DES MOINES, Iowa — The man once considered the most threatening rival to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign shared a stage with the candidate to rally voters in support of Romney ahead of tonight’s debate.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who endorsed Romney after dropping out of the GOP contest over the summer after a poor finish at the Iowa straw poll, let out a laugh when The Daily Caller asked if he misses the action of being in the race.
“I’m proud to support Gov. Romney,” Pawlenty told TheDC. “He’s a great candidate. He’s a great debater. And he’s going to be a great president.”
He stayed on message when another reporter asked if he regretted leaving the race.
“I had my chance. We couldn’t get to the finish line, so I’m glad to be supporting Gov. Romney,” he said.
Dozens of supporters packed into Romney’s headquarters — an old Blockbuster video store — in Des Moines, Iowa, to listen to Pawlenty and Romney speak. Romney’s wife, Ann, and son, Josh, along with Pawlenty’s wife, Mary, also attended the event.
“Mitt Romney is the most knowledgeable and capable and electable candidate in this field,” Pawlenty told supporters.
Romney was in a jovial mood Saturday, greeting his supporters after addressing the crowd.
While taking photos and signing autographs, Romney told reporters how he spent the night before the debate relaxing: “We watched a movie. We watched The Help. We got a DVD. Watched The Help in our room.”
And though his headquarters is in an old Blockbuster location, he admitted he rented the film from a RedBox.