{mosads}While Chaffetz said he was “not ceding the conservative mantle to Newt Gingrich,” he argued that Romney had broader appeal as a general-election candidate.
“You not only have to have the conservative support of your base, you’ll ultimately have to attract independents to win in November,” he said. “He’s winning the full political spectrum.”
Chaffetz also pointed to the House GOP rebellion that led to Gingrich’s ouster as House speaker and eventual resignation from Congress, and contrasted that to Romney’s work record. “The Olympics would have Mitt Romney back in a heartbeat. There’s no way [the House] would invite the speaker back as the speaker.”