You guys are getting your facts wrong. DeMint endorsed Romney at the START of the primary season, on Jan 9, 2007. At that time, the primary field was still wide open and it was anybody's to win, with the expected frontrunners to be Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney, not McCain. South Carolina is one of the early primary states and votes long before Super Tuesday -- Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter, and everyone else was still actively in the race when South Carolina voted. Furthermore, Romneycare had already become law when DeMint issued his endorsement, and said at the time he was happy with what Mitt Romney had done with health care in Mass. (he has since rescinded those claims)
DeMint's endorsement of Romney in Jan. '07 was a statement that DeMint felt Romney was the best choice in a crowded field of many Republicans. To spin it was a last minute "stop McCain" endorsement when all the conservatives had dropped out is simply not true.
I never personally spun it as a last minute choice. Maybe he felt that Hunter didn’t have enough name recognition, etc. and that Fred wasn’t up to the task for a big run (which wouldve been true, unfortunately- he was my pick)- I don’t know- he’ll have to explain that. So the Romney pick was a real dud- so was Palin’s choice of McCain over J.D.. It’s questionable how much impact the endorsements really had in the end, and they’ve both made innumerable important contributions to the cause since then.
And the most important thing is for DeMint that he learns from this and DOESN’T ENDORSE ROMNEY AGAIN...