Gov. Christie: We are going to make America great again

This transcript is automatically generated

Okay.

-- -- -- Well.

This stage and this moment rules are very improbable for me.

A new Jersey Republican.

Still learning.

The keynote address to our national convention.

From a city -- -- with 700000.

More Democrats.

Than Republicans.

A new Jersey Republican rule.

See it before you tonight.

Proud of my party.

Crowd in my state at -- in my country.

Now.

I -- the cylinder.

Called an Irish father.

And a Sicilian mother -- My dad.

While blessed to have you here with me tonight.

His gregarious.

Outgoing and lovable.

My mom while policy years ago.

With the enforcer.

-- she made sure we all knew who said the rules.

Healthiest way in the automobile of life.

-- was just a passenger -- -- the driver.

Now they both lived hard lives.

Dad grew up in poverty.

And after returning from army service.

He worked at the breyer's ice cream plant in 1950 years now -- that job in the GI bill.

He put himself through Rutgers University had -- To become the first and his family and -- a college degree.

Our first got -- picture was on his graduation day with my mom beaming next to him six months pregnant would make.

Now mom also came from nothing.

She was raised by a single mother.

Who took -- three different -- every day to get to work.

And -- with the time that she was supposed to be appreciated.

Actually raising children.

For younger brother and younger sister.

She was tough as nails and didn't suffer fools at all -- the truth was she could afford to.

She spoke the truth bluntly it directly.

And without much Hornish.

I am.

-- -- I was her son.

How was your son as I listen to the darkness on the edge of town with my high school friends on the Jersey Shore.

And I.

I was her son.

When -- -- -- that studio apartment that would married you have to sort of marriage sits down 26 years old.

I was her son.

That's our coast our sons Andrew and Patrick on the -- amend them as I watched with -- That's our daughter Sarah and Richard Marks -- good soccer teams in the Labor Day parade.

And -- -- -- today as governor.

Following the rules she taught me.

To speak from the heart.

It's a fight for your principles he -- mom never thought you get extra credit just for speaking the truth.

And had the greatest lesson the mom ever taught -- there was this one.

She told -- either -- to your life.

When you have to choose.

Between being loved.

And being respected.

-- she said it's always pick being respected.

She told me that envelope without respect which always fleeting.

But that respect.

Could grow -- real and lasting love.

Now of course she was talking about women.

But I've learned over time that applies just as much to leadership.

In fact I think that advice applies to America more than ever today.

-- I believe we have become paralyze.

Paralyze -- desire to be loved.

-- our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance of popularity there were fleeting.

At this country's principles.

Need to be rooted in strains are greater than the passions in the emotions of the times.

-- our leaders today.

Decided to add more to be popular.

-- popular decision.

And do what's easy and say yes rather to say no -- We know is what is required.

In recent years.

In recent years we as a country gives you often -- in the same -- It's been easy for leaders to say not us it's not now it's taking on the really tough issues.

And unfortunately -- stood silently by wrong and let -- get away with it.

But tonight I say he now.

Tonight.

Tonight I -- again.

Let's make it much different choice tonight we are speaking -- For ourselves and stepping up.

-- tonight we're beginning to do what is right in what is necessary to make America great again.

We are commanding.

Our leaders stop -- each other down at work together to take action on the big things facing America tonight.

We -- gonna do my mother taught me tonight we're gonna choose respect over love.

See we're not afraid.

We are not afraid we're taking our country back because we -- the great grandchildren.

Of the men and woman who broke their backs in the name of American ingenuity the grandchildren of the greatest generation.

The sons and daughters of immigrants.

The Brothers and sisters of everyday heroes the neighbors.

Of entrepreneurs and firefighters.

Teachers and farmers are better -- factory workers and everyone in between.

Who shows up.

Not just on the big days we're the good days but on the bad days and the hard days.

Each and every day.

All three -- 65 of them.

You see we are all United States of America.

It I.

Now.

Now now it's up to us we must lead the way our citizens live.

To lead as my mother insisted I live.

Not quite avoiding truths especially the hard ones but -- facing up to them and being better for it we can't afford to do anything less.

-- I know this.

Because this was the challenge -- New Jersey.

When I came into office I could continue on the same path that led to wealth and jobs and people leaving our state.

-- do the job people elected me to do to do big things.

Now you're those -- couldn't be done but the problems were too big two politically charged.

With two broken fix.

We were on a path we could no longer afford.

To follow.

Now they -- it was impossible -- what they told me.

To cut taxes in the state where taxes were raised 415.

