I’ll add links and analysis as this unfolds. While I disagreed with some of his positions, I liked the Romneys very much. But this certainly opens up the field. Just as an FYI, Romney is the only person who ties Hillary in the polls. Others are obviously going to have to fill that gap. This news, of course, helps Jeb Bush the most. Let’s hope the Republicans don’t regret this development.
Scott Walker now moves up to my #1 favorite.
I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this development.
UPDATES:
Mitt Romney announced Friday he will not run for president in 2016, after briefly flirting with a third White House run — a decision that only slightly narrows the crowded field of potential Republican candidates.
“After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the Party the opportunity to become our next nominee,” Romney said in a written statement. He also was announcing his plans on a conference call with donors Friday morning.
The announcement comes after the 2012 GOP nominee, who repeatedly denied interest in another campaign, surprised donors earlier this month by telling them he was considering it.
Since then, the former Massachusetts governor spent three weeks calling donors and strategists and giving a handful of addresses, including to a Republican National Committee summit. But while some from his former campaign team were willing to wait for his decision, others were already gravitating toward the budding campaign of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Politico: The Romney rollercoaster
Now if only Jeb will do the same…Just sayin’.
Thank-you Mitt Romney! Yes now Jeb should do the same…
Good. This Milk Toast, Wimp LOSER had the 2012 election in the bag until he choked in the last month, and because of that fact, the thing in the White House still occupies it. Not only that, like a lot of chronically unemployed men these days, his skill set has degraded over time. Scott Walker has the best working resume. And Christy?, he’s a lousy Governor. New Jersey is still at the bottom of all state rankings, and has not improved during his entire time in office, so he’s a failure at his job who hasn’t earned a promotion. Bring that up if anyone of all the pundits and talking heads mention his name.
posted 1/30 1106am Texas[No More Bush] Time
I’m very disappointed. I think Romney, and Ann, have tremendous grace and class.
But, we move on….
However clear-eyed Mitt was in business, he couldn’t transfer that to politics. Gave the appearance that criticism of him as a green eyeshade data sheet reviewer was correct, Netflix movie aside. And he never showed that he wanted to change to be the people’s national representative. Seems like the perfect VP candidate who was pushed forward because of lack of Party depth.
While I will truly miss the class and elegance always shown by the Romney family, I admit that I don’t think that Mitt could ultimately win the White House. The Romney’s are just too nice and don’t have that “killer instinct” needed to beat the Dems. But, that said, I CAN see Mitt serving in another high-ranking position within a future GOP President’s administration. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the Romney’s and Mitt has a lot to offer.
Still my first choice for President?…Scott Walker. And who better to have his back?…Carly Fiorina! I think that between the two of them they could seriously kick some Hillary and Democratic butt and get this country back on track!
Walker/Fiorina 2016! 🙂
While Scott Walker has done some very admirable things as governor, I am wary of his candidacy. He came to prominence due to an outstanding record, but I’m worried about what compromises he’s now made to become Romney’s anointed one. He is very close to Reince Priebus and Paul Ryan, I do not like that combo. He’s also been weak on amnesty and word is, he’s backtracking on Common Core.
I believe Romney was the establishment pick for 2012, but not for 2016, and not even in 2008. I was immediately turned off to Romney once Fox News anointed him but eventually came around to liking him quite a bit. I actually hate to see him go, but who he throws his support behind will tell a lot. He says we need to turn to the new generation of conservative learedship..I hope he means it
Mixed emotions…to those celebrating Mitt’s decision, I would make a comparison of you to fans who want their coaches fired. After asking why?, the second more important question is who are you going to replace him with? Hopefully we all won’t live to regret this decision.
Mitt met with Jeb recently. Given Mitt’s action today, I’m really curious about that conversation.
Agree that it is a head-scratcher, dilvish.
Yes, quite curious. I wonder if the “powers that be” told Mitt to step aside and let Jebby have this one. That way, all the establishment dollars then funnel to Jeb, and maybe Christie. It’ll be interesting to see who Mitt endorses.
Keep the faith Kitten. Tammy’s been wrong before…sorry Tammy 🙂
http://youtu.be/C-G2n91wKtY
I think we will know in time what that conversation was about. I respect Mitt Romney and hope there was no “deal” being made. I think he would have beat out Jeb Bush (I think he thought so too), so it is very curious 🙂
Let the vetting begin. Mitt would have been a terrific president and now would make a great vp or cabinet member in a Republican administration. Scott Walker has the mettle, the executive experience and a lack of academic elitism, or pseudo intellectualism as in the case of the current occupant. Right now he looks darn good. I want a candidate and a president who will set right the direction of this country and restore the strength and dignity of the presidency.
