Greenville, S.C. – In the end, there was no showdown.
While both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich were scheduled to arrive at Tommy’s Country Ham House at 10:45 a.m. today (an event that journalists had dubbed “Hamgate”), Romney ended up coming significantly earlier, and left about 10:25 a.m.
But while Romney left, his supporters didn’t. The parking lot was jammed with vying Gingrich and Romney signs. Among the Romney supporters were dozens of college kids, including two I talked to who had traveled from Mormon college Southern Virginia University. When Gingrich’s bus rolled in, the parking lot erupted into warring chants, with some shouting “Newt! Newt!” and others “Romney! Romney!”
I didn’t make it into the restaurant – which was packed to the exent that it was almost certainly violating fire code – but per ABC, Gingrich said, “Where’s Mitt? I was hoping for a debate!”
Some of the signs held up in the parking lot:
