Keene's Keen On Romney
"As this race began, I intended to remain neutral both because there was no conservative consensus candidate and because I know and admire several of those running for the Republican nomination who I believe could win next fall," he said in a statement released by the Romney campaign. "In recent months, however, Governor Romney has emerged as the single candidate most worthy of conservative support. That's why I'm endorsing him and intend to spend as much time as possible in the weeks ahead convincing my fellow conservatives that if we are serious about electing a conservative president in 2008, it's time to unite behind his candidacy."
That's quite a change from June, when Keene, writing for inside-the-Beltway publication The Hill, said Romney was "viewed by too many as a tad too slick and just a bit too flexible on matters of principle. It's not too late and it's conceivable that he can use Iowa and New Hampshire to get things going, but he has yet to connect with voters in any meaningful way."
And in an interview with CBS News' Brian Goldsmith in April, Keene said, "I don't know enough about Mitt Romney. I haven't spent enough time with him personally to really have a sense of his core values."
Apparently a lot has happened since then – enough to convince Keene that Romney is the real deal and can win next November.
While Keene's endorsement is a win for Romney, it also underscores the continuing divisions among conservative Republicans in this race. Pat Robertson has endorsed Rudy Giuliani. Jerry Falwell Jr. just announced he's supporting Mike Huckabee. And the anti-abortion group National Right to Life is going with Fred Thompson. So while Keene may believe Romney is the "conservative consensus candidate" he's been looking for, others would disagree.