Romney Skips the Questions in Charleston Visit

CHARLESTON – Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wanted to deliver his standard stump speech without any problems in his first South Carolina appearance since squeaking out a win in Tuesday’s Iowa Caucuses.

So on the heels of awkward question-and-answer sessions elsewhere, the Romney campaign made sure everything was perfect, unlike Romney's first appearance in New Hampshire Wednesday. That featured a string of hostile questions from the audience, including one Occupy protester.

Minutes before taking the stage Thursday with Sen. John McCain and Gov. Nikki Haley, event organizers removed a dozen or so Occupy Charleston protesters from the crowd.

Police and Romney organizers said while the event was held outdoors at a state historic site, the grounds had been reserved and that Romney’s organizers reserved the right to eject anyone.

“We are political activists, so of course we wanted to hear what he had to say,” said Adrianna Veredi, who was initially escorted out of the event, but then donned a Romney sticker and returned. “We did not have a demonstration planned. We simply wanted to ask him a question.”

Veredi and a dozen or so Occupy demonstrators stopped a rally for Michele Bachmann November. Since then, most Charleston campaign stops have featured tighter security.

One remaining protestor yelled a question to Romney about his involvement in the closure of a paper mill in upstate South Carolina, but the question went ignored and Charleston police removed the man.

But for the most part, the rally was typical campaign-trail talking points, with Romney assailing Obama for his lack of experience. While repeating familiar lines that the president is a “nice guy,” he accused him of wanting the U.S. to be more like socialist European countries.

Romney, as well as McCain and Haley, played up the former Massachusetts governor’s experience as a private-sector executive. Those points, they say, make him more qualified to be president than Obama.

“Mitt and I fought in honorable combat for the nomination of our party back in 2008 … and afterwards there was no person that worked harder to help me,” McCain said in front of a crowd of 300 or so.

“I believe he has the agenda … and the ideals and the experience, in both the public and private sector, that is so badly needed now,” McCain said.

The crowd seemed to like when Romney talked up his business acumen.

“When he talks about his business experience, you really feel like he could fix our problems,” said Virginia Honeycutt of West Ashley. “When he contrasts himself in that way, you see that he’s a clear choice in this race.”

Though they felt moved toward Romney, Honeycutt and others said they are still deciding whom to support in the Jan. 21 Republican primary.

“I heard Newt (Gingrich) when he spoke in Bluffton, and he is very bright, but I lean toward Romney because of his business experience,” said Sam Willburn of Hilton Head Island. “In South Carolina, some people might lean toward (Rick) Santorum for his Christian conservative views, so it could be tight.”

Romney’s poll numbers have struggled in South Carolina, a state that has picked the eventual Republican nominee for 30 years.

“Santorum spent a ton of time on the ground in Iowa, so Romney winning 25 percent despite that says something,” Edward Dauginas of Mount Pleasant. “But at the same time, it also says that 75 percent of the voters aren’t so sure.”

Dauginas said he’s leaning toward Romney after hearing him speak in person.

“I think the debates are really a poor way to learn about them, and I wish they would do more of this kind of thing, where they are in front of the voters,” he said.

From Charleston, Romney, Haley and McCain head to Conway, S.C., for a Friday morning rally. They will again meet with voters in New Hampshire on Saturday in advance of a Republican debate that evening.