Althouse: "As Jeb Bush struggles to carry the establishment mantle, some wonder whether the time is right for Mitt..."

September 1, 2015

"As Jeb Bush struggles to carry the establishment mantle, some wonder whether the time is right for Mitt..."

But: "If Mr. Romney suddenly entered today simply to defend the declining Bush dynasty against the rising New York dynamism of Mr. Trump, it would shatter the creative awakening that is happening to conservatism and paralyze the rise to positive influence of Mr. Carson and Ms. Fiorina."

Mitt, like Biden, is held in reserve. The question is when and if to roll him out. Me, I like Mitt, but he can't just come barging onto the scene. Not at just any time. It's got to be right. But as we say at Meadhouse whenever the topic comes up — which is often — "It's party time, chumps!"

47 comments:

JackWayne said...: C,mon Ann, this is a joke, not even a trial balloon.; 9/1/15, 1:15 PM
Gahrie said...: It's time for the Establishment Republicans and RINOs to step aside and "take one for the team" the way Conservatives have been forced to do since Reagan. That is the only way we are going to dump Trump and elect a Republican.

At this point, the best bet might be a Carson/Carly ticket, and dumping McConnell and Boehner in the next Congressional session.; 9/1/15, 1:20 PM
Brando said...: No serious person is considering Mitt get into this already crowded race. The issue is too many candidates covering every constituency, not too few.

If anti-Trumpists want an alternative who isn't Jeb Bush, it's not like there aren't sixteen others. If they're all splitting up the remaining vote, then that's an argument for some to drop out, not to add another.

If somehow the field doesn't narrow and Trump ends up winning the primary (a possibility) then at least we'll have a chance to see if the Trumpists were right about him being able to win. For someone like me who believes that would result in basically handing the Dems another four years, I'd gladly admit being completely wrong in that prediction.; 9/1/15, 1:20 PM
Brando said...: "It's time for the Establishment Republicans and RINOs to step aside and "take one for the team" the way Conservatives have been forced to do since Reagan. That is the only way we are going to dump Trump and elect a Republican."

RINOs? You mean people who favor single payer health care reform, wealth taxes, abortion rights, affirmative action, things like that? People who openly supported and funded Democrats for a long time, including the current Democrat front runner?

I sure hope your guy Trump wins so that RINOs like that don't take over!; 9/1/15, 1:22 PM
Scott M said...: Is the time right? No, it's not.; 9/1/15, 1:28 PM
Anonymous said...: Carson-Fiorina vs reactionary-septuagenarian; 9/1/15, 1:30 PM
David said...: National Review(!) - Still Pining for Mitt: Some GOP Donors Hoping Romney Will Jump in the Race

The 2016 Republican primary was supposed to be en epically strong slate capable of showing the greatness of the Republican Party. Now, donors are begging for their previous sad pathetic losing candidate to come save them from all these idiots and embarrassments. A strong majority in the primary polling is going to a group of candidates that are completely unqualified to be President. What horror!; 9/1/15, 1:32 PM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Uneasy lies the head that carries the establishment mantle.; 9/1/15, 1:33 PM
Nonapod said...: Way too soon. We'll see who is left over after the Trumpocalypse. Personally there's a least 6 people I'd prefer over Romney, but that doesn't mean they could win.; 9/1/15, 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Is the time right?

Has come and gone.; 9/1/15, 1:37 PM
campy said...: The republicans need a tested and proven loser to keep the presidency in democrat hands.; 9/1/15, 1:38 PM
Gahrie said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/1/15, 1:39 PM
Gahrie said...: I sure hope your guy Trump wins so that RINOs like that don't take over!

Did you bother to read my comment? I specifically suggested dumping Trump and Carson/Carly as a way to win the election.; 9/1/15, 1:41 PM
Brando said...: "Did you bother to read my comment? I specifically suggested dumping Trump and Carson/Carly as a way to win the election."

Sorry, I thought you were being sarcastic!; 9/1/15, 1:43 PM
Brando said...: I do agree that some of these guys need to drop out, but then who? So many are within a couple points of each other, and it's hard to convince say Rubio (who at one time was a Tea Party favorite but now is seen as establishment) to drop out for Jeb, who hardly seems to be firing up the campaign trail.

