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Mitt Romney: I Won't Run
TruthRevolt.org ^ | 8-26-2014 | Jeff Dunetz

Posted on 08/27/2014 4:30:53 AM PDT by servo1969

In his Tuesday evening interview on the Hugh Hewitt show, Mitt Romney said it over and over again: "I will not run in 2016."

Though a determined Hewitt kept finding different ways to ask the same question, in the end the 2012 candidate stood by his claim, saying, "I had the chance of running. I didn’t win. Someone else has a better chance than I do."

After Hewitt's relentless questioning, Romney did offer the host his "one in a million" chance of running: if all the other candidates got together and said, "Hey, we’ve decided we can’t do it, you must do it." In other words, he isn't running.

Hewitt: Now Governor Romney, because you were the governor of the Commonwealth, you know your revolutionary history. And so I want to throw a little Thomas Paine at you from December 23rd of 1776. They call it the darkest hour of the Revolution. It’s before Trenton and the Delaware crossing, after six months of misery and defeats. And Thomas Paine writes the famous opening lines of the crisis: "These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country, but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." So here’s the question. If you personally believed, I mean, really, genuinely believed that you were the only candidate who could beat Hillary, and that belief was confirmed by your family and your friends and respected political advisors, would you not then feel obliged to run?

Romney: (laughing) Well, Hugh, the reason I came to the conclusion I did, which is this is not the right time for me to run, is because of my belief that someone else stands a better chance of winning than I do. Had that not been the case, had I believed I would actually be best positioned to beat Hillary Clinton, then I would be running. But I actually believe that someone new that is not defined, yet, someone who perhaps is from the next generation, will be able to catch fire, potentially, build a movement, and be able to beat Hillary Clinton. If I thought that weren’t the case, well, I would have been running. But I think we’ve got a number of very good people looking at this race. I’m expecting someone to be able to catch fire and get the job done.

Hewitt: Now I’m pressing, and I’m pressing an advantage of long acquaintance, and so forgive me for this, but that’s subject to change, right? People’s candidacies implode, circumstances change. People who organized campaigns approach you. And so I’m not asking you to, I wouldn’t presume to ask you to say "Yeah, I’m in the race." But circumstances change. And if you thought that in fact it were not that way, that you thought you were the only one who could do this, you’d change your mind, wouldn’t you?

Romney: (laughing) I’m not going there, Hugh. I know you’re going to press, but you know, this is something we gave a lot of thought to when early on I decided we’re not going to be running this time. And again, we said look, I had the chance of running. I didn’t win. Someone else has a better chance than I do. And that’s what we believe, and that’s why I’m not running. And you know, circumstances can change, but I’m just not going to let my head go there. I remember that great line from Dumb and Dumber, where the…

Hewitt: So you’re telling me I have a chance?

Romney: There you go, you remember. You’re telling me I have a chance? That’s one of a million.

Hewitt: Hey, all, the takeaway is already circumstances can change. I know how we’re going to play this. But I hope it’s not the Harold Stassen nonsense, which overlooks the far more unlikely comebacks like Reagan’s and Nixon’s, and Dewey’s and Stevenson and William Jennings Bryant. In fact, not even Stassen became a joke until his ’64 run. His previous four runs were all very serious affairs. Here’s what your running mate said yesterday on this show.

Ryan: I would welcome it. I’ve told him that, I was with him last Thursday. I think he should run. I think people are getting to know who he really is. I think there’s buyer’s remorse, and I think he’d make an outstanding president. He says emphatically, though, that he won’t do it. You know, I just wish he would. I think he’d be a unifier. But I just, I’ll take Mitt at his word, and he’s pretty clear he’s not going to do it.

Hewitt: See, he’s not as abrasive as I am. And so you have been very clear you’re not doing it now. I just keep looking for that, I get asked everywhere I go because I wrote the book about you, have you heard if there’s any door open. And I said no, I haven’t. He always says no, no, no, but I’ve always also said that I thought if you thought you were the only guy who could win, you’d do it.

Romney: Well, you know, let’s say all the guys that were running all came together and said, "Hey, we’ve decided we can’t do it, you must do it." That’s the one of the million we’re thinking about.



TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016; 2016gopprimary; hewitt; hughhewitt; mitt; president; romney; romney2016
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To: From The Deer Stand

Cruz is the best choice.


21 posted on 08/27/2014 5:07:43 AM PDT by Maceman
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To: servo1969

He stopped running after the first debate in the last election.


22 posted on 08/27/2014 5:07:53 AM PDT by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: From The Deer Stand; All
"Just who is the best Republican hopeful to run for president?" Who is the best? I know who I would like to be president in 2016 - Allen West!

It would be nice to have an American Patriot, someone who loves their country and who has fought and defended it for a president, that would be a fresh start for a change!

23 posted on 08/27/2014 5:08:21 AM PDT by areukiddingme1 (areukiddingme1 is a synonym for a Retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and tired of liberal BS.))
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To: From The Deer Stand

Well, I don’t really want to do it. But if enough people petition me I will run. But you better be ready for a major lack of PC.


24 posted on 08/27/2014 5:09:06 AM PDT by rfreedom4u (Your feelings don't trump my free speech!)
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To: Sacajaweau

I’ll knock the candidates that suck, without regard to party affiliation.


