Posted on 02/07/2008 11:52:54 AM PST by Kaslin
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination Thursday in front of the crowd that made him the conservative candidate one year ago.
After long remarks defending his conservative beliefs to the the Conservative Political Action Committee's annual convention, Romney said if he stayed in the race it would only strengthen the Democratic candidates, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.).
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win," Romney said. "And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."
Romney added: "I hate to lose."
Romney's departure all but assures that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) will win the GOP nomination. McCain has a substantial delegate lead over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee’s campaign said Thursday he will continue his quest for the Republican nomination now that Romney is out of the race.
“We know it's an uphill climb, but we knew that a year ago when we announced,” said Kirsten Fedewa, a Huckabee spokeswoman.
She said Huckabee’s campaign planned to “press forward.”
The back of the convention ballroom was abuzz with reports that Romney was leaving the race moments before he addressed the crowd. The former governor suffered losses devastating to his presidential hopes on Super Tuesday.
Romney and his staff said Tuesday night and all through Wednesday that Romney was intent on staying in the race to challenge McCain and Huckabee.
But Wednesday afternoon The Hill reported that Romney planned to meet with his congressional supporters after addressing CPAC.
At CPAC's conference last year, Romney won the straw poll while McCain was booed for skipping the event. The CPAC crowd was dejected when Romney began to hint that he was in fact leaving the race.
With Romney out, McCain is considered by most to be the presumptive frontrunner. That said, Huckabee strung together an impressive slew of Southern victories on Super Tuesday, winning contests in his home state as well as West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Huck’s got a good chance of taking Louisianna and Kansas in the next round. Not sure if Huck can take a run at Washington state or not.
Grab your checkbooks, and keep them closed.
NOT ONE PENNY!!!, will be our battle call.
Conservatives care about the United States so much ...
that they're willing to DEFEAT McCain to save the nation!!!
McCain needs to wake up and smell the "VILE"!!!
"Bipartisanship" Is A Dirty Word; and RUSH: "We want to defeat them"
THIS IS WAR!!!
The only LEADERSHIP we have is RUSH!!!
Given how much he flips and flops, Romney could be running as a Democrat in 2012.
Exactly.
Mitt is no fool. He could be President in 4 years and his investment would pay off. :-)
What? Hucks continuing on???? I thought everything Huck Did was to be in cahoots with McCain to destroy Romney.... (rolling eyes)....
SO much for that conspiracy theory.. but somehow I doubt those who espoused it will apologize and recognize they were wrong.
He did indeed
Romney has proved one thing ...that he is a STATESMAN and a PATRIOT......
I hope he'll be back......remember...Reagan had to work at the gaining the Presidency....
if Romney tries to unseat Kerry, I vow to send money for his campaign...
When is Rush's campaign starting? I'll contribute.
I won't sit it out....this is right up the Rats agenda...to make we conservative NOT vote...
let's not give them the satisfaction...
put up with McCain...but work hard to elect conservative congressmen and senators and governors....
Huck can bring this to a contested convention. Either he drops and McCain wins or Huck fights . . . and it’s a fight.
What the heck is going on here?
Do the American people atleast conservative American people have a say in this at all.
McCain is going to win by default.
Jeez, we better start shouting now or we are doomed.
Obivoisly you dont know the difference between flip flops, which is changing your believes from one week to the next and changing your mind about somthing because you saw the light. Romney is a true conservative
He's won. He knows it. He will now try and mend rifts rather than attack Huckabee.
McCain doesn’t need him now that Romney pulled up anchor and Huck doesn’t do a thing to McCain’s ticket as a VP.
I’m sure Fred Thompson wouldn’t want it, but he would bring the true conservative bona fides to the table for McCain.
well people sure tried to test him at cpac and he didn’t let it get to him
Yes, Rush is a fantastic leader...everyone he has been opposed to is still in the race, everyone he liked is out! Now THAT'S leadership!!!
McCain is scary when it comes to things like free speech and gun control. What about basic freedom of speech and border control and his collusion with Feinstein and Kennedy to oppose these? Aren't these demonstrations of power-hungry contempt for Constitutionally-guaranteed free speech against politicians (like him)?
I'm sticking with Huckabee.
"He would be a Christian leader..." - Fred Thompson
"Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man and is a great Christian..." - Rush Limbaugh
With those kind of endorsements, he must be! I like Huck saying in the race. Keeps things interesting.
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