Romney's son speaks to MU

Craig Romney raised awareness about his father's presidential campaign.

By Kyle Daly

Published Oct. 26, 2007

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's youngest son Craig visited MU's College Republicans on Wednesday afternoon to talk about his dad's leadership abilities.

The Romney family stopped at MU while on a cross-country journey to gain campaign support and promote their own program, Students for Mitt.

"It has been so fun and so refreshing for us to meet with people like yourselves that are already caring about the future of their country," Craig Romney's wife Mary Romney said.

The Students for Mitt program, which Craig and Mary Romney created, gives high school and college students the opportunity to help support Romney's presidential campaign.

According to the program's Web site, students are able to organize their own fundraisers and receive prizes according to the amount of money they raise.

The Romneys have been traveling around the country since the summer visiting college and high school campuses.

"We've been all over: Florida, New Hampshire and South Carolina," Mary Romney said. "We've been everywhere."

The College Republicans welcomed Craig Romney to MU with a pizza lunch in Memorial Union. All students from the university were invited to attend.

College Republicans Vice Chairman Marcus Bowen said he thinks its great that Craig Romney and his wife visited.

"He's coming out to talk about his dad's campaign," Bowen said. "I'm glad that they chose the University of Missouri, the premier university in our state."

Craig Romney said he was not there to make a speech about his father's policies, but to give students a unique perspective on a man that they only know from the media.

"I am not a public speaker, and I am not a politician, but I do my best," Craig Romney said. "And the reason that I do that is because I believe strongly in what my dad believes and what he can do for our country."

According to RealClearPolitics.com, an independent political Web site that averages polling data from various news sources, Romney is already ahead of all the other Republican candidates in the states of Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan.

Unlike some other politicians who speak only in generality, Mitt Romney has clearly laid out a plan for this country, Craig Romney said.

"He wants to make sure we have a strong military, make sure we have strong family and make sure we have a strong economy," Craig Romney said. "He believes that if we strengthen those three things, everything else will come along with it, and we will have a great future."

Craig Romney encouraged students to visit his father's campaign Web site to learn more about his plans of action.

Craig Romney, who is 26, began his talk on Wednesday by saying how he can relate to the college crowd.

"We're not to far from being college students ourselves," he said, referring to his wife and himself. "I graduated in 2005."

Craig Romney graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in communication.

The majority of Craig Romney's 10-minute talk focused on his father's past successes and leadership qualities.

Known for turning around businesses that were doing poorly, Mitt Romney was eventually chosen to be president and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee to help save what could have a been a disastrous 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Craig Romney said his father helped save the Olympics.

Facing a financial crisis and a hoard of unpopularity among the citizens of Utah, Mitt Romney received national recognition by erasing the Olympics' $379 million operating deficit and inspiring the Utah community to come together in the spirit of the Olympics.

Craig Romney ended his lecture by claiming that his father is different from the other candidates.

"There are a lot of good candidates out there, and they've all got a certain piece of something," Craig Romney said. "I think my dad has the whole package.

He's a man of faith, a man of integrity, a man of intelligence, and he's a man of experience. Those are the things that really set him apart from the pack."

Students who came to the lunchtime meeting on Wednesday consisted of both Republicans and Democrats.

"I support him 100 percent," said senior Nikki Swisher, a supporter of the Republican Party. "I'm putting his bumper sticker on my car tonight."

Bowen, of the College Republicans, said he was glad to see even a few Democrat students in the room.

"We Republicans believe in an independent thought," Bowen said. "There are some Democrats here today, and God willing, maybe they will be enlightened a little bit, and maybe they'll have the opportunity to hear Craig and perhaps they'll change their mind. So, we're happy to have them here."