25 posted on 08/27/2014 5:10:12 AM PDT by EricT. (Everything not forbidden is compulsory.)
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To: From The Deer Stand

Fred Thompson. Not.


26 posted on 08/27/2014 5:10:38 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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To: servo1969

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3195835/posts?page=46

Romney: It’s Ryan’s turn to run for president

The Hill ^ | August 22, 2014 | Mario Trujillo


27 posted on 08/27/2014 5:14:39 AM PDT by maggief
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To: From The Deer Stand

Don’t know who’s the best but do know the bozos will pick someone who will pimp for Hillary.


28 posted on 08/27/2014 5:19:06 AM PDT by bgill
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To: oldbrowser

The problem is that for many Conservatives their candidate is perfect (or at least close to it) and all others suck, meaning that there’ll be a blood feud primary season that results in a lowest-common-demoninator, non-Conservative candidate like Romney getting the nomination.

Here’s how I see 2016 going (at the moment anyways) it’ll shake out to Cruz (vision, rhetoric) vs Walker (executive experience). Probably with Perry playing spoiler. Both Cruz and Walker are good and acceptable candidates for Conservatives to rally around. And Conservatives WILL rally around them.

Then dig in and fight to the death for them. Either handing the nomination to a Romney/McCain clone (TBD), or causing so much bad blood that we’ll have an election where a good chunk of the Conservative base stays home, even WITH a true Conservative heading the ticket.


29 posted on 08/27/2014 5:19:32 AM PDT by tanknetter
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To: Sacajaweau
So you preferred Obama?

Knock the Dem candidates...not Repubs. None are perfect but let's not help the Dems in chopping down Repubs.<

Some have grown to dislike Republicans more than they do Dems. The odds of the perfect nominee is great and may never come in one's lifetime. Standing up for your principals is noble, but doing it while your house and children burn is pathetic.

30 posted on 08/27/2014 5:21:50 AM PDT by steelwheels
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To: servo1969

Thank you Mr. Romney as I would not vote for you if you did.


31 posted on 08/27/2014 5:28:10 AM PDT by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: ScottinVA

I honestly have no idea at this point who our best candidate might be. I only know that it is not Romney.


32 posted on 08/27/2014 5:30:24 AM PDT by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation Continues)
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To: steelwheels
No-one was ever looking for perfect. That is a lie told by GOP-E operatives.

Romney didn't match his own party platform on abortion, amnesty, 2nd amendment, socialized medicine, or big government.

That's not imperfect, that's liberal.

Want to win? Run a conservative.

Quit fighting to defend liberals.

/johnny

33 posted on 08/27/2014 5:32:49 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: tanknetter; All
pretty good analyst.."sting me once,shame on you; twice shame on me"
too bad, Bill Whittle not gettin' widespread exposure (billwittle.com) iirc.
34 posted on 08/27/2014 5:34:40 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a weapon...eh? "Bathhouse" 0'Mullah? d8^)
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To: DeaconRed

Mike Pence


35 posted on 08/27/2014 5:35:29 AM PDT by nesnah (Liberals - the petulant children of politics)
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To: servo1969

Well then, I guess the only man left standing is Jeb </sarcasm>.


36 posted on 08/27/2014 5:36:56 AM PDT by DManA (in)
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To: Georgia Girl 2; All
"can i get an amen?"
AMEN! 😊

37 posted on 08/27/2014 5:38:35 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a weapon...eh? "Bathhouse" 0'Mullah? d8^)
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To: tanknetter
where a good chunk of the Conservative base stays home, even WITH a true Conservative heading the ticket.

We have to differentiate between being a conservative and being stubborn. The two are very similar.

I would say that a conservative crosses over to being stubborn at the point that his efforts become counterproductive to the country.

38 posted on 08/27/2014 5:42:24 AM PDT by oldbrowser (We have a rogue government in Washington)
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To: maggief

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/216040-a-young-candidate-can-be-hillary-clinton-romney-says

August 27, 2014, 08:01 am
A young candidate could beat Hillary Clinton, Romney says

EXCERPT

Quelling continued rumors of a third presidential run himself, Romney told conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt that “someone new that is not defined yet, someone who perhaps is from the next generation, will be able to catch fire, potentially, build a movement and be able to beat Hillary Clinton.”
He later repeated the call for a “new and not defined” candidate, adding that there are a “number of very good people looking at this race.”

Clinton is 66 years old, Romney is 67.

Romney has discussed his support in the past for a 2016 bid by his former running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), something Ryan has not yet ruled out.

In the pair’s first joint interview since their failed White House bid, Romney said last week on Fox News that it was time for his former running mate to run for president.

“He’s very generous. But I had my turn. It’s his turn now,” Romney said.

On Tuesday, Romney went further.

“I think Paul has the kinds of qualities you’d like to see either in a president or in the highest levels of leadership in other parts of Washington, namely the House,” Romney said.


39 posted on 08/27/2014 5:42:36 AM PDT by maggief
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To: servo1969

I’m glad he’s not running, but Romney is a good dude. And he would have been something like one billion times better as president than Golfy McMuslim.


40 posted on 08/27/2014 5:45:06 AM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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