People gather on the streets of Gettysburg Tuesday night in advance of an event by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
Note the prominent rainbow flag.
Posted on 03/20/2012 8:05:14 PM PDT by lightman
After an hours-long wait for some in Gettysburg, a GOP presidential hopeful took the stage there for a rally just after 9:30 p.m. The line to get into the Gettysburg Hotel on Lincoln Square to see candidate Rick Santorum speak stretched down the street, past the Majestic Theater, around 8 p.m., according to reports. It appeared the crowd was too large for everyone to get inside for the speech, which was to focus on freedom.
Mitt Romney beat Santorum handily in Tuesday's Illinois primary.
Santorum was set to speak on those results, and in advance of Pennsylvania's upcoming primary in April.
A full report on those remarks will be forthcoming.
Even more than an hour in advance of Santorum's rally in Gettysburg, local residents, national media and others had begun to crowd Lincoln Square in anticipation.
News vehicles were jammed along the historic downtown streets and more than 100 people gathered around the square around 6 p.m. in advance of scheduled remarks from the GOP candidate.
Some of the early arrivals spoke to reporters about their support of Santorum's platform of traditional family values, while others were planning to protest the event saying the candidate is out of touch particularly with female voters.
One woman from Long Island, N.Y., said she is attending the rally Tuesday night because she can't make up her mind between the Republican candidates.
"Anyone but Obama," she said.
A contingent of 50-plus protesters gathered on Lincoln Square just before 7 p.m., and police asked the group to remain respectful. Some of the female protesters had signs with bras stapled to them, and others spoke out against Santorum's conservative stance on abortion rights.
The line to get into the ballroom, where the rally was to take place, stretched down the street. One hotel official said the room holds 300, and some people might have to be turned away.
It was unclear at 8 p.m. if all those wishing to get inside to hear the candidate would fit.
At one point a tense situation was made tougher, when an automatic fire alarm went off downtown at the Donald Wills House.
A fire official said that call, just after 7:30, was caused by a power outage at the site. Responders sent only one truck to the scene, because of the cramped conditions.
As the night wore on, tension rose outside the hotel, with Santorum supporters and protesters exchanging barbs, and in an a few cases seemingly almost coming to blows.
The Gettysburg Police Department met with Secret Service agents on Monday afternoon to discuss security at the rally. The Gettysburg Police offered assistance, but security will be handled mostly by Secret Service and the Pennsylvania State Police, according to Gettysburg Police Chief Joseph Dougherty.
Santorum's rally, which is open to the public, will mark a renewed focus on the themes of freedom and empowerment as the campaign moves into the second half of the primary season, according to a recent news release. "We are again fighting for freedom," said Hogan Gidley, the campaign's national communications director. "But this time we are not asking the American people to put on the uniform of their country, but stand up as citizens."
Political opponents, though, are condemning the strategy and claim Santorum is taking advantage of the Gettysburg identity. Early reports from the scene said picketers are beginning to gather.
Santorum was a Pennsylvania senator from 1995 to 2007, when he lost to current Sen. Bob Casey. He was active in many Gettysburg projects during his time in office.
People gather on the streets of Gettysburg Tuesday night in advance of an event by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
Note the prominent rainbow flag.
Ping.
FReepmail “Antoninus” to be added or removed.
So there’s a rainbow flag. What are you implying? Looks to me like a protester. Cannot read the signs at all, they could all be protesters/anti-conservatives.
So much for the naysayers who say Rick can't win his home state...Adams "flyover" County is solidly conservative despite a liberal College and Seminary.
I’m implying that the homosexualists are thoroughly incensed that Santorum is doing so well.
Sorry. I thought you were ANTI-Santorum. Just read your “about” page. Looks like we’re on the same team. :)
People saying that Rick can’t win PA are out of their minds. All the current polling shows Rick way ahead.
The election in 1860 was about whether these united states, which is what it was mostly referred to prior to the election of 1860, would become the United States, whether it would be a union, a country bound together to build a great and prosperous nation, a nation based on a concept, a concept that we were birthed with, a concept birthed with our founding document of the Declaration of Independence.
Actually I think these united states is what the Founders envisioned. Your thoughts on the terminology lentulusgracchus?
The reference of “These” should have been kept.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States....
Both useages appear.
The other inconvenient truth emerging tonight is that Newt Gingrich has not won the plurality of enough delegates in enough states to qualify to have his name place in nomination at the Tampa Convention. Yet. He is going to have to win two or I believe three more states to do this. Where are they going to come from?
Under Rule 40, at this state, only Santorum and Romney are accredited to have their names put into nomination.
At any rate, Louisiana is coming up fast. Lets let it play out. However, having said that, I truly belive that if Gingrich loses that and comes in third behind Romney, he really should think of the numbers on this thing, whether he can actually get into nomination in Tampa, and if not (and if he still wants to screw Romney), then a) suspend; b) endorse Santorum; c) release his delegates and urge them ALL to vote for Santorum on the first ballot. Now that would be, in Sarah Palin's words and terms, "taking one for the team."
Good post. Something to think about for Mr. Gingrich.
I think Newt is done after LA. He is coasting in there on fumes. He came in behind Paul in IL and his campaign is now broke. He won’t be able to mount a credible campaign there and has no options left than to bail after it.
Illinois voters cast ballots for some other creeps today too - like Jessie Jackson Jr., and that congressman who recently got caught in an undercover sting taking bribes...
Yep - Illinois is sure doing a grand job.
Ron Paul is a Gettysburg College grad (much to my chagrin as a fellow alumnus).
Interesting. Hope they can pull something off. Not looking forward to holding my nose again this fall.
Yep - Illinois is sure doing a grand job.”
Please don't judge all of us by the Chicago Commie scum. My boss and I worked our butts off today so we could meet our
commitments in time to go vote.
Some video of the opposition. It seems like an assortment of Obama and Paul supporters. I have to hand it to the Paul people, they are in their own universe where Paul has a shot at being President.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH1Mrr8Yqh0
I don't think there's anything left of Original Intent in that recitation. I hope that isn't the sum and total of his understanding of the Union and the Constitution. If you believe in Yankee Triumphalism, then you're a "living/dying Constitution" sort of guy, through-and-through. Calling the followers of Webster and Lincoln "constitutionalists" is like calling e.g. Grigory Zinoviev a true-blue, Russian Orthodox monarchist.
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