Romney tours Detroit Auto Show
Posted: Monday, January 14, 2008 10:18 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike
DETROIT, Mich. -- There were far more cameras trained on Mitt Romney
today at the North American International Auto Show even than there
were in College Station, Texas, where he gave his long awaited speech
on faith in December.
As he toured the maze of the latest and greatest vehicles on the road
with wife Ann, son Tagg and his wife Jen, one onlooker marveled at the
handfuls of cameramen swarming them who nearly clocked dozens of
reporters with their gear to get the perfect shot and joked to a nearby
group, "Did Jesus just show up? No they wouldn't even care." Another
man also impressed by the monstrous crew muttered, "When the press runs
like that, you know it's somebody."
Even campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht said, "Congratulations everyone
for surviving that, well done," after the traveling press boarded the
bus to head to the next event.
Not that it should have been that surprising. Romney's been dogged in
pushing the familial storyline that just might resonate in the Motor
City: He was raised here by a three-term governor who happened to helm
a car company before heading to the statehouse. And the younger Romney,
who said during a major speech earlier in the day that one of his
fondest memories was going to the auto show as a boy with his father,
also made a point of making sure listeners and supporters knew that he
was taking his son along with him today.
As he weaved through the Chrysler, Ford and GM areas of the display, a couple of reporters riffed off questions at him like "What would you be if you were a car?" and "Is the future of the industry fuel cells or hybrids?" He didn't answer either of those, but he did say, "I sure have!" when asked if he's ever owned an imported car. He later said he hasn't kept track of what they were, but he's sure there have been a few through the years - though he drives a Mustang now.
Romney got behind the wheel of a Ford Explorer and asked some questions of his own in front of the newly minted 2008 car of the year, the Chevy Malibu Hybrid, before holding an avail in front of a new GM Fuel Cell.
He didn't cover a whole lot of new ground with reporters, but Huckabee wasn't too far away when he took questions about his rivals, as he was also touring the show and was also in the GM section at the time.
Asked what he thought of Huckabee's tactics -- employing sermons on the trail and using his stump in church -- Romney retorted, "I haven't been attending his church. I went to my own last weekend, and I've got enough to do to go to church to worship and then to get out with my campaign pitch, so I'll keep to that plan."
Asked why he's talked more about Huckabee and McCain and has trailed off his mentions of Giuliani recently, Romney answered, "I think honestly the reason I mention their names is that they tend to be the guys in the first three contests and are actually significant in the contest here." As for Giuliani, who refused to discuss the trio's chances in Michigan earlier today, Romney still thinks the GOP won't nominate a candidate who can't doesn't neatly encapsulate the three spheres of Reagan Republicanism.
As for McCain, the Arizona senator also toured the show and arrived just after Romney had exited. So Romney won't be alone in the auto-focused headlines and photos and will have to share with his rivals, Huckabee and McCain. Still, should Romney fall to one or both of them in the Wolverine State, he repeated again tonight that he plans to go forward with his candidacy through Feb. 5 - though he said he does plan on winning Michigan.
