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LOGAN — Mitt Romney was welcomed by a doting and generous Cache Valley crowd at two fundraising stops here Friday evening.
Organizers hoped the two receptions — one at a home in Logan's foothills, another at the Riverwoods Reception Center — would bring in $100,000. That amount would equal half of what residents in the area gave to Romney's 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. The official total raised at Friday's events has yet to be released.
"If anybody knows how to do business to get jobs to help people, I say it's Mitt Romney," said supporter Paul Larsen. Larsen's neighbor, Marlowe Goble, hosted the first event of the evening at his home. It was reportedly for donors contributing $2,500 each.
An estimated 60 people attended that private reception, according to one attendee, while about 160 attended the reception at the Riverwoods, which had a minimum $500 price tag to attend.
If anybody knows how to do business to get jobs to help people, I say it's Mitt Romney.
–Paul Larsen, Romney supporter
Larsen said he's definitely a Romney backer, but he was content to watch the hoopla taking place at Goble's from his lawn chair across the street.
"We support him whole-heartedly but we don't quite have the wherewithal to spend a lot of money in receptions," Larsen said, laughing. "We've got too many grand kids who need it."
Friday's visit marked the second Utah stop for Romney since he officially entered the 2012 presidential race. In June, he drew supportive crowds at the Grand America Hotel, the downtown Hire's Big-H drive-in and the Orem home of APX Alarms owner Todd Pedersen. Utahn contributed nearly $5.5 million to Romney's 2008 presidential bid.
Romney leads his GOP rivals in fundraising and Goble is hopeful all that cash will help Romney win the Republican nomination and go the distance to the White House. He also said he thinks the recession will provide a boost.
"It was my impression that it would be difficult to unseat an existing president, and I felt Mitt had a real uphill course," Goble said. "But now, I think that unless Mr. Obama can turn things around that there's going to be a change."
Romney addressed his supporters at the two private events, which were closed to the media, answering questions about how he would fix the economic problems facing the nation among other issues. Attendee K.C. Comadena, however, said the way Romney listened to his supporters was even more impressive than the solutions he offered.
It was my impression that it would be difficult to unseat an existing president, and I felt Mitt had a real uphill course. But now, I think that unless Mr. Obama can turn things around that there's going to be a change.
–Marlowe Goble, Romney supporter
"He listened a lot — pretty intently. ... I got the impression that he understood," he said.
Comadena's brother, Kaden Comadena, said he is even more convinced Romney could turn the country's economic climate around after hearing him talk about the financial crisis.
"His knowledge of the private sector... I think that's something that a lot of Americans want to hear," he said.
As Romney walked into the Riverwoods, Nick Rust asked Romney to sign his copy of the Newsweek issue which featured a satirical image of Romney leaping on the cover. Romney laughed, refused to sign it, then inked his name on Rust's copy of "Turnaround," Romney's 2004 book.
Larsen said his affinity for Romney isn't exclusive to his leadership during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake or his membership in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His support goes all the way back to the 1950s and 60s, when Larsen and his wife lived in Michigan.
"(George Romney was) the best governor Michigan ever had," Larsen said. "And his son Mitt is a chip off the old block"
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Written by Molly Farmer with contributions from John Daley.
