For the past three-plus years, this country has been led by an individual serving an on-the-job training internship.

The country deserves better, and the consequences of having an amateur in this powerful position are obvious.

Mitt Romney has both the training and experience to be a far more able and effective president.

The country cannot afford another four years under the leadership of Barack Obama. Granted, he inherited many challenges, but he also inherited and enjoyed the opportunity to show his leadership and vision. He flunked the test!

His pledge of making “fundamental changes” in this country resulted in the federal government taking greater control of the lives of most every American. His pledge of openness and transparency proved to be phony, and the nation’s debt is a killer and getting greater day by day. Unemployment and underemployment numbers are a disgrace, and Uncle Sam’s respect abroad is not what it should be. The growing, record number of Americans relying on food stamps is a disgrace.

He pledged to reach across the aisle to work with Republican legislators, and this has proven to be another hollow vote-getting vow. Even though Democrats controlled both the U.S. House and Senate for the first two years of his presidency, he was unable to present and get approval for a federal budget.

The deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi shows he and his administration have been asleep at the switch and unprepared to protect U.S. interests abroad.

Even more troubling, the above-mentioned situations illustrate the unwillingness of Obama and his senior aides to be open and honest with the American public. Once a person does not tell the truth or tries to rely on half-truths, how can an individual ever have confidence in that person and believe he is telling the truth on other matters?

Romney has been tested time and time again as governor of Massachusetts, where he was able to develop, initiate and get passage of positive legislative actions even with strong Democratic majorities in the state Legislature. He has run successful businesses and chaired the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Voters have the opportunity of bringing about many positive and remedial changes for this country through private ownership and free enterprise by electing Romney, or turning this country over to greater government control, an escalating national debt, continued unemployment and a weakened America by giving Obama another four years in the White House.

Seldom has the American public been offered such divergent opportunities, and seldom has the country needed new, visionary, tested and experienced leadership in the White House as much as it does at this time.

The country needs Mitt Romney. He, too, will be inheriting serious challenges, just as Obama did, but, due to his experience and knowledge of business, his successful record of working with those of opposing political and business philosophies, and his deep and basic belief in free enterprise, private ownership and less government control — and the goodness of America — he is the right person at the right time to heal, protect and strengthen this country.