“I did not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming the president,” he said. He added that it was “unlikely” that he would change his mind....I've been more or less positive about Romney's running again, and I just put up a post earlier this morning looking at the factors he was supposedly weighing, but even though I do like him, I was concerned that he was becoming the front-runner mostly on name recognition, and that was not good for the overall competition within the GOP. I'd like to see the plausible candidates go through a process of presenting themselves to us — especially in debates — and giving us a chance to scrutinize them and maybe warm up to them, and it's appropriate for Romney to stand back and allow that to happen.
In a more than four-hour meeting last week, Mr. Romney’s top staff members and trusted advisers from 2012 relayed a sobering reality — they supported Mr. Romney and thought he would be the best president, but they did not necessarily encourage a third run.
If various seemingly plausible candidates fail to get traction or crash for some reason, there's the elder statesman Romney, prepared to serve if needed. I like him there. It fits with the idea that he was going to use as his pitch: That he's a dutiful, modest man, a humble servant, who responds to a calling.
So: Don't call us, we'll call you.
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Now it's down to Jeb and the various Not Jebs. A repeat of 2012, a fight between the GOP establishment and the conservatives, only this time I think the field of Not Jebs is stronger than the Not Romneys were in 2012.
" Mr. Romney’s top staff members and trusted advisers from 2012 relayed a sobering reality — they supported Mr. Romney and thought he would be the best president, but they did not necessarily encourage a third run."
Some "support."
Bullshit all the way down.
I believe Romney would make a superb senior cabinet secretary, most logically and appropriate Treasury. It is there he could be of perhaps greatest service to nation he obviously cares about quite deeply.
Goodness knows there's plenty to fix (budgetary profligacy, unsustainable entitlements, IRS scandal, banksters, and so on), and the economy is likely to cough up some dire challenges and remarkable opportunities during the last half of this decade.
Mitt Romney is a good man who loves his country and would have made a very good president. Certainly more competent than King Putt.
That being said, his window has passed and I give him a lot of credit for recognizing that the country needs some new blood and a fresh face. My respect for Mitt Romney has increased substantially today.
I have been wondering when we might get a viable third party candidate, and which party the splinter would come from. The odds just increased that the answers are "2016" and "Republicans." While I personally believe that Jeb would make a good President and can win (that Hispanic vote), a Jeb victory would increase chances of a third party try from the right.
The conservative/hard right voters in the primaries will split among various candidates and, because of that splintering, Jeb Bush will get the nomination.
McCain, Romney....rinse and repeat.
I'm finally impressed by Romney.
We do need Mitt. There has not been a better fix-it man in public service for decades, if ever. I'd put him in charge of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, in the Washington tradition of 3-letter agencies) to fix Obamacare. Or a senior cabinet post such as Defense or Treasury. Given that the present administration has screwed things up in just about every facet of American life the next President will not be short of challenges and will be in desperate need of people who know how to fix things that are broken.
Bolton/Ernst in 2016
Our Democracy is over, anyway, so: bye bathwater, bye babies.
Restated from the previous Romney post:
"Given Democracy and time, people will inevitably vote themselves out of Democracy."
I will call this Laslo's Law. Because I always wanted a law of my own.
I am Laslo.
Shorter Althouse: clear the decks for Scott Walker and go live the rich life daddy bequeathed to good Mormons, as boring as that
Is.
Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...
I believe Romney would make a superb senior cabinet secretary, most logically and appropriate Treasury. It is there he could be of perhaps greatest service to nation he obviously cares about quite deeply.
Exactly, or ANY non-ideological administrative position. He's not really a conservative, but he knows how to run things and clean things up and streamline things.
We'd have been far better off with Mitt as president that the current fool, but it's time for one of the republicans with real fire in the belly to step up. I think Jeb will flame out and that one of the real achievers in the part will emerge. Scott Walker is a great hope, and I also hope that Mitch Daniels becomes part of the conversation as a VP.
He said it was unlikely he would change his mind.
Why does every politician, have to come out with the weasel-words?
kzookitty
Jeb should do the party a favor and announce he's not running either. Jeb is probably Michael to W.'s Fredo, but that doesn't matter. The Corleone's are finished.
