Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, earned the state’s 30 delegates when he won the primary Jan. 15, but his exit from the presidential race leaves those delegates uncommitted, said Michigan Republican Party spokesman Bill Nowling. Those delegates, which will be selected at the Michigan Republican Convention today and Saturday, will have the option to choose any candidate at September’s Republican National Convention.

Steve Mitchell, chairman of Washington- and East Lansing-based Mitchell Research and Communications Inc., said Romney’s endorsement should push those delegates to Sen. McCain, R-Ariz.

“The longer the Republicans have to solidify, the better their chances are of winning,” he said. “The longer the Democrats wait to choose their nominee, the more difficult it will be for them to heal their party wounds.”

Leo Madarang, chairman of MSU’s Students for Mitt Romney, said Romney’s actions are great for the party.

“Romney endorsing McCain is showing conservatives that (McCain) is possibly the best person for the party and now maybe conservatives who wouldn’t have voted for McCain will support him now,” he said.

While Romney is virtually out of the race and his Michigan delegates can go in any direction, Mitchell said Michigan’s primary wasn’t pointless.

“Michigan kept Romney in the race longer than he would have been in the race,” he said.

Thursday’s announcement isn’t the end for Romney’s presidential aspirations, Mitchell said.

Much like McCain, who ran against George W. Bush for the GOP nomination in 2000, Romney could resurface as a candidate in 2012 or 2016.

“The criticisms that dogged Romney at the beginning of his campaign — that he was too liberal and changed his position too often — he was able to answer those and he became the darling of the conservatives because so many did not like McCain,” Mitchell said.

“So it was a very successful presidential campaign despite the fact he didn’t win.”