"Could Utah go blue?" Wright wondered - suggesting the Beehive State's rock-ribbed Republicans never would support GOP presidential front-runner John McCain.
While that is far from likely, given Utah's crimson character, there was a heavy dose of disappointment Thursday - from Lehi to Logan and from Salt Lake City to St. George. After all, Romney, who has a home in Deer Valley, counted on Utah as a campaign ATM - to the tune of $5.2 million. And he enjoyed an exalted status both as Olympics savior and as the country's best-known Mormon politician.
"I thought he would hang on a little longer," said Lehi resident Kristin Gibson, who helped give Romney nearly 90 percent of Utah's GOP vote on Super Tuesday. "I guess if you're not in the lead, it doesn't make sense to spend more time and money."
South Jordan's John Sroka was less circumspect.
"I guess this nation's not ready for a Mormon president," Sroka said about the Brigham Young University graduate. "He was the best man for the job, but right now there's too much prejudice."
On northern Utah's major campuses, however, dismay quickly gave way to realism.
"It was likely to happen sooner rather than later," said BYU professor Quin Monson, who noted the news - via a student text message - drew a collective shrug from the political-science faculty.
At the University of Utah, students gathered around televisions for Romney's speech, but quickly dispersed.
"The reaction was surprisingly limited," said professor Matthew Burbank.
Lillian Silcox, a Salt Lake City resident who supports Hillary Clinton, said she would have been more surprised had Romney remained in the race.
"Utahns wanted him because he's one of us, but I couldn't warm up to him," she said. "A totally calculating businessman is how he came across to me."
Still, several residents say Romney's exit leaves them without a candidate - in either party. And many harbor hope that the former Massachusetts governor will mount another run for the White House in 2012.
"We need somebody in our government who knows how to handle money and makes sure we are solvent," said St. George resident Lin Jakubczak. "I'm not LDS, but I think he's a very good man. And I don't suppose it matters that he's pretty cute, too."
djensen@sltrib.com