I think we have an even stronger field for 2016. I don't see Jeb getting any traction, his first loss in the Florida Governor's race the same year that his less regarded less serious older brother George won in Texas cost him his best chance to get to the White House.
"He said it was unlikely he would change his mind.
Why does every politician, have to come out with the weasel-words?
kzookitty"
Never say never.
Kzookitty said...
He said it was unlikely he would change his mind.
Why does every politician, have to come out with the weasel-words?
kzookitty
How do you pronounce that?
"I'd like to see the plausible candidates go through a process of presenting themselves to us — especially in debates — and giving us a chance to scrutinize them and maybe warm up to them, and it's appropriate for Romney to stand back and allow that to happen."
And so it shall be.
That's nice.
But the Republicans are still stuck on stupid. After, Dole, McCain and Romney, they'll no doubt nominate Bush III and lose again.
Walker has had a name recognition gap, but the first impression he makes has been making has been magnificent.
BushI III has a name to well known to allow him to make a good impression. He is a cardboard candidate running in the age of authenticity.
For the first time in my life I am proud of someone named Mitt.
President-Mom-Jeans should get ready to change his moniker to President-Mom-Pantsuits.
The amazing thing about Mitt was his "flexible" views on everything except supporting big Business and the wealthy. Everything else was up for grabs. He even managed to Flip-flop-flip on immigration.
No doubt that Bush I and McCain, he believes that you say whatever the boobs want to get elected and then you "govern".
Republicans and Democrats everywhere agree that Mitt has gone to the Etch-A-Sketch too many times to be anything but a joke candidate.
That man is a natural-born uniter.
"I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee. In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case."
That does not describe Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Rad Paul, or Rick Perry. It might describe Ben Carson or Scott Walker.
he believes that you say whatever the boobs want to get elected and then you "govern".
I can remember when Obama supporters were defending his campaign lies on that basis openly.
Gov. Romney can still serve the public in important and useful ways. Just as he was a very effective trouble-shooter for, becoming the savior of, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake, he could certainly be called upon by a future Republican POTUS to step into an important role in which his skills and contacts and experience would be very useful indeed.
But we're a big country, and the GOP in particular has a very deep bench with young talent unburdened with his history and other luggage. Withdrawing is in the long-term interest of both party and country.
Now if only a few of the other GOP also-rans from 2008 and 2012 would come to a similar conclusion. Huckabee and Santorum and Gingrich and Trump, I'm definitely looking at you. And I wouldn't be disappointed to see Rick Perry also decide that it's better to retire undefeated as the longest-serving Texas governor in history than tarnish that accomplishment with another embarrassing presidential primary collapse.
Thanks, Mitt, for being a mensch, which in this instance means staying back and letting others have their day.
Better watch out Althouse, Meade is starting to salivate at the thought of being kept by another woman.
Somehow I think that Clinton's tastes run more towards Huma than shiftless lawn jockeys, so maybe you don't have to worry too much.
The Cincinnatus tactic, if it's a tactic at all?
It's respectable.
Traditionalguy said...
Shorter Althouse: clear the decks for Scott Walker and go live the rich life daddy bequeathed to good Mormons, as boring as that
Is.
Romney has also publicly stated on multiple occasions that the entirety of his inheritance from his father, who died in 1995, was donated to the BYU Marriott School of Management’s Institute of Public Management, which now bears his father George W. Romney’s name.
That he's a dutiful, modest man, a humble servant, who responds to a calling.
I call on him to strap his dog back to his car and go away.
Those of us who manage to live long enough to endure two terms of Hillary will have their spirits properly broken to accept President George Clooney in 2024.
I am Laslo.
"Those of us who manage to live long enough to endure two terms of Hillary will have their spirits properly broken to accept President George Clooney in 2024."
And by that time Obama will have served six-plus years on the Supreme Court.
I am Laslo.
"Those of us who manage to live long enough to endure two terms of Hillary will have their spirits properly broken to accept President George Clooney in 2024."
Those of us who haven't been beheaded.
Clear the decks for Walker, indeed.
I have a new recommendation to the Walker people. Replace the Dropkick Murphys and start using Snotty Scotty and the Hankies.
Those of us who manage to live long enough to endure two terms of Hillary will have their spirits properly broken to accept President George Clooney in 2024.
