Thursday was rough for Mitt Romney.
Just a week before, the former Massachusetts governor and front-running Republican presidential candidate had cleaned up in New Hampshire and taken South Carolina by storm, confidently campaigning as though he was already the GOP nominee.
And then came Thursday. And with it came an announcement by Texas Gov. Rick Perry that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing a suddenly competitive former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. On the same day, evidence of a vote miscount in Iowa emerged, handing former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum the win in the nation's first caucuses and taking away one of Romney's two victories.
In an instant, the election went from a potential three-win coast to the nomination for Romney to a one-win fight for votes in the "first in the South" primary.
Mel Gaddy, a third-year political science student and a volunteer for both USC for Romney and the candidate's South Carolina campaign, hopes neither Santorum's Iowa win nor Perry's Gingrich endorsement will have much of an effect on Romney's status as the GOP's eventual choice, but he doesn't know for sure.
"The polls ... tend to yield in our favor," Gaddy said in defense of his candidate. "I can't tell you what Santorum's post-facto fate in Iowa means for South Carolina any more than I can tell you the how Perry's withdrawal will impact how South Carolinians cast their ballots. I can tell you that I hope, for the sake of our nation, that Romney wins South Carolina."
Gaddy, who was born in Asheville, N.C., moved with his family four times growing up because of his father's job. In the last of the moves before his family settled in Simpsonville, S.C., Gaddy spent three and a half years living in Boston, Mass., where he said he saw firsthand what Romney is capable of doing to boost the economy.
"When I lived in Boston, I was able to get a keen sense of the kind of leadership it takes to reach across the aisles in the pursuit of a higher cause from Romney, when he served as governor of Massachusetts," Gaddy said. "He was able to cut taxes and create the kind of lasting jobs in Massachusetts that still contribute to the Bay State's economy — all while operating in a political climate of opposition."
Gaddy believes Romney's public record in New England and his success in the private sector will translate to a successful presidency in Washington.
"We need a president who can revitalize our economy," Gaddy said. "Before he was governor of Massachusetts he built businesses that we see in virtually every city in America.
"Why he is the best candidate, though, is much simpler; we need a president who can revitalize our economy. The fundamental question that all voters — especially college students — in the primary should ask themselves is simple: Who can turn this nation's economy around? Mitt Romney is the only man for the job. Considering that Gov. Romney has proven himself in both the private sector and the pubic sector, he represents the last hope for the American economy."
Gaddy's passion for the campaign is palpable — he estimates he spent several hours a day this week talking to South Carolinians convincing them to vote for Romney. He said it's been hectic, and he'll be relieved when it's over, but the campaign has been rewarding as well.
"I mean, how often do you get the chance to work in the pursuit of a goal that you really believe in?" Gaddy pointed out.
Gaddy believes President Barack Obama hasn't delivered on his promises in 2008 and that in 2012, Romney will.
"The conventional wisdom that I tend to agree with says that Romney is the only guy who can beat President Obama," Gaddy said. "Truth be told, as a guy, I can't help but like the president, but he hasn't delivered the hope he promised. As a nation we're in dire straits; we need a candidate that understands how to lift us out of our recession.
"And that candidate," Gaddy said, "is Mitt Romney."