Opinion: Romney accentuates the positive

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Manchester, N.H. -- Mitt Romney was quick to personally congratulate John McCain on the latter’s win in the New Hampshire primary, taking his cue from network projections and calling the victor about 5:20 p.m. (PST) -- just 20 minutes after the polls had closed.

Romney also was quick to talk to supporters, appearing before them about 5:45 p.m. to try to lift their spirits after his second second-place finish in the Republican presidential race.

And as he did after he ran behind Mike Huckabee in last week’s Iowa caucuses, he used his background in running the 2002 winter Olympics to take solace from his showing.

Reflecting on the results in Iowa, he had insisted winning a silver medal wasn’t all that bad. Tuesday night in New Hampshire, he said, “There have been three races so far. I’ve gotten two silvers and one gold — thank-you, Wyoming.”

He was referring to his victory over the weekend in the Western state’s low-profile caucuses. Still, as he and his campaign look toward next Tuesday’s primary in Michigan (his native state) and the Jan. 19 GOP primary in South Carolina, they know he needs a gold medal in one of them to establish some badly-needed momentum.

-- Don Frederick