Politics & Government

Spirited Crowd Cheers on Presidential Hopeful Mitt Romney

Greenville crowd was probably one of Romney's best stops in the Upstate

Cheering before he even hit the stage, this crowd was fired up.

"President Romney! President Romney!"

"We want Mitt, We want Mitt!"

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People stood shoulder-to-shoulder and packed in as tightly and as closely as they could to the stage.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley didn't have to worry about warming the crowd up for Mitt Romney. They were ready.

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Members of the crowd cheered and the yelled their support for the former Massachusetts governor, even when Haley stumbled in her speech calling him Barack Obama.

"This current president wants to weaken our military and President Obama wants to strengthen our military and will never apologize for it," Haley said. It was then she realized she had said the wrong name.

"Oh, no. McCain did that two weeks ago, and, I just turned 40 today," she said.

The crowd, who had booed and cheered, during Haley's remarks, forgave the mistake easily singing, "Happy Birthday," to the state's first female governor.

"Let's make this clear, President Romney will take care of our military," she said.

Also joining Romney on the stage were his wife, Ann, and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

McDonnell the leader of the Republican Governor's Association, who had endorsed Romney earlier in the day, came to the state as Romney was making his last push through to garner support from voters.

Cheers erupted from folks from the Commonwealth of Virginia as their governor was introduced.

"The best leader for America is the person I'm endorsing for president, Mitt Romney," McDonnell said to the cheering crowd. "I think there's a 100 people here from Virginia, too."

McDonnell continued his comments talking about how Washington needs new leadership.

"We've got a surplus of debt and a deficit of results," McDonnell said.

By the time Romney delivered his 15-minute speech with more fire and passion than had been seen at earlier events in the Upstate, the crowd was ready to vote right then.

Among them college students from Southern Virginia University.

Paige Cason and Micah Safsten traveled to South Carolina to stump for Romney. Cason, who is from Clover, S.C., said that last week the group decided to get on the road and get the word out about Romney.

"We are in support of Mitt and we want to see him win," Cason said. "We went campaigning in neighborhoods in Greenville today, knocking on doors and reminding people to vote."

Safsten said the two of them together hit about 70 houses and asked the residents to go vote.

"College students need to understand what's being said," Safsten said. "And what they need take out of all of this, from each of the candidates and not just support the ideological views of their school or their parents, but to develop their own ideas.

Jennie and Todd Sibley came out with their four children in tow. They wanted to hear Romney talk just one more time before they cast their votes on Saturday.

Jennie Sibley said that she thought that Romney was the best option out there for her family.

"He has the likeablity, he supports our values, and because of his private sector experience, he has good, solid ideas," she said.

The couple had supported Romney's bid for president in 2008, even though Todd Sibley jokingly said he was voting for Ron Paul on Saturday. He said that he had been looking at each of the candidates, but that this was his second Romney event.

"His private sector experience," Todd Sibley said, when asked what it was about Romney that made him support him. "He has a plan to lead us out of the recession."

And looking at his four children standing around, Sibley said he wanted someone who was going to protect their futures.

"We can't wait for him to win and to be our next president," said Natalie Smith.

Smith who had come to the event with her husband and two children, was excited to have a campaign poster signed by Romney.

"I like his policies," Smith said. "I like that he wants to get rid of Obamacare and bring this country back around, and reduce the debt, and make this country a better place to live."

Smith said that she had supported Romney before and she was happy to do it again.


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