Instead, he says he wants to throw his support behind Romney at the start of the crucial southern primaries.
“I think he has the best chance to beat President Obama,” says McDonnell. “Above all else I want to make sure we win and I think Mitt Romney has the best chance to win.”
McDonnell endorsed Romney one day before Newt Gingrich’s overwhelming victory in Saturday’s South Carolina primary.
As a southern conservative governor, McDonnell says he wants to help Romney gain momentum heading into Florida’s primary. He believes that Romney will prevail in Florida and be the established GOP frontrunner by Virginia’s March 6th primary.
“The fact that some candidates didn’t even get on the ballot in states like Missouri or Virginia, I think it’s a great road map for victory for Mitt Romney,” says McDonnell.
University of Richmond Political Science Professor Dan Palazzolo says an endorsement from McDonnell could bode well for Romney, in the Commonwealth and across the country.
Political analysts have long supported the idea that McDonnell would be a formidable Vice-Presidential candidate because he could help bridge the gap between grass roots Republicans and moderate voters in the 2012 election.
“You’ve got a seasoned campaigner, a very popular governor here, there’s no question he’s someone to be considered,” Palazzolo says.
Governor McDonnell says he’s not thinking about the prospect, arguing he’s busy serving as Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association and the Governor of Virginia.
“If there is some way I could help our country in a bigger way, that’s something I’d certainly be open to,” says McDonnell. “But I’m not waiting for the call and I’m not asking for it.”
