W&L: Romney predicted as Republican presidential nominee

7:02 p.m.

Washington and Lee's Mock Convention has successfully picked the presidential nominee 14 of the last 16 elections, which is a good sign for this year's selection former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Students also selected Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to be Romney's running mate.

McDonnell endorsed Romney in January and has campaigned for him in several early primary states.

But before a nominee was named Saturday’s speakers focused less on the candidates and more on the need to defeat President Obama in November.

Former Mississippi Governor and keynote speaker Haley Barbour told students that this will be the most important election of his life.

"If I don't make any other point to you today, you better understand the stakes are not only the highest for our country,” Barbour said. “But for all Americans they're the highest for you."

Other speakers like Congressman Bob Goodlatte and former governor and senate candidate George Allen spoke of what they call the failures of President Obama and the Democrats in the senate.

Allen said the country can't afford four more years of the same policies.

“We need to get control of our own destiny as Americans,” he said.

But one thing every speaker had in common is their appreciation for what W&L students put together.

"It's very nice of you to take somebody who has prove he doesn't know how to get the Republican nomination and (have him) tell you how to get the Republican nomination," 2008 Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson jokingly told students this afternoon.

Thompson said he is amazed at how realistic the Mock Convention turned out to be.

"(The students) were alive and alert here and that's not always the case at the other convention,” he said. “I'm just delighted that these young people have been able to pull off what they've done here. They've become famous for their convention."

Whether the students’ impressive rate of success continues with Romney is anyone's guess.

But given this year's lineup of speakers, the 2012 Mock Convention will likely go down as a success.

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Washington and Lee University's Mock Convention predicts Mitt Romney will be the Republican Presidential nominee.

The annual event brought in well known political speakers like Mike Huckabee, Jon Huntsman, Fred Thompson, George Allen, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Aaron Martin will have a live report tonight on WSLS at 6 p.m.