Mitt quits
Mormon millionaire drops out after $35m campaign
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney bows out at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference yesterday
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Friday February 08 2008
Mitt Romney dropped out of the Republican presidential race yesterday, effectively ceding the nomination to John McCain after a campaign in which he spent more than dollars $35m of his personal fortune.
Mr Romney announced his decision to the biggest annual gathering of conservatives in America, a conference where Mr McCain also appeared to try to quell a fierce revolt by the Republican Right against what now appears to be his inevitable nomination.
After suffering a string of big losses on Super Tuesday to Mr McCain, and across the South to Mike Huckabee -- the only other big candidate left in the race -- Mr Romney quit after advisers told him that it was virtually impossible to claw his way back.
"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose," Mr Romney told the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference in Washington, a vast gathering of conservative activists, leaders and intellectuals.
Astonishment
In a sign of how many viewed him as their only hope of avoiding a McCain nomination, Mr Romney's announcement was greeted with shouts of astonishment and howls of "No! No!"
Mr Romney said that a long battle would damage Republican chances of winning November's general election. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," he said.
The first key question left unanswered by his withdrawal is whether he will now endorse Mr McCain, a man with whom he shares a mutual and very public contempt.
Ronald Reagan backed Gerald Ford in 1976 after he lost their primary battle, and Mr McCain -- albeit through gritted teeth -- endorsed George Bush after their brutal nominating contest in 2000. Such a move will be avidly sought by Mr McCain, who faces a tough battle to unite the party ahead of November.
Mr Romney, a former venture capitalist turned politician, who was seeking to become America's first Mormon president, faced a series of challenges when he announced his White House bid last year, not least his moderate views on abortion, guns and gay rights he espoused when governor of liberal leaning Massachusetts.
As recently as three years ago Mr Romney was pro-abortion but entered the race as a fierce social conservative, having changed tack on every issue dear to the Religious Right. His willingness to shift his message allowed rivals to ridicule him as an opportunistic flip-flopper.
He was also dogged by the question of his Mormonism. His religion, combined with doubts about his conservative bona fides, allowed Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher, to win Iowa unexpectedly on the back of evangelical support.
Mr Romney's plan was to win the early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, a classic momentum-building strategy -- backed by a $250m personal fortune -- that could have worked had it not been for Mr Huckabee's surprise victory.
Defeat in Iowa left the former Massachusetts governor badly wounded heading into New Hampshire five days later, where a resurgent Mr McCain beat him. Mr Romney never fully recovered.
Mr McCain, savouring almost certain victory after being written off six months ago, ventured into the "lion's den" of the CPAC, which he snubbed last year.
Despite big Super Tuesday wins which put him in sight of victory, Mr McCain failed to win any Southern states. The losses came amid fierce dissent from many conservatives, led by radio talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh. Some are declaring they would rather lose to Hillary Clinton than see the Arizona senator win.
Mr McCain is anathema to many on the Right because of his willingness to buck party orthodoxy and work with Democrats on issues such as immigration, global warming, and curbing big business.
Yet he has been consistently anti-abortion, and is a national security hawk.
Mr McCain's dilemma is that a Republican nominee must win the South to prevail in a general election.
Without the enthusiasm of Bible Belt evangelicals, the core of the region's activists, Mr McCain's hopes are threatened. (© The Times, London)
- Tim Reid in Washington
