bertillon faber: Mitt Romney's Flight Across Florida: Cake On A Plane

Andrew Jenks eats birthday cake with the Republican presidential nominee on the eve of the primary election.
By Andrew Jenks, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman

Mitt Romney celebrates Los Angeles Times journalist Mave Reston's Birthday on Monday
Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/ AFP/ Getty Images

TAMPA, Florida — I got the chance to ride the Mitt Romney plane today as he travels across Florida to give his closing arguments for why he should be the Republican presidential nominee.

If the former Massachusetts governor pulls off a decisive victory in Florida, it could provide the sense of momentum that he has been lacking so far. After (almost) winning Iowa and decisively taking New Hampshire, a solid win here might signal that the GOP's traditional base is coalescing around Romney. However, if former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich can pull off a win, the race could turn into a two-man duel that lasts well past the next Tuesday's contest.

Despite all that pressure, on the day before the huge swing-state election, he seemed relaxed. Very relaxed.

In fact, he even decided to celebrate a reporter's birthday before we took off. Romney himself brought back cake while singing "Happy Birthday" and threw bags of chips around to all of us. (I missed my shot.)

What's interesting is the way in which Romney interacts with the press — the group of 25 or so reporters and photographers who follow him everywhere he goes. And it's essential for the governor and his staffers to stay on their good side. On this quick jet across the state, I was offered chocolate chip cookies, cherries, cheeses and roast beef sandwiches.

It was a tasty slice of life in the world of how politicians interact with campaign reporters.

MTV is on the scene in Florida! Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage of the primaries and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season.

Related Videos