The craze of the Republican Presidential Primary came to Newberry and Prosperity on Thursday with candidate Fred Thompson, and a host of national media.

Thompson started the visit with a noon speech at the Stable Steakhouse in Prosperity.

During the event, Thompson presented his platform to the more than 100 in attendance. The event included coverage from CNN, which had a satellite truck parked on the small town square.

After answering questions from the public and press, Thompson traveled to Newberry.

The Thompson bus parked at the corner of Caldwell and Main streets and Thompson and family greeted locals at JezeBelles. From there the group ventured into Cathy's Cakery and to Books on Main, where the Thompsons bought a Cinderella pop-up book for their daughter.

“I hope to shock the world on Saturday with your help,“ Thompson told the crowd. “By any measure we live in the greatest country in the world. We need to look at how we got here and where we need to go.“

Thompson told the crowd, America needs to get back to the foundations that it was founded on.

“What we learned at our mother and dad's knees is a good thing,“ said Thompson.

He added that America also needs to stand strong against illegal immigration.

“When a country's economics is dependent on the exportation of people, it is not good for this country or them,“ said Thompson.

Thompson said America needs to secure its borders and employees need to use technology to prevent the hiring of illegal immigrants.

He also said America needs to do more to rebuild its military and spend more money on the military.

He added that the next president needs to be mindful about the future and weapons that other countries have.

“We don't need a president who needs training wheels,“ he said.

He added that he wants citizens to look at his record and compare it with others.

“I don't fit a square peg into a round hole,“ he said.

Thompson said he wants to have the opportunity to do the right things for the country, to leave the country better off and to do right by the children.

In the crowd one man said he drove 500 miles to attend Thursday's event in Prosperity and another said he came from Los Angeles.