
Florence, South Carolina (CNN) - The day after he was roundly targeted by his rivals in a contentious debate, the GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney spoke before a sedate audience of roughly 100 in a cavernous room in Florence, South Carolina.
The candidate seemed to acknowledge the optics of a relatively small audience - compared to his previous events in the state - that was dwarfed by the large convention center. He immediately thanked the voters for showing up.
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"You guys are great to get up at - what time is it here, 9 o'clock in the morning in Florence?" Romney said. "Gosh, this is a work day, right?"
He planned to answer questions from reporters at a media availability following the rally, then travel to New York for an evening fund-raiser.


people of SC are already abandoning Myth MorNey ship of lies and distortions...say anything to become president Flip Flopper!!!
Rommney is weak! Obama should beat anyone the Repubs throw in!
How will he handle Rommneycare? Which is the model for the so called Obamacare! Which is dumb to label "Obamacare" It is healthcare for all!
His crowd was small just like his vision for this country. All he does is say that he knows how to create jobs and Obama is not living in the "real world". Do you think Mitt has any friends who are "average people" – I doubt it – although he appears to have borrowed some "average guy" jeans for this event. Somebody wore them and got them dirty for him. He is a pampered elitist whose only concern is to cut taxes for his rich friends. This guy will be a disaster if he makes it to the White House.
It is so pathetic that the politicians in South Carolina do everything within their power to keep people from voting and then these horrible GOP candidates go out to so-called town meetings and try to persuade them to vote.
Only 100 people. Just goes to show how much support you really have Willard.
If the Kochs and Rove don't bus in the 'rent-a-voter' crowd, there is no crowd.
Wait ... he said "Gosh, this is a work day, right?" his going to fix our economy and he isn't aware of what the standard work week is? I don't think it's a surprise that this man does not fill me with confidence to save our economy.
What did he expect ? Mitt Romney has NO PERSONALITY,NO TRUE FACTS TO RUN ON and is playing the role of " THE GREAT PRETENDER".
If Romney didn't know what time is was, he could ask the guy in the background who is looking at his watch.
I think I have figured out how Mitt Romney came up with his claim of 100,000 jobs created. That figure is how many jobs that Romney didn't destroy.
Look, Romney is the candidate. That does not mean the man will grow a personality, not will he be straightforward on the issues he does and does not support. But look at the "party" that supports him. It wants to: hurt the poor, end all social safety nets (medicare, medicaid, social security), it is spoiling for a war with Iran, it holds a hold of Taliban-like position on social policy that contradict each other (pro-life, but anti-child, pro-death penalty, etc.) and embrace thoughtless religion that is somehow labelled "christian", and will do anything to benefit the richest 1% of Americans.
Really, for voters of any cloth, what is there to get excited over? Romney fits the bill perfectly. The problem is the party, not the man.
Lose the jean, Mittens. They just aren't you and you come across as simply pandering to the middle class folks. Oh, that's right, you are pandering for votes; silly me! This guy is so fake, it's hard to know what's real.
Why wont he release his tax returns? Its fairly obvious that threw loopholes and tax shelters he did not pay very high percentage, and would having people know that would weaken his position of not raising taxes on the rich.
Really........................not sure anyone gives a darn about him or his businesssideco. WTHE!
Hey Mitt – perhaps everyone stayed home to read Obama's jobs plan – you know the one that the president has been promoting for months, the one the republicans have been fighting against, and the very same one you say doesn't exist.
Lying liar.
Romney isn't a very likeable person to start with, and it appears that the more they learn about him and hear from him, the less they like him. He's the epitome of the greedy 1%ers that nearly trashed our economy – the folks largely funding his campaign. They know they'll have a perfect puppet in willard – protecting the rich and screwing everyone else. He's made his career of it – now he wants to take it to a larger stage.
Evan
Why wont he release his tax returns? Its fairly obvious that threw loopholes and tax shelters he did not pay very high percentage, and would having people know that would weaken his position of not raising taxes on the rich.
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Gov. Romney knows that as soon as he releases his tax returns, people will go over them and recalculate how much money he would save if his own tax proposals, and others like the Ryan Plan, are put into effect. No doubt that Gov. Romney currently pays an effecive rate that is much lower than a bus driver.
Romney's tax plan could lower his effective rate significantly. So much so, that is would be embarassingly indefensible. His candidacy could become permanently damaged by the numbers ot the point that he would become unelectable. But, Romney would rather take the chance that he could prolong, postpone and delay releasing his tax returns at all until after he wins the both the nomination and general election. If wins both, he would release nothing.
"I think I have figured out how Mitt Romney came up with his claim of 100,000 jobs created. That figure is how many jobs that Romney didn't destroy."
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You mean it's impossible to gauge? Sounds like the number of jobs "saved" by Obama's porkulus.