Yesterday in the chatbox Jayde pointed out an article written by Teresa Pullium of the Cherokee Scout. Teresa’s article was a review of a recent speech by Mitt Romney which was the Annual Reagan Lecture given on May 25th at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

What was interesting to me about Pullium’s review was that though she was familiar with Mitt Romney she had not yet heard him speak before, nor yet met him in person. Pullium admits “I knew he was handsome, but I had no idea he was brilliant.” She waited in line for more than hour for Romney to sign her new copy of No Apology, and found Romney to be very sincere even in asking the simple question “how are you doing today?”

Some selections from Pullium’s review:

I was fortunate to have been in attendance at the lecture last week. After standing in line for more than an hour to meet him and get his signature on my copy of his new book, it was a pleasure to shake hands and be able to share a few words with him. He looks you directly in the eye, smiles and wants to know, “How are you doing today?” You know he’s not just asking to be polite.

[...]

One of the first things that impressed me about Romney was his grasp of facts. He didn’t use a Teleprompter, nor notes – just what was in his head. He spoke from the heart with a passion and love for America and the people who work so hard everyday just to make ends meet.

Romney shares Reagan’s optimism that we are still, and always will be, the “shining city on the hill.” He voiced his frustration at current and past administrations who seem to just accept that an “inevitable decline” is the norm.

[...]

In No Apology, Romney outlines the “three pillars that sustain a free and strong America.” These pillars are a strong economy, a strong military, and a free and strong people. He says, with all honesty, that he believes we’ve lost all three due to what is going on in Washington.

He makes the strongest case I’ve heard yet for why it’s important that we don’t concede and abandon agreements we’ve made with our allies. Doing so, Romney believes, will only make us weaker in the eyes of other countries who used to look to us for guidance.

[...]
I hope Romney decides to run for president again. Having met the man, heard him speak with honesty and sincerity, I would be proud to help with his campaign. Not too many politicians who speak today do so in a way that makes you forget they are involved in politics in any fashion.

Thanks Teresa. We too hope he runs again in 2012 and we’ll be very proud to help on on his campaign.

~Nate Gunderson

Click here to read the entire review.
Click here to watch Mitt Romney’s speech at the Reagan Presidential Library.