ROMNEY ONLY REPUBLICAN TAKING NV SERIOUSLY?

From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
SPARKS, Nev. -- Mitt Romney was warmly received by the Nevada Federation of Republican Women at the Nugget Casino Friday after heavily appealing to the crowd.

"Women really manage a good part of my life," he said to loud cheers. He then told the crowd about a couple of women in high-level positions on his campaign. And he further explained that when he was governor, a SUNY school surveyed governors' offices for the number of women each employed in senior positions and found that he was No. 1.

Asked by an older woman how as the nominee he would go about beating and attacking Hillary Clinton given her gender, he explained that when he opposed a woman, Shannon O'Brien, when running for governor of Massachusetts, he ran against her "as a person, not a woman." He added, "I intend to do that again."

In his remarks, he invoked Clinton's comments to the Boston Globe: "I have a million ideas. The country can't afford them all. To more laughter, he said, "I now have a million good reasons not to vote for a Hillary Clinton."

The group of about 250 was receptive to a number of his lines and corrected him twice when he first said he was in Detroit and then said he was in Reno. They shouted "Sparks!" the second time about the small town that sits on the outskirts of the mountain city. Attendees also erupted when he used a line he often uses on the stump when discussing spending that originated from a voter's question in Nevada, Iowa, explaining the different pronunciation as he often does, but finally getting the big laugh. And at the end of his remarks, he received a standing ovation as former Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) greeted him. "Kenny Guinn, boy he's a heartthrob, isn't he?" Romney said.

Rosa White, who attended the town hall and was working concurrently at the Conservative Leadership Conference being held at the same location, said after that Rmney connected well with the crowd and believes he's doing better in Nevada compared to other top Republicans because "He speaks our language.

"I think the Clinton clan is running scared because this guy is clean," she said.