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.
Several of his son's are now available for military service, since they are not helping him get elected anymore.
Reagan endorsed Ford after his defeat, and gave an eloquent and stirring speech that overshadowed Ford's own acceptance address.
President Ford and Ronald Reagan show solidarity after Ford secures the Republican nomination. From l-r: Robert Dole, Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, Happy Rockefeller, Betty Ford.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Republican_National_Convention
No conservative will get nominated in 2012 if he ‘drives a stake throught the heart’ of the Republican nominee.
But Ronald Reagan was not a real Reagan Republican.
I basically ignored McCain all year. Figured he did not stand a chance. But frankly, he makes Huck look like a rocked rib conservative in comparison. And Huck has vowed (despite his crappy record on the subject) to build the Hunter fence and deport the illegals. Something Mccain will never do.
$20 says Hunter endorses McCain.
Not to worry. Keyes is still running. In fact he’s been here in Texas for the past few weeks running for the President of Texas.
“Hunter’s endorsement of Huck looks better all the time. I have no love for Huck but endorsing the man who will lose the primary is better than endorsing the man who will lose the general election.”
Hunter and Huckabee will both be endorsing McCain shortly. And Fred. You just know they will. Party first, don’t ya know. I’m beginning to think they all kept us busy enough to actually think we were having a primary election.
Huck doesn’t show clear contempt for the American people like McCain does. Voting for McCain is like Jefferson voting for King George.
Did you expect him to endorse the Huckster? Come on, now, huckster would have Romney hanging from a lamp post for being of the wrong religion. Me too, as a matter of fact.
There are still plenty that have not endorsed McCain. The primary is ongoing. There is still a chance that Huck can prevent McCain from getting the needed delegates and force a brokered convention. Slim chance, yes indeed, made a helluva lot slimmer by Fred and Mitt endorsing McCain and folks “closing ranks” before the primary is over. I hope Huck cleans his clock in the next round of primaries. The GOP powers that be are trying like hell to prevent that. Screw em.
Does this mean that McCain may offer the VP slot to Romney?
You Willardites are STILL attempting to morph Romney into Reagan. What a bunch of first class losers!
Can’t turn a liberal into a conservative, unless he wants to change. Romney just wants to lie -— LOL -— and you guys have gone along for the ride.
Tancredo endorsed Romney and has been silent ever since.
You need to understand that Reagan SOLD conservatism. He didn't compromise jack, he outlined the reasons why conservatism was so much better than knee-jerk liberalism. Reagan put a smiley face on conservatism.
Just because Reagan appealed to independents and cross-over Democrats doesn't mean that he was a compromising liberal scumbag like McCain is. Conservatives are not going to vote for McCain, they are not going to canvas the yards and do political activism for McCain. The GOP is DEAD...
He could have at least waited until the tragedy of a McCain nomination was mathematically secure and that the man would live until the convention. McCain looks more and more unhealthy every time I see him. We don’t have to worry about getting a Republican out of the way in 2012 with McCain as the nominee. It will be so lopsided by the time his real record is exposed that he will make Dole look great by comparison.
FINALLY someone talking sense!
So many people talk about how much of a non-conservative McCain is going into this election... Reagan was a freaking democrat for most of his life! He had pro-abortion laws inacted under his watch as a governor! Practically socialist economics...
The only thing he had going for him was a willingness to go to war with the enemies of the US... “Mr. Osama, tear down this cave!”...
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