Romney suspends campaign
Mitt Romney announced he is suspending his presidential bid, all but annointing John McCain as the Republican nominee.
In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, Romney said he didn't want a Democrat to win the White House.
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and frankly I would be making it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," he said.
"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters... many of you right here in this room have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I'd go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country," he said as the crowd exclaimed, "No, no."
"I will continue to stand for conservative principles; I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face of evil extremism!"
He spoke with his wife Ann by his side. He was introduced to raucous applause and chants of "Mitt, Mitt" by radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, who supported him, as the conservatives' conservative.
Romney said he rose from single digits in polls to four million voters and 11 states that have supported him.
The former Massachusetts governor was far behind in delegates after McCain swept winner-take-all states in the Northeast and also won California and other big states on Super Tuesday. But even as he huddled Wednesday with key advisers at his Boston campaign headquarters, a spokesman insisted that Romney was in the race for the long haul.
By suspending his campaign, he technically keeps his delegates in case something bizarre happens and he could restart his bid. Romney had 293 delegates, compared to 703 for McCain, of the 1,191 needed for the nomination.
Romney sought to become the conservative alternative to McCain and courted the activists at the conference, but Mike Huckabee competed for some of the same voters.
While Huckabee has not officially dropped out, he is even further behind in delegates and made clear this week that he would support McCain if he doesn't get the nomination.
Still, the Huckabee campaign said the former Arkansas governor would push on, according to the Associated Press.
"We're still in the race and we're still competing for delegates, and today demonstrates how long and windy to the White House this is," said Chip Saltsman, Huckabee's campaign manager.
Please don't do this. Mitt Romney should be our next president.
Finally...dawn breaks on Marblehead
It's a loss to the GOP and this country not having Romney in the race. McCain is a stronger Dem than he is a GOP candidate. I will write in Fred Thompson since the Dems will easily defeat the McCain losing ticket, and then hope for the true conservatives to unite w/o the likes of McCain and stand strong in 2012 and in the interim, trying to win back the House and Senate. McCain is what's wrong with Washington......what we need to fix and change is get rid of the McCains...the RINOS, and elect true conservatives........or start a third party..Federalist Conservatives, led by Fred Dalton Thompson. Tuesday was a sad day, today is sadder still.
Romney is good at business ventures. He continue should follow that path -- that's his truth of being.
A President should be able to stick to the truth and not flip flop over every issue that comes up. Unfortunately, Romney was his own worst enemy.
Our prayers have been answered.
So do you think that arrogant speech after Super Tuesday was a good idea now? Oh, not to mention the $30MM out of your pocket.
Romney is good at business ventures. He continue should follow that path -- that's his truth of being.
A President should be able to stick to the truth and not flip flop over every issue that comes up. Unfortunately, Romney was his own worst enemy.
Our prayers have been answered.
BZER
Good! He should go back to being a business man because at least he was good at that! I can not fathom that he should run the country the way he ran the Commonwealth!
How tragic that the best man we've had a chance to elect for Pres. has to stop his campaign! He is exactly what this country needs and because of religious bigotry in this country he has had to quit. Mike Huckabee claims to be a Christian, but the way he has treated Mitt is decidedly not Christian. It's obvious that he stayed in the race to defeat Mitt and he has succeeded. What a commentary on religious freedom in this country. I'm very sad today as I know many people are. Now we have to settle for a man who is so flawed that he makes us all shudder to think of him being the most powerful man in the world. What a choice to have to elect him or the democrats who will turn our beloved country into a socialist state. God help us.
The United States Government wants John McCain to be the next President of the United States and that is exactly what is going to happen!
Ask yourself this: Is the US ready for a woman President? Is the US ready for an African American President?
The answer is NO!
I do beg to differ but my opinion does not matter.
The Government wants John McCain and that is what is going to happen...you heard it here first!
Get ready for 4 more years of BS!
Romney is good at business ventures. He should continue to follow that path -- that's his truth of being.
A President should be able to stick to the truth and not flip flop over every issue that comes up. Simply put, Romney was his own worst enemy.
BZER
The United States Government wants John McCain to be the next President of the United States and that is exactly what is going to happen!
Ask yourself this: Is the US ready for a woman President? Is the US ready for an African American President?
The answer is NO!
I do beg to differ but my opinion does not matter.
The Government wants John McCain and that is what is going to happen...you heard it here first!