The problem is there's just no downside on a personal level for staying in the race too long--as long as someone else is funding it, you get free exposure and it only increases your chance to sell books and do well on the speaker circuit.; 9/1/15, 1:46 PM
Sydney said...: All I can say is, "Go, Away, Big RINO!"; 9/1/15, 1:47 PM
CWJ said...: Not anymore. Mitt might have made a significant difference had he won in 2012. We are too far gone now.; 9/1/15, 1:49 PM
Gahrie said...: For someone like me who believes that would result in basically handing the Dems another four years,

You mean like we have the last two elections by nominating "electable" establishment types?; 9/1/15, 1:53 PM
Hagar said...: "We'll see who is left over after the Trumpocalypse" is about right.
No one knows what the world is going to look like a year from now.; 9/1/15, 1:54 PM
Gahrie said...: drop out for Jeb,

Yeah that's the ticket......

The whole reason Sanders and Trump are doing so well is that the country desperately does not want another Bush/Clinton race......except the MSM and Washington D.C..; 9/1/15, 1:55 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: .
Romney would have made a good, if not great Predident, and would probably make one even today. BUT HE LOST. He choked when he had Obama on the ropes when Crowley cheated during that debate to protect Obama. Think of how Trump would have handled that - clearly wouldn't have backed down, as Romney seemed to do. A lot of those on the right don't trust Romney to do the right thing, and keep attacking, when the times get tuff during the election. We all know that the Dems lie and cheat - that is how they get elected and hold power. Crowley needed to be called out, and Romney failed to do it. Playing fair and being nice doesn't win elections for Republicans at this level, and esp this time around with an ethically deprived Clinton the likely Dem candidate. (Esp, now, when it appears that their strategy involves running out the clock on her email server problems, and the numerous felonies that she and her minions likely committed - once she is elected, they are free and clear); 9/1/15, 2:06 PM
Anonymous said...: There is a scenario where Mitt Romney could come in and save the day, but it's a long shot.

If there is a divided party when it comes time for the coronation, Romney could come in and everyone could coalesce around him. But this would require a brokered convention and it would mean that Trump wasn't the guy who gets screwed.

Because if you brought in Mitt Romney to have all the delegates support, and Trump was at around 30%, well, he'd be pissed and run 3rd party, I'd imagine. So would his supporters.; 9/1/15, 2:14 PM
Brando said...: "You mean like we have the last two elections by nominating "electable" establishment types?"

I'd like to think there's an alternative somewhere between "wishy washy 'moderates' who try to pretend they're conservatives" and "extremists who can't appeal beyond a third of the country."

Consider the times when the GOP won a national race (though we don't have more than one example in the last 25 years). The potential GOP electorate (meaning potential GOP voters, not simply people who identify as Republicans) is broad enough to form a majority, but encompasses everything from those who just want the government to stop meddling in their business to those who think Christianity should be a prerequisite to holding public office to those who think we're not bombing people enough to those who think we're bombing people too much. No one can really unite all those voters, but basic math dictates no one can win without cobbling enough of them together to pass the 50% mark.

Like I said, maybe I'll be proven wrong about Trump and he'll actually win the general election. But it's unlikely considering his negatives.; 9/1/15, 2:15 PM
Gahrie said...: No one can really unite all those voters

Yes, someone can.

Some one who is true to their convictions (and actually has convictions).

Some one willing to fight back against the MSM and popular culture.

Some one willing to deal with the issues that people care about, like immigration.

Some one who is a proven leader.

Trump, and to a lesser extent Sanders, have fooled people into thinking that they are that "some one" (largely because people so desperately are seeking that "some one").

We need someone willing to step up. I think Carly is that person, but I think the MSM and establishment will keep her from competing. So, I settle for her as V.P., and I bet she'd make both a great candidate and officeholder.

Carson has surprised me so far, and i'm willing to give him a shot. It would be interesting to see how Black leadership contorted themselves to explain their failure to support him. (Carson is a much more authentic representation of poor Black America than Obama ever was); 9/1/15, 2:42 PM
lgv said...: The idea of Mitt jumping in is just silly. This is just a diversion.

It will sort itself out after NH. If you aren't in the top five of either, you are done. Polls in Iowa may or may not translate to results in the caucus. It not a voting process in Iowa.

If establishment Republicans want to help the establishment cause, then they should be working to thin the contest. People like Graham, Pataki, Santorum, Perry, and Jindal need to bow out.; 9/1/15, 2:48 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Romney's a good man, but he shouldn't run for the Presidency. He's run twice now and lost. He lacks the instinct to go for the jugular, which is necessary when dealing with both zombies and leftists.

