“He wanted to be president less than anyone I’ve met in my life. He had no desire … to run. If he could have found someone else to take his place … he would have been ecstatic to step aside.”
Eldest son Tagg Romney, in an interview in December, 2012
Monday morning update: On Sunday afternoon Cillizza and Blake published an updated version of their "10 Most Likely" list. They slotted Mitt in at #4 and moved everyone else down one, with Paul Ryan dropping off at the bottom. Here's how it looks now:
- Jeb Bush
- Rand Paul
- Scott Walker
- Mitt Romney
- Chris Christie
- Marco Rubio
- John Kasich
- Bobby Jindal
- Mike Huckabee
- Ted Cruz
Original post:
Based on Mitt's Friday declaration that he wants to be president, I'm moving him to the "Winking and Thinking" section of my "possible" list. I'm also admitting that I find the guy annoying. Every other politician on this list wants to be president too but unlike Mittens, none of them have had their party's nomination and lost in the general election. (And note that the Reagan comparison isn't completely accurate. Reagan ran in the primaries three times but after getting the nomination in 1980 he never lost in a general election. The only modern politician to lose in the general then come back to win the presidency was Richard Nixon.)
One could say that Romney's had his turn. In 2012 his campaign raised over $1 billion from rich donors, ran against an unpopular president and an under-performing economy and benefited from the services of Romney's five sons, who showed their support for our nation not by serving in the military but by working to get their Dad elected. He still couldn't convince enough Americans to vote for him.
Now apparently Mitt's confidence in his own incandescent greatness and his preening narcissistic entitlement have him convinced that if he just puts himself out there one more time, Americans voters will finally give him what he wants. He's also been saying that Jeb Bush doesn't have what it takes to win and I can't wait to hear what Barbara Bush has to say about that. It's all hugely entertaining and you bet I'll be watching to see who make the next move. After all, election day is only 666 days away.
Possible Republican Candidates
Sam Brownback
Dr. Ben Carson
Chris Christie
Ted Cruz
Bobby Jindall
John Kasich
Rand Paul
Mike Pence
Rick Perry
Marco Rubio
Paul Ryan
Rick Santorum
Rick Snyder
Scott Walker
Late Adds on December 22
Carly Fiorina
Lindsey Graham
George Pataki
Winking and Thinking About Running
Jeb Bush
Mike Huckabee
Mitt Romney
Officially Not Running
Rob Portman
Days until election day: 666
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