With his state’s presidential primary approaching this Tuesday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin formally endorsed Mitt Romney for President on “Fox and Friends” Friday morning:
“I have two criteria I am using to make my decision to vote in our primary Tuesday,” Ryan explained. “Who is the best person to be President – who would make the best President? And who has the best chance of defeating Barack Obama? And in my opinion, Mitt Romney is clearly that person.”
Ryan also referenced the amount of time he’s spent with Romney’s staff, “going through our country’s fiscal situation, and talking about just what it’s going to take to get our country back on track.” He’s convinced Romney has the “skills, tenacity, courage, and integrity” to do what is necessary.
While Ryan said he believes the long Republican primary has been “productive,” and has “made the candidates better,” he also thinks it’s about time to wrap it up before it becomes counter-productive. “That’s why I think we need to coalesce as conservatives around Mitt Romney and focus on the big task at hand, which is defeating Barack Obama in the fall,” Ryan said.
The Washington Examiner reports that Ryan contacted Rick Santorum’s campaign last night to let them know he’d be endorsing Romney. Romney is anywhere from seven to 13 points ahead in Wisconsin, according to recent polls – the latest, from NBC News, has him up 7 points.
Of perhaps even greater significance, the most recent poll of Santorum’s home state, Pennsylvania, conducted March 20 – 25 by Franklin & Marshall College, shows it is now a virtual dead heat between Santorum and Romney. Santorum is ahead by only 2 points, which is well within the 4.2 percent margin of error.
“Conservatives coalesce!” may not be quite as thrilling a battle cry as “Avengers assemble!” but it looks like it might just get the job done for Mitt Romney.
