By Leigh Dannhauser
It’s official. The Republican presidential candidate will be coming to Lexington early next week.
Romney will be speaking at the Virginia Military Institute on Monday about foreign policy in a closed event. The speech is being held at a small venue. So small, says VMI Communication Director Col. Stewart MacInnis, that the audience will be primarily senior cadets, called First Classmen.
The Romney campaign reached out to VMI last Monday about looking for a venue to hold the speech. After working for the past couple of days the two parties were able to work out the logistics.
Security is one of the biggest concerns.
“[The] Secret Service of course will be involved as will our campus police,” said MacInnis. “It will certainly meet the requirements of the candidate.”
The VMI community as a whole is looking forward to the visit.
“We’re just now notifying everybody, so there’s a lot of excitement here about it,” said MacInnis.
VMI First Classman Jeff Sexton agrees.
“I’d like to hear about what he has to say on the economy and what his security plans are,” said Sexton. “We are pretty excited.”
Sexton continued to say that he wants to know what Romney’s plans are for the next four years if he is elected into office.
MacInnis does not believe that the Lexington community will be affected much by the visit.
“This should not create a tremendous impression on our community because really it is a closed event,” said MacInnis.
Romney will be the latest in a long line of national political figures who have visited VMI campus. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited on April 3. Others include Sen. John McCain, on April 11, 2007; President George W. Bush, on April 17, 2002; Vice President Dick Cheney on Nov. 8, 2008, and President H.W. Bush in 1987.