WEST DES MOINES -- November, not tomorrow night, was a big part of Republican Mitt Romney's message Wednesday night.

"This next election is about the future of America and not its past -- the future for us, the future for our family and the future for our entire nation," Romney told a crowd of nearly 500 people at the Hy-Vee Conference Center. "The beauty and prosperity of the future and the shape of the future is going to be defined by the new solutions we bring to the new generations of challenges that America faces."

Romney said America's strength doesn't come from the government, but from its citizens. He said that America is distinguished from other countries because of its culture, values and ethics.

"When I watch John Edwards from time to time get up and talk about 'Two Americas,' I am tempted, well, to offer an expletive like 'baloney' because we are one America," he said. "When it comes to matters that matters the most, Americans come together and stand for this great country and you see it time and again."

He stated how his entire life has prepared him for change: turning around the Salt Lake City winter Olympics, balancing the Massachusetts' state budget as governor and providing health insurance for every citizen in the state.

The former governor attributed all those things he accomplished to teamwork and working with a bipartisan Legislature. He credited his leadership skills and his ability to guide an enterprise in his 25 years in the private sector.

He said that he would represent the values of strong families and to make sure that they are safe with a stronger military. He also vowed to keep taxes down in order to keep the economy strong, to ensure great jobs for the children and a prosperous future for them.

In the end of his speech he asked for the audience for their help tomorrow, and asked them to bring their friends to the caucus.

Listen to IowaPolitics.com audio of the Romney event

Labels: Republicans