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For Romney, a Final Day of Ritual and Family Before Awaiting Results Long Quest for the Presidency Draws to a Frustrating Conclusion
(about 3 hours later)
PITTSBURGH — On the 523rd day of his second presidential campaign, the moment that had long eluded Mitt Romney, the candidate of so many missed political connections and unrequited electoral affections, arrived at long last.PITTSBURGH — On the 523rd day of his second presidential campaign, the moment that had long eluded Mitt Romney, the candidate of so many missed political connections and unrequited electoral affections, arrived at long last.
As his meticulous head of silver-and-black hair popped out of a plane here, his eyes caught the unfamiliar sight of a spontaneous outpouring of love: 1,000 or so strangers, lining the decks of a dingy parking garage above the tarmac to show their support and watch him perform the simplest of acts: walk off a plane. As his head of meticulous silver-and-black hair popped out of a plane here in a state he would lose within hours, his eyes caught the unfamiliar sight of a spontaneous outpouring of love: 1,000 or so strangers, lining the decks of a dingy parking garage above the tarmac to show their support and watch him perform the simplest of acts: walk off a plane.
Mr. Romney stared in disbelief, then walked up to a chain-link fence and placed a grateful hand over his heart.Mr. Romney stared in disbelief, then walked up to a chain-link fence and placed a grateful hand over his heart.
“They were,” he said later of the crowd, “connected emotionally with me.”“They were,” he said later of the crowd, “connected emotionally with me.”
For Mr. Romney, Election Day was a time to relish a race that had evolved, slowly, sometimes painfully, from what often seemed to be a movement against the president into a genuine embrace, however firm, of the Republican nominee. It was, of course, too late.
Tuesday was a day of family, of politicking and of ritual: by the end of the night, he was huddled with his children and grandchildren inside a hotel suite at the Westin, eating his favorite dish, meatloaf. For Mr. Romney, Election Day was a time to relish what he could — a race that had evolved, slowly, sometimes painfully, from what often seemed to be a frustrated movement against the president into an embrace, however tepid, of the Republican nominee by his supporters.
His day began at home, in Belmont, Mass., a tidy suburb of generously sized homes that yielded so many of the idyllic images that crowded his biographical campaign videos: his five sons tumbling across a couch, or turning a garden hose loose on their unsuspecting father. It was day of family, of politicking and of ritual: by the end of the night, he was huddled with his children and grandchildren in a hotel suite at the Westin, eating his favorite dish — meatloaf.
After a breakfast of peanut butter and honey on toast, Mr. Romney and his wife, Ann, arrived at the Beech Street Senior Center, a polling place where a plaque on the wall describes the Romneys as “Diamond Benefactors.” At the center, they found the same closely split loyalties that played out across the country. Pro-Obama signs shared space with friendlier handmade ones. But the bad news kept flashing across the two giant screens in Boston at Mr. Romney’s election night party at the Boston Convention Center. By 9:45 p.m., his aides had cut off the volume on the news shows, asking a band to strike up a version of “You Make my Dreams.” A few members of the largely listless crowd swayed to the music.
An hour later, several of Mr. Romney’s staff members were gathering in the back of a half-filled ballroom at the Boston Convention Center, mumbling about the staggering margins by which they had lost states they had expected to be close. (“Iowa by 10,” moaned one, still sounding incredulous.)
His day began a little before 8 a.m. in Belmont, Mass., a tidy suburb of generously sized homes that yielded so many of the idyllic images that crowded his biographical campaign videos: his brood of five sons tumbling madly across a couch, or turning a garden hose loose on their unsuspecting father.
After a breakfast of peanut butter and honey on toast, Mr. Romney and his wife, Ann, arrived at the Beech Street Senior Center, a polling place where a plaque on the wall describes the Romneys as “Diamond Benefactors.” On the street, they found the same closely split loyalties that played out across the country. Pro-Obama signs shared space with friendlier handmade ones. “Mitt and Ann enjoy your new White House,” one read.
