A crowd at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds waits for Mitt Romney to take the stage.

Mitt Romney is making two appearances Thursday in Colorado. During the first, he criticized his opponent's economic policies and promised to create 12 million jobs in his first four years in office.

The Republican presidential candidate first spoke to supporters in at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at Golden at 11:15 am Thursday. Later, he will meet with Republican governors in Basalt.

Among the governors joining Romney in Basalt is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who is on Romney’s short list of potential VP running mates.

During his speech in Golden, the former Massachusetts governor said his Democratic opponent has disappointed the nation. He shared a report card giving Obama poor marks on job creation, foreclosures and American incomes.

Romney is campaigning across Colorado on his first day back on the campaign trail after a bumpy overseas trip. He was mocked in England for questioning preparations for the summer Olympics, then criticized for saying culture explains the economic gap between Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

President Obama is scheduled to be in Denver and Grand Junction on Aug. 8 and then visit Pueblo and Colorado Springs the following day.

Obama won Colorado four years ago, but polls suggest it will be a tight race this November. The state, like the nation, has an 8.2 percent unemployment rate.