Posted on 04/27/2012 2:00:43 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Mitt Romney, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is yet to clinch all the 1,144 delegates he needs to officially be declared the winner of the race, and all but one of his previous campaign rivals have given him their support – with Rick Santorum being the only apparent holdout.
It was revealed Wednesday that both Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race in January, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, have decided to endorse Romney.
"So today I join the many conservative Republicans across the nation in endorsing Mitt Romney for president and pledge to him, my constituents and the Republican Party that I will continue to work hard to help defeat President (Barack) Obama," Perry said, according to Reuters. Perry had initially endorsed Gingrich when he dropped out of the race.
Gingrich , who is still technically in the race, made it quite clear yesterday that he will be suspending his campaign next week.
According to Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond, on Wednesday morning, the former House Speaker spoke to Romney by phone and shared that he will endorse him for the presidency, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"I think you have to at some point be honest with what's happening in the real world, as opposed to what you'd like to have happened," Gingrich said after Romney swept big victories in five Northeastern states on Tuesday. "Gov. Romney had a very good day yesterday. He got 67 [percent] in one state, and he got 63 in other, 62 in another. Now you have to give him some credit, I mean this guy's worked six years, put together a big machine, and has put together a serious campaign."
While the Republican Party largely seems to be uniting behind their presumptive nominee to face President Obama in the general election in November, arguably Romney's biggest rival, Rick Santorum, who suspended his campaign two weeks ago, remains on the fence on whether he will endorse the former Massachusetts governor or not.
The former Pennsylvania senator has avoided using the word "endorsement" or confirming comments suggesting he would endorse Romney, but according to ABC News, two senior advisers of Santorum's campaign have said that he will be meeting with Romney on May 4. They added that it is "possible" Santorum will make an official endorsement.
In a Tuesday interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, Santorum admitted that Romney would be the GOP candidate to face Obama, and he expressed his commitment to his party – but when asked if his remarks were an endorsement of Romney, Santorum simply said, "You can call it whatever you want."
Santorum promoted his campaign as a social conservative and spoke openly on issues such as abortion and homosexual marriage, and often criticized Romney for not expressing a firm stance on such points. The former Pennsylvania senator appealed largely to evangelicals and conservative Christians, and had gained the backing of many pastors and church leaders across the country. In the end, however, he was unable to compete with Romney's broader appeal.
Iowa voters received last week a late letter seeking contributions to Santorum's campaign, in which he warned that conservatives will be "crippled" if Romney wins. In the letter, Santorum said, "It truly frightens me to think what'll happen if Mitt Romney is the nominee."
Still, his wife, Karen Santorum, said during the CNN interview that they are "working through" and "talking about" formally endorsing Romney, although whether or when that will happen remains to be seen.
Romney's remaining rival, Congressman Ron Paul, has said that he intends to remain in the race even if the former Massachusetts governor nabs the GOP nomination. The highest number of votes Paul attracted in this week's Northeastern primaries was 23.9 percent in Rhode Island, where Romney got 63.2 percent of votes.
"We're in the third lap of a mile race. Who knows? Maybe someone will stumble. You can never tell. If tomorrow Romney had the absolute number, I would continue in a modified way," Rep. Paul said Monday on CNBC.
No, it won’t be Santorum’s “turn” in 2016: that designation will go to Jebbie Bush unless Romney wins in 2012. And don’t think for a minute that our little Republican primary voters won’t bite into another Bush. They will. They are too uninformed not to do so.
Is it Virgil GOOD or GUDE?
But as long as you keep posting your wrong assumptions...
...I keep defending.
Who are you defending....Romney? Obama?...those are your choices. Both are socialists.
I'm a conservative..I don't defend or vote for socialists.
72 posted on Mon Apr 30 2012 18:25:30 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) by Tzar: “It’d be fascinating if Santorum endorsed Goode.”
Not likely but not impossible. But if Romney is really, really, really stupid, especially on something related to abortion or homosexuality, I could see Santorum saying “thus far and no farther.” We already know he's willing to go down to defeat rather than compromise his convictions on core issues, though I can't imagine Romney being so incredibly stupid to do something dumb enough to prompt the sort of wholesale conservative revolt it would take to push someone like Santorum into endorsing a third party nominee.
Chuck Norris has a column over on TownHall (I don't know if it's legal to link there, so I won't) warning that Romney supporters aren't taking the thread of a third party seriously. Norris proposes ways that Romney can win by unifying conservatives; I don't think Romney is likely to take Norris’ advice. Apart from extreme situations, I very much doubt that Santorum will either lead or openly support a third-party bid, but I could easily see Santorum being among the people trying to pick up the pieces following a devastating Republican defeat this fall caused by Romney's lack of leadership.
Romney doesn't represent social issues conservatives. He doesn't represent national defense conservatives. He isn't even a very good representation of economic conservatives.
So how did we get him as the nominee? Merely because he's got a ton of money and could defeat more conservative Republicans with that money — but Obama has far more money available to him this fall.
Just wondering if in your soul of souls.....you and your 'group' ever wish you had given Rick Santorum a chance....
..instead of constantly marginalizing, demonizing him to the nth degree.
Do you ever think...what if?
Or are you happy with the status quo.
I can't help but wonder.....since 'most' of you who 24/7 did everything you could to push him out of this race....
..and now you all have practically disappeared......mission accomplished, eh.......
..if this was your REAL goal, after all....
...to leave us....Romney....Obama.
People here all had candidates they were supporting ...and that swung to yet other candidates when they dropped out. Most didn't ‘marry” the candidate for their choosing. You've really got some issues about Santorum you simply need to let go of...he's done...threw in the towel. ..just as the GOP wanted him to.
And no I wasn't about to support Santorum...I'm from Pa. and he has handled this exactly like he handled everything here in PA. He's a career politician and a GOP yes man... will do whatever is necessary to further his career always, first, and foremost..... I never had Rick in mind in the beginning nor after the media lifted him out of his ditch. I know his history, lines, and tactics..... The GOP used him, willingly, in Congress and they did in this election as well. ...maybe from this they offered him “His turn” next in their line ya think? Whatever, Rick only plays when there's something in it for him. So no, I wouldn't have given him a second chance...I didn't give him the first chance and wouldn't.
However, had he won the Primary instead of jumping ship at Pa.... ( you see Rick new Pa would not go for him..he remembers and so do we and when he tried to kiss and makeup that didn't work either....he was done...but prior Had he trounced Romney for the win...yes I would have voted for him and said so...wouldn't have liked it though...but never Romney.
The status quo is because conservatives did not get behind Newt once Santorum bit the dust...that was our last chance. And further Romney then cheated and jumped ahead without delegates and basically thumbed his finger at the rest of the voters....said he didn't need them.
Nope not Romney...not never.
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