The goal was not only to boost his onetime rival but show the GOP he was not a sore loser.
Nonetheless, even before McCain lost the presidency to Barack Obama, Romney established the Free and Strong America PAC so he could travel, retain his core staff, and curry favor by raising money on behalf of like-minded politicians across the country.
He spent hours by himself at his home in La Jolla, Calif., writing what would become his 2012 campaign touchstone, the book titled, “No Apology.’’
While eschewing most interview requests, he drafted op-ed columns to incorporate himself into national debates about the Obama administration’s stimulus package, health care bill, and foreign policy.
And, finally, on June 2, he announced what had been evident for the prior three years. He was running for the presidency once again in 2012.
Yet last Tuesday in Davenport, Romney paused at the beginning of a speech in which he would launch his closing argument to caucus goers.
He asked his wife to remind him again when it was she urged him to get into the race. When he guessed November or December 2010, she corrected him to this past January.
This bit of self-effacement, though, undercuts what is arguably more of an accomplishment than a reason for embarrassment: For several years now, Romney has been running a campaign that is perhaps the most stable, polished, and focused of the field.
That foreshadows how he would likely operate as president - one of the central evaluations voters make before choosing between candidates in a caucus, a primary, or a general election.
On the campaign trail, Romney has highlighted his 25-year career as a venture capitalist and his four years as Massachusetts governor to support his pitch that he has the management skills necessary to be president and to improve the economy.
But his campaign itself, and the legwork that went into establishing its firm footing, also offers a testament to his style and collegiality.
