Today, more than half of college graduates nationwide under the age of 25 are unemployed or underemployed, the highest numbers we have seen in the past 11 years. Unemployment has only just recently dropped below eight percent, a number where it sat for over 40 consecutive months.

Our nation sits on the edge of a fiscal cliff and is burdened by $16 trillion in national debt, 50 percent more than where it sat four years ago. This trend has continued through policy after policy of deficit spending on entitlement programs that are in desperate need of reform. These trends will remain the same if we continue to be promised the impossible.

President Barack Obama’s slogan is “Forward,” but the question wemust ask is forward from what? Toward what? Forward from four years of economic policies that have hindered economic growth? Forward from month after month of terrible unemployment numbers? I agree with the president that we need to be moving forward. We must move forward towards a more productive America. Unfortunately, moving forward with our current president who appears incapable of offering new ideas would threaten our nation with another four years of poor leadership and ineffective attempts towards recovery.

Folks, this is it. While we are enjoying the leisure of a private, four-year, liberal arts college we need to realize soon that we will be the “under 25-year-old college graduate” these polls are summarizing. This crisis is our crisis.

Our economy is in a dire situation, our president has done little to improve the situation, and our generation is the most threatened, as we will have to take responsibility for this failure in leadership.

I recognize the difficulty of the task this president has been given. Nevertheless, he has chosen to pursue his own special projects while letting our economy – our futures – slip by the wayside. We need a president who recognizes that economic growth is vital in attempting to decrease unemployment and lift millions from poverty. We need a president who is not satisfied with where we are today and has the experience and knowledge necessary to pick this nation back up again.

I support Mitt Romney because I believe he is the only man who can take on this challenge.

As governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, Mitt Romney was able to stabilize an economy and state budget in disarray, decrease deficit spending in his state, and ultimately create a surplus in funds.

As a businessman, his experience turning major corporations away from bankruptcy and rebuilding them is essential in repairing the United States’ economy. He also demonstrated these skills in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, saving the games from financial collapse.

While partisans on both sides have been moving further and further to the extremes, Mitt Romney’s true colors as a pragmatic moderate have begun to shine. While he champions many conservative beliefs, his experience as a Republican elected in the liberal state of Massachusetts demonstrates his ability to work with the other side of the aisle, something we have not seen from the president who has often resorted to partisan bickering. In this age of ideology, Mitt Romney’s pragmatism cannot be overlooked and is a trait that uniquely defines him as the candidate who can free us from our current legislative gridlock.

In his address to the Republican National Convention, Governor Romney posed the question, “Is this nation better off than it was four years ago?” Unfortunately for our generation and unfortunately for our nation, the answer to this question is no. This is both unacceptable and gut-wrenching to say when, upon graduation, we will enter a difficult and tumultuous world. This election provides us with the opportunity to change the direction of our nation.

As a successful businessman Governor Romney understands what encourages businesses to grow and create new jobs. As a former governor, he understands the economic policies that will move our nation towards a track of job growth and investment.

Finally, as a Republican elected in the liberal state of Massachusetts with a history of significant legislative successes, he is the only candidate who has come to work with both sides to pass legislation and is the only candidate who I believe has the ability to do so again.