Posted on 02/14/2008 2:47:40 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos and John Berman Report: Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., today endorsed his former Republican rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The endorsement took place this afternoon at Romney for President headquarters in Boston.
Romney asked his delegates to throw their support to McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
"Even when the contest was close and our disagreements were debated, the caliber of the man was apparent," Romney said, standing with McCain for the announcement at his now-defunct campaign's headquarters in Boston. "As a party, we come together."
Accepting Romney's endorsement, McCain said despite a "hard campaign" now "we move forward together for the good of our party and the nation."
Once bitter rivals locked in an acrimonious Republican nomination fight, Romney abandoned his 2008 bid following a poor showing in the Super Tuesday contests this month. Romney had won the support of many in the conservative wing of the party, but failed to overtake McCain in either delegates or the number of state wins.
The former governor made his decision to endorse today in the interest of helping McCain gain the 1,191 delegates he needs to secure the party nomination and unite the party for the general election against the Democrats in November.
Romney campaign manager Beth Myers notified McCain campaign manager Rick Davis in a telephone call today of Romney's decision, and they immediately made arrangements for an announcement in Boston this afternoon since McCain was campaigning in Rhode Island today.
After McCain's townhall meeting near Providence this afternoon, the campaign is flying to Boston for the endorsement.
Romney and McCain will meet today before they both announce the formal endorsement at a press conference.
Carry_Okie is a conservative who may also be a registered Republican.
Rising tide is a partisan. In this case a Republican.
Can he give his delegates to McCain on the first ballot? Would they be committed to vote for him or is Romney releasing them and asking them to vote for McCain?
Why are so many folk under the impression that the candidate gets to choose his running mate?
He will be told who his running mate will be and then he will be allowed the courtesy of announcing it.
I remember well when JFK got told Johnson was going to be his VP = they hated one another with a passion - Johnson was the LAST person JFK wanted.
The party powers that be make the decision - which is better that one person deciding who the VP/possible next president will be.
On the other hand: Romney, when he suspended, had gotten over 4 million votes to 4.7 for McCain...he won states that are vital in the general.
His strong suit is in private business/economics. Pair that with McCain strong on military... one-two punch.
Romney is already vetted with the public and the crap about his religion is getting very old...
So, it might make a strong ticket against the socialists. (If we can overcome the enemy within who vow to take their marbles and run home to hide in the closet - to teach everyone 'a lesson' and to feel powerful.)
You’ve gotta be kidding. Don’t I know it. Reagan couldn’t even meet the Reagan standard any longer.
I’m 55 years old, McCain by far, the worst Republican nominee ever in my life time.
No worry, He’ll never be the president.
From your post, I suspicion English in not your native tongue...
Not making fun. I probably wouldn't do any better in a foreign language.
However, should English be your native tongue, then, just "OH MY!"
Ok thanks.
Yep.
It's called "The grownups circle the wagons against their common enemy">
Short supply of grownups in FR lately.
Hope that improves...
What was he supposed to do, support the bigot who hit a low blow on Mitt's faith? endorse the non-start Ron Paul? Mr. Romney did an honorable thing.
I would have preferred that he KEEP the delegates for bargaining at the convention, but anything there would have been a long-shot.
GOP voters didn't like any 2008 candidate enough to unite behind him. We need a fresh group of conservative candidates 2012 -- not a stale retread of this disastrous year.
You and Carry are right of course. And me being a partisan Republican, well that disqualifies me. All I can do it to look up at Carry and wonder what it would be like to live with principles.
So you're just making that up, right?
Wake up. McCain is the poster boy for dismantling the GOP, piece by piece, over the past 4 years. But his career as a turncoat goes back much further than that. He is slime personified. He is the Manchurian Candidate and is on a mission, and almost at the point of Mission Accomplished.
There are times I wish I could grant wishes.
Under those circumstances it would be normal for Republicans to reject a political liberal as their candidate. It would not be normal to support a candidate who defies his own president, defies his own political party, undermines constitutional guarantees, sabotages the rule of law in a effort to pander and refuses to recognize the sovereignty of this nation.
Reagan compromised all the time. He was a politician, he could accept half a loaf with as much aplomb as any of them.
He was a great salesman of course, but that was a unique and rare skill. That is one big reason he is held in such high esteem.
But Reagans don’t show up on demand, and you can’t expect anybody in particular to be a Reagan. We have what we have and it is proper to do the best we can with the material on hand.
They would be worth more rendered for diesel fuel.
That wasn’t the case when Eisenhower picked Nixon as VP. Reportedly, Ike hadn’t made up his mind and he received a call from Nixon who told him “Mr. Eisenhower, either s**t or get off the pot!” So the rest is history.
I agree, this sets up Romney in 2012, I fully expect to see him get the VP spot. That’s why McCain played down the regional thing last week. Setting Romney up as the second spot on the ticket.
They Call Him Flipper! Flipper!
Faster than lightning!
No one you see, is smarter than he!
And we know Flipper
Lives in a world full of wonder,
Lies bout his record, to you and to me!
Everyone loves the King that they see
Ever so rich and handsome is he....
Tricks he will do when voters appear
How they are fooled when he is near
They Call Him Flipper! Flipper!
Faster than lightning!
No one you see, is smarter than he!
And we know Flipper
Lives in a world full of wonder,
Lies bout his record, to you and to me!
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