Mitt Romney is a man who relishes the tough challenge -- he has made a career of it -- but the challenge he now faces is unquestionably the biggest of his career.
Greater than his quixotic, but surprisingly successful, Senate campaign against Massachusetts institution Ted Kennedy. Greater than his resurrection of various struggling or just plain down-and-out companies through his Boston-based venture capital firm.Thursday the Boston-based businessman was named the new president of the scandal-plagued Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
The 51-year-old Romney, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with strong Utah ties, comes in facing enormous expectations. Would you ever figure to be described as a knight in shining armor, coming in to save a desperate situation? That's what Romney has to deal with.
"The candidate I'm looking for is the white knight who is universally loved," SLOC Chairman Bob Garff said many times before Romney was finally chosen.
Two SLOC presidents, Tom Welch and Frank Joklik, have already gone down in flames -- Welch resigned in 1997 after being charged with spouse abuse and Joklik resigned last month amid allegations of bribery, scandal and corruption.
Will the third president be the charm?
In Romney's maiden public appearance before the world as Utah's new Olympic leader, "charm," as in personal charm, was the key word. As he's already known as an excellent speaker and a magnetic personality, it's probably not going too far to say that Romney wowed the SLOC board of trustees in a speech after his appointment.
Radiating confidence, Romney ticked off various things he promised, in no uncertain terms, to do.
"I will absolutely spend no more money than we take in," he said. "No way. . . . No shortfall. No shortfall is acceptable."
That promise is significant. Olympic sponsors are jittery in light of Salt Lake's tarnished bid effort, and there has been significant uncertainty since the scandal broke about whether the organizing committee can keep all the cash cows in the barn.
He put his money where his mouth is.
Romney told reporters he would accept no salary until after the Games are over and only if they break even, at least. If that happens, he said he expects to be paid the same salary as Joklik: $280,000 a year.
He also told reporters he has no desire to further a political career by taking the SLOC job. "I've tried that before and I think I've had enough."
Romney said he will form a core of "Olympic ambassadors" to travel the world reassuring existing sponsors and getting more, including Utah businesses. He also promised to protect Utah's environment and have Utahns "fully share in the thrill of the Olympic Games," though he didn't say exactly how.
He promised the local volunteer effort will be "unlike any in the history of the Olympics."
In his goals Romney was both sweeping ("put on the greatest Olympic Games on Earth") and specific (the opening and closing ceremonies "have to be fitting for Utah, for America, not just another Hollywood minute.")
He also reminded the board of the reason organizers are there.
"The Olympics is about sport, not business. It's about athletes, not the managers."
As to whether Salt Lake -- and Romney -- can pull the 2002 Winter Games out of the greatest scandal in Olympic history, he said this: "In the history of America, time and again the few sometimes disappoint -- but the many succeed. . . . I look forward to being one of the many."
Les jeux son fait, as they say in French -- a language Romney speaks, and which he will be hearing a lot in his meetings with international Olympic types. The dice are thrown. A movie buff, Romney would be familiar with Gregory Peck's line in "The Guns of Navarone": "You're in it now -- up to your neck."
Intense international attention is on Salt Lake City -- and Romney is now the lightning rod. Given the unique situation in Salt Lake, if Romney succeeds, he succeeds big.
By the same token, if he fails, he fails big.
After Caesar crossed the Rubicon and triumphed in the ensuing Roman civil war, this was his cry: "Vini, vidi, vici." I came, I saw, I conquered.
Romney has crossed his own version of the Rubicon. He has come. He has seen. Whether he will conquer remains to be seen.