Romney HAS dropped out, as in past tense

[Lemon law]

I note there is a multi page thread speculating Romney might drop pit of the GOP race.
But now its official, Romney has suspended his campaign with the reason cited being the good of the Republican party.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...g9sYkZqe8f5nKhw.Cs0NUE

Effectively handing the GOP nomination to McCain becomes the conventional wisdom.

Can anyone see any scenario for stopping McCain from getting the GOP nod now? As a dem I don't think its my bridge to troll under, but I hope the handwriting is on the wall and the neocons are now packing their bags. Because Romney was their last hope after Rudy dropped.

And now, can Huckabee soldier on and mobalize the Religious right against McCain. But if Huck drops, McCain may be free to return to the Senate and take control of the GOP senators. Possibly weakening GWB&co. in the process.

Its fraught with possibilities.

 

[dphantom]

yes, it is unfortunate, but McCain appears a lock for the nomination. And, no, I am not a neocon. I am a conservative with no candidate to vote for. Oh well.

 

[BeauJangles]

Good news! Romney is the ultimate political opportunist. He said whatever suited him and did whatever benefited his closest supporters.

 

[BoomerD]

The Mormon Menace is gone...Jay Leno opined the other night that Romney is trying to set himself up as VP.

Makes sense. With McCain being in his 70's, maybe Romney is scheming to try to get into the Presidency "through the back door" should McCain get elected and not live through his term in office...

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
The Mormon Menace is gone...Jay Leno opined the other night that Romney is trying to set himself up as VP.

Makes sense. With McCain being in his 70's, maybe Romney is scheming to try to get into the Presidency "through the back door" should McCain get elected and not live through his term in office...

But Republicans need a real conservative on the ticket.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: BoomerD
The Mormon Menace is gone...Jay Leno opined the other night that Romney is trying to set himself up as VP.

Makes sense. With McCain being in his 70's, maybe Romney is scheming to try to get into the Presidency "through the back door" should McCain get elected and not live through his term in office...

But Republicans need a real conservative on the ticket.

I can't believe one of the Ron Paul guys hasn't jumped into this thread.

 

[teclis1023]

I was under the impression that Ron Paul was going to win the nomination and then save the country.

..and then fly around the world backwards so fast that he turned back time!

 

[StageLeft]

Bye bye, mccain gets it!

 

[Lemon law]

McCain has a world of options now. But he has to shore up support from the so called "conservatives" and with the religious right. He can do that with various public positions,
in the dark conversations, and through his VP choice.

And the only real GOP jokers in the deck is Huckabee and GWB&co.

The next moves will be on the part of McCain and maybe Huckabee.

But McCain is now almost free to start his general election campaign. Lets see how McCain plays it out? To play coy or hit the ground running?

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
To play coy or hit the ground running?

he has little $
i think he'll ignore Huck and the remaining primaries and just start attacking the Dems, mostly on the war/Iraq. he doesn't really know anything else

he'll focus on fund raising for the general election and taking pot shots at both Clinton/Obama

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: dphantom
yes, it is unfortunate, but McCain appears a lock for the nomination. And, no, I am not a neocon. I am a conservative with no candidate to vote for. Oh well.

Ditto...

Now there's no point in me voting here at all... McCain is no conservative and if Obama wins he'll carry Hawaii with 80% of the vote anyway. Election day might be a good day to play golf.

 

[Farang]

Why did you create a new thread? His dropping out in the past tense was acknowledged very early in the other thread and that is what the discussion was about.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
The Mormon Menace is gone...Jay Leno opined the other night that Romney is trying to set himself up as VP.

Makes sense. With McCain being in his 70's, maybe Romney is scheming to try to get into the Presidency "through the back door" should McCain get elected and not live through his term in office...

No way. McCain openly dislikes Romney. I don't see him picking Huckabee either. Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty is a real possibility, but he looks a lot less appealing in light of the fact that MN voted for Romney in spite of the governor's endorsement of McCain (the party is in a bit of tumult here in MN - the state party chair actually endorsed Huckabee for no apparent reason other than to mess with the governor).

 

[Pabster]

No way on Pawlenty, Don Vito. Not gonna happen.

McCain is going to need to choose a strong Conservative. I'm thinking it may be George Allen.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: dphantom
yes, it is unfortunate, but McCain appears a lock for the nomination. And, no, I am not a neocon. I am a conservative with no candidate to vote for. Oh well.

QFT

 

[Fox5]

Can't Romney now tell all his delegates to vote for Huckabee and hope Huckabee can pick up California or something?

 

[Balt]

McCain might choose a Bible-thumper as his running mate, but I think he may not. I can't imagine someone like Huckabee and McCain having anything that resembles a normal conversation.

Also McCain might be able to deliver some of the 'swing' states in the west by himself.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Pabster
No way on Pawlenty, Don Vito. Not gonna happen.

McCain is going to need to choose a strong Conservative. I'm thinking it may be George Allen.

George Allen is severely damaged goods given the ample evidence of his racist conduct in the recent and not-so-recent past. I don't see it, particularly if Obama is nominated.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Fox5
Can't Romney now tell all his delegates to vote for Huckabee and hope Huckabee can pick up California or something?

News Flash, California already voted.

Huckabee will now be the recipient of the anti-McCain vote. It'll help him, but it's going to be too little, too late. One of the two needed to disappear about a month ago.

 

[308nato]

I'll vote for Juan only to offset the vote of some mush brained CodePink wanker, but, he has to promise to stay out of any hot aircraft on a carrier deck.

 

[Duddy]

Originally posted by: dphantom
yes, it is unfortunate, but McCain appears a lock for the nomination. And, no, I am not a neocon. I am a conservative with no candidate to vote for. Oh well.

Uh, Ron Paul?

Why do conservatives act like he doesn't exist?

 

[techs]

Funny how Romney kept campaigning on the issue that he has had a "real job" cause now he needs....a real job.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Duddy
Uh, Ron Paul?

Why do conservatives act like he doesn't exist?

Because he doesn't? :laugh:

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Fox5
Can't Romney now tell all his delegates to vote for Huckabee and hope Huckabee can pick up California or something?

read his speech, despite not "officially" endorsing McCain, he did this to end the primary so that the Repubs/McCain could move on to the general election

Huck has no chance, there is no point to him continuing, McCain will get enough delegates without Romney doing anything more in the process. he'll wait until 2012 or something

 

[glutenberg]

Originally posted by: techs
Funny how Romney kept campaigning on the issue that he has had a "real job" cause now he needs....a real job.

Romney is far from needing anything for the next few generations of his family's welfare.