CEDAR RAPIDS — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made his first public appearance in eastern Iowa since his second place 2008 caucus finish Tuesday morning, but few in the audience were there specifically to see the rumored 2012 presidential hopeful.

“I want to hear all of them — I’ve been to all the different debates and things like that,” said Roger Anderson of Iowa City, a staunch conservative who sported a plethora of buttons and stickers and gave his iPhone camera a workout throughout the event.

An Iowan that had followed Romney during the 2008 contests, Anderson had hoped to hear something that might provide a clue on whether or not the former governor, who has pumped roughly $30,000 into Terry Branstad‘s gubernatorial campaign, was prepared to take another shot at the White House. Anderson didn’t get his wish, but remains hopeful.

“He probably is [running], since he is here again,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s wish to see and hear from the full slate of candidates was definitely filled when each of the party’s statewide candidates filed onto the stage. In addition to Branstad and his running mate Kim Reynolds, candidates for Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Secretary of Agriculture, Attorney General and the 2nd Congressional district were present.

“There is something very powerful going on in the county,” said Romney, who admitted that by election day he will have visited 25 states. “You recognize that there is going to be a remarkable rejection of [Pres. Barack] Obama, [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid and the liberal policies that you see them supporting.”

Although the reasons for the national conservative landslide are varied, according to Romney, the reason that Iowans will elect a Republican slate are because of the “extraordinary people … with solid records” running.

“That’s why the people in Iowa are going to elect this team to serve their state,” Romney said, motioning to the line of candidates standing behind him at the podium.

“Number one, we have great candidates. Number two, we’ve had a chance to see liberal policies in action, and they have not worked. People are saying, ‘No more of that.’”

Since the event was billed as a final push for get-out-the-vote efforts for the Republican Party of Iowa before Nov. 2, Romney’s drumming up of the GOP base was more than welcome by state politicians and party activists.

“There’s a reason why you want to preach to the choir,” said Branstad. “Because the choir needs to sing.”

At least five times during Branstad’s remarks, which provided no new information and only briefly highlighted statements made throughout the campaign, he noted that he was running to unite and not to divide Iowans. Such repeated calls for a united and perhaps less partisan state, however, were not what caught the attention of Anderson and Cedar Rapids Republican Joni Scotter.

“Jobs, jobs, jobs — that’s what I heard and that is exactly what we are in need of in Iowa,” Scotter, who serves as first vice president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women, said following the event.

“This is the most exciting team we’ve ever had — in all the years that I’ve been involved in politics,” added Scotter, who has spent numerous years burning shoe leather on behalf of Iowa Republicans. This year alone she serves as the Linn County chairwoman for both U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Branstad campaign. In 2008, she served as the chairwoman for Romney’s county effort. “I’m so optimistic and so excited that I can barely breathe. It was incredible to see them all together here today. They are all high-quality people and I know they are going to do amazing things.”

Anderson, who indicated prior to the event that he would be listening for economic statements, agreed that the candidates said what he wanted to hear.

“This was filled with extremely positive statements made by a terrific group of people,” he said. “Yes, they made people happy. They offered what they are going to do — and they will do it. I mean, [current Gov. Chet] Culver hasn’t done what he has promised. … Terry Branstad said he would work to get jobs every day for his entire term. I believe him.”

Full audio of Romney, followed by Branstad, available below.

(Photo: Flickr Creative Commons/IowaPolitics.com)