Elections

Romney: 'Vote for Love of Country' [VIDEO]

Not taking NH's 4 electoral votes for granted, the presidential candidate with a second home in the swing state delivered part of a closing argument Saturday in Portsmouth.

By Dan Tuohy and Robert Cook
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November 3, 2012

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Mitt Romney: "Vote for Love of Country" – The Republican presidential nominee spoke at a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., on Nov. 3, 2012, urging Republicans to get out the vote in 72 hours.

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Mitt Romney: "Vote for Love of Country" – The Republican presidential nominee spoke at a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., on Nov. 3, 2012, urging Republicans to get out the vote in 72 hours.

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PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Mitt Romney returned to New Hampshire, where he officially kicked off his presidential campaign, aiming to shore up support and influence any undecided voters before the polls open Tuesday.

"New Hampshire got me the Republican nomination and New Hampshire's going to get me the White House," Romney said Saturday at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.

As Republicans in the early morning crowd chanted, "Three more days, three more days, three more days," Romney urged them to make the most of those three days and encourage neighbors to support the GOP ticket.

In remarks that focused primarily on the economy, Romney compared his record with President Obama's first term.

"He said he was going to be the post-partisan president, but he's been the most partisan–dividing and demonizing," Romney said. "He said he was going to cut the deficit in half–he's doubled it. He said he would focus on jobs, instead he focused on 'Obamacare' that kills jobs."

The former Massachusetts governor said he also had a record of working across the political aisle, saying another four years for Obama would result in more Washington gridlock.

Romney's critique of Obama included the president's recent remarks that "voting is the best revenge." Instead, Romney said, "Vote for love of country."

WATCH the video of his remarks Nov. 3 in Portsmouth, N.H.

Romney was introduced by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), the last of a gaggle of local speakers that included former U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), Republican gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne, and state Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is among the Romney supporters campaigning in New Hampshire on Saturday.

The Romney event was the start of a 72-hour campaign blitz by both presidential candidates. President Obama, with Bill Clinton, is to speak Sunday in Concord. And Monday, less than 12 hours before New Hampshire polls open, Romney will speak at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, alongside Kid Rock.

Before Romney took the stage in Portsmouth to a popular Kid Rock song, supporters waiting to hear his closing argument spoke of his leadership. Margaret Roy, of Merrimack, cited his experience as a key to achieving economic growth.

"He's a complete package," she said. "Obama's been doing nothing but flailing and failing at running this country."

Tom Farrelly of Rye also cited Romney's business resume. "We need somebody who knows what's going on with business who's actually run a business," he said.

Brian Hawker of Portsmouth said Romney is presidential and had earned his vote after the debates. "I think he's finally got the momentum," he said.

Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, issued a statement in response to Romney's remarks:

"Mitt Romney can’t be trusted to work across the aisle as president because he’s never done it before. Despite his claims in the final days of this race, Romney refused to work with Democrats as governor. And throughout this campaign, he has shown himself to be too weak to stand up to the far-right wing of the Republican Party – whether it’s Grover Norquist, Richard Mourdock, or the architects of Republican obstruction in Congress. Mitt Romney’s proven he’s willing to say anything to win, but the American people understand Romney will never bring ‘real change’ – just the same failed policies that created the economic mess in the first place."

Emails blasts from the campaigns offer a glimpse of what the candidates will be hammering away at in the home stretch here: It's still all about the economy. In New Hampshire, the jobless rate is hovering at 5.7 percent, and the most recent unemployment report estimated 42,010 Granite Staters are out of work.

Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.

More than 50 years in Salem

2:20 pm on Saturday, November 3, 2012

Mittmentum. Go Mitt!

Colter95

3:14 pm on Saturday, November 3, 2012

Please don't let Obama sweep Benghazi under the rug...
Lets not forget those four who were left to be slaughtered in Benghazi... Do not reward Obama for this epic failure…

Every voter needs to read this excellent article... Very well worth your time...

http://spectator.org/archives/2012/11/01/benghazi-obamas-core-deceit/

These are pretty good as well:

http://www.gazette.com/opinion/romney-146793-obama-benghazi.html

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/dgreenfield/benghazigate-obamas-many-lies-about-libya/

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/50657

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/10/25/CBS-Busts-Obama--and-Itself-Hidden-60-Minutes-Clip-Proves-White-House-Lied-About-Benghazi

Romney/Ryan 2012

Celia Brown

9:06 pm on Saturday, November 3, 2012

tioally agree. Obama is an incompetent leader and should be thrown out..just for Bengazi. What about FEMA and the human disasters in Staten Island? to me this looks at par to Katrina but the lame media doesn't excoriate Obama. That's BS

Colter95

3:14 pm on Saturday, November 3, 2012

I saw Obama yesterday claiming the new job numbers are proof that his policies are working and that we are in an economic recovery... Fact is, that is not the truth, or even close to the truth...
First, the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9% and the year-to-date monthly average of 157,000 payroll jobs is barely enough to keep up with population growth -- much less make up for the 8 million jobs lost during the Great Recession.
Second, the so-called real unemployment rate (U6) remains elevated at 14.6%, albeit down from 14.7% the prior month. Similarly, the labor participation rate is at 63.8%, up from its multi-decade low but still incredibly weak.
Third, average hourly earnings fell a penny in October and average hours worked fell to 34.4 from 34.5 in September.
Stagnant wages means "we're not generating income," Reinhart says. "That's a problem in terms of the durability of an economic expansion, which is usually fueled by consumption. To get consumption you've got to generate income."
Also, just look at your checkbook. We are paying a lot more for everything now than we did in 2008. The price of gas has doubled. At the same time, wages have gone down, and that's if you're lucky to have a job.
In 2008, 25 banks went out of business. In 2012, 48 banks have gone out of business. Almost double the amount. Does that sound like recovery to you? Don't believe the Obama lies!!

Romney/Ryan 2012

Beth Panashida

5:58 am on Monday, November 5, 2012

Hi, are you my Colter,?
Ithing unemployment is much higher.
With all of the extensions on unemployment checks and people who have just given up or have gone under the radar, it may be higher than 30%
We don't know. You and Malkin are the only ones speaking the truth.
Love you, keep it going.