Feb 7, 2008 6:18 pm US/Central
Romney Exits; McCain Focuses On Conservatives
Huckabee: 'Our Chances Have Substantially Improved'
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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John McCain won his greatest victory Thursday without a single vote being cast. His major rival for the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney, surprised his own aides and threw in the towel.
CBS/AP
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Mike Huckabee won West Virginia's Republican cacuses, the first election of Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008.
David McNew/Getty Images
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John McCain won his greatest victory Thursday without a single vote being cast.
His major rival for the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney, surprised his own aides and threw in the towel.
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Sen. Clinton or Obama would win," Romney said Thursday.
Romney bowed to the reality of Super Tuesday's verdict, which left McCain with more than twice his delegate count.
That left Mike Huckabee as McCain's sole major opponent. He was in Midtown Thursday.
"Now that the field is down to two, our chances have substantially improved," Huckabee said.
But Huckabee has even fewer delegates than Romney -- and way less money.
McCain extended an olive branch to Romney and his supporters.
"You did a fine job," McCain said. "You're welcome to join us. It will be a campaign of conservative principals."
But McCain's conservative credentials have come under withering attack from some Republicans. On Thursday he made a crucial appeal at a major conservative gathering in Washington D.C.
He was greeted by applause, but was booed at points.
"On the issue of illegal immigration ..." was as far as McCain got before the boos rained down.
The question now is whether conservatives will unite around McCain or just sit things out this fall, which could be devastating to his prospects.
Michael Long, the chairman of New York's Conservative Party, has yet to be won over.
"The Conservative Party of New York State is not in the business of electing Obama or Hillary, but we are interested in electing people who'll move the conservative agenda in the right way," Long said.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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