BY ANDREW FAISON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER

andrew.faison@yahoo.com

 

FRANKLIN—Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s oldest son, Tagg, did not make Thursday’s scheduled campaign appearance in Franklin.

His absence didn’t bother supporter Clay Scott, who was among 125 to 150 hoping to see Tagg Romney during the Romney/Ryan bus tour stop at Paul D. Camp Community College.

“You can be excited about the idea without seeing the faces,” the 33-year-old Franklin man said. “It’s just great to see folks you see in the community in other settings, and see them all come together and be united with a common purpose.”

Tagg Romney, 42, was called to Boston for business and flew out of Norfolk early Thursday, said Kate Meriwether, communications director for Romney for President in Virginia.

The Franklin City Southampton Republican Committee arranged the stop.

“If he had an emergency and had to go back to Boston, it’s understandable,” said Committee Chairman Walt Brown.

People greeting the tour bus cheered “Romney, Romney, Romney!”

“I think this is a super turnout,” said Brown. “What’s impressing me is all of these young Republican kids coming out.”

Rock Church School Headmaster Ben Dillon brought 14 students to the rally.

“I am excited that they chose Franklin to make a stop,” Dillon said. “It is a good opportunity for the students to see the process.”

“I believe that all of the kids in the county and the city should have been allowed to come to this event if they wanted to come,” added Courtney Jackson of Franklin.

Rock Church student Christian Moore thought it was a good event.

“I think if things like this happened more often, and people campaigned here more, they would get more support,” added fellow student Thomas Taylor.

“With people taking time off of work to come out and see this it shows a lot of support in this area for the Romney/Ryan ticket,” said Franklin resident Mary Dunn. “I think it shows how important this election is.”