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.
unfortunately, Reagan lost that year, and Ford went on to lose in the general.
Me too, I’m hoping that Romney will drop out, which will make the race between McCain and Huckaby, and maybe we can elect a social conservative over McCain. But as long as Romney stays in, then I’m hoping McCain wins.
Hmm... Kinda like a lot of folks around here...
Fellow Freepers...we are all on a mission now. We will hold true to conservative principles and courageously fight the evil forces allied against us. Put on the armor and wield the sword of truth...its war against demonic forces parading about in liberal traitorous buffoons. We are conservatives and know how to fight....and WIN!
Fellow Freepers...we are all on a mission now. We will hold true to conservative principles and courageously fight the evil forces allied against us. Put on the armor and wield the sword of truth...its war against demonic forces parading about in liberal traitorous buffoons. We are conservatives and know how to fight....and WIN!
The GOP is screwed if McAztlan is the nominee
The GOP not only gets trounced by Hillary/Obama in the election (the liberal media will back them)....but the GOP will lose a lot of House and Senate seats...2006 will be nothing compared to 2008
Mitt is the only hope for conservatives. Its either back him or swim in the porta potty with McAztlan
How can we look at the bright side with you standing in the way?
Hmmm?!
Well, Mitt or Huckleberry still have a chance, I reckon, but the trade up is not much improvement, though in theory they both oppose amnesty.
I AGREE that Hillary has the Supers locked up, and that is the key to winning.
However, this Obama movement really is GRASS-ROOTS.
It’s turned in to a CIVIL WAR between the New, New Left, also known as “The Whole Foods-Wing” of the Party, and the 60’s radical, largely Gay SHADOW PARTY DC Establishment types...
And it’s ripping the party apart.
It’s completely blown off the facade that the Democrats just “Care” more than Republicans do, and is devolving into sharp divisions based on RACE, HATE, COLOR, and SEX.....
This actually WORKS in Hillary’s favor, since the base Clinton tactic has always been to divide, divide, divide, supress, and divide until they finally control just enough to win...
Before it is done, they are going to set blacks back 40 years, and destroy and demoralize a large part of thier base, ESPECIALLY those “Young, New Voters” they so desperately depend on every cycle...
I sure agree with you!!!
Just like with George W. Bush, I'm not in love with Romney, but all the rest of the alternatives are worthless to me and actually a little frightening!!!
Romney at least has all the talent and resources necessary to get the job done with his excellent organization and hasn't lost his friggen mind over Algore's Globular Warmingling RELIGION!!!
Plus I think we owe Romney far more than we owe McCain. Some of us have unmercifly tortured all logic and our Mormon FRiends with an un-American barrage of irrelevant baloney over the man's belief system, proffering an offensive and unconstitutional "religious test" as some kind of over-riding "issue!" BOGUS TO THE MAX!!!
Just like CA Republicans who flinched in the face of radical leftist/socialists and took the easy/lazy way out by letting a shallow star powered celebrity sieze the day and now deeply regret it... Too many Republicans in NH, SC and FL have freaked out and lost all conservative courage and convinced themselves wrongly that McOverthehill, like Bob "Viagra" Dole is "the only one that can beat the formidable Clintons!" BOGUS TO THE MAX, AGAIN!!!
It's time for conservatives and Republicans to drop back and pass for the long bomb (Romney) and keep the ball away from either Obama, or Hillary & Bill!!!
If Rudy's gonna git behind McCain, then we all need to get behind Romney this week!!!
McLettuce hurled the evilly-wrong charge that Mitt was a cut & runner, securing his base who probably called, faxed and emailed against Amnesty last year, and he got away with it.
Low-life AARPer.
LOL. I guess if you base it on campaign rhetoric, we have 4 good conservatives running. Just ask Michael Medved.
Given that he is sure to lose California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut and Arizona and several Southern states, there is plenty of reason to despair (or celebrate).
I’ve been out of the way for more than a week. My guy through in the towel on the 19th.
Two RINOs now pandering for the conservative vote.
And all three of you are deeply saddened.....:-)
Never underestimate the power of willfully ignorant people in large numbers.
The article was the same reporter who sat on the floor and argued w/ Mitt. Also, didn’t they go head to head in Michigan?
Naw. He'll go for corporate-bring-us-cheap-labor money. It'll flow in in big green, white and red wheelbarrows.
Well, the Mitt campaign must have thought McCain’s promise of clean tactics and his bad treatment from the Bush camp in 2000 was more than a fairy tale. Now they know. I’m guessing Mitt will work very hard to expose McLame now.
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