The Mississippi Press - Mitt Romney: Federal Government Could Learn from Mississippi

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By Cherie Ward

The Republican presidential race headed South on Thursday, when an eager crowd of about 200 people greeted Mitt Romney at the Port of Pascagoula.
Romney said the federal government should work to be more like Mississippi by tackling the budgetary and education issues that the state's government has taken on recent years.

"If the federal government were run more like here in Mississippi, the whole country would be a lot better off," Romney said.

The former Massachusetts governor also said that as president, he would work for energy independence, lower taxes, better jobs and increasing the military with a larger budget and more personnel.

"I spent my life in the private sector and I know how jobs come and go," Romney said. "For me, it's about more jobs, less debt, smaller government and getting people back to work."

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant introduced and endorsed Romney, comparing the candidate to President Ronald Reagan.

"People will embrace him like the crowd did here tonight," Bryant said. "He speaks to them with a Reagan-ish ability to connect. He's a dear friend of (former Republican U.S. Sen.) Trent Lott, and that will get you a long way in Mississippi."

Bryant said he was excited that Mississippi could be a major player in next week's presidential primary election.

"All of the sudden, the presidential election just dropped in on Mississippi a few days ago," Bryant said.

After the mixed results of this week's Super Tuesday voting, Mississippi's 40 delegates are especially significant in next Tuesday's primary election.
Alabama, with 50 delegates at stake, is also are expected to play a key role in Tuesday's primary voting.

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas also are on the two states' ballots.

After this week's voting, Romney leads the field with 415 delegates. Trailing are Santorum, with 176; Gingrich, with 105; and Paul with 47.

To win the nomination, a candidate must amass 1,144 delegates.

Bryant said he feels Romney's connection to women voters will go a long way in the South and push him over the top.

"One thing I've discovered about women is they don't like men to tell them what to do," Bryant said. "He'll bring the conservative women together. They want their sons fighting a war to be safe, and lower gas prices to take their children to school."

Carla Castorina of Hurley, who was the first Romney supporter to arrive at the port, said those issues weighed heavily on her mind. She said her son is serving in the U.S. Navy Reserves, stationed in Pensacola.

"I like his message," Castorina said. "I believe he will be a trustworthy commander in chief. There aren't many people who I would trust with my son. I would feel comfortable with his direction."

Romney spoke for about 15 minutes and then mingled with the crowd, shaking hands, signing autographs and answering one-on-one questions.
Nina Haggerty, 18, of Pascagoula, was able to snag one of those autographs.

"He signed the back of my shirt, and I'm never taking it off or washing it," Haggerty said. "I came here because this will be my first presidential election to vote in, and I wanted to support him."

And there were other first-time voters in the crowd.

Features editor Shelby Ramirez, 18, and editor Katherine Frye, 18, of Ocean Springs High School's newspaper, "The Hound's Tale," eagerly watched Romeny's speech alongside the national and local media.

"We wanted to be here because we want to take his message back to the student body," Frye said, adding she was not endorsing Romney, but trying to encourage her classmates to get out and vote on March 13.

"It's rather exciting," Frye said. "It's our first time to vote."

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