Maybe he's tired of watching his bank account dwindle. Maybe he's just seen the writing on the wall. Maybe his friends got to him. Whatever the motivation, it's reported that Mitt Romney is abandoning his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
That pretty much leaves John McCain the anointed choice of the Republican side even as Movement Conservatives boil in their own juices.
"I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney said in remarks prepared for his appearance and released by his campaign.
"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," the statement says. "And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."
7 comments:
Romney just suspended his campiagn...meaning he keeps his delegates and can use them to be king-maker at the convention. He could use it to bribe his way into a vice-pres roll, probably by backing Huckabee (since he friggin hates McCain).
Be a hoot if he went to Ron Paul though....
If you add Huckabee and Romney's vote it equals MCCain's. This isnt over yet.
Of course it's over, except in the mind of fantasists. Huckabee has taken the south and Romney won't be around to add delegates in the remaining slew of primaries. Maybe if the primaries were over you might have an argument but they're not and Romney is no longer around to grab delegates so - it's over.
By the way, Anon, the delgate standings are McCain 707, Romney 294, Huckabee 195. Huckabee plus Romney total 489 to McCain's 707. In the remaining score of primaries Romney is not on the ticket. Worse, for Huckabee, Romney has made it pretty plain that he's withdrawn to allow the party to unite to defeat the Dems and, if you do the math, that means only one thing.
Romney for veep? Why? His supporters think he should withdraw to run again in 2012 or 2016. Going with McCain would sour his "movement conservative" base and they'd never forgive him. Huckabee for veep would be a much better vote given that he could probably deliver McCain more badly needed southern support.
Can you see McCain losing Confederate Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina to a Democratic candidate?
I will not say with regards to Tennessee and Arkansas. Dems won them under Clinton and Mississippi river rats tend to be opposed to laissez-faire, free market economic policies. Thus, Huckabee may help McCain there somewhat.
I think you're right Shroom. A lot of pundits were speculating the McCain/Huckabee ticket deal was made well before SuperDuperTuesday when Huckabee was courted to stay in the race to weaken Romney. I think McCain needs him as a running mate.
What about Hillary. She and Obama loathe each other but she too may not have much choice but to take him as her veep running mate. It's believed a lot of blacks simply won't vote if Clinton runs alone just as a lot of Clinton's supporters won't support Obama on his own. There's a lot of bitterness between these two camps and they may both be vulnerable to McCain without the whole Democratic base in support.
Still think McCain's first choice for VP is Lieberman. This steals votes that may be swinging Democrats ie. Florida.
Obama taking a VP position under Hillary? He may have to, although he would prefer to be outside of the Administration. That post has not been that successful in grooming for a future run of the Presidency. Gore found it a liability in some swing states (hanging Chads aside).
If Obama gets the nod, the choice for VP will be someone such as a Claire McCaskill or a Janet Napolitano. No way is the new establishment going back to the old guard.
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