Romney Gets into Game Day Spirit, Urges Voters to Hire a New Coach
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(CINCINNATI, Ohio) — As football fans around the country celebrate the start of college football season, Mitt Romney got into the game day spirit, weaving sports analogies into his stump speech and urging voters in Ohio to consider hiring a “new coach.”
“Let me tell you, if you have a coach that is zero and 23 million, you say it’s time to get a new coach,” said Romney, speaking at a Cincinnati train station just a few minutes before Ohio State was set to kick-off its home opener against Miami of Ohio, a game that Romney’s running mate (and Miami of Ohio graduate) Paul Ryan is attending on Saturday.
“It’s time for America to see a winning season again, and we’re going to bring it to ‘em,” Romney said.
Romney, who ran through his five-point plan for improving the economy, received the loudest and longest sustained applause when he called for the repeal of Obama’s health care plan.
“I want to get rid of Obamacare and replace it with something that will hold down the price of healthcare,” said Romney, to applause that caused him to pause his speech. “We recognize what a great responsibility you’ve given us, how much you expect from us to be able to get back the White House and get America back on track.”
Romney did not place all the blame on the Obama administration, standing beside Speaker of the House John Boehner and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Romney said Republicans also have to keep up with their end of the bargain.
“We’re going to finally have to do something that Republicans have spoken about for a long time and for a while we didn’t do it,” Romney said. “When we had the lead we let people down and we need to make sure we don’t let them down this time.”
Romney, who quipped today that he chose Ohio as his first political stop after the convention because of the great reception he gets here, was scheduled to head back to Florida this afternoon for a joint rally with Ryan.
Romney’s alma mater, Brigham Young University, played their first game of the season on Thursday, right as Romney was addressing the Republican National Convention. The team beat Washington State, 30-6.
An aide didn’t immediately respond to question as to whom Romney is rooting for in Saturday’s matchups.
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