Perry Shakes Hands In Summerville

SUMMERVILLE — A crowd of about 150 people awaited Texas Gov. Rick Perry in Downtown Summerville Thursday afternoon.

The GOP presidential hopeful and his entourage arrived to chants of "Perry, Perry, Perry," as he walked a few blocks down W. Richardson Avenue and Main Street, stopping in on a few businesses, posing for photos and signing autographs as he went.

While many of the people that chatted with Perry were expecting him, a few just happened to be downtown when he arrived. Genevieve Henderson was in downtown to pick up her granddaughter and ran into Perry outside of Guerin's Pharmacy.

"We saw all the commotion and came over to see what it was," Henderson said.

Henderson is one of the undecided voters that Perry needs to reach in order to have a shot at stopping former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney following back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire.

She summed up what she's looking for in a candidate in a single word: "Jobs." Henderson said she reads the paper and watches the news to keep up with the campaign but she hasn't made up her mind on a candidate yet.

While Henderson hasn't settled on a candidate, plenty of people who came to see him Thursday are firmly in his camp. Many held official "Perry for President" campaign signs and some even made their own.

Joe Mitchell, 17, had both. A student at Summerville High School, Mitchell said he won't be old enough to cast a ballot in November — the sign he made said as much but added he was praying for a Perry win — but his parents are two voters Perry can count on next Saturday.

"I love how he's got a really good moral basis, and he served our country, and now he wants to serve the people too," Mitchell said.

Mitchell's mother Cindy Mitchell said Perry's record as Texas' governor is what set him apart from the rest of the Republican field for her.

"What he has done for Texas, he can take that and expand it and solve some of the problems plaguing the U.S.," Cindy Mitchell said.

The Mitchells recognize that Perry faces a challenge in winning in South Carolina, but hope no matter how he does here on Jan. 21 that he stays in the race.

"I'm afraid if he doesn't do well in South Carolina he may drop out, but you never know what will happen in South Carolina," Cindy Mitchell said.

"If he does lose in South Carolina I hope he carries on," Joe Mitchell said. "If you drop out you have a 100 percent chance of losing, but if you don't there is a chance to get the nomination, you always have to finish the fight."

Mount Pleasant resident and Army vet Barb Holloway also brought a homemade sign reading "Perry is Extraordinary," said Perry's faith is a major factor in her support.

"He has no fear of expressing his faith and his support for Israel, and his most recent list of initiatives are unique and very sound and good for America," Holloway said.

Perry didn't make any remarks or speeches while he was in town and headed off to Walterboro shortly after 3 p.m. for his next campaign event.