Get ready for 4 more years of BS!
THANK GOD!
The mere fact that Romney won Massachusetts is scary enough! How can you say he was a good governor? He was never in the state!
Don't worry Romney supporters, I am sure Mr. Flip Flop will change his stance again tomorrow and will be back in the race.
true american. more than one can say for either dem candidate. look for status quo (read, scratch my back, i'll scratch yours) if the dems win.
I am 100 percent behind McCain, but I will not accept Mike Huckabee as his veep and I hope John MCain hears that message loud and clear ... there are plenty of far more qualified candidates available. Huckabee is totally unqualified for the job.
The next nine months are going to be extremely interesting. Right now, I want to see the John Edwards counter-move, which is coming. Just watch. If Edwards throws his support behind Obama in his effort to get another sure shot at the VP slot, he will throw a monkey wrench into Clinton's campaign, possibly causing a very public and nasty verbal scramble for first place, damaging public perception of the Democratic Party and making it very easy for the newly "united" GOP to succeed. However, if Edwards throws his support to Clinton, Obama may be forced to look at maintaining the Dems party unity, approaching her to say, "Look - I'll back down if and only if you offer me the VP slot." Will she do it or no?
Like I said. The next nine months will be very interesting indeed.
He had no authenticity about him and the voters saw through him. He was a bad governor so I'm glad he spared us all.
I have to admit, even though "multiple choice Mitt" is NOT a resonable choice for President of the United States, I really respect his decision to drop out due to the FACT that the Democratic candidates are nothing short of dangerous for this country.
Goodbye and good riddance Mr Romney - may we never, ever hear from you again.
The race for the nomination in both parties is back to politicians who have the power of their own convictions - however scary those convictions in some cases may be ...
Goodbye and good riddance Mr Romney - may we never, ever hear from you again.
The race for the nomination in both parties is back to politicians who have the power of their own convictions - however scary those convictions in some cases may be ...
HA! HA! HA! HA! ha ha! later flipper. Your loser speech was just great. Yes, you are now doing your part for the war effort. Do your boys now enlist, since they are now done with the "greater cause" of trying to get you elected?????????????
To the despair of rabid right wing radio talk show hosts, Mitt Romney bows out completely defeated. This is a clear message to the bigots on FM96.9 WTTK such as Michael Graham and others that America rejects the politics of divisiveness. Sponsors of those talk shows should take notice!
Romney was out of it when he attacked Southern Heritage and lost the Confederate States of America. Southerners are proud of their fight against the tyrant Lincoln and the fight for the 10th Amendment in 1861 and will not ever forget the cause which our ancestors fought under the Confederate Battle Flag which is just that , a battle flag used during war time to distinguish between opposing forces. To make anything else of it is playing politics and attacking the usual group of people nobody cares about (Confederate Americans).
We welcome those who were borderline constitutionalists in the Romney bunch to join the Ron Paul Revolution for a return to sanity and dignity respecting our Founding Fathers and the Constitution they wrote which we have nearly destroyed!
It is sad to see Mr. Romney go. The investment of his time and money in an effort to restore America's greatness was an alturistic effort that should be applauded. Had he succeeded, I have no doubt that he would have turned the ship around. His graceful exit is unfortunate but understandable. Thank you Mitt.
Romney failed because he is much more a fixer than a leader. We want CEOs to be our president, not COOs.
Mike Huckabee is slowing turning into a dangerous force, not that he has a legitimate shot at catching McCain, but that he has nearly single handed pushed Romney out of the race while at the same positioning himself as the clear choice for McCain's running mate. He is exactly what McCain needs to appease those voters, and the lunatic fringe radio host they listen to, who do not consider him to be conservative enough.
Yahoooooooooooooooo
The next nine months are going to be extremely interesting. Right now, I want to see the John Edwards counter-move, which is coming. Just watch. If Edwards throws his support behind Obama in his effort to get another sure shot at the VP slot, he will throw a monkey wrench into Clinton's campaign, possibly causing a very public and nasty verbal scramble for first place, damaging public perception of the Democratic Party and making it very easy for the newly "united" GOP to succeed. However, if Edwards throws his support to Clinton, Obama may be forced to look at maintaining the Dems party unity, approaching her to say, "Look - I'll back down if and only if you offer me the VP slot." Will she do it or no?
