“This has been a good day for me,” Mitt Romney told a crowd of supporters Tuesday afternoon. Just hours before Romey’s appearance at RC Fabricators in Wilmington, Rick Santorum announced he was suspending his campaign for the Republican nomination for President.
Highlights from Mitt Romney's presidential campaign stop in Wilmington.
Highlights from Mitt Romney's presidential campaign stop in Wilmington.
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It was no surprise the former Massachusetts governor opened with an acknowledgement of that news, but the crowd of about 500 reacted with uproarious applause for the contender who then outlined what he said are weaknesses in President Barack Obama’s policies, how he plans to conduct a campaign against the President in the fall and how he intends to improve the economy should he be elected to the country’s highest office.
Before the event, Romney met with about a dozen women business owners about how they have suffered during the economic downturn. He said during the event that the “real war on women” has been economic. He said women have lost 92.3 percent of the jobs lost during the Obama administration.
“If we’re going to get women back to work,” Romney said. “We’re going to have to elect a president who knows how the economy works and I do.”
During the question-and-answer period of the event, a woman told Romney that she hoped he would go “toe to toe” with President Obama during the general election and challenge claims made by the incumbent.
“(Obama’s) clearly trying to hide from us what he intends to do,” Romney said. “He’s going to hide, and it’s my job to seek, and our job to seek. It’ll be a hide and seek campaign.”
A woman from Bethany Beach asked Romney if he, having heard Santorum had dropped out, had thought about a running mate.
“I’m here to announce today,” he paused. “I don’t even have a list.” He said he didn’t expect Santorum’s announcement Tuesday and he would start the process of considering names, that’s all.
Ray Miller, of Hockessin, said he is a Republican who wanted to see Romney for himself and hear him speak, rather than hearing sound bites in the media.
“I think he demonstrated strong leadership,” Miller said. “He was smart, articulate – presidential.”
Miller said hearing the candidate’s speech won him over to Romney’s side. “He’s my man.”
While many believe Romney has all put locked up the Republican nomination, Delaware is still seeing its share of campaign ahead of its April 24th primary, though following his announcement; Santorum canceled an appearance he had slated at the Camden-Wyoming Fire Hall in Camden Wednesday afternoon.
And though his name was never mentioned to Romney’s Wilmington town hall, Newt Gingrich is still running in the First State, hoping to collect Delaware’s 17 delegates in the winner-take-all primary contest. Gingrich was to first to visit Delaware late last month. He has made several stops in the state since and has more scheduled this week, including as stop at the Newark Senior Center Wednesday. Gingrich also has a variety of media appearances scheduled on Delaware radio stations.
Before the town hall event, Delaware Democrats gathered at the corner of North Church and East 9th streets, down the block from RC Fabricators.
Joe Aronson, executive director of the Delaware Democratic Party, spoke along with local union leaders, criticizing Romney’s positions on the economy among other issues. A crowd of Democratic supporters behind them held up signs that labeled Romney as “the 1 percent” and “out of touch.” A few more supporters at the corner encouraged passers-by to “honk for Obama.”
“Romney made it clear to the middle class he doesn’t care about us,” Aronson said. He noted Romney’s wealth and the 13.9 percent tax rate he pays, in addition to holding off-shore investments in the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg and other foreign countries.
