MORGAN: Mitt and Ann Romney. This is PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT. I'm at the old Royal Naval College in London, one of our finest historical and military monuments. Behind me is the Equestrian Centre for the Olympic Games. And the reason that's relevant is that my guests tonight, Mitt Romney and Ann Romney, and Ann Romney has a horse in that race. She actually has a part ownership in Rafalka, which is in the dress hour section of the Olympic equestrian competition.
Tonight, I'll be talking to the Romneys about that and about the election. And, well, just about everything else. Including their very enduring and very touching love story.
Governor and Mrs. Romney, it must feel -- how does it feel to be back at the Olympics? Because the Olympics have been such a huge part of your life. You helped turn around the Salt Lake Olympics. Are you excited to be back here now?
M. ROMNEY: It's great. It's absolutely fabulous. You know I'd never been to an Olympics before I was given the Olympic job. I mean I've done the same thing everybody else did. I watched the games on TV. But to actually be here and to experience not just the athletes but also the volunteers who are working hard and excited, and then the whole community comes together.
It's fabulous. And these games, you know, great weather, enthusiasm on the part of the people here in London. I think you're going to see terrific games that will be long time in our memories.
MORGAN: You've been slightly criticized for knocking the British enthusiasm. As if you haven't picked up much enthusiasm. You feeling it now?
(LAUGHTER)
M. ROMNEY: Well, I'm delighted to see the kind of support that has been around the torch for instance. I watched last night on BBC an entire program about the torch being run across Great Britain. And the kind of crowds. I guess millions of people that turned out to see the torch. That's what you hope to see.
MORGAN: I made a fascinating discovery last night, Governor, which is that you are more English than I am. Did you know this?
M. ROMNEY: I did not know that.
MORGAN: Your great, great, great grandfather, Miles Romney, was born in Preston, Lancashire. My great, great grandfather was born in Ireland. You are technically more English than me.
(LAUGHTER)
M. ROMNEY: Well, I knew that my ancestors came from here. And I know Miles Romney. And Miles Park Romney. These are the folks that came and helped settle the West. But it's -- I didn't realize I was more English than you are but --
(LAUGHTER) MORGAN: Do you feel -- do you feel partly English?
M. ROMNEY: Well, I'm married to a girl from Wales.
MORGAN: Yes.
M. ROMNEY: And I'm a guy from Great Britain so I'm -- I feel like this is home, too, I guess.
(LAUGHTER)
A. ROMNEY: And I saw a good omen as we were driving in. The road in front the horse park where we're sitting in front of is Romney Road.
MORGAN: Is it really?
A. ROMNEY: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: Isn't that extraordinary?
M. ROMNEY: Yes.
A. ROMNEY: I thought it was quite interesting.
MORGAN: On the Salt Lake, you've used this as an example of your business skills being able to turn things around. And that's been a theme -- well, we'll come to Bain Capital and that later. Why do you think the particular skill set that you had to deploy at the Salt Lake Olympics, which by common consent was a triumphant turnaround? Why would that work with America incorporated?
M. ROMNEY: Well, of course, the Olympics, that's very different than a country. And a business is very different than the country, but people who learn the experience of leadership, whether in their homes, in their community, in their business or in something like the Olympics, those lessons of leadership can be applied to other circumstances.
In our case at the Olympics we faced tough times. We built a strong team. I was able to establish with them a clear vision of what we needed to do. We tackled a budget crisis that we faced. And we were able to come together in a way through unity that produced an extraordinary success.
The country is in need of a turnaround. The Olympics was a turnaround. There are businesses I've been associated with that needed a turnaround. That kind of experience, of focusing on the most critical issue, building the most effective team possible, creating a common vision, unifying around that vision, and then delivering results, is something I think the American people would like to see in our economy right now.
