Ann Romney Wows Buckhead Crowd

Ann Romney, the wife of GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, charmed a packed house of Romney supporters Thursday night at the opening of his campaign headquarters in Buckhead.

Before Mrs. Romney's arrival at the offices on Maple Drive, on the other side of the same building as Newt Gingrich's campaign headquarters, Grace Sanders of Buckhead paused from making calls to voters.

"There's not one thing I don't like about him," Sanders said about Romney, who leads the GOP in delegates headed into March 6 "Super Tuesday" elections in Georgia and other states. "He's going to be our next president."

Sanders sounded a common refrain of those who filled the campaign office's restricted space, citing Romney's business background and understanding of the economy.

"We have to get the country back on track," Sanders said.

Davis Liss of Sandy Springs, who wore a Romney cap he'd purchased on the Internet, said of the Republican candidates, "They're all good folks," but said "Newt is past his prime; he's been there and done that, and [Rick] Santorum is more of the same."

Describing Romney as the outside-Washington candidate, Liss said, "as this goes on, I think people are gong to realize that there's more to him."

Tom Walker of Tucker said he supported Romney in 2008 and that he likes that Romney's worked in the private sector and run businesses. "He cares for the country," Walker said, and is not running for personal gratification. "The others are doing it for ego."

Another common theme was dislike, even hostility, toward President Obama. "Our current president is a cheerleader, but just not for America," said Romney volunteer Martha Ouderkirk of East Cobb.

"He will keep spending in perspective, and not just shoot for the moon like Obama," Helen Loyless of Morningside said about Romney.

Mrs. Romney at last arrived to greet those who'd waited for nearly an hour to see her. She walked down a packed hall, stopping off in a phone room make a few calls herself. Then she  was led to stand on a footstool to speak to the packed crowd. "It's stuffy in here," she said joked as she entered the small room.

Despite Romney's wealth and business success, Mrs. Romney said he gets his greatest satisfaction "from family and from friends and from loved ones."

She promised that Romney if elected would reduce the deficit and balance the budget. "He's the guy who's going to bring jobs and the economy back."

When she finished her talk, she stepped down into the crowd, shaking hands and giving smiles and pleasantries. Outside, in the mellow springlike dusk, a big crowd had gathered. Slowly, she made her way toward them.

Ann Romney also appeared in Alpharetta Thursday. Here is Alpharetta Patch's coverage.