Posted on 12/31/2014 9:01:14 PM PST by SoConPubbie
I told you last night, there was only one way for this year to end on Hot Air. May one word ring in your ears as the ball drops, my friends: Romneymentum.
Hopefully you’re all already liquored up sufficiently to dull the pain.
“I know exactly what Mitt’s going to do,” [Ken] Gardner, a real estate developer who helped bring Romney to Utah to lead the 2002 Winter Olympics, told the Deseret News. “I think over the next few months, a lot of things will happen.”…
“If it’s Ted Cruz that’s the candidate, he’s in. If it’s Jeb Bush, he’s probably not,” Gardner said.
He said Romney doesn’t want to cost fellow moderate Republicans Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie support at this point in the race.
That changes, Gardner said, “if it doesn’t look like they can do it.”
Later in the piece Gardner suggests that Romney’s bored by his retirement, which naturally means … he should run for president again? What?
Actually, I’m playing a little trick on Romney-haters by linking this piece. When you think about it, this is good news for you guys, not bad. Bush is already in the race and Chris Christie, who’s cramming on foreign policy and traveling the country to pile up favors before jumping in, will almost certainly follow soon. If only one of them were running, there’s a chance that that man would underperform early against conservative challengers, sparking the type of RINO panic that might draw Romney in as a savior. With two marquee centrists running, though, there’s zero chance that they’ll both underperform. One of two things will happen: Either one of them will consolidate most of the centrist vote at the other’s expense, propelling that man towards the top of the field, or they’ll split the centrist vote roughly evenly while some conservative champion races ahead. Even in the latter scenario, though, Romney would probably stay out and campaign on behalf of Bush or Christie (likely Bush) rather than jump in to try to usurp them as centrist champion. A late entry under those circumstances would simply be too risky. Instead of gobbling up Bush’s and Christie’s support, Romney might split off only a few voters, deepening the split among centrists and increasing the odds that Cruz is nominated. Imagine that it’s September 2015 and Cruz is pulling 25 percent with Bush and Christie each stuck in the mid-teens. If Romney then jumps in, you might well end up with him, Jeb, and Christie each pulling numbers in the low teens while Cruz remains basically unaffected. (Making a splashy announcement as the self-styled party savior and then fizzling would be hugely embarrassing for Romney too, needless to say, another reason why he’d be disinclined to do it.) The establishment impulse, wisely, is always towards consolidation, not diversification. Romney getting in would confound that logic. The day Christie announces, it effectively ends the “dream” of Romney 2016.
So there’s the “good news” for tea partiers as 2014 winds down — instead of nominating Mitt Romney again, your worst-case scenario only involves nominating, um, Jeb Bush or Chris Christie, who, by the way, already lead the field. Happy new year!
You understand that the party rules were changed in 2012. Only repeated, overwhelming victories by Cruz in primaries will prevent the moderates from nominating one of theirs.
He couldn’t rescue himself...*eyeroll*
“I’d love to watch Ted Cruz tear you apart in debate.”
Actually, it would be a good debate. Cruz is terrific on his feet and Romney is a good debater, so long as he is willing to go after his opponent. That’s why he lost the second debate against Obama. He wouldn’t attack Obama.
I think he will have no difficulty finding it in his heart to attack Cruz personally and nastily and dishonestly. The TEA party is the enemy. Not the Dems.
fumr
The one I've seen that seems to get more and more true is: Give Obama Power.
Oh, thank you, Mitt. What would we all do without you? Win elections?
Given that I would view the destruction of the Democrat and/or Republican parties as profitable, quite.
Well, it is The Tao of Republican Orthodoxy. (Direct Link)
Throw Sarah Palin into your step 2 and Step 3 is assured.
The GOPe is going to start pushing conservatives to run in order to keep Cruz out. They are afraid of him. I wonder why. LOL I don’t guess he’s one of the good old boys in the pup tent. Rand is all over the map and he’ll pull liberaltarians who are not Democrats from GOPe. So far, just one conservative, right?
The source is aptly named...
With the House and the Senate out of Democrat hands, we are comfortably positioned. IMHO, this would be a fine opportunity to send a message to the GOP if they think they’re going to ram another RINO down our throats. There’s no way I’m voting for Romney, or Bush, or Christie.
Ted Cruz will not run outside of GOP.
Alan West could, but as independent will get less than 3% votes nationwide.
I agree. If Mitt jumps in he will suck up all the money from the major donors. It will make it very hard for other candidates to raise money especially Ted Cruz. This stuff happens every 4 years. Its always some moderate with the bug bucks that gets nominated and/or gets elected President. Government gets larger and we never seem to get any of our personal freedoms back.
The only thing I’ll say for Dubya is he did cut taxes to the point that it made a difference for the average Joe.
GOPe rams nothing. They support just ONE RINO.
Then the conservatives fight among themselves, divide the votes and clear the path for the RINO.
Romney was having a hard time crossing 30% of votes.
The other 70% was being divided among conservatives.
Without unity, conservatives can’t win.
Failed candidate to the rescue?? Am I reading that right? Good God! How demented can Romney be to think he can do anything to “help” the Repubs? Seriously? DOH! Especially after the O-care fiasco which will hang him out to dry. Sheeez
YEAH. We need someone who can help us do THAT again.
I was once in a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from....
Add me to your Ted Cruz Ping List,
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