"It shows one thing: I'm the conservative leader who can unite the party," John McCain after winning the Florida republican primary.
Posted on 01/29/2008 9:05:48 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Republican Mitt Romney, his family and supporters vowed to carry his campaign into the vote-rich Super Tuesday contests next week after narrowly losing Florida's primary to rival John McCain.
In his concession speech Tuesday night, Romney issued a call to arms to conservatives to support him, vowing to cut federal spending, end illegal immigration and teach children "that before they have babies, they should get married."
But it was his wife, Ann, who took the microphone after Romney delivered nine minutes of prepared remarks, who explained the reasons for continuing.
"We feel as though the conservatives are starting to rally around Mitt," she said, as her husband stood beside her. "This is just a send-off point; this is not an end. It's another beginning. We have 22 more states to go after, and we will be able to do that."
The defeat marked the fourth time the former Massachusetts governor and the Arizona senator had gone head-to-head in a major contest, with McCain winning as he had earlier in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Romney claimed victory in his native state of Michigan.
Romney's team believes that as the field narrows, most likely next with the departure of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Romney's ability to raise money and spend his millions will allow him to better highlight the contrast between his business background and McCain's long tenure in a Washington.
There are 21 GOP contests on the ballot on Feb. 5, with 1,023 delegates at stake. A total of 1,191 are needed for the GOP nomination.
It was the contrast in backgrounds that Romney highlighted in a concession speech that otherwise echoed familiar themes from the trail, as if the loss presented no jeopardy to the future of his campaign.
"At a time like this, America needs a president in the White House who has actually had a job in the real economy," Romney said, adding that "at a time like this, knowing how America works is more important than knowing how Washington works."
As the audience cheered, he declared: "Washington is fundamentally broken, and we're not going to change Washington by sending the same people back, just to sit in different chairs. I think it's time for the politicians to leave Washington and for the citizens to take over."
Despite Romney's upbeat posture, the loss was a setback.
As the former venture capitalist had done in earlier contests, Romney spent the most on television advertising of any GOP candidate in Florida. His staff was stocked with aides to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a veteran of state politics who secured a win for his brother, George W. Bush, in the disputed 2000 election.
In addition, with McCain winning all 57 of Florida's convention delegates, Romney ceded a major talking point: He no longer has the most delegates in the field. Romney began the evening with a 59-26 lead over McCain; McCain ended it ahead 83-59.
McCain gained late momentum with endorsements from Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., the state's top elected Hispanic leader, and Republican Gov. Charlie Crist.
He also made use of one of Romney's campaign tactics, running negative radio and Internet ads against his rival and fielding calls that accused Romney of favoring taxpayer-funded abortion. McCain also claimed Romney supported a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Romney had not.
From Florida, Romney was headed to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., for a debate Wednesday night. He also planned two days of politicking in the state and a series of fundraisers from Beverly Hills to Sacramento.
He was stopping in Salt Lake City on Saturday to attend the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who died Sunday. Romney is trying to become the first Mormon elected president.
After that, the schedule most likely will include stops in Colorado, Georgia and other states before concluding on Tuesday in Massachusetts, one of the Feb. 5 states.
Yes I did from Glen Johnson - the unprofessional AP reporter
he is the one that wrote the article.
Are you EV sister or wife?
The illegals and relatives of illegals will all vote for McPain. These folks won’t be happy till the U.S. looks like what they LEFT.
If the Huckster drops out, you will get that miracle. Most of the Hucksters votes would go to Mitt.
Agreed....did you catch this bit of bias:
It was the contrast in backgrounds that Romney highlighted in a concession speech that otherwise echoed familiar themes from the trail, as if the loss presented no jeopardy to the future of his campaign.
Like at McDonald’s
You mean like running his own company? What "real" job has your guy had? Your boy Obama is a career policitian....
Now you know better than to feed the trolls! :-) Can’t say that I blame you though...this one is begging for it.
I think Romney needs to focus way more on the fact he was a governor, an executive, a manager, a smaller scale version of a president. What a governor does, appoints judges, works with the legislature, signs bills into law. There are so many uneducated Americans, I think this really needs to be said. He also needs to be more critical of Bush. He mentions that President Bush kept us safe for 6 years then he should launch into some things he didn’t like about his presidnecy. I’ve heard him say some things in the debates but it needs to be said nationally. Another hope is that he will get some big endorsements between now and super Tuesday.
Mitt Romney signed English-only in schools and vetoed in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. John McCain tried to push shamnesty. That alone is more than enough reason to vote Romney.
Your gal Hillary is a career politition who has been there longer than you man Obama
Uh....Hillary isn’t my gal. Geez...you are a strange one.
Oh you were only talking about your Obama...
Well you liberal Democrats are even stranger if you think you can dictate who I vote for
Most of the Hucksters votes would go to Mitt.
“
You dont know much about conservatives, do you ???
Yoou liberals keep shoving your idol down the throats of true conservatives
Romney is a liberal..
conservativces wouldnt have him as a prize in a Cracker Jack box...
RINO Romney - Mr ABORTION-ON-DEMAND
Romney - Champion of Abortion 1994
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI&feature=related
Romney - Champion of Abortion 2002
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pq
Romney can spend all of his $250 Million on fancy lipstick but your liberal pig will still be just a pig
And speaking of endorsements...
RINO Romney likes to endorse liberal Democrats...
RINO Romney’s endorsement of Rocky Anderson,
Liberal Demcrat for Mayor of Salt Lake City 2003
RINO Romneys backing of liberal Democrats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuFe9_BCvXY
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/us/22rocky.html
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/03/youtube_wars_ro_1.html
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19672
Well said. Short and succinct.
Exactly, having a defeatist attitude will NOT help Mitt. We need to rally around him, refute all the crap lies that mclame is spewing, get out there and BACK UP OUR CANDIDATE. Having a negative attitude won't solve anything. And for God sakes, if you're part of the 21 states voting on super Tuesday, GET YOUR BUTT OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR MITT.
Your twisted logic is breathtaking....I am NOT a liberal dem. You, however, have written numerous posts about Obama...oh he is so handsome...he is so young...blah, blah, blah.
I was responding to your idiotic post questioning what “real job” Romney has had. You can’t keep up with your own outrageous rants. I suspect you just troll around to stir things up...because I have yet to read a logical fact based reply from you. Except...when you fawn over Obama. And to use your own identifier...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
GET YOUR BUTT OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR MITT”
Why are you in such a hurry to commit out nation to liberal Hell ???
Hillary will do that to us without your help
I’m trying to STOP MCLAME, thank you very much.
"It shows one thing: I'm the conservative leader who can unite the party," John McCain after winning the Florida republican primary.
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