What does it really matter, whether or not he (Romney)fell out of the race or not? It is all fixed, anyway....the entire political system is a joke, paid for and carried out to keep citizens believing that they are free, and represented in this country...there is a fine line between tragedy and comedy....and things are so bad here today, that the comedians today are the only ones who can speak the real truth without worrying about being called home grown terrorists, having illegal searches and wiretaps carried out, etc. Go to Youtube.com, and search for George Carlin, or "Who Owns You Americans".....look past the vulgarities he uses in his routine, and see the real truth....Here in the United States of America, Inc., an average citizen has no real voice, and if you dare to speak up and tell the truth, you are a no-good terrorist...Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate worth voting for at all, and the working class and middle class must wake up to that...if they don't, and he never gets a shot at it, then I will not vote for anyone at all, and wish that NO ONE vote AT ALL! Imagine the message that would send ! Alas, that will not happen, because too many intentionally blind people will continue to play the game.....
The United States Government is corrupt....everyone knows it, but most do not have the stomach to say it out loud. Reagan did not defeat the Soviet Union, CORRUPTION did, and now it is destroying our country! Ron Paul is the only candidate who is not "owned" by some corporation or special interest group.....I really hate sounding so negative, but there is so much to be cleaned up, and this veteran and citizen really does love his country. Its just that it is hard to recognize that country anymore....Let's start out by not lying to our children....let's teach them the truth in our schools, as it REALLY is....before class starts, they should recite the following:
"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, Inc., and to the corporate rule, family destruction, and enslavement of the working people for which it stands...One nation, lip-serving God, highly divisible, with liberty and justice for the wealthy". No, you say? Well, then, perhaps its time to make some real changes, before this country falls into bankrupcy and the ensuing civil war? Think it can't happen here? What happens when the 27 Million people who go hungry here every day swell to 127 million people? 227 Million What then?
I'm fed up with the mass hypocrisy, and so are a LOT of voters, from all parties/groups.....
No mention of Ron Paul? A press release from his campaign shows he has 42 delegates, a respectable amount. The good Ron is still in the running.
Romney should endorse McCain as should Huckabee
Boy; the globe must be thrilled to see Romney out; now they can focus on the ever increasing liberal agenda. How is that our children now know more about Kwanza and MLK than the Consititution and JFK? What a sorry state of affairs....Ron Paul looks better by the minute.
Boy; the globe must be thrilled to see Romney out; now they can focus on the ever increasing liberal agenda. How is that our children now know more about Kwanza and MLK than the Consititution and JFK? What a sorry state of affairs....Ron Paul looks better by the minute.
What a surprise. Romney changed his position? Didn't he say a couple of weeks ago that he would fight until the convention? Oh well, for those of you counting, here is yet another topic he flip flopped on. Stiff.
BYE BYE MITT!!
Now, if you only moved out Mass. we would all be happy!!
THANK GOD. I do love his cute comment about how he's gonna save us from terrorism by stepping down... because we're "at war" and all that. Terrorists were caught and punished during the Democratic administration, and we weren't attacked again until the Republicans were in power, and that attack and the Liar's War has been lining Republican crony pockets ever since.
How fitting that the only contribution he & his sons will make in "this time of war" will be to do... nothing. Now he can go home and mow his own lawn.
Even in defeat he is a reprehensible lizard. Good riddance.
For the ultimate well being of the country, I applaud you gentlemanly departure. Your dad would be proud of you. I'm sure your wife and children are and also myself.
Now that they are no longer serving their country trying to get Mitt elected do you think his Sons will sign up for the Army so that they can serve?
All of you that revel with Mitt Romney leaving the race to be the nominee for the Republicans are completely clueless. You all LOST. Your ignorance at believing the liberal news media and pundits, created an anointed nominee, who will only blast us to death.
You had the most intelligent, gentleman, that could have taken us out of this economic recession/depression, and you could not see it.
God help the United States of American now!
Lets face it, we have no choice for president, Paul is weird, he may be honest but their has to be some give and take, We already have a president that does what he wants and the hell with the consequence. On the Dem. side of things we have two junior members of congress, yes Hilary was first lady, but being the wife of a CEO does not qualify you to run a Fortune Five hundred, why should it qualify you to be president.
On the GOP we have a senator and had two governors. I just don't think a 71 year man should be president, statistically meaning we will electing the Vp, since most men don't live to be 71.
I wish just once there was a decent person running for president.
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