Former Speaker of the House of Representatives came to meet and greet and make his case about why he believes he is the best-qualified candidate in the race. People turned out to see a charismatic and spell-binding speaker, and they were not disappointed.
The candidate stressed the need for energy independence and stressed his goal of driving down the price of gasoline to $2.50 per gallon. To emphasize that part of his platform, he stopped at a local gas station for a brief appearance after his appearance at the civic center.
Coming the day after the Super Tuesday elections, in which Newt Gingrich won only one state – his home state of Georgia – his campaign stops in Alabama drive home his determination to be a factor in this election year and to seek support among southern conservatives, and he found plenty of support during his visit to St. Clair County.
Freddie Turrentine, chairman of the St. Clair County Republican Party, said it was a great honor for Gingrich to put his county in the mix with larger metropolitan areas in the state.
And he is right.
Like Herman Cain’s visit to Talladega last October, Gingrich’s visit helps bridge the gap between television sound bites and the grass roots citizens who make the political system work, and make this a great country.
Those visits also emphasize the growing strength and organization of the GOP in our state, which should give the state a stronger voice in national politics.
And while this is not an endorsement, we appreciate the Gingrich campaign taking time to make a stop in our part of the country.
It was an exciting event for the area, and should help drive home the importance of citizen involvement in our electoral process. Having a chance to see the candidates in the flesh helps drive that point home.
