Recount in Ann Coulter Primary: Why Did She Bail on Mitt?

Earlier this year, conservative columnist Ann Coulter threw her support behind former Governor Mitt Romney in an appearance on FOX News' The O'Reilly Factor on January 31.

Just a few months later, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., she reiterated her support for the businessman-turned-politician.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: What do you think of Governor Romney's candidacy for presidency?

COULTER: What do I think of Governor Romney's candidacy for presidency? I think he's probably our best candidate. I mean, I think it is fair to say -- and this is coming from someone who supported Pete DuPont, Alan Keyes, Pat Buchanan, Steve Forbes. So, you know, it's not like I won't go for an underdog. But I think we have to be serious about this, and I think our choice is among Gingrich, Giuliani, McCain and Romney. And Giuliani is very, very liberal. When this country gets to the point -- I mean, I have a love letter to him in my current book, Godless. What he did for New York was magnificent. But when this country gets to the point where both presidential candidates support abortion, I think we can hang it up as a country. [original emphasis]

Coulter later expressed her admiration for Romney's ability to "trick" those liberals up there in Massachusetts into voting for him as governor in 2002, adding, "I like a guy who hoodwinks liberals so easily."

Ronald Kessler of NewsMax took it as a formal endorsement when he wrote "Romney to the Rescue: Mitt Romney's Got the Right Stuff for 2008" on April 1. A NewsMax cover declaring Mitt to be "The Reagan Candidate" hovers in the right-hand sidebar.

Romney's fans range from Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of National Review Online, to Ann Coulter, to talk-show host Laura Ingraham. While governor of Florida, Jeb Bush gave his blessing to key staffers to migrate to the Romney camp. [emphasis added]

Romney's online staff reproduced the article on the campaign's official website snipping down to the above quoted passage. (And honestly, who wouldn't reproduce a fawning article in a tightly contested race?)

However, last month -- and this completely flew under my radar -- but Coulter told FOX News commentator Sean Hannity that Duncan Hunter was "clearly the best candidate."

Hannity responded, "Alright, but he's --," stopping himself from completely writing off Hunter's campaign viability by finishing with "-- not going to win."

Now I bring all of this up to ask this: What happened to the Romney campaign that Coulter rescinded her support?

Cross-posted at The Right's Field