We believe the president's top priority for the next four years will be restoring health and vigor to the American economy, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the Republican candidate best suited to the task.

We believe the president's top priority for the next four years will be restoring health and vigor to the American economy, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the Republican candidate best suited to the task.



Romney, who launched his presidential bid at the Scammans' Bittersweet Farm in Stratham, has proven his financial acumen at every step of his career. He mastered the art of the business turnaround at Bain & Co. in Boston and his success led to his founding of Bain Capital, a private equity fund now overseeing $65 billion in assets. Bain became a world leader by managing and investing in such well-known companies as Hospital Corp. of America, parent company of Portsmouth Regional Hospital; Burger King; Staples; Toys "R" Us; and Sports Authority, to name just a few.



When the Salt Lake City Olympics was in trouble, Utah's governor hired Romney to make the rescue. He took over an Olympic organization that was losing so much money so fast, it was considering scaling back events. Romney's leadership transformed the quadrennial games into a winner that turned a $100 million profit.



As George W. Bush famously stated, the president is "the decider." Having capable advisers is important, but once all the conflicting cases have been presented, the president needs to choose a course of action. We feel confident that, when faced with choices about the direction of our nation's economy and governance, Romney will make sound decisions. And there's no question Romney in the White House will instill confidence in our nation's businesses and financial markets.



As the Republican governor in Democrat-dominated Massachusetts, Romney eliminated a $3 billion budget deficit and passed a health care law that brought the number of uninsured in the state to less than 2 percent, a remarkable accomplishment.



For political reasons, Romney has distanced himself from his signature achievement, arguing that while near-universal health care was right for Massachusetts, it is not right for the nation and individual states should decide what is best for their citizens. We understand the political need for him to say this, but we don't buy it. Reducing the number of uninsured in Massachusetts made good economic sense for the Bay State and it makes good sense for the nation.



One thing Romney has in common with President Barack Obama is that he's a good family man. He married Ann, his high school sweetheart, and the two have raised a close-knit family that now includes 16 grandchildren.



On Sunday, Dec. 11, The New York Times carried a story highlighting Romney's lifelong frugality. Despite a net worth estimated at $200 million, he can't bear to waste money. What better attribute could we ask of someone sent to Washington to increase efficiency and reduce government spending? Money not wasted is money that will be put to work rebuilding our nation.



For years, politicians have crowed about closing tax loopholes, but Romney actually did that as Massachusetts governor, bringing in more than $300 million in new revenue. Closing one particularly egregious banking loophole brought a settlement of more than $100 million. Romney is data driven and detail oriented, and he will not be easily duped by powerful interests and their lobbyists and lawyers.



The fix for nearly all the challenges facing our nation begins with getting the economy humming again. A growing economy bolsters national security by adequately funding the military, intelligence agencies, scientific research and development. Economic growth will increase the tax revenues needed to support our public schools and universities to educate the workers needed in an increasingly complex global marketplace. More people getting a paycheck means more people will pay their share of federal income taxes, Social Security and Medicare to help ensure the long-term viability of these important social safety nets. We appreciated Romney calling out Texas Gov. Rick Perry when he equated Social Security to a Ponzi scheme. Social Security is a promise of some financial security to people who have worked and contributed their entire lives. An improved economy would enable us to repair our crumbling roads and bridges and put our construction tradespeople back to work.



Despite the disaster in the eurozone, the American economy is showing signs of recovery. Economists recently increased growth projections for the fourth quarter while warning that Europe remains a dark cloud over the future. Obama will tell the American people his administration's policies and actions staved off a second Great Depression and got us back on track. Romney, if nominated, will debate that point with Obama and point to where he thinks the president could have done better.



We certainly disagree with some of Romney's positions: His opposition to equal rights for same-sex couples, his touting of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas as model Supreme Court justices, and his ambivalence about the degree to which human activity is contributing to global warming are a few key areas of disagreement. But our endorsement reflects our belief that, of all the candidates seeking the Republican nomination, Romney would make the best president.



Finally, it's our observation that Romney is a good man who is not a great politician. He is stiff and lacks the common touch. But the fact is, we're electing a president to tackle highly complex global problems on an hourly basis. It takes an uncommon person with drive, vision, intelligence and integrity to do that job right, and among the Republican candidates, Romney stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field. We encourage our readers to support Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primary Jan. 10.