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| Romney sweeps five states and turns his focus to Obama | Romney sweeps five states and turns his focus to Obama |
| (12 months later) | |
| Mitt Romney finally declared the Republican presidential race over on Tuesday night after sweeping victories in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island and moved wholly into election mode against Barack Obama. | Mitt Romney finally declared the Republican presidential race over on Tuesday night after sweeping victories in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island and moved wholly into election mode against Barack Obama. |
| Romney was confirming in public what has been obvious since the Illinois primary in March when his main rival Rick Santorum failed to make a breakthrough: that he is uncatchable and is going to be the Republican nominee to take on Obama. | Romney was confirming in public what has been obvious since the Illinois primary in March when his main rival Rick Santorum failed to make a breakthrough: that he is uncatchable and is going to be the Republican nominee to take on Obama. |
| "After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and more than a few long nights, I can say with confidence and gratitude that you have given me a great honour and solemn responsibility," Romney said, in Manchester, New Hampshire. "And, together, we are going to win on November 6." | "After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and more than a few long nights, I can say with confidence and gratitude that you have given me a great honour and solemn responsibility," Romney said, in Manchester, New Hampshire. "And, together, we are going to win on November 6." |
| Obama officially won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday night, a formality given he had no challengers. | Obama officially won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday night, a formality given he had no challengers. |
| Romney won the five states with massive double-digit leads. Over the next few days, Romney and his staff are to accelerate the process of building a general election campaign, meshing his staff with the Republican national party. | Romney won the five states with massive double-digit leads. Over the next few days, Romney and his staff are to accelerate the process of building a general election campaign, meshing his staff with the Republican national party. |
| Romney's declaration comes even though former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are still in the race. Gingrich, who saw his slim hopes of a victory in Delaware crushed, could quit the race soon. His campaign team said he was reassessing his position in the light of the Delaware result. | Romney's declaration comes even though former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are still in the race. Gingrich, who saw his slim hopes of a victory in Delaware crushed, could quit the race soon. His campaign team said he was reassessing his position in the light of the Delaware result. |
| Gingrich, speaking at a rally in North Carolina, which holds its primary on 8 May, said: "We're going to look realistically at where we're at. We are going to think carefully about how we can be the most helpful to this country." | Gingrich, speaking at a rally in North Carolina, which holds its primary on 8 May, said: "We're going to look realistically at where we're at. We are going to think carefully about how we can be the most helpful to this country." |
| He added, though: "I want to be vividly clear, we have 23 events here in North Carolina this week. We're going to be at 23 events in North Carolina this week." | He added, though: "I want to be vividly clear, we have 23 events here in North Carolina this week. We're going to be at 23 events in North Carolina this week." |
| Paul has said he is staying in the race until the final primary, in Utah on 26 June, even if Romney has been declared the official Republican presidential candidate before then. | Paul has said he is staying in the race until the final primary, in Utah on 26 June, even if Romney has been declared the official Republican presidential candidate before then. |
| Romney is set to take the overwhelming majority of the 222 Republicans delegates at stake in Tuesday's primaries, to add to his total of 698. He needs 1,114 delegates, a majority of those attending the party convention in Tampa, Florida, in August, to formally win the nomination. Neither Gingrich nor Paul are even remotely close. | Romney is set to take the overwhelming majority of the 222 Republicans delegates at stake in Tuesday's primaries, to add to his total of 698. He needs 1,114 delegates, a majority of those attending the party convention in Tampa, Florida, in August, to formally win the nomination. Neither Gingrich nor Paul are even remotely close. |
| As part of dealing with the few loose ends left, Romney is set to meet Santorum on 4 May. Santorum, a fierce critic of Romney, has still to endorse him and may be seeking some concessions, either in terms of policy or a job offer, if Romney was to win the White House. | As part of dealing with the few loose ends left, Romney is set to meet Santorum on 4 May. Santorum, a fierce critic of Romney, has still to endorse him and may be seeking some concessions, either in terms of policy or a job offer, if Romney was to win the White House. |
| Romney aimed his speech at a general election audience rather the core Republican voters who make up the electorate in most of the primaries and caucuses. | Romney aimed his speech at a general election audience rather the core Republican voters who make up the electorate in most of the primaries and caucuses. |
| "Four years ago Barack Obama dazzled us in front of Greek columns with sweeping promises of hope and change, but after we came down to earth, after all the celebration and parades, what do we have to show for three and a half years of President Obama?," Romney said. | "Four years ago Barack Obama dazzled us in front of Greek columns with sweeping promises of hope and change, but after we came down to earth, after all the celebration and parades, what do we have to show for three and a half years of President Obama?," Romney said. |
| "Is it easier to make ends meet? Is it easier to sell your home or buy a new one? Have you saved what you needed for retirement? Are you making more in your job? Do you have a better chance to get a better job? Do you pay less at the pump?" | "Is it easier to make ends meet? Is it easier to sell your home or buy a new one? Have you saved what you needed for retirement? Are you making more in your job? Do you have a better chance to get a better job? Do you pay less at the pump?" |
| Most of his speech was an attack on Obama's record rather than an account of what Romney planned to do if he won office, a hint of how he might fight the campaign, keeping the focus on Obama and making himself as small a target as possible. | Most of his speech was an attack on Obama's record rather than an account of what Romney planned to do if he won office, a hint of how he might fight the campaign, keeping the focus on Obama and making himself as small a target as possible. |
| "Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better. The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it's not the best America can do," Romney said. | "Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better. The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it's not the best America can do," Romney said. |
| "Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together." | "Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together." |
| Much of the speech was bland and cliched, and the closest he came to setting out policies was in a long passage on fairness. | Much of the speech was bland and cliched, and the closest he came to setting out policies was in a long passage on fairness. |
| "This America is fundamentally fair. We will stop the unfairness of urban children being denied access to the good schools of their choice. We will stop the unfairness of politicians giving taxpayer money to their friends' businesses. We will stop the unfairness of requiring union workers to contribute to politicians not of their choosing," Romney said. | "This America is fundamentally fair. We will stop the unfairness of urban children being denied access to the good schools of their choice. We will stop the unfairness of politicians giving taxpayer money to their friends' businesses. We will stop the unfairness of requiring union workers to contribute to politicians not of their choosing," Romney said. |
| "We will stop the unfairness of government workers getting better pay and benefits than the very taxpayers they serve. And we will stop the unfairness of one generation passing larger and larger debts on to the next." | "We will stop the unfairness of government workers getting better pay and benefits than the very taxpayers they serve. And we will stop the unfairness of one generation passing larger and larger debts on to the next." |
| He addressed one of his weaknesses exposed during the torrid Republican primaries and caucuses, his record as a businessman in closing down firms. He claimed he had generated jobs through helping make other firms successful. | He addressed one of his weaknesses exposed during the torrid Republican primaries and caucuses, his record as a businessman in closing down firms. He claimed he had generated jobs through helping make other firms successful. |
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