Informed Speculation

Mike Huckabee, take note:

Former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney announced Thursday that he is backing Sen. John McCain in his bid for the Oval Office.

“I am honored today to give my full support to Sen. McCain’s candidacy for the presidency of the United States,” Romney said in a joint news conference with Sen. McCain by his side.

“This is a man capable of leading our country in this dangerous hour.”

Romney said he had no doubt McCain should be the next president of the United States.

After his announcement, Romney introduced McCain as a true American hero.

…One source said Romney wants to endorse McCain “in the interest of healing.”

The source said Romney also wants to help McCain move faster to “secure the nomination and unite the party for the general election against the Democrats for November.”

Romney will “release” his delegates to McCain, meaning he will encourage them to get behind McCain’s candidacy, the source said.

Romney had collected 286 delegates before he suspended his campaign two weeks ago.

Those delegates would give McCain 1,013 total delegates, 78 short of securing the nomination.

If there was any remaining suspense about the outcome of the Republican race, it is now removed.  Romney was a man who clearly disliked McCain, and vice versa, yet obviously, he saw the real peril the underfunded Republicans face against the excited Democrats.  Huckabee, who LIKES McCain, for cryin’ out loud, needs to put aside his candidacy at once.  We cannot afford to spend an ounce more of an effort than the bare minimum on the nomination battle, because the general election is going to be excruciatingly difficult for Republicans under the best of circumstances.

Let it go, Huck…you had a damn good run, way better than most expected.  Now go out a winner and help your party in its time of need…