“I believe in America and in the American people. That I believe that this nation is unique and exceptional and that we have everything we need to continue to lead the world in prosperity and in peace.” – Mitt Romney

Romney believes in America. He said it when he announced his presidential campaign and today he told Chris Wallace during an appearance Fox News Sunday he hopes the one thing voters take away from his acceptance speech on Thursday night is that he believes in America.

Here’s a transcript of the exchange:

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: “What do you hope to achieve over this next week in Tampa?”

MITT ROMNEY: “Well, I’d like people to stand back and say what are the big issues that America faces. And what are the answers that I have and that Paul Ryan has for the issues that we face. And I believe that if people stand back and consider all that America has to deal with going forward, they’ll recognize that we’re the only team that has answers for these challenges. And they’re big and bold answers. America needs that kind of help at a time when so many people are out of work or underemployed or having a hard time making ends meet.”

CHRIS WALLACE: “If voters take away one thing from your big acceptance speech on Thursday night, what do you want that to be?”

MITT ROMNEY: “That I believe in America and in the American people. That I believe that this nation is unique and exceptional and that we have everything we need to continue to lead the world in prosperity and in peace.”

Have you ever Barack Obama say he believes in America?

According to Fox News, when asked what his father would say to him on this occasion, Romney told Wallace that his father would tell him to be bold:

“He gave some advice to the new governor of Michigan, John Engler, years ago. And I’ve heard him give it to many people, which is be bold. Don’t worry about what people think, just be bold, get the job done. That’s the advice he’d give me.”

That advice reminds me of the meme associated with recent landing of the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity, on Mars; dare mighty things. While that may have been appropriate meme for the audacious sky crane landing of Curiosity, NASA didn’t originate the phrase. It comes from Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena: Citizenship in a Republic,” speech delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910.

Imagine if we elect President Romney, who will dare mighty things and has the experience to accomplish such goals.