The first night of the 2012 GOP convention was packed with powerful speeches that provide hope to America. Hope that we will have a new leader, hope that we will be serious about addressing the debt and deficit, hope that America will be strong again and hope that we will return to the principles that made America the greatest country in the world.

Some memorable quotes from Governor Chris Christi’s speech:

• You see, I believe we have become paralyzed, paralyzed by our desire to be loved. Now our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance and popularity were fleeing, and that this country’s principles needed to be rooted in strengths greater than the passions and the emotions of the times. But our leaders of today have decided it’s more important to be popular, to say and do what’s easy, and say yes rather than to say no, when no is what is required.

• They believe the educational savages will only put themselves ahead of children, that self-interest will always trump common sense, they believe in pitting unions against teachers, educators against parents, lobbyists against children.
  They believe in teachers’ unions . We believe in teachers.

• I am here to tell you tonight, it is time to end this era of absentee leadership in the oval office and send real leaders to the White House.

• I know we can be the men and women our country calls on us to be tonight. I believe in America and her history, and
  there’s only one thing missing now. Leadership. It takes leadership that you don’t get from reading a poll. You see, Mr. President, real leaders do not follow polls. Real leaders change polls.

• We believe — we believe we should honor and reward the good ones (teachers), while doing what’s best for our nation’s future, demanding accountability, demanding higher standards, and demanding the best teacher in every classroom in America.

Ann Romney also gave a powerful speech. Here are some highlights:

• I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a storybook marriage. Well, let me tell you something. In the storybooks I read,
  there never were long, long rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once, and those storybooks never seemed to have chapter’s called M.S. or breast cancer. A storybook marriage? Nope, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage.
• I love America
• You can trust Mitt. He loves America.
• This is the man America needs. This is a man who will wake up every day with the determination to solve the problems that others say cannot be solved, to fix what others say is beyond repair, this is the man who will work harder than anyone so that we can work a little less hard.

I can’t tell you what will happen over the next four years. But I can only stand here tonight as a wife and a mother and a grandmother, an American, and make you this solemn commitment.

This man will not fail.