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Mitt Romney accepted the Republican presidential nomination last night with a forceful promise to lead America to renewed prosperity after years of mediocrity.

Presenting himself as the turnaround artist we need to finally end the cycle of dashed expectations and broken promises, Romney told the Tampa, Fla., RNC crowd:

“How many days have you woken up feeling that something really special was happening in America? Many of you felt that way on election day four years ago.” 

“But tonight I’d ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn’t you feel that way now that he’s President Obama?”

“You know there’s something wrong with the kind of job he’s done as president,” Romney said, “when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him.”

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Romney’s focus, like that of the nation’s voters, was almost exclusively on the stubbornly sluggish economic recovery, and he touted his business experience.

He mocked Obama’s famous 2008 line that his election could “slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet.” After a dramatic pause, he pointedly stated:

“My promise is to help you and your family.”

The former Massachusetts Governor’s 38-minute speech was light on policy details, but it did offer more autobiographical detail than he usually delves into.

As Ann Romney helped him do Tuesday, Mitt sought to push back against the caricature of him as an aloof, ruthless, out-of-touch corporate chieftain.

Like his running mate, Paul Ryan, he made clear overtures to ordinary citizens (women) in particular, to upend the notion that the GOP stands only for the rich.

Did he make the sale? Romney was running just about even heading into the Republican National Convention; we’ll see if this helps him make inroads against Obama.

Election 2012: