The Vice President apparently tried to nudge Dole from the race. He declined his rival's challenge to debate him in Illinois with a telegram that said the time had come to "look ahead to the issues which distinguish us from the Democrats."
"Good luck," he wrote.
Dole awoke to a campaign in shambles after losing all 17 Super Tuesday states and conceded, "I've got to win Illinois" to save his candidacy.
Dole aside, the Vice President's rivals signaled they knew the game was all but over.
"None of us could have dreamed that [Bush] could be so strong," said Pat Robertson. He said the vice president had run a "fabulous race," and added, "The mantle of Ronald Reagan has passed to George Bush." The former television evangelist said he would remain in the race, but talked in terms of expanding his support for a campaign rerun in 1992.
Rep. Jack Kemp (R.-NY), humbled by the Super Tuesday voters, scheduled a news conference for today, where sources said he would withdraw from the race.
At the White House, Chief of Staff Howard Baker said Reagan would remain neutral in the race for a while longer.