But Romney insists that despite his strong standing and successful money-raising he is no front-runner. Most candidates are wary of being called the front-runner, well aware that this invites attacks from rivals.

Romney noted that public opinion frequently waxes and wanes over the long term, and top campaign officials describe his current bright poll numbers as "unnerving."

"I think Sen. McCain and Mayor Giuliani are the well-known names," Romney said. "What I'm pleased by is where I've had a chance to meet with people and they hear me speak, I get their support."

If elected, Romney would be the nation's first Mormon president. His father, George Romney, a governor of Michigan and former president of American Motors, strove for that milestone in 1968. His campaign faded after he said he'd been "brainwashed" by generals and diplomats about the Vietnam War during a trip there.

When Mitt Romney talks of his father, however, it is with reverence, as he describes George Romney's influence in shaping the person — and executive — that he became.

"When he was president of American Motors and then as governor of Michigan, he would take me to critical meetings and I would sit and listen to these meetings and I would learn how he approached a challenging situation," said Romney, who was 15 years old when his father first became governor.

"I didn't write down notes, it just permeated by osmosis," he said. "He was a very thorough, analytical, individual who could make a decision when called upon, but considered the upsides, the downsides, the risks, the rewards, and listened to the different viewpoints."

Today, Romney says he would bring that analytic approach to the federal government, which he calls "a mess" and "broken."

"My wife, Ann, says watching Washington is like watching two guys in a canoe on a fast moving river approaching a waterfall," he said. "They're not paddling, they're arguing."

His plan, Romney said, would be to hold the federal government accountable by publicly laying out the specifics of what he wants to achieve and regularly measuring for success. His goals include getting more people insured, improving the quality of schools, keeping taxes down, staving off violent jihad around the world, rebuilding foreign relationships, becoming energy independent and improving the environment.

"If you don't measure something, you can't change it," Romney said. "The process of leadership is one of painting a vision, then saying how you're going to get there, and then measuring whether you're actually getting there. Otherwise, you risk only talking about great things but not accomplishing them."