Ann Romney praises Mitt as good, decent

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Ann Romney talked about love of family and country Tuesday and gave her audience a deeper look at her husband, Republican U.S. presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

"I want to talk not about what divides us, but what holds us together as an American family," Romney told the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. "I want to talk to you tonight about that one great thing that unites us, that one thing that brings us our greatest joy when times are good, and the deepest solace in our dark hours."

"Tonight I want to talk to you about love."

At the end of her speech, after she finished talking about how Romney makes her laugh, her husband walked out on stage, kissed her and escorted her off as the crowd applauded, whistled and shouted their approval.

She specifically addressed women -- mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and grandmothers she met from whom she heard stories about how hard it is to get ahead now.

"I love you women!" she said as applause boomed in Tampa Bay Times Forum that was peppered with "We Love Ann" posters. "And I hear your voices."

"You are the best of America. You are the hope of America," Romney said. "There would not be an America without you. Tonight we salute you and sing your praises."

While no woman in America expects her life to be easy, it's been harder during the last few years, she said. "It's all the little things that pile up to become big things."

"We're too smart to know there are no easy answers," Romney said, "but we're not dumb enough to know there aren't better answers."

She then discussed her husband, Mitt, who was formally nominated to be the party's presidential candidate earlier in the day.

Their marriage isn't a storybook marriage because storybook marriages don't include chapters on multiple sclerosis, which she has, or cancer, which she survived.

"What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage," she said. "I know this good and decent man for what he is."

"You may not agree with Mitt's position on issues or his politics, but let me say this to every America who is thinking about who should be our next president: No one will work harder. No one will care more. And no one will move heaven and earth to make this place a better place to live."

She said she was amazed that her husband's business success is being attacked.

"Are those really the values that made our country great? As a mom of five boys, do we want to raise our children to be afraid of success?" she asked.

"And let's be honest. If the last four years had been more successful, do we really think there would be this attack on Mitt Romney's success?" she asked. "Of course not."

Romney "was not handed success," his wife said. "He built it."

She also said her spouse doesn't like to talk about how he helps others because "he sees it as a privilege, not a political talking point."

Her family is no different than the millions of Americans who help their neighbors or communities out of the spotlight, she said.

"They do it because there is no greater joy," she said.

"This is the genius of America: Dreams fulfilled; help others launch new dreams," Romney said. "At every turn in his life, Mitt helped lift others."

And, she said, "This is the man America needs."

While saying she can't predict what will happen during the next four years, Romney made a solemn commitment:

"This man will not fail. This man will not let us down. This man will lift up America."

Returning to her discussion of love, Romney asked the audience to look into their hearts.

"This is our country. This is our future," she said. "You can trust Mitt. ... Give him that chance. Give America that chance."