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I’ll be very surprised and very disappointed if Romney gets SoS.

More to the point, I would bet a week’s pay that if he does get picked, it won’t be because of his skill set (restructuring). The reason would have to be that Romney as SOS is the price in exchange for more valuable political gains elsewhere.

The only scenario I can imagine that might explain this is the following:

Let’s say the #neverTrumps in senate and congressional leadership positions are not done yet - they are being more conciliatory in public, but let’s assume they have made clear to Trump in private that they can and will join with democrats to block Trump’s cabinet appointments, judicial nominations and legislative proposals unless they get certain concessions.

The concessions are mostly window dressing. They know they can’t thwart the voters who swept Trump into office, but they have enough leverage to get some face saving figurehead appointments, and some window dressing legislative items into Trump’s agenda. They want the appearance of partial victory - they want to avoid the perception of having been beaten into the dust. They still think this Trump thing may blow over and they want to be in a position to pick up the pieces.

If Trump picks Romney it will have to be part of a deal like that. Trump is a deal maker. There is give and take. Trump will get the best of the deals he makes, but he will have to offer some concessions. Maybe this is one of them (if it even happens).

I’m 100% sure of one thing: There is no way in hell Kellyanne Conway would express her displeasure over the prospect of Romney getting SOS without Trump’s full blessing. He is using her to communicate HIS displeasure at the prospect.

So, if it is Romney, we can be sure it is a strategic sacrifice for a greater good. I think Trump is smart - I trust him... I’ll just have to watch him play out the rest of his hand and maybe later I’ll understand what he was thinking.