Gettysburg, PA – Bowing to the inevitable, Rick Santorum quit the presidential campaign Tuesday, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination.
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Santorum, appearing with his wife and children in his home state of Pennsylvania, told supporters the race for him was over, but the fight to defeat President Barack Obama would go on.
He pointedly made no mention or endorsement of Romney, whom Santorum had derided as an unworthy standard-bearer for the GOP. The former Pennsylvania senator stressed that he’d taken his campaign farther than anyone expected.
“We will continue to go out and fight and defeat President Barack Obama,” Santorum declared.
Santorum spoke with Romney before the announcement, a Republican source close to the campaign said.
The delegate totals told the tale of Santorum’s demise. Romney has more than twice as many delegates as Santorum and is on pace to reach the 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination by early June. Still in the race, but not considered a factor: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
Santorum had been hoping to hold out through the primary in Pennsylvania on April 24, but decided to fold up after his severely ill 3-year-old daughter, Bella, spent the weekend in the hospital.
Santorum, a feisty campaigner who took everyone by surprise with his win in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, ran on his conservative credentials and his experience in Congress — he was a House member for four years and senator for 12 — but was hobbled by a lack of money and organization.
Santorum stressed the improbable accomplishment of the past year, saying that “against all odds, we won 11 states, millions of voters, millions of votes.”
He said that while Romney was accumulating more delegates, “we were winning in a very different way. We were touching hearts” with his conservative message.
In a statement, Romney called Santorum “an able and worthy competitor” and congratulated him on his campaign.
“He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation,” Romney said. “We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity.”
Releif! Its like an enema from the world! Thanks man. Get off the stage so that we can worry about humanity again!
I am really confused as to why Santorum is dropping out before Newt???? I just hope Santorum makes the most out of this and picked his timing right???
LOL… as if anyone with IQ over 80 still considered him a candidate!
He clearly missed the boat.. I assume Ego matters, Would he have done it a week ago,he would of had done a much more smarter POLITICAL move for his future. Now after realizing he would badly loose his home state to Mitt he departs!
He should have dropped out a long time ago!
Glad to see him go, along with Gingrich. His obcession with “family values” and his veiled threats to deny women access to contraceptives were dragging down his campaign. Younger voters today have little interest in candidates who would impose their morality on the nation. Now that he is clear to speak his mind, Romney will try to move to the political center but he will still lose to Obama. We’ve seen these so called “values” candidates (Caine, Bachman, Gingrich, Perry, and now Santorum) go down in flames. Four more years for Obama and freedom from Republican imposed morality.
Newt is gone a long time – he stands no chance as does Santorum. But Santorum needs to retract his statement about choosing Obama over Romney. The GOP needs to UNITE into a strong ROMNEY 2012 campaign so that we US taxpayers can be PROUD to be an AMERICAN again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well here is hoping the Conservative vote will go ALL Newt so he could catch up to Romney.
I am voting for Newt after Pesach if he stays in the race until the NY primary, IYH