2012: Romney begins exploratory phase

Although visiting Iowa in advance of a 2012 White House bid hasn’t appeared to be a priority thus far for 2008 presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, he announced Monday that he is launching an exploratory committee.

The move, which is often the first official act taken by presidential hopefuls, allows Romney to begin raising money directly for a presidential campaign.

Romney was the first place finisher of the Iowa Republican Straw Poll in the summer of 2007, an event fueled by campaign money that provides a glimpse of the grassroots reach of a candidate. Moving into the fall of 2007, Romney was considered a favorite that would likely receive the boost of a GOP caucus win in January 2008. Ultimately, however, Iowa Republicans chose former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had strong appeal with evangelicals.

Romney made the announcement on his website via the video below:

Video transcript:

Hello, I’m Mitt Romney. This morning I spoke with a number of students here at the University of New Hampshire. Like young people all over the country, they wonder whether they’ll find good jobs when they graduate.

Last week, in Nevada, I walked through a neighborhood with homes vacant or in foreclosure. Unemployment there is over 13 percent. Across the nation, over 20 million Americans still can’t find a job, or have given up looking.

How has this happened in the nation that leads the world in innovation and productivity? The answer is that President Obama’s policies have failed. He and virtually all the people around him have never worked in the real economy. They just don’t know how jobs are created in the private sector.

That’s where I spent my entire career. In 1985, I helped found a company. At first, we had ten employees; today there are hundreds.

My work led me to become deeply involved in helping other businesses, from innovative start-ups to large companies going through tough times. Sometimes I was successful and helped create jobs, other times I was not. I learned how America competes with companies in other countries, why jobs leave, and how jobs are created here at home.

Later, when I served as governor of Massachusetts, I used the skills I had learned in 25 years in business to streamline state government, balance the budget every year, and restore a $2 billion rainy day fund.

From my vantage point in business and in government, I have become convinced that America has been put on a dangerous course by Washington politicians, and it has become even worse during the last two years. But I am also convinced that with able leadership, America’s best days are still ahead.

That is why today I am announcing my exploratory committee for the presidency of the United States.

It is time that we put America back on a course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington.

I believe in America. I believe in the freedom and opportunity, and the principles of our constitution, that have led us to become the greatest nation in the history of the earth — and I believe that these principles will confirm American’s future as well.

This effort is not about a person, it is about the cause of American freedom and greatness. I’d like to ask you to join with us — volunteer, donate, or just pass this along to a friend. Thanks so much.

(Editor’s Note: John Amick of The American Independent contributed to this report.)