In Frigid Des Moines, Romney Meets Small Crowd

ABC News’ Matt Stuart Reports: Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney stumped in the Iowa snow in Des Moines on Tuesday.

Well, not exactly.

Romney braved the heated hallways of the Des Moines skywalk system all the way from the Marriott to the Food court to meet with area voters.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, might have been a bit disappointed with voter turnout. He met with about 50 people, many of whom seemed more pre-occupied with how they were getting home than the upcoming Jan 3 caucus. Some of the stores in the mall didn’t even open for the day.

While some seemed indifferent toward the candidate and the resulting media crowd, there were many interested voters along the way. One woman wondered aloud in awe, "Is this his entourage?"

At a sandwich shop along the Skywalk, where everyone seemed to be eating the enchilada soup, one gentleman yelled, "Keep it up boss."

In another exchange, Romney revealed he might be a bit competitive with his fellow runners at the gym. As Romney went to introduce himself to another woman, she told him she was on the treadmill next to him that morning. Romney laughed and said that he was "being very careful, just look straight ahead."

But Romney then added "You were working hard. I noticed that 5.5 or so…?" The woman chuckled and said, "uhh… I guess so."

But as other candidates, like Romney’s chief Iowa rival former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had to cancel some of their events because of the icy weather, Romney got the full attention of the stranded national media.

At least 75 reporters, photographers, cameras, and backpacker journalists showed up at the mall, stumbling over each other to get a shot of Romney. At one point, Romney jumped on an escalator to higher floor, sending a serious of photographers and Romney’s assistant Will racing up the down escalator.

This reporter even got a disapproving, but very polite, glance from Mrs. Romney (the type only a mother can give) when I rudely stumbled over a voter hoping to meet with Gov. Romney.

Even with the horde surrounding Romney, he dodged multiple question about Huckabee and offered no press avail, saying of Huckabee’s comments today, only "I haven’t seen ‘em yet."