Romney Florida rally
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 4:58 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
TAMPA, Fla. -- It may have had a weak turnout, but Romney’s last rally with supporters in the Sunshine State before seeing tonight’s primary results was well-placed and well-timed at the Tampa Convention Center for one of the major notes he wants to get across.
“Right down the hall today, in this very building, there are 700 people assembled,” Romney threw into his speech. “These are people who stood in line -- most of them for years and years -- and worked hard to come to this country legally. Those people are Sworn in as citizens of the United States of America, and we salute them. And we say to the millions of people who have come to this country illegally, ‘Stand back and get in line!” Romney said to wild applause.
In addition to the key on-message lines the moment provided during his remarks, it also gave him some helpful photo-ops after the event with some of the new citizens milling around the convention center.
He made the same overarching attacks on McCain about the economy that he made throughout the day yesterday and promoted himself as the candidate who understands the issue.
Meanwhile, also weak like the crowd size was Romney’s thinning and tired voice, but it didn’t detract from his spirits. When he boarded the express jet that carried staffers and press around the state yesterday after the last event, he charged a couple of steps toward the back of the plane and joked loudly that they had just added five more stops.
And the candidate wasn’t the only buoyant Romney on the plane last night. Tagg Romney came back to the press after his father teased the press about more stops and asked reporters how many more stories about the Olympics they wanted to hear. Once the plane lifted off the ground, Josh Romney -- apparently the daredevil of the five brothers -- stood near the front of the almost vertical plane in socks on top of a Romney sign and slid down the aisle -- twice.
