Brown rules out 2012 presidential bid, almost (but not quite) endorses Romney

[Mr. Morden]

link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36268.html

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[Psychic Octopus]

I was wondering when someone would put this up. This was on the Today Show last Friday, I think. It isn't really a surprise, after all.

[SvenssonRS]

Smart. He needs to focus on keeping his ass in his Senate seat, first and foremost.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Smart. He needs to focus on keeping his ass in his Senate seat, first and foremost.

[Akno21]

Given that it only took him about two months to earn the enmity of the Republican base, this can't be much of a surprise.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Smart. He needs to focus on keeping his ass in his Senate seat, first and foremost.

No future too. He should normally retire in 2012, to avoid being crushed with full Democratic turnout, and better think of Governorship in 2014.

[Bo]

This was to be expected. I could see him running in 2020 (if he is elected MA Governor in 2014 and 2018) or in 2016 (if he is reelected to the Senate in 2012, which is consider unlikely).

[Nichlemn]

Smart. He needs to focus on keeping his ass in his Senate seat, first and foremost.

No future too. He should normally retire in 2012, to avoid being crushed with full Democratic turnout, and better think of Governorship in 2014.

Is there any historical precedent of this (retiring from a position to avoid losing in order to run later in the same electorate)? I really don't see how retiring from the Senate helps it. Sure, it might brandish him as a "loser", but is that really so much worse than a "quitter"? If Brown is sufficiently unpopular as a Senator that a plurality or majority will vote against him, then that popularity will likely be unchanged regardless of whether he runs or not. I don't see any substantial number of people voting against him because they remember he lost a couple of years ago. Perhaps you could make a case for the expense of a Senate campaign being not worth it, but if it was worth it for him when he was originally a substantial underdog in the special election, I don't see how it wouldn't be in 2012.

[Derek]

I guess Mitt is running after all. Scott Brown is up and coming and would be a great running mate.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I guess Mitt is running after all. Scott Brown is up and coming and would be a great running mate.

Romney/Brown? You serious?

[The Mikado]

I guess Mitt is running after all. Scott Brown is up and coming and would be a great running mate.

Romney/Brown? You serious?

It's extremely easy to deal with, but it still raises the old question about the "President and Vice President can't be from the same state" thing.  Dick Cheney dealt with it by "moving back to Wyoming" for the first time in over a decade, would Romney do the same with Michigan?

[Bull Moose Base]

I guess Mitt is running after all. Scott Brown is up and coming and would be a great running mate.

Romney/Brown? You serious?

It's extremely easy to deal with, but it still raises the old question about the "President and Vice President can't be from the same state" thing.  Dick Cheney dealt with it by "moving back to Wyoming" for the first time in over a decade, would Romney do the same with Michigan?

Romney has already established New Hampshire residency even before Brown won.  I'm surprised to still see Republicans high on Brown though.  I thought they already rejected him as a RINO.  I remember when Tim Kaine's name was being floated as a running mate for Obama, many Democrats flipped out at the idea because he was pro-life.  (In reality Kaine was similar to John Kerry: pro-life in his personal views but without applying that to public policy.  Maybe Kaine just came off as much more sincere in his Christianity than Kerry did.)  In any case, I'm surprised the Republicans still have a soft spot for Brown.  One thing Romney/Brown could claim is two candidates who helped make mandatory health insurance in Massachusetts a reality.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Given that it only took him about two months to earn the enmity of the Republican base, this can't be much of a surprise.

exactly, you could tell by the way he was voting that he was positioning himself for reelection to the Senate, otherwise he would have been throwing the base red meat

[Derek]

I guess Mitt is running after all. Scott Brown is up and coming and would be a great running mate.

Romney/Brown? You serious?

It's extremely easy to deal with, but it still raises the old question about the "President and Vice President can't be from the same state" thing.  Dick Cheney dealt with it by "moving back to Wyoming" for the first time in over a decade, would Romney do the same with Michigan?

Romney has already established New Hampshire residency even before Brown won.  I'm surprised to still see Republicans high on Brown though.  I thought they already rejected him as a RINO.  I remember when Tim Kaine's name was being floated as a running mate for Obama, many Democrats flipped out at the idea because he was pro-life.  (In reality Kaine was similar to John Kerry: pro-life in his personal views but without applying that to public policy.  Maybe Kaine just came off as much more sincere in his Christianity than Kerry did.)  In any case, I'm surprised the Republicans still have a soft spot for Brown.  One thing Romney/Brown could claim is two candidates who helped make mandatory health insurance in Massachusetts a reality.

Romney changed for the better though. We are a big tent party and don't kick people out for not agreeing on every issue like you did with Tim Kaine. We only kick people out for their idealogies.

[big bad fab]

I guess Mitt is running after all. Scott Brown is up and coming and would be a great running mate.

Romney/Brown? You serious?

It's extremely easy to deal with, but it still raises the old question about the "President and Vice President can't be from the same state" thing.  Dick Cheney dealt with it by "moving back to Wyoming" for the first time in over a decade, would Romney do the same with Michigan?

Romney has already established New Hampshire residency even before Brown won.  I'm surprised to still see Republicans high on Brown though.  I thought they already rejected him as a RINO.  I remember when Tim Kaine's name was being floated as a running mate for Obama, many Democrats flipped out at the idea because he was pro-life.  (In reality Kaine was similar to John Kerry: pro-life in his personal views but without applying that to public policy.  Maybe Kaine just came off as much more sincere in his Christianity than Kerry did.)  In any case, I'm surprised the Republicans still have a soft spot for Brown.  One thing Romney/Brown could claim is two candidates who helped make mandatory health insurance in Massachusetts a reality.

Mitt is something of an all-state man

Massachusetts, Utah, Michigan, New Hampshire, some would add DC: everywhere, he is "at home"... So, no problem with this

[Derek]

Don't forget California.