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.
I’ll take Tom Delay’s opinion over Trent Lott’s any day.
rt< That may be likely, but polls show him to have the best chance of all GOP contenders.
“One of the few Republicans that Obama can beat is McCain.So why nominate a looser.”
rt< That’s a bazaar assumption based on no evidence what so ever. In fact it runs counter to the evidence.
“The Republican convention is months away!”
rt< So who, (be specific)are you going to whip McCain with. Of those left Huckabee has the best chance,because he at least has some deligates, but I find him to be less conservative and electable than McCain.
“Don’t let McCain and the MSM stapeed you into a premature and unwise decision.”
rt< I can count and the delegate count speaks loudly that McCain has this wrapped up. I pay no attention to the MSM.
“No candidate can battle both an opponent and 1/3 of his base at the same time.”
rt< Your right on that point. We’ll probably loose the White House and let the Democrats pack the court and loose the war. They don’t call us the stupid party for nothing.
You haven’t shown me a more conservative candidate who can rally the party and deliver on your hopes of a white knight rescuing us from a compromise candidate. That would be great, but I’m far from convinced your on solid ground. More likely you’ll just help Code Pink, and Move On .org have their way. I’m not going to help them.
You forgot the real reason ... which he said at CPAC:
“I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating al-Qaida and terror ... 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. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.” - Mitt Romney
“There is still a chance that Huck can prevent McCain from getting the needed delegates and force a brokered convention. Slim chance”
The chance just when from 1 in a million to 1 in a billion.
There was no chance of that all along. If you just do the delegate math, McCain is lock for the nomination, just be scraping by in the remaining states.
“I hope Huck cleans his clock in the next round of primaries.”
It won’t happen and it shouldnt happen. It will be bad for this country if Obama wins, and at this point, all Huck is is a distraction for that big bout.
“The GOP powers that be are trying like hell to prevent that. “ That’s BS. If Huck wants to stay in, he can. Nobody is making him get out. It’s just that he cant win, so its more a vanity run than a real race now.
Anything the conservatives can do to derail McCain and his liberal agenda is a favor to the party, conservatism and the country.
“We’re not talking about the convention. We’re talking about over 6 months prior to the convention! That’s not appropriate.”
Who are you to tell candidates when they can and cannot endorse?
Romney has withdrawn and he wants to support the frontrunner because he thinks it is important to close ranks and gear up for the general election.
“If you’re still confused, the Republican Party still has more than 6 months to get rid of McCain (during the primary season).”
33 states have voted, 3 more next Tuesday. The election is more than half over and McCain has won the most votes. The #2 guy was the writing on the wall and is supporting the #1 guy. All the rest are mathematically excluded from winning.
“Romney’s on my never sheet now too. This also means he was not really interested in BUILDING THE FENCE either.”
NOT AT ALL. Haven’t you noticed other conservatives have come around to mcCain? John Bolton? George Allen, who opposed the immigration bills. Many of the other senators now.
Just because you support a candidate doesnt mean you agree with everything they advocate.
Romney was explicit at CPAC that he has disagreements with McCain but he does agree on Iraq and GWOT and that is paramount.
OBAMA = He is the Manchurian Candidate and is on a mission, and almost at the point of Mission Accomplished.
Huck originally did not support deporting illegals but was forced to sign a document before South Carolina. He is not a true conservative.
Ya know, it just may be possible that this very bright man who knows Islamic Jihad is our implacable enemy thought that McCain would fight them better than Hillary ("soldiers are pigs") or Obama (who was raised Muslim).
Right. Sure. The same polls that had Giuliani as the "frontrunner" for months and months.
Any conservative who hasn't figured out that polls are produced to attempt to create a reality, not to report on one, is still in political kindergarten.
Apologies to all kindergartners.
You gotta be kidding me.
Romney is no Reagan.
_________________________
Don’t be so sure of yourself. Romney has great potential and is smarter than Reagan and in some ways, more articulate.
Rush and Sean and others talk about the Clinton machine or Clinton Inc. Looks like McCain has a strong MACHINE going to!
Hey! It sounds like you watched my video on Flipper. ;-)
Hhmmmmm,,,McCain's illegal immigrant welfare plan or this one. Choices, choices..??????
75% of members thought he was the best choice. Fred Thompson was my first choice, Duncan Hunter second. Both would have lost badly to either of the current Democrat front runners. Does that make us conservative moonbats when we support candidates with little prospects of winning?
I at first thought Mitt was too liberal before I examined what he was saying. The more I looked and listened to what he had to say instead of the noise generated here on FR, the more I liked what I heard. He actually had a policy statement that I strongly agreed with. I didn't see much a liberal would be pleased with at at all.
If McCain doesn't make it to the finish line this year (health issues), I would enthusiastically vote for Mitt for president.
Mitt?
How would you like to be VICE-President?
I'm 71: who KNOWS how much time I have left?
NIV Revelation 13:3-5
3. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast .
4. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
5. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.
You folks thought I wuz DONE FOR, earlier in the campaign; didn't ya!!!
Look at me NOW!
I guess he's lost that job of being the LDS Organization's Living Prophet®, too!
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