Times in the eight years before it became governor.

That it was impossible to balance -- budget the same time.

-- eleven billion dollar deficit but three years later we have three balanced budgets in a row with lower taxes we did it.

-- They said.

They said it was a possible.

To touch the third rail of politics to take on the public sector unions had to reform -- pension and health benefits system that was headed to bankruptcy.

But would bipartisan leadership.

We save taxpayers a 132.

Billion dollars over thirty years and saved retirees their pensions and we did it in the.

They said.

They said it was impossible.

To speak the truth.

For the teachers' unions.

They were just too powerful.

The real teacher tenure reform.

That demands accountability.

And ends the guarantee of a job for life regardless of performance he said it would never happen.

For the first time in one.

-- dream years -- bipartisan support or you know the answer we did it.

Now.

-- the disciples.

Of yesterday's politics they always underestimate the will of the people.

They assumed our people were selfish.

That would told the typical problems the tough choices and the complicated solutions that they would simply turn the backs.

That they would decide it was every man for himself.

-- a word wrong.

The people of New Jersey stepped up they shared in the sacrifice the Oil -- did.

They rewarded politicians who lead instead -- politician to pander.

But you know.

We shouldn't be surprised.

We shouldn't be surprised he'd never -- -- country just shy away from the truth in our history shows.

That we stand up when it counts and it's this quality that has defined America's character and are significant in the world.

Now.

I know the simple truth and I am not afraid to say.

Our ideas are right for America and their ideas have failed America.

Okay.

Let me be clear with the American people tonight here's what we believe it's Republicans and what they believe as Democrats.

We believe in telling hardworking families the truth about our country's fiscal realities telling them what they already know.

The -- of federal spending does not end -- With five trillion dollars in debt added over the last four years we have no other option.

But to make -- hard choices.

Cut federal spending and fundamentally reduce the size of this government.

-- OK okay.

They believe that the American people don't want to hear the truth about the extent of our fiscal difficulties they believe the American people need to be coddled.

By big government.

They believe the American people are content to live in the line with them the wrong.

We believe it's telling our seniors the truth.

About our overburdened entitlements.

We know seniors -- we want these programs to survive but it just as badly want to secure order -- grandchildren.

Our seniors are not selfish.

-- -- They believe seeing is always put themselves ahead of her grandchildren.

And here's what they do they cram their vulnerabilities.

And scare them it -- -- information for the single cynical purpose of winning the next election.

Here's their -- or whistle a happy tune what's driving us off the fiscal cliff.

As long as they are behind the wheel -- power when we fall.

We believe.

That the majority of teachers in America know our system must be reformed to put students first ever so that America can compete.

At teachers don't teach to become rich or famous they teach because they love children.

We believe.

We believe that we should honor and reward the good ones while doing what's best for our nation's future.

Demanding accountability but.

Demanding higher standards at demanding the best teacher in every classroom in America.

Get ready -- who they believe.

They believe the educational -- who always put themselves headed children.

That's self interest will always -- common sense they believe in -- unions against teachers educators against parents and lobbyists against children.

They believe in teachers' unions we believe in teachers.

I.

Am.

I.

-- if we tell the people that shoot.

Good thing black bigger than the pettiness we see in Washington DC and we believe it's possible to forge bipartisan compromise ends.

Stand up for our conservative principles.

Okay.

Yeah.

Because it's always been.

The power of our idea is not our rhetoric that attracts people to our party.

We win.

When we make it about what needs to be done we lose when we play along with their game of scaring and dividing.

-- -- for make no mistake about it everybody.

The problems are too big.

So let the American people lose the slows economic recovery decades a spiraling out of control deficit.

And in education system that's failing to compete in the world.

It doesn't matter how we got here there's enough blame to go around.

What matters is what we do now.

See yeah.

I know.

I know we can fix our problems.

When there are people in the room who care more about doing the job they were elected to do.

Then they -- worry about winning reelection.

It's possible to work together to achieve principled compromise could get results for the people who gave us -- jobs.

The first play and patients -- way anymore.

It's simple we need politicians to care more about doing something and less about being something.

And I believe me.

Believe me if we you do this in a blue state like New Jersey with a conservative Republican governor.

Washington DC is out of excuses and.

Leadership delivers.

Leadership counts.

Leadership matters.

And here's a great news I came here tonight to bring you.

We have this leader for America.

We have a nominee who will tell us the truth -- with conviction.

But now we as -- running mate who will do the same we have governor Mitt Romney congressman Paul Ryan.

-- Are.

The -- I know Mitt Romney.

