke up and Obama was elected.  But if you felt that way about candidate Obama, shouldn't you feel that way about President Obama?

The president hasn't disappointed you because he wanted to. He's disappointed America because he hasn't led America in the right direction.  He ...had almost no experience working in a business.  Jobs to him are about government. (wild applause)

I learned the real lessons about how America works from experience...tells about his business.

7:45...Something about him and Ann sitting on their couch watching moon walk and knowing they lived in the greatest country in the world. "God bless Neil Armstrong."

He doesn't doubt Neil Armstrong's spirit still with us.  When you need to do the really big stuff, you need an American, he says.

My dad had been born in Mexico and his family had to move during the Mexican revolution.  Never made it through college.  Had big dreams.  Convinced my mom, a beautiful young actress to marry him.  Led a great automobile company and became governor of the great state of Michigan.  We were Mormons and growing up in Michigan that might have seemed out of place... but I dont' remember that.

Says his parents gave him unconditional love.  Cared more deeply about what we would be and not what we would  do.  All the laws and legislation in the world will never heal this world like the loving arms of mothers and fathers.

If every child could drift to sleep feeling the love of his family and God's love this world would be a far more gentle ...place.

7:42  ...when you lost that job that paid 22.50 with benefits you took two jobs at 9.95 per hour.  (He understands what it's like to work.)

You deserve it because your family depended on you. You did it because you're an American and you don't quit, standing there watching the gas pump hit $50, or when the realtor told you when you sold your house you had to take a big loss, what could you do.  Maybe spend a little time praying that tomorrow had been a better day.  I wish Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed. 

But as promises gave way to disappointment and division, this isn't something we have to accept.  This is the moment we can do something. And with your help we will do something.  Now is the moment when we can stand up and say I'm an American...my family deserves better, my children deserve better, my country deserves better.

7: 35 He smiles from podium and delegates kind of go crazy.  Mr. Chairman and delegates I accept your nomination for President of the United States...

Chants of Mitt, Mitt, Mitt.

I do so with humility. I'm deeply moved by the trust you've placed in me. It's a great honor.  It's and even greater responsiblity...By my side I've chosen a man with a big heart from a small town. 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. 

In the days ahead, you're going to get to know Paul and Janet better.  Talks about how he's not afraid to show he loves his mom.  Jokes that he likes his own playlist better than Pauls (on his Ipod.)

...

We're a good and generous people. Four years ago, ...when the televison commercials came off the air, we were eager to go back to work, positive optimistic...says optimism is uniquely American.

Refers to immigrants, who pursued the richness of this life, freedom of religion, freedom to speak their mind, and yes, freedom to build a business with their own hands. (Not that again!)

This is the essence of the American experience...

More on immigrants, kissing ground of America, seeing statue of liberty, but now for first time the majroity of americans doubt their children will have a better future....(Oh, he's going to hang all that on Obama. I seem to remember a general sense of abysmal pessimism during and after the Bush years...)

This is the time America was supposed to be paying down massive debt, this is the change America voted for....it's what Americans deserved.

Here he comes...

Lots of shouts of "Go get 'em..." Ryan and his blonde wife look a little shell shocked.

[An aisde...Michael Moore said today that Romney will win due to amount of money he has to pour into race.]

7:32...introduces Romney.  Romney coming down ailse shaking hands.

7:31: the story of our time will be written by Americans who haven't yet even be born.  Let us be sure they write they we did our part, that in the early years of this century, we lived in an uncertain time.  But we did not abandon what made us special....We chose a special man to lead us in a special time...and because we did the American dream lived on for another generation to inherit.

7:28 This is still the intro to Romney's speech..."That journey from behind the bar to this podium...

"we're special because dreams that are imossible anywhere else, they come true here.  But that's not just my story.  That's your story.  That's our story.  That's the story of your mothers who struggled to give you what they never had...that's the story of that teacher or coach who taught you the lessons that made you what you are today...

Refers to Romney's father coming to America to escape revolution ...and in November, his son will be elected president of these United States.

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 ordinary people who did extraordinary things...

Their stories may never be famous but in the lives they lived, you will find the essence of greatness...

 7:25 This is still the intro to Romney's speech:

Draws grim picture of American ecoomy.  "Yes, we live in a troubled time...but the story of those who came before us reminds us that America has always been about new beginnings.  Mitt Romney... knows that if we are willing to do for our children what our parents did for us, life in American can be better than it's ever been...

My mother was one of 7 girls whose mother often went hungry so her children wouldn't.  ...My dad was a bartender.  My mom was a cashier, a barmaid, worked at Walmarts.  They never made it big.  And yet they were successful...they made possible for us what had never been possible for them.

Many mornings I woke up just as my mother got home from the over night shift at Walmarts...My dad used to tell us, 'in this country you're going to be able to accomplish all the things we never could..."

7:21:  This is still the intro to Romney's speech:

He tells Americans they are worse off because others are better off.  Hope and change has become divide and conquer.  But in the end, this election...is about your future, not about his."  Wild applause.  "And this election is not simply a choice between a Democrat and a Republican. It's a choice about what kind of country we want America to be....

For most of human history most people were poor.  But america was founded on the principle that every person has God-given rights.  Founded on the belief that power belongs to the people, that government exists to ...protect our interests.  We should be free to go as far as our talents and our work can take us.

[I guess he's saying it's okay for Mitt to be wealthy.]

We're bound together by common values...Family is the most important institution in society.  And Almighty God is the source of all we have!

More cheering.

...Faith in our creatore is THE most important American value of them all.  And we're special because we've always understood the scriptural admonition "to whom much was given, from him much will be required."

7:16 p.m.: "Mitt Romney's a devoted husband, father, grandfather...role model for younger Americans like myself...we are blessed that a man like this will soon be the president of these United States," says politician introducing Romney. 

Acknowleges that President Obama is a good person.  "Our problem is not that he's a bad person.  Our problem is that he's a bad person.  You think he's watching tonight?"

Laughter.

Because he new slogan is "Forward..."  Begins mocking the slogan. "These ideas don't move us forward. These ideas move us backward..."