Midterm Results Didn’t Help Another Romney Bid

Ross Douthat argues that the midterm results “hammer another nail into the coffin that should house the terrible idea of another Mitt candidacy in 2016. Judging by their post-election activity, that doesn’t seem to be how Team Mitt is thinking, but the reality is that the midterms were big resume-burnishers for Scott Walker (who won re-election) and for Chris Christie (whose Republican Governors Association had a frankly amazing showing), and the results did nothing to discourage other prominent center-right figures (like Rubio, or Jeb Bush) from thinking that 2016 might be a good year to run. Romney has clearly suggested that he wouldn’t run if Jeb did, but the same (correct) logic should apply if the field doesn’t have Jeb but does have Walker, Christie and/or Rubio, because all three of those men would have stronger arguments for why the party establishment should back them in 2016 than a Romney re-replay would.”

“Only in a world where Ted Cruz is marching basically unopposed to the nomination would a Romney run make any sense … and even then, you’ll find me hanging our around Purdue University with a “Run, Mitch, Run” sign before I admit that Mitt should get back in the mix.”