Romney endorses McCain

WASHINGTON — Sixteen days ago, rivals Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain picked at each other from various cities across Florida, but Thursday, Romney endorsed his former challenger based on the same message of a need for Republican unity he used when dropping out of the race last week.

Whether this unity will translate into a McCain-Romney ticket later this year was the million-dollar question Thursday, with the two politicians conveniently dodging it during the press conference at Romney's campaign headquarters in Boston. Some experts say it is not likely.

"The first rule is that you pick a vice president that can carry his own state," Republican consultant David E. Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision.

Johnson said while Romney might have won the Massachusetts primary, it is unlikely he would help deliver the state's electoral votes against whomever would win the Democratic nomination Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., or Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Romney may be the former governor, but the state is still heavily Democratic.

Herb London, president of Hudson Institute, a think tank, said McCain is going to need someone conservative, Southern and full of "youthful vitality" because McCain's age likely will become more of an issue in the general election. Romney may like Kentucky Fried Chicken but that does not give him the Southern quality McCain needs.

"I don't see what Romney could bring to the ticket. He could deliver Utah, but what difference would that make?" London said. "Utah would go for the Republican anyway."

Romney ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and is member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has a strong following in Utah. Voters in the state are the second-highest contributors to his campaign behind California.

London said Romney's endorsement "solidifies his position in the Republican party" and that he is young enough to run again.

"He has a future in the Republican party," London said.

Beyond the lack of Electoral College power, Johnson said there is "animosity between the two" that would likely limit McCain from selecting Romney to round out the ticket.

"Mitt Romney would jump at the chance and it would help McCain with conservative voters," Johnson said, but there are issues between them that "run very deep and very personal."