CLEARWATER, Fla. - Mitt Romney said that Newt Gingrich's pledge to stay in the race until the Republican convention is an "indication" he thinks he's going to lose the nomination.

"That's usually an indication that you think you're going to lose," said Romney in an impromptu comments aboard a charter flight flying between Jacksonville and Clearwater.

"When you say I'm going to go on no matter what happens, that's usually not a good sign," he said. "I'm hopeful to get the delegates I need and be at the convention with the number that's needed to be the nominee. But, you know, everybody has the right to stay as long as they'd like."

Romney voiced his optimism about the state of the race in Florida , saying it "feels good."

"It feels good at this point," he said. "In South Carolina the crowds were good, but you could sense that it wasn't going our way."

"Here the crowds are good, and you can sense it's coming our way. It's getting better every day," said Romney.

Asked what other states he sees as an "uphill battle," a term he first used to describe the state of the race in South Carolina, Romney said Minnesota and Nevada pose challenges.

"Minnesota is a state that is hard to predict, how they'll make a decision," he said. "Nevada has a strong Tea Party component that I'd like to connect with."

Romney also spilled the beans on the campaign's schedule after the Florida primary, saying the they will make a campaign stop in Minnesota Wednesday before continuing on to Nevada.