Mitt Romney Stumps at Seven Oaks Park

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney stopped by Seven Oaks Park in Irmo Wednesday night just days before the first-in-the-south primary on Saturday.

Hundreds of people including Rep. Nathan Ballentine, Rep. Chip Huggins, State Treasurer Curtis Loftis and Sen. Ronnie Cromer gathered in the park's gym to see the former Massachusetts governor.

Even a member of Occupy Columbia dressed in an ostrich costume wearing a sign that read "Romney has his head in the sand about jobs in South Carolina" was in attendance.

The rally, which started about 25 minutes late, began with a few words from the South Carolina elected officials and Romney's wife, Ann, on why Romney should be the country's next president.

"The country can’t afford four more years of President Barack Obama," Ballentine said to a crowd of young and old, and military veterans. "Romney is able to turn around businesses and create jobs in the private sector."

"You don’t fix Washington by sending an insider. You send a businessman who has a vision and a plan. Gov. Romney is not only a successful businessman in the free market but he was also successful in turning around the Salt Lake City  Winter Olympics."

Romney's wife, Ann, joined in by telling the story of when the Romney family started to discuss another campaign run for president.

"I didn’t ask if he could win," Ann Romney said. "I didn’t ask who his opponents might be."

"That didn’t matter to me. I asked ‘Can you save this country?’ I believe in my heart that he can. I don’t think there’s anyone else that’s running right now that can beat Barack Obama and that can save America.

Lexington residents Wesley T. Owens and Anna Owens both agree Romney is the other candidate that can “fix” America.

Wesley Owens said Romney bridges gaps and can address concerns on all sides of the aisle, which is an important quality to have as president.

“You have your Newt Gingrich’s and your Rick Santorum’s who are trying to go so far right that they forget that there’s people in the middle that don’t buy into the left or right,” Wesley Owens said. “He reaches across aisles and make things happen.

He’s about what really has to be done. He’s going to make the hard decisions even though people don’t like it.”

Both Heather Kroes and Charlotte Kimsey, 24-year-old students at the University of South Carolina School of Law, said they were impressed by Romney’s speech but was still undecided about which candidate to vote for. 

Both said they don’t agree with expanding military presence overseas but thought Romney was the most sincere and credible candidate.

"I don’t want to continue military involvement or expand it," Kimsey said. "I don’t want to see a candidate who’s going to be gung ho about starting something with Iran for example."

"Maybe we do need a strong military but maybe that doesn’t need to be from a position of expansionism or starting more wars."

"Overall I was impressed with his sincerity. He really connected with me in terms of what he had to say and how he presented it. I think so far he’s the most credible candidate in the Republican party in the race right now."

After telling his story of enjoying a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, coleslaw and catfish from Hudson's Smokehouse in Lexington prior to the Seven Oaks event, Romney went on to critique President Obama's performance.

“There are people in this country that are hurting,” Romney said. “The president, when he ran for office said he was going to repair the nation and repair the world."

"He talked about bringing change and hope. Well, he brought the change but he didn’t bring the hope. This president has failed us."

Romney said if elected president he would cap the federal government spending and would “get America on track for a balance budget.”

He also said he would repeal Obamacare and would work to build a stronger military.

“I believe the best course for America is to have a military so strong and so superior to anyone else in the world that no one would ever think of testing the U.S. military."