I don't mean -- Mitt Romney will tell us the hardships we need to hear what is back -- path to growth.

They create good paying private sector jobs again America Mitt Romney we'll tell us -- we need to hear and the torrent of dead.

But -- compromising our future and burying our economy Mitt Romney.

We'll tell us the hard -- we need to hear and the debacle.

-- the world's greatest health care system in the hands of federal bureaucrats putting those bureaucrats between American citizen and her doctor.

I.

Now.

We ended -- -- of -- leadership without purpose or principal in New Jersey.

I'm here to tell you tonight.

It is time to end this year of absentee leadership in the Oval Office at seven -- -- back to the White House America -- Mitt Romney Paul Ryan and we need them right.

We've got to -- each -- the truth right.

Listen there is doubt and fear and root for our future in every corner of our country.

I have traveled all the countries I've seen this myself these feelings -- real this moment is real and it's a moment like this where some skeptics wonder if America greatness is over.

They wonder how those who have come before us at the spirit and the tenacity to lead America to a new year greatness in the face a challenge.

Not to look -- say not me.

But -- the -- say yes me.

Now I -- answer tonight for the skeptics in the naysayers the dividers and the defenders of the status quo.

I have faith in us.

I know.

I know we can be the men and women our country calls -- us to be tonight.

I believe in America their history and there's only one thing missing now leadership.

It takes leadership but you don't get from reading a poll you see Mr.

President.

Real leaders don't follow -- real leaders change -- I.

That's what we need to do now.

You can change -- the power -- -- principles we need to change pollster restraint about convictions tonight our duties to tell the American people the truth.

Our problems are big in the solutions will not be painless.

We all must share in the sacrifice and any leader that tells us differently is simply not telling the truth.

It tonight.

I think tonight the greatest generation.

We look back and marvel at their courage.

Overcoming the Great Depression.

Fighting not security.

Standing up for freedom around the world well now it's our time to answer history's call for make no mistake.

Every generation will be judged and so will we.

-- our children -- grandchildren say Abbas.

They say we bury our heads in the sand.

We -- ourselves and the creature comforts -- required that our problems were too big and we were too small.

The so what else should make a difference because we can't.

Or will they say of us that we -- job.

And made the tough choices that needed to be made to preserve our way of life.

You see I don't know about you but I don't want my children grandchildren have to read the history book what it was like to live -- an American century.

I don't want their only inherited could be enormous government that is over taxed over -- and over -- a great people at the second class citizenship.

I want them to live -- a second American century.

-- I.

An American century.

How strong economic growth -- those who are willing to work hard.

We'll have good paying jobs to support their families and reach their dreams for a second American century we're real American exceptional -- is not a political punch line.

What is evident to everyone in the world just by watching the way our government conducts his business every day and the way Americans live their lives the second American century.

Were military strong.

Our values are sure our work ethic is -- and our constitution remains a model for anyone in the world struggling for liberty.

Okay.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- remembered for generations to come standing strong for freedom will make the next century as great American century is the last one you see.

This is the American way we have never.

Been victims of density we have always been the masters of our own.

Okay.

You know.

I know you agree with me on this.

I will not be part of the generation that fails that test and neither will you.

Okay.

-- It's got to understand not on the chin up.

-- -- If you're willing to stand up with the need for America's future I will stand up with you if you're willing to fight with -- -- for Mitt Romney.

I will fight with you do if you're willing.

About the hard road ahead and the rewards for America that -- will bear.

I'm here to begin with you do this new era -- talent tonight.

We choose the path that is always -- our nation's history tonight.

We finally and firmly answer the call that so many generations about the courage to -- before us.

Tonight.

We stand up for Mitt Romney as the next president of United States.

Okay.

I had together everybody together.

We will stand up once again for American greatness for our children and grandchildren god bless you and god bless America.

Am.

I.

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Gov. Christie: We are going to make America great again

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Clips

2012 Republican National Convention speeches

Romney: What America needs is jobs, lots of jobs

Rubio: 'Hope and Change' has become 'Divide and Conquer'

Eastwood: Time for somebody else to solve the problem

Pam Finlayson recalls how Mitt Romney cared for her family

Couple praises Romney's compassion for their dying son

Jeb Bush: Our future as a nation is at stake

Craig Romney: Mitt Romney es un hombre de familia

Gingrich: Put real leadership back in the White House

Rep. Ryan: Let's get this done

Rice: America will not be reluctant to lead

Gov. Martinez: President Obama did build our debt

Huckabee: We know we can do better

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