With unemployment at 7.8 percent, 47 percent of American citizens not paying taxes because they do not fall into a tax bracket, a government debt totaling more than $16 trillion and more than 40 percent of U.S. citizens receiving government aid, America is truly in decline. The only way to resuscitate this ailing country is by electing a new president.

In an interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show during the first months of his presidency, President Obama said, “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.” This is a promise that the president made to the American people. This election is our time to collect on his promise.

Mitt Romney is America’s only hope for anything good in this election. Romney is the only candidate with business experience, a track record of turning deficits into surpluses, and bypassing partisanship.

Mitt Romney understands how to fix an ailing economy. When he became Governor of Massachusetts in 2003 his state had an unemployment rate that was higher than the national average of 6.3 percent, the housing market was on life support, and the state was a couple billion in debt.  Compared to other states, Massachusetts was doing worse than average. After his term, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts declined, the housing market revived, and a surplus was in place.

Romney did this by cutting taxes, reducing regulations, and cutting spending – the opposite of the President’s course:  raising taxes, adding regulations, and increasing welfare spending.

While the President’s simple plan of raising taxes on those individuals earning $250,000 or more sounds simple, Governor Romney understands that it’s really not as simple as “paying your fair share.”  As he has explained, the debt must be reduced because it is morally objectionable to pass a $16 billion debt to us and to our children.

Governor Romney understands the intricacies of business and will use his financial accumen to re-energize America’s sagging economy.  Romney is the only candidate who understands that success should be rewarded and not taxed.  

Foreign policy is another thing to add to the current administration’s long list of failures. Mitt Romney, like Reagan before him, believes in peace through strength not peace through appeasement, and that the only way to stop a nuclear Iran is through strength, not words.  Mr. Romney’s message of condemnation to the terrorist strike against the Benghazi embassy that resulted in the death of four Americans was swift, coherent, and offered no apologies to our enemies.  Mr. Romney understands that the President’s current appeasement tactics like apologizing on behalf of the creators of “misguided videos” aimed to hurt and denegrade the muslum faith instead of taking action and punishing countries for allowing their citizens to attack diplomatic envoys emboldens our enemies and weakens America’s stature.

Romney can repair America’s international image.  His hardline approach will send a clear message to hostile regimes.  Russian President Medvedev was told by the President that after the election there will be more flexibility.  A Romney White House will put an end to foreign policy that sends mixed messages to our adversaries.

Romney also promises to repair the tattered relationship with Israel by reestablishing Israel’s role as America’s closest ally in the region. Romney will work for peace between Israel and the Arab people, by making it clear to the Arabs that all final issues have to be negotiated under the guidelines of the Oslo Accords and not the UN.  Under a Romney administration there will be a clear blueprint for peace in the Middle East.

In the three years of the Obama presidency, the United States has been left at the precipice of failure. The world is watching our descent and has jumped at the chance to injure the paper tiger.  The Middle East is baring its teeth and America has done very little to defend herself.

American might has been replaced by apologies and appeasement. Our allies have been publicly humiliated by an administration who stands behind revolutions to topple them. And yet the President still stands before the American people without shame and asks the American people for its vote.  On Election Day I urge all voters to send the President a simple message: Time’s up.

Related editorial: Two Boiling Points of View: Obama for president, steering the right course