Mitt Romney speaks with a staff member during a soundcheck of the RNC stage.
Tampa, Florida -- Mitt Romney will give the speech of his political life Thursday night as an estimated 40-million people look on.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush says Romney needs to "connect with people emotionally" during his speech, which is scheduled for 10:25 p.m. from inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
READ: Excerpts from Mitt Romney's speech
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"Secondly I think he needs to try and lay out a really optimistic alternative to the pessimistic climate that we're in right now," Bush told reporters on Thursday.
Romney will be introduced by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.
Many say the Republican National Convention got a bolt of energy Wednesday night with stirring speeches by Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
But Thursday, all eyes will be on Romney, who must prove to Americans that he is both likeable, trustworthy and has the vision to handle the issues facing this country if he hopes to become the next President.
"He's got to talk to the people out there who if they have a job are scared to death they're going to lose it and he's got to say to them, I know how to ... get this train running again," former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said.
Helping to set the stage for Romney on Thursday will also be some Hollywood star power, as actor/director Clint Eastwood is expected to speak briefly around 10 p.m.
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