Today was a busy day for the Republican party in Florence, South Carolina as the candidates made their rounds after last night’s debate in Myrtle Beach. Both Gingrich and Perry were in Florence today with Gingrich making an appearance in the Art Trails Gallery and Perry making an appearance at the Drive-in Restaurant. I was unable to attend the Perry event but I did make it to the Gingrich event.
Mr. Gingrich has a lot of ground to make up in the polls so he is covering a lot of ground in the state before Saturday. He appeared energized after the debate and he made an appearance in Myrtle Beach before coming to Florence. He underestimated the travel time due to beach traffic congestion and he was late making it to Florence. This did not seem to bother the enthusiastic crowd that packed the art gallery.
State Representative Kris Crawford spoke beforehand to the packed out crowd in the Art Gallery. He spoke of the importance of this election and having the right candidate to win against President Obama. After Crawford spoke, Bill Pickle, chair of the Florence County Republican Party whipped the crowd into frenzy leading them in chants of “Newt” as he introduced Mr. Gingrich.
- Bill Pickle introduces Mr. Gingrich
- The media covering the rally
Gingrich took the podium after the rousing introduction. The main thrust of his remarks was how he was the best candidate to defeat Obama in November. He made a few humorous remarks showing his sharp wit. He distanced himself from Romney by painting him as a moderate. Gingrich pointed out how Reagan defeated Carter in 1980 with the classic line, “Well, there you go again.” The reason this tactic was so effective for Reagan according to Gingrich was the extreme differences in political philosophies of the two men. A moderate Republican candidate would not been able to pull off this tactic according to Gingrich. Gingrich noted his achievements and his experience which qualify him to be President. Volunteers gave out copies of the 21st Century Contract with America. I recorded Gingrich’s opening remarks and uploaded it to Youtube. Stephanie Rawlinson has created a slideshow presentation of the morning’s event.
Related articles
- Gingrich gets vote from S.C. lieutenant governor (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Gingrich: ‘I Would Be Delighted’ If Santorum Dropped Out (blogs.wsj.com)
- South Carolina debate: Can ‘janitor’ comments spark Newt Gingrich comeback? (csmonitor.com)
- Romney hits back at critics after debate (cnn.com)
- Gingrich: His 15% Flat Tax Matches Romney’s Effective Tax Rate (blogs.wsj.com)
- Romney’s small crowd in Florence (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
