No Surprise: Mitt Romney Out of Presidential Race

The only suprising thing about Mitt Romney's suspension of his presidential campaign is that anyone is surprised.

Romney, the former governor of Massachussetts, is first and foremost a businessman. Using business logic, it was clear that the numbers just didn't add up for success. After spending approximately $35 million of his own money, Romney only earned 273 Republican delegate votes, or only about one-third as many as front runner John McCain.

Romney was also pushed hard by ultra-conservative candidate Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. Huckabee's surprising strength also played into another factor in the complicated equation of politics: religion.

Huckabee is a conservative fundamentalist Baptist preacher. Romney is a devout Mormon whose religion had come under question, and often, fire.

Romney may be best known for his stunning turn-around success as CEO of the scandal-ridden 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The no-nonsense businessman who added up an astonishing American success after a lousy start is the same man who added up his own losing numbers in the presidential race.

Romney and his wife Ann also faced the extra challenge of campaigning while she struggled with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dedicated to his family, Romney also keyed in the personal costs.

In suspending his campaign, Romney also made a sound business decision. With a suspended campaign, he can still receive donations to pay off campaign debts.

Romney also tallied up the costs for the country if a Republican battle continued. With the Democrats at war between the Kennedy family/Barack Obama and the Clinton family/Hillary Clinton camps, the Republicans have a chance to come together and unite months before the conventions.

Continuing, Romney said, would mean that "I forestall the launch of a national campaign and frankly I'd be making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win. Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

"If this were only about me, I can go on. But its never been only about me. I entered this race... because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war, I feel I now have to stand aside, for our party and for our country," Romney told members of the old the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.