Hay Bales and Hollywood at Romney Bus Tour Kickoff
Picturesque setting and high-powered campaign combined in New Hampshire.
STRATHAM, N.H., June 15, 2012— -- Choosing the site where he first launched his presidential campaign to kick-off his six-state bus tour of swing states, Mitt Romney basked in the sun and applause of an enthusiastic crowd Friday afternoon at a farmhouse here.
The white-washed barn with a giant "Every Town Counts" banner stretched across the roof, along with hay bales and a verdant lawn provided the picturesque backdrop for Romney to begin his more than 1,500-mile journey. Before Romney jumped up onto the truck to give his speech before a crowd of hundreds, a live blue grass band serenaded them with a tune fit for a good hoe-down.
The event was a moment of nostalgia for Romney. "Maybe we can come back on Nov. 7," he said. "Good things begin here."
Behind the crowd though, evidence of the Romney campaign machine stood much higher than that proverbial corn on the fourth of July. A 30-foot crane with a camera on the end swept the crowd, with a crew documenting the event. Cherry pickers with lights that would look at home on a Hollywood stage surrounded Romney's supporters.
One cameraman told ABC News that he was being paid by the Romney campaign to shoot an ad. No doubt that footage will resurface on a television screen near you sometime between now and November.
The Romney campaign is known for their impressive advance work and event choreography, but Friday's venue had more than the usual amount of polish.
As two planes buzzed overhead -- one backed by the Romney campaign and dragging a banner that read "Romney for President 2012" and another sponsored by the Democratic group Moveon.org that read "Romney's Every Millionaire Counts Tour," Romney shouted to rally the crowd.
"I believe with all my heart that we can and that we must do better! And we will do better!" he yelled. "And let me ask you where you stand: Do you believe America can do better?"
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