Romney: Nomination Delay Could Spell GOP 'Doom'

Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney says if a GOP nominee is not chosen before the Republican National Convention then “we would be signaling our doom in terms of replacing President Obama.” The former Massachusetts governor also suggested to Fox News’ Neal Cavuto Monday that if he was not the Republican nominee it would be a “miracle.”
 

Romney was reacting to claims from rival Rick Santorum that he has far more delegates in his corner that the media has reported and that — contrary to some conventional wisdom — Romney as nominee is not a given.

“Well, the Republican National Committee puts the delegate count out. Each of the campaigns can put out their own delegate count out — he can put his own delegate count out, if he wants to, showing it state by state,” Romney said. “But, look, we have got a very substantial lead. Rick Santorum`s campaign put a memo out I think today talking about how they can go to a brokered convention and think they can swing some delegates to go from committed to uncommitted and maybe supporting him.

“Look, if we go all the way to a convention . . . we would be signaling our doom in terms of replacing President Obama,” he said. “We need to select someone to become our nominee, get that person nominated, and get focused on President Obama, and get him out of the White House.”

Romney said every candidate has a scenario where they could become the nominee, but as far as Santorum is concerned it is not going to happen.

“And, so far, we have got — I don’t know — two, two-and-a-half times as many delegates as he has and millions of more votes than he has. And, you know, that is the nature of political process.” Romney said. “If he is able to pull off a miracle, so be it, he will be the nominee.

“But we have a selection process; we are in the middle of it. I am leading it strongly — I’m going to continue to lead it,” he said. “And you are going to see me getting the delegates I need to become the nominee. And we sure as heck are not going to go to a convention, all the way to the end of August, to select a nominee and have campaign working during a convention.

“Why, can you imagine anything that would be a bigger gift to Barack Obama than us not having a nominee until the end of August? That is just not going to happen.”