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By Matt Viser, Globe Staff WASHINGTON On a sunny windswept day, Mitt Romney appeared at theBittersweet Farm in New Hampshire, served up his wife s specialchicken-and-bean chili, and, in a speech that oozed patriotism, heformally announced he was running for president. I m Mitt Romney, he said by way of introduction. I believein America. On Tuesday, almost exactly a year later, Romney found himself infar different circumstances: Along the Las Vegas strip, he plannedto meet with casino magnate and top Republican donor SheldonAdelson. He was scheduled to appear at a fundraiser with DonaldTrump. And, by the end of the night, he was expected to beall-but-crowned the Republican nominee after the votes in Texaswere counted. It s a position Romney has enjoyed for the past month since hislast serious threat, Rick Santorum, dropped out of the race buton Tuesday night he is expected to secure the 1,144 delegates heneeds to officially clinch the nomination. It ll be a big day tomorrow, Romney reportedly said aboardhis campaign plane on Monday night. I m looking forward to thegood news. But some of his meetings on Tuesday illustrate the lingeringproblems he still has to fix. Adelson, who poured money into thesuper PAC supporting one-time Romney rival Newt Gingrich, has yetto donate to Romney s super PAC. Romney will appear on Tuesdaynight at a fundraiser held at the Trump International Hotel. But Trump s continued push to bring President Obama s birthcertificate into the national political discussion illustrates thestruggles Romney faces in his efforts to both win overconservatives skeptical of him during the primary whilesimultaneously appealing to independents needed in the generalelection. Romney won t become the official nominee until the end of August,when Republicans hold their convention in Tampa. But 1,144delegates are needed for the nomination, and Romney started Tuesdayjust 58 shy. Texas has 152 delegates, and with no other candidatevying for votes it is likely that Romney will secure the votes heneeds to formally mark the end of the primary. His several-vote win in Iowa which, in the final tally severalweeks later, became a narrow loss and his resounding victory inNew Hampshire ran into a brick wall in South Carolina. Shortly after a sparsely attended rally in Florence, S.C., onewhere songs like We Will Rock You and We are the Champions played before a crowd no bigger than 80 Romney aides decided tocall a press conference. At the beginning, Ann Romney stood with reporters outside thecampaign bus. Her husband looked toward her and pointed, yes,that lady right there. I think I ll like that question. Where d the skinny jeans go? she asked, laughing. Her husbandpromptly dismissed the question and opened it up to reporters. Thenext question was about his tax returns, and why he wasn treleasing them. Romney never fully recovered in South Carolina, losing handily toNewt Gingrich. Within days, Romney had released his tax returns,taken on a feistier approach, and benefited from a super PAC thatran blistering television ads. He won Florida handily, effectively stunting Gingrich s momentum.But within a week, Santorum had risen as a major threat, harnessingthe anti-Romney energy within the party, particularly among socialconservatives, evangelical Christians, and the working class. Romney eventually snuffed out Santorum -- through wins in Michigan,Ohio, and Illinois but is still trying to consolidate supportamong those in the party that have remained wary. But he is now on the precipice of doing what his father, George,was unable to do. He s about to become the first Mormon to be hisparty s nominee, and the first Republican nominee fromMassachusetts since Calvin Coolidge in 1924. But the journey which Romney recently revealed he s beendocumenting in a journal kept on his iPad in many ways is justbeginning. While he s traveled a long way since that windy day nearly a yearago, he s still a long way from being addressed, as a Vietnamveteran addressed him that day, as Mr. President. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Haji Player , China Tasbeeh Counter for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Haji Player.
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