Inside, Mr. Romney took a long look at top of the ballot, and the small font that read “Romney and Ryan.” Seeing his name “was quite a moment,” he said later. “We’ve been working for this a long, long time, and to be on the ballot for the president of the United States is very humbling.”Inside, Mr. Romney took a long look at top of the ballot, and the small font that read “Romney and Ryan.” Seeing his name “was quite a moment,” he said later. “We’ve been working for this a long, long time, and to be on the ballot for the president of the United States is very humbling.”
From there, it was off to the airport, for last-minute campaigning in Ohio and Pennsylvania, which was as much a deliberate distraction as a political strategy. Mr. Romney loathes unstructured time, and he had let his aides know that the prospect of spending a day holed up in a hotel room was unacceptable. From there, the almost-presidential mixed with the workaday mundane for Mr. Romney. After voting, Mr. Romney asked his daughter-in-law if she wanted to travel with him to Cleveland. She politely declined. She had to take her children to school, she explained.
In Richmond Heights, Ohio, Mr. Romney visited a campaign office where volunteers were in midpitch for his candidacy. When he spoke — telling volunteers, “Tomorrow we begin the work, the work people have been hoping we’d see done from our nation’s leaders” — he was interrupted by chants of “Romney! Romney! Romney!” His last-minute campaigning in Ohio and Pennsylvania Tuesday morning was as much a deliberate distraction as a political strategy. Mr. Romney loathes unstructured time, and he had let his aides know that spending a day holed up in a hotel room awaiting results was unacceptable.
At an office in Green Tree, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, Mr. Romney paused to encourage his staff members. And though the campaign’s internal poll numbers were tight, the mood all day was resolutely relaxed and playful. Stuart Stevens, the candidate’s chief strategist, wandered to the back of the candidate’s plane to shoot reporters with a Nerf gun.
“Tell Ann I say, ‘Hi!’ ” someone shouted. “I will,” Mr. Romney responded. But Mr. Romney was his essential self, careful and disciplined, unemotional and measured, nearly as uneasy in the limelight as when he began his campaign on June 2, 2011.
A woman walked up and asked Mr. Romney to sign her shirt. “Oh, I’m not going to do your shirt,” he said, sticking to his own fastidious rules of decorum until the end.
Back on the plane, Mr. Romney fielded e-mails from old friends, who congratulated him on running a race they said he could be proud of. In the end, he had become the candidate many of them recognized most: a moderate problem-solver from Massachusetts.
Although the campaign’s internal poll numbers were tight, the mood was resolutely relaxed and playful. Stuart Stevens, the candidate’s chief strategist, wandered to the back of the plane to shoot reporters with a Nerf gun.
All day, the almost-presidential mixed with the workaday mundane for Mr. Romney. After voting in Belmont, Mr. Romney asked his daughter-in-law if she wanted to travel with him to Cleveland. She politely declined. She had to take her children to school, she explained.
All day Tuesday, Mr. Romney was his essential self, careful and disciplined, unemotional and measured, nearly as uneasy in the limelight as when he began his campaign on June 2, 2011.
After much pleading, he agreed to talk to his traveling press corps — the 50th news conference of the campaign.After much pleading, he agreed to talk to his traveling press corps — the 50th news conference of the campaign.
Postcampaign, he said, he was thinking of getting a puppy. “Assuming I win, one of the benefits would be to get another Weimaraner.”Postcampaign, he said, he was thinking of getting a puppy. “Assuming I win, one of the benefits would be to get another Weimaraner.”
As he started to walk off, he paused and looked back, as if there was something more he wanted to say.As he started to walk off, he paused and looked back, as if there was something more he wanted to say.
But as the reporters thrust their recorders back toward him, Mr. Romney tensed up, turned around and walked away.But as the reporters thrust their recorders back toward him, Mr. Romney tensed up, turned around and walked away.

Ashley Parker reported from Pittsburgh; Michael Barbaro from Boston.

Ashley Parker reported from Pittsburgh; Michael Barbaro from Boston.