Immediately following his narrow victory over Rick Santorum in the Iowa caucus Tuesday, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ.) announced his endorsement for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during a campaign appearance in Manchester, New Hampshire.
The Arizona senator who ran against Mr. Romney and President Barack Obama in an unsuccessful 2008 White House bid, referenced boxing legend Joe Louis when he referred to Mr. Romney’s chances against the president going forward.
“He can run but he can’t hide,” said Mr. McCain. “The Obama administration has ignored the most serious challenges threatening our future – a fifteen trillion dollar debt, and the job destroying effects of a complex, unfair and incomprehensible tax code, bankrupt entitlement programs, and unnecessary government regulations. We can overcome these challenges as we have overcome every challenge in our past, but only if our country changes leaders.”
Mr. Romney has continued to hold a substantial lead over the other candidates in recent polls of voters in New Hampshire, a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday night showed the former Massachusetts governor receiving 47 percent of the votes in New Hampshire.
The Bain Capital co-founder is the favorite to win the New Hampshire primary next week, and Mr. McCain is hoping that his endorsement of his 2008 rival will help bring more mainstream Republicans to support Mr. Romney.
Many political analysts have said that Republican voters do believe that he is the best candidate to face Mr. Obama in 2012, but they continue to question his record as the governor of Massachusetts as simply not being conservative enough to secure the Republican nomination.
“The time has arrived for Republicans to choose a presidential nominee; a new standard bearer who has the ability and determination to defeat President Obama and the strongest commitment to returning America to prosperity and defending our interests and values overseas,” said Mr. McCain. “Governor Romney offers us the common sense reforms of government policy that are necessary to turn around our economy. His record of accomplishment in government and business are a testament to his leadership abilities. His commitment to a strong defense and principled diplomacy will earn the world’s respect for American leadership.”
After pulling off a surprising second place finish in Iowa, Mr. Santorum was informed of Senator McCain’s decision to endorse Mr. Romney. The former Pennsylvania senator dismissed both Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney as “moderates” during an interview on CNN Tuesday night.
“I’m actually surprised he hasn’t done it earlier. John is a more moderate member of the Republican team, and I think he fits in more with Mitt’s view of the world,” said Mr. Santorum.
Although Mr. Santorum’s surge in Iowa is expected to carry over into New Hampshire, and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s commitment to courting voters there is expected to give him a boost next week, Mr. Romney should still be able to secure the victory with ease.
According to his campaign website, Mr. Romney has been endorsed by 73 New Hampshire State Representatives and 9 State Senators.
On Wednesday Mr. Romney thanked Mr. McCain for his endorsement and complimented his record in the Senate.
“Senator McCain has been a leader in the fight to stop the growth of government and make government more accountable to taxpayers. With his leadership on cutting spending in the Senate, we can rein in out-of-control federal spending, and restore confidence in government. I look forward to campaigning with Senator McCain and working with him on the issues important to our national and economic security,” said Mr. Romney.