I was not on the Mitt bandwagon but for some reason I feel a bit sad at this news. I was open to give him consideration depending upon how Scott Walker does (and a few others). If he had won the nomination I certainly would have voted for him. I get angry at those that sat the last one out…I can say that I would be greatly disappointed if he ends up throwing all his support behind Mr. Jebby. I also would vote for Bush (again) but I don’t think he can win in the general election.
Disappointing, though I didn’t really think he would run again. But Mitt was always my number one choice, both in 2008 and 2012.
There is no Mitt 2.0 or 3.0; there is only Mitt 1.0 — the progressive ex-governor of Massachusetts. He would not admit RomneyCare is bad. A big man could have admitted it, but that would mean giving up the progressive/big government delusion. It doesn’t take a genius to see what a mess Obama has made of things.
For 2012, Mitt kissed the ring and got approval from the Bushies, but that was then. He would never get over the image of a cold CEO. Yes, the Democrats latched on to this and told lies about him.
He got defensive and mad (not on camera) at Bret Baier after he conducted an interview. I guess Mitt thought Fox would a push-over. Not so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv4LQKFplGY
(I am not a supporter of Ron Paul).
My family has already felt the sting of ObamaCare, but we’ve been lucky so far. I don’t trust that Mitt would try to remove this plague from the medical profession and the American people. I spoke with a young doctor who plans on closing his practice down and just working at a hospital.
I realize Mitt would be a mixed bag — as close as I can come to a compliment, but I think we can do better this. Much of this is irrelevant since he apparently self-selected himself out of the race.
Well, I’m looking for the black swan to show up. The person who I most identify with, who I believe shares my values and principles the most, Sarah Palin. So unless, or until she says she’s NOT running, she’s my first choice.
If she decides not to run, I’ll move on and vote for the one with the “R” beside their name.
Obama’s an effective campaigner but lousy at governance. Romney brought some governing skills to the table (dunno if he’d have been great, but I’d allow for the possibility), but he was lousy at campaigning. Democracy being what it is, we see which triumphed, and this could be our undoing. Considering the alternatives, I would have been happy to see Romney try again — IF he could show us a little more fire, a little more grit. Maybe he didn’t have it in him. Does anybody have both fire and a track record as an effective manager? And, of course, an ideology that isn’t evil and/or insane? It’s terrifying to watch us race into the coming storm and we cannot put a decent leader in the field. Are we the Southern Kingdom, going through our final bad kings, heading for exile? Or can we repent? I wonder.
I have mixed emotions ranging from disappointment to relief. Disappointment in that Jeb is the likely nominee. Relief in that Romney has too much baggage and has shown no indication that he has learned anything from 2012.
In the meantime, I will be praying for our country and the upcoming election.
Re jerky tweet by former Rep. John Dingell, Jr. (Dem., Mich., 1955-2015)), let’s do a quick review of Dingell’s political history.
John Dingell, Sr.; Rep. for Michigan, 1933-1955 (died 1955)
John Dingell, Jr.; Rep. for Michigan, 1955-2015 (elected following father’s death)
Debbie Dingell; Rep. for Michigan, 2015- (elected to husband’s seat)
Dingell, Jr., is longest continuous serving Congressman. Don’t know if he had any feuds with Gov. George Romney, but he clearly has been knowledgeable of the Romney’s since George was Michigan Governor in the 1960s (elected 3x ?).
Dingell, Sr., introduced a bill for National Health Ins. in 1933. Every Congress thereafter, Sr. and then Jr. introduced a National Health Ins. bill.
4 months before Pearl Harbor, Aug. 1941, Dingell Sr., wrote a letter to FDR, recommending that 10,000 Japanese Hawaiian Americans be incarcerated to ensure that Japan behaved. Don’t know if that had any effect on FDR’s later internment camps decision, but it couldn’t have hurt.
I think it was Carly Fiorina’s speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit that spooked Romney out of running for president. She hit it out of the ballpark when she spoke about unions and the CIA. I’ve never heard Romney bring these topics up. He’s never talked about the connection between the SEIU and Marriott International.