Mitt’s Closing Act

A WEEK after dropping out of the Republican presidential race on February 7, Mitt Romney held a meeting with senior staff at his campaign headquarters in Boston. They had a lot of questions to consider. Should Romney endorse John McCain now, or wait awhile? Should he hold on to his delegates to make some sort of statement at the Republican convention? What should his public stance be?

“After he stepped aside, the plan was to use the governor’s delegates to have a voice for conservatives at the convention,” says one Romney aide who was at the meeting. “But then he asked, ‘What’s the best way to unite the party right now?'” As his aides sat around the conference table, Romney answered his own question: He should bite the bullet and endorse the man who had been his bitter rival just a few days ago. Romney asked campaign manager Beth Myers to get in touch with the McCain campaign to work out logistics. “We were thinking they would want todo itin Phoenix, or in Texas, and make a big deal about it,” the aide recalls. Instead, Myers came back and said McCain wanted to do it now-right now.

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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Presidential Election

A WEEK after dropping out of the Republican presidential race on February 7, Mitt Romney held a meeting with senior staff at his campaign headquarters in Boston. They had a lot of questions to consider. Should Romney endorse John McCain now, or wait awhile? Should he hold on to his delegates to make some sort of statement at the Republican convention? What should his public stance be?

“After he stepped aside, the plan was to use the governor’s delegates to have a voice for conservatives at the convention,” says one Romney aide who was at the meeting. “But then he asked, ‘What’s the best way to unite the party right now?'” As his aides sat around the conference table, Romney answered his own question: He should bite the bullet and endorse the man who had been his bitter rival just a few days ago. Romney asked campaign manager Beth Myers to get in touch with the McCain campaign to work out logistics. “We were thinking they would want todo itin Phoenix, or in Texas, and make a big deal about it,” the aide recalls. Instead, Myers came back and said McCain wanted to do it now-right now.