I don't know, he'd have a tough race against Alec Baldwin (with Lena Dunnham as veep, naturally).
Laslo Spatula said...
Those of us who manage to live long enough to endure two terms of Hillary will have their spirits properly broken to accept President George Clooney in 2024.
Step one, marry a clean, articulate, attractive, woman.
Now it's down to Jeb and the various Not Jebs.
I've heard plenty of Republicans who have said "if it comes down to Jeb or Hillary, of course I'll vote for Jeb". I have yet to meet one who is willing to vote for Jeb in the primaries. The fact that he's only polling at 16% despite near-universal name recognition makes me think that the GOP voters I've spoken to are fairly representative.
Add in his positions on immigration and Common Core and I just can't see him winning.
There will likely be other plausible "business as usual" Republican governors in the race, e.g. Walker. Them, I can see winning. Bush, no.
I hope Jeb Bush has the decency to send leftover political donations to the RNC after the early primaries tell him how eager the voters are for another Bush in the White House. (As in not!!!) He's raising money; that doesn't mean he has votes.
As to who is the likely nominee, over at Ace Spades HQ they are running a poll and in first place (with almost 59%) is Scott Walker. Second is Ted Cruz and third is Rick Perry, but both are way back. FWIW Jeb Bush has about 1/3 of 1 per cent.
Granted the Ace of Spades HQ readership skews a bit (maybe more than that, as in a lot more than that) right of the Althouse readership, it suggests immediately what Bush's problem will be. The turnout in the primaries will not have a lot of the low information voters who can be swayed by name recognition and flashy ads. It will be driven by people who seriously care about politics.
"I'd like to see the plausible candidates go through a process of presenting themselves to us — especially in debates — and giving us a chance to scrutinize them and maybe warm up to them, and it's appropriate for Romney to stand back and allow that to happen."
Scrutiny is so last century. And certainly not intended for dems.
"And by that time Obama will have served six-plus years on the Supreme Court."
At first, this made me shutter. Then I remembered that Obama doesn't like to work and would never be happy as a justice.
Walkermania this early in the process is going to lead to him crashing and burning. He will not be the nominee.
Look who was polling well amongst Republicans four years ago this month, excluding Mitt. Who had the buzz in the anyone-but-Mitt sweepstakes? Remember Mitch Daniels and Tim Pawlenty? Michelle Bachman? Herman Cain? Look at Althouse blogging on those folks four years ago, and some of the links to pundits like Krauthammer and Goldberg. Althouse's sentimental favorite was Mitch Daniels, who was really buzzing then. The SoCons were wetting themselves at the prospect of Huckabee running.
And this isn't even counting Newt, Santorum and Paul, who actually went on to win states in the primaries.
AoSHQ poll from January 28, 2011 had Sarah Palin trouncing the field at 46%, followed very distantly by Herman Cain, Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty. I don't think Ace's readership has changed that much over the last four years.
Nothing this far out will resemble reality.
With Mitt out, Jeb's the only establishment candidate. Usually the establishment candidate wins the Republican nomination and occasionaly the election. Although the large majority of primary voters are conservative, their votes will be split until and unless one of the conservatives emerges as the most visible. Also, remember the media will pounce on every misstatement or stumble by conservatives, but will ignore Bush' s until after the nomination.
I like Walker's chances compared to some others, but it will be difficult.
I thought your readers might perhaps be interested in a poll at Ace of Spades on GOP presidential nomination choice. Walker appears for now to be winning it handily.
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/354648.php
This is the confirmation for me that Mitt Romney is the wisest and most intelligent GOP candidate in years.
He would have made an outstanding president.
Mitt's last flip-flop on global warming earlier this month was telling.
Go Walker! A candidate with successful experience.
Go home Rino Bush.
Romney sounded very much like Harry Truman. I'm talking about voice timbre, accent, and emphases.
(Yes, I'm old enough to have heard Truman's voice live.)
I have been hearing this week speculation that he is moving to Utah and selling his La Jolla house. The speculation I heard is about running for the Senate from Utah.
I would have voted for him again. If him running three times was disqualifying then Ron Paul shouldn't have run last time either. Especially considering he never got close to winning the nomination.
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