MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Now to the voice of one Republican in the presidential race. We've been airing excerpts of the candidates' stump speeches delivered in auditoriums, diners, living rooms. Today, we'll hear from Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. He's in a tight race with Mike Huckabee in Iowa. Romney spoke this morning in a living room in Ankeny, Iowa.
Mr. MITT ROMNEY (Former Massachusetts Governor; Republican Presidential Candidate): I think you're going to see more change in the next 10 years than you've seen in the last 10 centuries. And so in a time of change, in an election about the future, in an election about serious things, I think it's important to have somebody who knows something about change, who's lived in the private sector, who knows why jobs come and why they go, who's travelling the world to understand how we compete with other nations. And I will fight to strengthen America, to make sure that our future is bright and prosperous for our kids and for their kids.
Just like your dad said, I'm not terribly worried about me and how I'm doing and how my wife and I are going to do in our next three years. I'm much more concerned about my kids and what they're future is like. And their kids. And I remember, I was at a dinner in New York with a fellow named Ezra Zilkha. And he said to me, you know, what concerns me about America is that politics has become a profession, not a duty. And for me, politics is a duty. I didn't spent my life in politics. I spent my life in a private sector.
Twenty-five years in business. First, helping companies make or break decisions. I was a consultant, actually worked in Marshalltown, Iowa. I have thirst for controls. And got some good learning there. I must admit, I was happy to back to Marshalltown and to see if they were still there. My advice wasn't so bad that it put them out of business. And then I had a chance to start a business of my own. And that, plus by consulting assignments before it took me to about 20 countries around the world to do business.
Then I went to the Olympics, and they were in trouble. And together with a great team of people, we turned those games around made them a great success, most successful games, in some respects, of any Olympic Winter Games in history. Then I went to Massachusetts. It's not easy being the Republican governor in the most Democratic state in America. But we were able to do good things together. Republicans and Democrats came together to get the job done.
NORRIS: That was Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaking this morning in Ankeny, Iowa. We'll bring you more stump speeches as the election season continues.