He'll make a good Secretary of Treasury, though.; 9/1/15, 2:52 PM
Rusty said...: I wonder when they'll get a clue and dump these establishment politicians.
Listen to Trump you morons.; 9/1/15, 2:55 PM
Brando said...: "Yes, someone can [unite all those voters]."

Not ALL of them--some GOP voters are strict anti-interventionists and others are very much pro--there are some groups that will never agree on the same candidate. But appealing to a broad enough swath is necessary. Reagan was the classic example, though that was 35 years ago.

Regardless of politics, everyone wants a fighter and alpha male (or female)--even the Democrats do that (that's what gets them behind Sanders, who they see as taking on the big money types, and that's why Hillary's pretending that she can "fight for them" too).

One thing I think the Trumpists like about him is that he is in some ways the opposite of Romney--Romney bent over backwards to convince people he was "severely conservative" and seemed to be trying to please too much. Trump doesn't apologize for anything, and doesn't seem to want to appeal to anyone (though of course if that were true he wouldn't want to be president). Much as I think Trump is every bit as phony as any politician, I can see why the act has appeal.

Hopefully something good emerges from this whole thing.; 9/1/15, 3:09 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: I agree - it's time for Mitt.; 9/1/15, 3:18 PM
damikesc said...: It's time for the Establishment Republicans and RINOs to step aside and "take one for the team" the way Conservatives have been forced to do since Reagan. That is the only way we are going to dump Trump and elect a Republican.

Agreed. I keep hearing about the need to nominate electable candidates, yet we nominate losers. I don't trust who the media says is "electable" (McCain? Really? Who the fuck would vote for him?)

I do agree that some of these guys need to drop out, but then who? So many are within a couple points of each other, and it's hard to convince say Rubio (who at one time was a Tea Party favorite but now is seen as establishment) to drop out for Jeb, who hardly seems to be firing up the campaign trail.

You'd think one of these smart consultants/candidates would notice that immigration is a bit of an issue and the amnesty angle that everybody but Trump seems anxious to play is a non-starter. Why not discuss a plan to fix a noticeably broken system. That it seems ONLY Trump is making much of a stink about it speaks poorly of the GOP. I don't want to vote for the Chamber of Commerce.

Like I said, maybe I'll be proven wrong about Trump and he'll actually win the general election. But it's unlikely considering his negatives.

Given that Hillary is still exceptionally likely to win the Dem nom, Trump can beat her. I truly believe that. Her negatives are dramatically worse and cannot be improved since she is also a God awful candidate.; 9/1/15, 3:51 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: I find this humorous: Still Pining for Mitt: Some GOP Donors Hoping Romney Will Jump in the Race.

In short, they gave Romney money in exchange for an inside track in the new Romney administration. Except that Romney lost, and their money was down the drain - unless they can talk him into running again, and he wins.

Sounding a bit cynical? I don't think so. As with most politicians at that level, a lot of the lower level appointments were subject to being bought, if someone was able to bring enough bundled money early enough to the campaign. Know one guy who was looking at a deputy secretary post for a mere $100k or so in donations to Romney in late 2011. Half a million would have locked it in. In case anyone thinks that only Republicans play this game, note the recent ruckus caused by Caroline Kennedy's incompetence as ambassador of, I believe, Japan.; 9/1/15, 3:58 PM
damikesc said...: I was legit bummed when Romney lost in 2012. I will say, forever, that he was probably the most qualified man we've ever run for President and not voting for him was a massive mistake for the US.

I don't think he should run. It won't work. His time passed and we, sadly, did not appreciate just how great he is.

I'd like an actual conservative to replace Trump...but if all we have are different shades of amnesty, I'll vote Trump.; 9/1/15, 4:03 PM
jr565 said...: Mitt Romney/Carley Fiorina.; 9/1/15, 4:26 PM
The Godfather said...: I'd rather see Candy Crowley run than Mitt. At least she's got balls.; 9/1/15, 5:01 PM
rhhardin said...: The establishment mantle will go off in the third act.; 9/1/15, 5:01 PM
jr565 said...: Romney has balls. He's polite though. Which may be to his detrminent. Trumping that though is, he's usually right.; 9/1/15, 5:26 PM
Rusty said...: jr565 said...
Mitt Romney/Carley Fiorina.

Mitt had his chance.; 9/1/15, 5:27 PM
jr565 said...: How many times did Ron Paul run for president?; 9/1/15, 5:27 PM
rehajm said...: Rusty said...
jr565 said...
Mitt Romney/Carley Fiorina.

