LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Many feel that the race for the Republican nomination has been largely over since the April 3 primary in Wisconsin. Romney's win in that contest prompted the eventual withdrawals of his remaining rivals: Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul. The victory also gives impetus to President Barack Obama's own re-election offensive versus Romney.

"I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled to have won enough delegates to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee," Romney said in a statement. "Our party has come together with the goal of putting the failures of the last three and a half years behind us."

While conservatives appear to have rallied behind the former Massachusetts governor, the long campaign season had its price for Romney.

The Republican has been fundraising to make up for money spent during the nomination battle, which depleted, in part, his relative financial parity versus Obama.

Most tellingly, the Obama campaign has been turning some of the most stinging attacks on Romney from other Republicans and revived them for use in the general election.

"I have no illusions about the difficulties of the task before us. But whatever challenges lie ahead, we will settle for nothing less than getting America back on the path to full employment and prosperity," Romney said in his victory statement.

"On November 6, I am confident that we will unite as a country and begin the hard work of fulfilling the American promise and restoring our country to greatness."

As an example, the Obama campaign has spent the last few weeks attacking Romney's experience at Bain Capital, the private equity firm Romney had co-founded, first advanced by fellow Republicans Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in January.

Romney's continued advantage versus Obama lies with an economic recovery that still rests on a most shaky platform.

NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll this month found that half of Americans judged last month's jobs report as unsatisfactory, dampening optimism for a recovery and in turn for Obama. Unemployment could become a potent political weapon for Romney, especially if the continued economic unrest in Europe stymies recovery in the U.S.

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