Turns out Romney did pretty well. He was smart enough to not waste a graduation by talking about his campaign, instead he focused on how these graduates can best operate in the future.

Here are some quotes:

"You know, I don't remember when it was exactly when I went beyond the sandbar. My family had a cottage on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. For the first 40 feet or so, the lake is shallow, warm, and protected from the big waves by a sandbar. That's where I spent most of the hot summer days as a boy. I liked it there. One day, my brother got me up on water skis. Perhaps fearing that a turn would cause me to fall, he drove the boat – and me – straight out into the deep. By the way, the lake is over 100 miles wide. I screamed the whole terrifying ride. But ever after, the deep water is where I wanted to be – body surfing in the breakers, water skiing, diving. Oh yes, the water wasn't as warm and calm, but it was clean and powerful and invigorating. I got out of the shallow water for good.

"Over the years, I have watched a number of people live out their lives in shallow water.

"In the shallows, life is all about yourself – your job, your money, your rights, your needs, your ideas, your comforts.

"In the deeper waters, life is about others – spouse, family, friends, faith, community, country. In the deep waters, there are challenging ideas, opposing opinions, protracted battles of consequence."

"You are, of course, giving a great deal of thought to your career. The economic environment may be more turbulent and competitive than my generation has known. Some of you will be tempted to stay near shore, where there are no big breakers and where you will never make any waves. Others will push beyond the sandbar, pursuing new frontiers, exploring new ideas, driving to achieve, to learn, to influence, to contribute.

"That, of course, is the heritage of this land. The people who came to Jamestown 400 years ago may not have all been saints. But they were all pioneers. They crossed the broadest waters and dreamed the grandest dreams. Their spirit is the American spirit. It is why America surpassed our native England to become the world's most powerful nation. And it is the heart and spirit of the American people that make this country the hope of the world. Great people have made a great nation."

"If there ever was a time for great Americans, great and good Americans, Americans who are willing to cross into the deep waters of life, it is now.

"You cross into the deep waters by marrying and raising good children. There is no work more important to America's future that the work that is done within the four walls of the American home.

"You cross into the deep waters by driving yourself in your education and in your avocation beyond the safe and comfortable, to reach new insights, to make contributions, to serve.

"You cross into the deep waters by serving in your church, in your community, in the military, in government or in volunteer service.

"I am optimistic about the future of America because I have seen the spirit and heart of the American people."

Another gem can be found here:

"It seems that Europe leads Americans in this way of thinking," Romney told the crowd of more than 5,000. "In France, for instance, I'm told that marriage is now frequently contracted in seven-year terms where either party may move on when their term is up. How shallow and how different from the Europe of the past."

And he twice referred to the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16 in which a gunman killed 32 people before killing himself.

"We're shocked by the evil of the Virginia Tech shooting," Romney said. "I opened my Bible shortly after I heard of the tragedy. Only a few verses, it seems, after the Fall, we read that Adam and Eve's oldest son killed his younger brother. From the beginning, there has been evil in the world."

He added: "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and TV and video games. The Virginia Tech shooter, like the Columbine shooters before him, had drunk from this cesspool."

Link

Pretty optimistic and inspiring and frankly the kind of talk our nation needs. Most of our social ills are rooted in the selfishness that permeates our society which Romney rightly deems the shallow waters. I was also glad to hear Romney bring up pornography as part of the cesspool that our nation has been fed. While I don't think this is something for a platform, greater awareness of pornography's effects on the nations young and the public at large would only have a positive outcome.

Romney spoke here with the kind of optimism our nation needs. Romney argued that as individuals and as a nation we are happiest and most fulfilled when we put others first, serve our communities and church's, are engaged in noble causes and take responsibility for our own actions. Truly, this is the message our nation needs.