Is Romney Running?

As we approach the upcoming mid-term elections in November, the most interesting development is the sight of Mitch Romney stumping for  Republican candidates. After his defeat in 2012, he affirmed his attention not to run for president again. But the thought that he might give it another try  is intriguing.

 Perhaps this notion is fueled by my reading of Patrick Buchanan’s, “The Greatest Comeback.” It’s the story of Richard Nixon’s improbable election in 1968, after being humiliated in the 1962 California gubernatorial race, and after being narrowly defeated by John Kennedy, just two years earlier. Incidentally, Nixon's biggest challenger for the GOP nomination in 1968 was Mitt's father, Gov. George Romney of Michigan.

Romney must see the weak field in both the Democratic and Republican camps. The two early front runners: Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie are attenuating as each day goes by. Secretary Clinton is practicing self-immolation. Her tepid memoir, “Hard Choices,” is a complete flop. No substance whatsoever and her record  at the State department hardly stellar. And her penurious pronouncements while she rakes in $250,000 per speech beyond ridiculous. Christie on the other hand, is trying to distance himself from former best bud, Barack Obama, criticizing the president for his handling of the influx of immigrants pouring over our southern border. But Texas governor, Rick Perry, also a possible candidate in 2016,  has this issue in his backyard and back pocket.

In addition, Christie has alienated many Republicans by his lack of support for Rob
Astorino, the Westchester County Executive who is challenging New  York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in November. He has termed Astorino’s quest  a “lost cause.” This pronouncement might very well be the biggest Christie blunder to date. The whole Bridgegate affair notwithstanding.

Cuomo is now under fire for  his lack of support for the Moreland Commission. A commission he set up to root out corruption in his state’s political system after a host of elected officials were implicated in unsavory practices. This could very well damage Cuomo in the coming months. Enough to catapult Astorino?  Who knows? But it certainly changes the game. It will be interesting to see if Romney offers his support to Cuomo’s challenger.

There has been much said about the mistakes Romney made in the last presidential election. His message may be resonating with the nation now and he has certainly proven his ability to adapt to changing scenarios.  But make no mistake it would be an uphill battle of Nixonian proportions.