The results of West Virginia begin to show why Mitt is running a doomed candidacy. In the first round of voting, Mitt has the largest number of supporters (41% to Huckabee's 33%). Since neither candidate reached 50%, the lowest vote getter (Ron Paul) was removed from the ballot. But McCain's campaign astutely released his delegates and encouraged them to vote for Huckabee. The second round came to 51% for Huckabee and 47% for Mitt (only 12 votes--1% stayed with McCain).
Votes do not go from other candidates to Mitt. I don't think I know exactly why--his money and his attitude, I guess.
But what that means is that as other candidates drop out of the race, Mitt is not helped. That just let votes go to McCain and Huck.
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Let me offer an additional point of view on Mitt Romney- Romney was not the "total package" type of conservative candidate that we conservatives should have been looking for. He was the type of candidate whose packaging was attractive, but it covered up a far less authentic candidate on the inside.
Mitt Romney was the wrong man to carry the conservative banner, for several reasons. Mitt wanted to be the conservative candidate without actually having really governed as one (his signature legislative accomplishment- his healthcare plan- was NOT a conservative one)- it seemed that the bulk of the platform he ran on were positions he adopted or switched to during the last election cycle- which immediately cast doubt on his credibility and sincerity. In addition, he could not blunt arguments that emanated from the McCain camp in which McCain asserted, "Ive been a conservative far longer than Mitt Romney". McCain's lack of conservative credentials aside, it proved to be a assertion that Mitt Romney had no credible reply to.
Mitt's final nail in the coffin in Florida resulted when he pandered to senior citizens in Florida, as he actually criticized John McCain for NOT supporting the prescription drug entitlement plan. Couple that with his pandering to the automotive industry in Michigan- where he basically offered to have the Federal Government pay for R&D that some segments of the industry were already engaged in- and you have someone who is not advocating for conservatism, but for immediate electoral gain.
So much for being the conservative, small-government alternative.
McCain's perceived credibility as a conservative and security hawk won the day for him, and he exploited Mitt's glaring weakness- his credibility/sincerity deficit, which is why in retrospect, he was the wrong manner to be charged with carrying the conservative banner. In addition, he is probably a more electable candidate than Romney would have been anyways. In retrospect, what conservatives needed to prevail with a candidate of their liking was to field a candidate who was credible, could withstand most attacks on his record, would not compromise at all on his conservative principles, and who could stand for a fair fight with the Party moderates. Fred Thompson was the man who could have waged that fight far more convincingly than Mitt Romney.
In fairness to Romney, the conservative vote had been splitting four ways rather than coalescing around one candidate, and it would have been daunting for any one authentic conservative win an intra-party squabble. In the future, Conservatives will have their best chance to prevail with a candidate of their liking with a smaller field of candidates.
Mitt Romney should run for Governor of Michigan, build up his conservative bona fides, and actually govern as a conservative, and then give his Presidential ambitions another try.
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