Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced on
Thursday that he would suspend his campaign.
"This is not an easy decision ...I hate to lose," Romney told a
conservative group in a Washington hotel. "I feel I must now stand
aside for our party and for our country."
?Republican
presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt
Romney and his wife Ann (L) appear at his "Super Tuesday" primary
election night rally in Boston, Feb. 5, 2008.
"Today we are a nation at war. And Barack and Hillary have made
their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror: They
would retreat, declare defeat ... I simply cannot let my campaign
be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," said the former
Massachusetts governor, 60.
However, Romney did not announce his endorsement on any
candidate left in the Republican camp.
CNN political analysts said that the messages Romney delivered
in his Thursday speech sounds familiar with those of his rival John
McCain.
"Now, I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues
...But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful
in Iraq, and finding and executing Osama bin Laden," he told the
Conservative Political Action Conference.
"I agree with him on eliminating Al Qaida and terror worldwide,"
he added.
Romney's campaign was badly damaged on the Super Tuesday on
Feb.5, when Arizona Senator McCain overwhelmingly led in the
numbers of winning states and delegates who are supposed to vote
for him in the party's nomination convention early September.
Besides his momentum to go farther, Romney has lost about
35million U.S. dollars of his own fortune in his campaign lasting
more than one year ago.
According to the party's rule, after a candidate suspends his
campaign, he remains technically a candidate who is entitled to
keep any statewide pledged delegates as well as their
district-level delegates.
In the case of officially dropping out of the race, a Republican
candidate has to forfeit statewide delegates. Although his name
remained at the ballots, Romney was considered to have conceded to
McCain who has only one step away from being the Republican
presidential candidacy.
On the Super Tuesday, out of the 21 states holding Republican
primaries and caucuses, McCain led in nine states and won about
40percent of the populous votes, compared to Romney's seven
states,31 percent, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's
five states, 21 percent.
The number of delegates McCain has gained skyrocketed 714, much
more than the combination of Romney's 286 and Huckabee's 181.
As the fifth Mormon who sought for presidency in the U.S.
history, Romney has remained in the first tier of the candidates
since the 2008 presidential primaries and caucuses kicked off.
Despite his controversial religious belief, the Harvard
graduate's huge success in business and commendable record in
dealing with scandal-tainted Salt Lake City winter Olympics games
in 2002, boosts support from many Republican voters who were
expecting better economy, crisis management, and the party's return
to "true conservatism."
However, he made a U-turn change to his stance on issues like
abortion that was criticized as flip-flop, inviting doubts over his
credibility.
What is more, Romney had to share conservative voters, his
supporter base, with former Baptist minister Huckabee. Seen from
the South Carolina primary and some Super Tuesday races, McCain
also took away a significant share of conservatives.
(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2008)