Mitt had his chance.

Carly Fiorina/Mitt Romney; 9/1/15, 5:46 PM
Mark said...: You Romney sycophants need to stop talking with your mouth full.
You want to know what a Romney Administration would have looked like? Take a look at today's Republican Congress.; 9/1/15, 6:04 PM
jr565 said...: Mark,
If Mitt won and had a republican congress imagine what could have gotten done. Even if we have wobbly repubs they could have been forced to toe the line, simply by having the punditry demand it and then have the numbers to force the weak kneed to cave.
If Boehner and co. refused they could be forced to walk the plank. If Romney was insufficiently republican pressure could be exterted to let him know where the problems were and that he'd need to correct.
The whole dynamic would be different.
So, Im not sure that it would be the same as todays congress. We still have Obama leading.; 9/1/15, 6:26 PM
Michael K said...: "No serious person is considering Mitt get into this already crowded race. "

Unwound vote for him in a minute but he will only come in if the others all destroy each other. I don;t see him running but maybe being drafted in a deadlocked convention. I think that is unlikely so I don't expect to see it.

I think the country's last chance to survive without a revolution was Romney in 2012. I think we will have a major upheaval and hell to pay after Obama has destroyed so much.

It is useful to read Richard Fernandez on what is coming.

“It’s an unanticipated consequence of Barack Obama’s presidency: his immobilization of the anti-war legions, the way his election immediately neutered the zealots who, if a Republican were in office, would be marching against drone strikes and mass surveillance and war in Afghanistan and air war in Libya, Syria, Iraq and proxy war in Yemen.” To raise these subjects might bring up the question of whether the administration made a fundamental strategic mistake.

There’s no outrage because the media, our bipartisan political establishment, and indeed the American people themselves are unwilling to face the scope of the challenge the Islamic State presents. To uproot it we would have to send U.S. ground forces to Iraq in large numbers, not just special forces operating in tandem with unrestricted air support. We would have to retake and hold ground lost in the years since we departed Iraq, and we would have to commit to remaining in Iraq and Syria for a long time. To deal a blow to radical Islam that would deter recruitment, stop the bandwagon effect, and secure America from attack by militants and their fellow-travelers would require a military and economic commitment the United States, least of all our president, is simply not prepared to make.

The administration probably blundered, but as Continetti seems not to realize, we are in a special situation where the administration’s mistakes don’t matter. We live in a special world without acknowledged consequences. The withdrawal is a done deal; something that is too late to change now. Policies as outcomes of power don’t matter, only the brute fact of it does.

As Fernandez writes, this is no ordinary time.; 9/1/15, 7:03 PM
Michael K said...: "I would" fuck autocorrect.; 9/1/15, 7:04 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Are there any Conservative commentators here who despise what Obama and his leftist minions have done to the country, but still refused to vote for Romney in 2012, because they felt he wasn't conservative enough? I'm curious to chat with you.; 9/1/15, 8:18 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I thought Trump and Biden were going to arm wrestle for the office.; 9/1/15, 10:26 PM
Brando said...: "If Mitt won and had a republican congress imagine what could have gotten done. Even if we have wobbly repubs they could have been forced to toe the line, simply by having the punditry demand it and then have the numbers to force the weak kneed to cave."

It all boils down to Obama's re-election in 2012 guaranteed that the ACA was not going to be repealed or reformed without his ok. The anti-ACA forces simply did not have enough votes to override his veto, and themselves are not a homogenous group (some oppose it because it didn't go far enough, some only want to repeal it if it is replaced with something else). A President Romney wouldn't have been a guarantee of repeal (depending how the Senate races turned out) but there would have been a chance.

"Are there any Conservative commentators here who despise what Obama and his leftist minions have done to the country, but still refused to vote for Romney in 2012, because they felt he wasn't conservative enough? I'm curious to chat with you."

I hear about these phantom "stay at homes" all the time, but I have a hard time believing large numbers of people on the right see no difference between an insufficiently conservative Romney and a quite openly leftist Obama and were willing to let the latter be re-elected. Anyone that far out of touch with reality is probably better off not voting anyway.; 9/2/15, 6:37 AM
Rusty said...: Freeman Hunt said...
I thought Trump and Biden were going to arm wrestle for the office.

The days not over yet. Give it a chance.; 9/2/15, 7:21 AM