He made a point of downplaying the chances Romney would make another bid for the presidency. Romney, his spokesman said, "lost fair and square. I doubt that opportunity will come along again."

One of Romney's staunchest supporters in Utah, Kirk Jowers of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said there's no question Romney is the leading contender for the party's nomination in 2012.

"Republicans are nothing if not predictable," Jowers, now head of Utah Lawyers for McCain, said. "Republicans have nominated the second-place finisher in every election since 1976, with the exception of our current president."

Plus, he said, questions are already being raised about Palin's loyalty to the ticket. Reports have surfaced that she has angered McCain staffers by straying from prepared speeches to answer her critics.

"Fair or not, she simply has not distinguished herself as a competent vice presidential candidate, and that is going to be a heavy anchor to drag into 2012," Jowers said, comparing her to Dan Quayle, a former vice president seen as a "nice guy but not smart enough."

McCain's Utah-based Western states regional coordinator, Tim Bridgewater, said it's too soon to be talking about 2012 because there's still hope the GOP will win the White House this year.

"People are making a mistake if they're thinking about that now," Bridgewater said. "These elections can turn in a few days on a single story. We're going to battle until the last hour."

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