Mitt Romney 2016? Advisers try to squelch effort, but it's gaining steam.
| Chicago
Talk to any of Mitt Romney鈥檚 closest political advisers, and the answer is the same: He won鈥檛 run for president in 2016.
鈥淚 take Mitt at his absolute word. He鈥檚 not running,鈥� says Ron Kaufman, Republican national committeeman for Massachusetts and a senior adviser to Mr. Romney鈥檚 2012 presidential campaign.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been very clear 鈥� he loved running, gave it his best, and lost,鈥� Mr. Kaufman told this reporter at the RNC鈥檚 summer meeting in Chicago last week. 鈥淣ow he鈥檚 helping the Republicans win the Senate.鈥�
Romney鈥檚 former finance chair, Spencer Zwick, has also put out word that Romney is focused on the 2014 midterms and to please stop the draft efforts, which are a distraction. Most significant among them is , organized by the chairman of the Utah Republican Party. The three-month-old site is closing in on 117,000 signatures. The campaign's is also getting a lot of traffic.
"Look, the focus needs to be on the midterm elections. That's what Mitt is doing," in Salt Lake City last month. "The organization has no merit. None."
But in Chicago last week, when asked about his draft effort, Utah GOP chairman James Evans was happy to talk.
鈥淲e are mindful of Romney insiders鈥� concerns, but we鈥檙e not going away,鈥� says Mr. Evans.
He hasn鈥檛 shut down the site, but he did cancel the national launch he had planned in South Carolina 鈥� an early primary state 鈥� later this month. And he鈥檚 not actively raising money. There鈥檚 no 鈥渄onate鈥� button on the site. Any money that鈥檚 coming in to support his 鈥渓ow-cost operation,鈥� Evans says, is from people with whom he already has a relationship.
鈥淭his is a grass-roots efforts,鈥� Evans says, 鈥渁nd we want to demonstrate that, collectively, America got it wrong鈥� in 2012, when President Obama beat Romney.
As head of the Utah GOP, Evans is well-positioned to keep his effort going. Utah is one of Romney鈥檚 鈥渉ome bases.鈥� He lived there for a time when he ran the 2002 Winter Olympics and owns a home there. Utah is also headquarter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Romney is a prominent member. 聽
But Evans is, in other ways, an unlikely champion. He鈥檚 originally from South Carolina, a Southern Baptist, and black 鈥� the only African-American state GOP chair in the continental US.
Evans says he told Romney directly that he wanted to launch a draft effort, and the former Massachusetts governor smiled and was polite.
鈥淗e was kind,鈥� says Evans. 鈥淚 appreciate that.鈥�
What about Romney鈥檚 wife, Ann? Evans hasn鈥檛 asked her. 鈥淪he would be kryptonite to the plan,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f I don鈥檛 ask, then she can鈥檛 say no.鈥�
In interviews, other Republican leaders attending the Chicago RNC meeting either ruled out a Romney run, saying they take him at his word, or expressed interest, depending on how the still-forming 2016 field shakes out.
Several pointed out that, under RNC rules, there鈥檚 no way to 鈥渄raft鈥� someone onto the GOP ticket. Romney would have to consent to be on the ballot.
Others chalked up all the Romney talk to 鈥渂uyer鈥檚 remorse,鈥� now that Obama is struggling both internationally and at home and mired in low job approval ratings.
鈥淧eople tell him that if we could do the election over today, we might have President Romney,鈥� says Steve Duprey, GOP committeeman from New Hampshire, home of the first primary (and another of Romney鈥檚 home bases). 鈥淗e鈥檚 flattered by those comments, but I will say this, I think Governor Romney has the luxury of making a decision later than anyone else."
So far, the early, prospective GOP field for 2016 is large and has no clear front-runner. Mr. Duprey suggested that, despite their protestations, close Romney supporters have said 鈥渘ever say never鈥� and advised him to keep an eye on how the field shakes out.
鈥淚s it an early breaking field toward one candidate? Is it a late-breaking field? Who鈥檚 in?鈥� Duprey says.
鈥淚 will tell you personally, not based on knowledge鈥�. I think it would be a smart move to look at it and consider running,鈥� Duprey said of Romney. 鈥淚 think if there鈥檚 anyone who would have an easier go of winning the nomination, it would be him. The more you do it, the better you get at it.鈥�
Still, for a top-tier presidential prospect like Romney, a third try would be unusual. In 2008, he lost the GOP nomination to Sen. John McCain of Arizona, then won it in 2012. One comparison is to William Jennings Bryan, who won the Democratic nomination three times (1896, 1900, and 1908) but never reached the Oval Office.
鈥淎 better model for Mitt might actually be Richard Nixon, who lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960, then lost the California gubernatorial election in 1962, only to win the presidency in 1968,鈥� .
