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That’s how parties work, though. No matter how bitterly fought the primary, the candidates are ultimately supposed to unite behind the winner. Many here criticized McCain (fairly, I think) for his reluctance to support Bush in 2000.

That's true enough. But come on. McCain hasn't won it yet. And Romney is saying he is specifically stepping out so that McCain can go on and be successful. It is just too premature to be about parties coming together after a bitterly fought primary. No, this is what you call hypocrisy.

I am all for partisanship because I think it serves representative government that is of/by/for the people very well. Battles over ideas are vital to finding the best solutions and eliminating disasters. However, I am not for party trumping principle. Not for selling out everything to bank a win in the R column. Not for placing power as the number one principle to live by. If you win you had better win something or why bother. So I do not favor supporting anyone and everyone so long as they call themselves Republican and not Democrat. That said, I'm not taking a stand on whether people should support McCain or not. Let their conscience be their guide. They answer to God for what they do. Be sure they can live with it. No I do not think a principled "none of the above" is a vote for the worst candidate. The worst candidate wins only because millions of voters like him. We get what we deserve. Stopping the worst is not excuse enough for trashing your own party and nixing any hope for better options in the future. It just isn't. No candidate is perfect, but there is a line each voter must draw. I can't make that decision for anyone but myself. I can only share what I will do. I'm not sure that I can vote for McCain no matter what. Neither would I ever be able to support Romney. I do not see Huckabee as perfect, but I can support him. I won't be bullied into casting a vote I can't live with. It is my vote and does not belong to any party. The Republicans get my support only while they keep earning it.

But come on. McCain hasn't won it yet. And Romney is saying he is specifically stepping out so that McCain can go on and be successful. It is just too premature to be about parties coming together after a bitterly fought primary.

It might have been possible for Romney (or Huckabee, though his odds were even worse) to still win it, but businessmen and politicians--and Romney is both--generally don't simply hope for the possible (a la Obama); they act based on what is likely, and realistically McCain has all but sewn up the nomination.