Transcribed and edited by Jenny Jiang

Excerpts from the third and final presidential debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida on Oct. 22, 2012

Transcript of Gov. Mitt Romney’s closing statement: 

Thank you. Bob, Mr. President, folks at Lynn University – good to be with you.

I’m optimistic about the future. I’m excited about our prospects as a nation. I want to see peace. I want to see growing peace in this country. It’s our objective.

We have an opportunity to have real leadership. Americans can have that kind of leadership and continue to promote principles of peace to make the world a safer place and make people in this country more confident that their future is secure.

I also want to make sure that we get this economy going and there are two very different paths the country can take.

One is a path represented by the President, which at the end of four years it’d mean we’d have $20 trillion in debt heading towards Greece. I’ll get us on track to a balanced budget.

The President’s path will mean continuing declining in take-home pay. I want to make sure that our people’s pay turns around and starts to grow.

The President’s path means 20 million people out of work, struggling for a good job. I’ll get people back to work with 12 million new jobs.

I’m going to make sure that we get people off of food stamps – not by cutting the program but by getting them good jobs.

America’s going to come back and for that to happen, we’re going to have to have a President who can work across the aisle. I was in a state where my legislature was 87% Democrat. I learned how to get along on the other side of the aisle. We’ve got to do better than Washington. Washington is broken. I know what it takes to get this country back and we’ll work with good Democrats and good Republicans to do that.

This nation is the hope of the Earth. We’ve been blessed by having a nation that’s free and prosperous thanks to the contributions of the Greatest Generation. They held the torch for the world to see – a torch of freedom and hope and opportunity. Now it’s our turn to take that torch. I’m convinced we’ll do it.

We need strong leadership. I’d like to be that leader with your support. I’ll work with you. I’ll lead you in an open and honest way. And I’d ask for your vote. I’d like to be the next President of the United States to support and help this great nation and to make sure that we, all together, maintain America as the hope of the Earth.

Thank you so much.

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Learn More:

• C-Span.org: Video of the final presidential debate on Oct. 22, 2012
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