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Feb 7, 2008 1:09 pm US/Eastern
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What Went Wrong In Romney's Run For President?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney announced Thursday that he is suspending his presidential campaign, in effect abandoning his run for the White House.
A poor showing for Romney on Super Tuesday and a strong showing for Sen. John McCain cinched his fate. Romney came out of Super Tuesday third in the delegate count, behind McCain and Mike Huckabee.
Mitt Romney's run for the White House was well underway long before he officially gave up the corner office on Beacon Hill in January 2007. A month later he made it official, announcing in his native state of Michigan that he was becoming a candidate for President.
In early fall of 2007, Romney was considered the Republican to beat. He had money, a well-run organization, and rising poll numbers. He was leading polls in early primary states New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and in a statistical tie in Iowa.
That fortune did not last long. By early December, just a month before the Iowa Caucuses, cracks were beginning to show.
Romney was forced to defend his Mormon faith in what was considered a pivotal speech. At the same time former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee seemed to come out of nowhere to win Iowa.
Five days after Iowa, Arizona Senator John McCain erased Romney's long-held lead in New Hampshire, a state where Romney spent millions of his own fortune. Political pundits began to wonder if this was the beginning of the end.
Romney did rebound in Michigan when his native state gave him a solid win over John McCain, but in the end Romney was unable to translate that into enough support as more key states, including those in the South, held their primaries.
What probably hurt Romney the most were charges that he flipped-flopped on issues like abortion. Perhaps his over all presentation was just too slick. Candidate Mike Huckabee put it this way in one of his ads: Romney doesn't look like the guy who you work with. He looks like the guy who laid you off.
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