AMES: Romney's Stump Speech

Key lines:

"Over the past seven months I've here, I've done over 200 events and my sons have visited 99 counties and I'll you, I love Iowa."

"Change begins in Iowa and change begins today."

"To make our economy strong, I want to make sure we welcome legal immigrants into our economy and end illegal immigration."

"I want to strengthen marriage. One of the most important ways to do that is to tell them that before they have babies, they get married. I want to clean up... moral pollution. What they see on the TV and the Internet."

Biggest applause line: "It's gotten popular as of late for a lot of people to be critical of the president. Nobody is perfect. But let's just remember: He has kept us safe these last six years.

Narrative metaphor: the three-legged school.


Style points: Romney wasn't wearing a tie! He wasn't even wearing a dress shirt. But his polo shirt was, for goodness sakes, black. It's 100 degrees outside.

Minor blooper: he said "green beans" when he meant "soy beans" although he corrected himself.