Two weeks before the March 12 primary , an internal poll showed Romney losing to Nixon by a six-to-one margin in New Hampshire . Rockefeller , seeing the poll result as well , publicly maintained his support for Romney but said he would be available for a draft ; the statement made national headlines and embittered Romney ( who would later claim it was Rockefeller 's entry , and not the " brainwashing " remark , that doomed him ) . Seeing his cause was hopeless , Romney announced his withdrawal as a presidential candidate on February 28 , 1968 . Romney wrote his son Mitt , still away on missionary work : " Your mother and I are not personally distressed . As a matter of fact , we are relieved . ... I aspired , and though I achieved not , I am satisfied . " Nixon went on to gain the nomination . At the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach , Romney refused to release his delegates to Nixon , something Nixon did not forget . Romney finished a weak fifth , with only 50 votes on the roll call ( 44 of Michigan 's 48 , plus six from Utah ) . When party liberals and moderates and others expressed dismay at Nixon 's choice of Spiro Agnew as his running mate , Romney 's name was placed into nomination for vice president by Mayor of New York John Lindsay and pushed by several delegations . Romney said he did not initiate the move , but he made no effort to oppose it . Nixon saw the rebellion as a threat to his leadership and actively fought against it ; Romney lost to Agnew 1,119 – 186 . Romney , however , worked for Nixon 's eventually successful campaign in the fall , which did earn him Nixon 's gratitude
1968 Republican National Convention
1968 Republican National Convention
George W. Romney