At no time in recent memory has this nation faced a greater array of formidable, complex and potentially dangerous challenges. The very nature of those complex challenges and the potential means of addressing them is a recipe for divisiveness. As Americans continue their search for a new commander-in-chief, they should search for an individual with vision, intellect and experience.

In a Republican presidential field that boasts a host of candidates who bring a wide range of talents and experience to the table, we think former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney rises to the top as the best choice to lead his party toward the 2008 election.

While he lacks a lengthy track record in the national and international political arena, he brings a proven track record of success in both the public and private sectors. Those documented skills have prepared Romney well for the tasks facing the occupant of the Oval Office.

In terms of education, none are better prepared to assume the nation's highest elected office. Romney earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971 with highest honors, graduating as valedictorian of his class. Four years later, he graduated from a joint JD/MBA program coordinated between the Harvard Law School and the Harvard Business School. He graduated with honors from law school and in the top 5 percent of his business school class.

After a successful business career in which he rose through the ranks of a Boston management consulting firm before co-founding a highly successful private investment firm, Romney rose to national prominence when he was hired as the new president and CEO of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, turning what had been a financially troubled event into a successful and profitable one.

While all experiences point to what we feel would be a successful term in the White House, Romney's four years as governor of Massachusetts, a solidly Democratic state, underscore his potential for leading this nation. Those four years demonstrate his understanding of economic principles, the intricacies of reform and, most of all, his understanding of the need to work with those on the other side of the political aisle.

Both the economy and the budget in Massachusetts were in better shape at the end of Romney's term than at the beginning, and the state had made significant strides in the areas of education and health care.

Those results were not Romney's alone, but they were, in our view, the result of his vision and his leadership.

Republicans need to think not only about a candidate who can win but also about a candidate who has the ability - the track record - to actually run the country if they win.

That person is, in our opinion, Mitt Romney.