Does MITT regret not running?

[Reginald]

That secret meeting he had with Jeb! seems pretty amusing now. So much for having the race all under control.

Or would Trump have obliterated him like he has everyone else?

[Mehmentum]

He's probably happy that none of this is his problem.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

No. He would have been humiliated by TRUMP like his establishment crony friends. Staying out of the race allowed him to preserve some semblance of dignity.

[/]

TBH if he entered now and somehow got ballot access he would probably be ahead in most places

[eric82oslo]

That secret meeting he had with Jeb! seems pretty amusing now. So much for having the race all under control.

Or would Trump have obliterated him like he has everyone else?

I'd give you a 50,000 dollar bet that Romney WOULD NOT have felt intimidated by then presence of the corrupted mafia bully Trump. Romney is without a doubt one of the boldest, least afraid presidential candidates we've witnessed in modern times. Another one is of course Obama, also 100% non-afraid.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The irony is that Trump is a more successful version of Mitt Romney. More money, more energy and rather than conform and pander to the boxed and shipped bog standard Conservative like Romney did, Trump screwed the rules (and yes, he does have money). Trump was willing to kick his rich friends in the nuts, while Romney always operated from the mindset that he had to appeal to people with select things here or there that said friends didn't like.

[eric82oslo]

He's probably happy that none of this is his problem.

Romney has probably fired even more people throughout his lifetime than Mister You're Fired himself. Why on earth would he feel even the slighest intimidated by Trump? Are you out of your mind? Do you remember how rude Romney was towards all of his opponents, mister Rudeness himself, Gingrich, included? I don't think there's anything that could intimidate Romney exactly.

[RI]

Trump screwed the rules (and yes, he does have money).

Nice.

[DarkandStormy]

I still think Mitt is floating the idea of running based on Marco Rubio. He could easily sweep in.

[Beet]

What's so great about Mitt? In 2012 he won the nomination primarily because he was practically the only non-complete-up candidate in the race.

I'm having a hard time thinking of a good candidate on the Republican side who's not already in who could have jumped in. Probably some obscure figure no one is thinking of. Part of me is surprised Rand Paul didn't do better.

[Panhandle Progressive]

Last cycle R's nominated a wealthy aloof politician (that had held public office as governor)
He got stomped because 47%

This time they seem intent on nominating another wealthy guy that has a net worth apx. 15 to 20 fold what the former nominee had, and is a xenophobic demogague that hasn't held public office.

He won't be able to attack the Clintons for their $$$ but they will be able to attack him for his.

This has gotta be a winning strategy amirite? lol

[IceSpear]

Romney very well could've pushed Trump out of the race if he ran, simply because it means Trump would've lost both Iowa AND New Hampshire. Though expectations also would've been much lower for him in NH, I'm not sure if he could've survived that.

[Averroës Nix]

I mean, Romney might be winning if he were running, but I don't know how anyone who watched last night's debate could conclude that being a Republican candidate in 2016 is a good idea.

You can blame Trump for this, but I think that Jeb's selfish sense of entitlement deserves more blame for this unfolding disaster within the Republican Party than we usually acknowledge. Jeb chose to run as the "inevitable nominee." He attempted to bully other viable candidates (including Romney) out of the race early on, by starving them of money, endorsements, and other resources. He has remained in the race well past the point where his non-viability as a candidate has become clear, all while his superpac continues to run a $100M smear campaign against every other broadly acceptable candidate in the race.

I'm increasingly convinced that the party's apparent failure to decide has everything to do with the fact that it's effectively been held hostage by the still-formidable Bush apparatus, and that Trump's potency as a candidate is mostly just a reaction to these conditions.

[Asian Nazi]

No, if anything he probably regrets running in 2012.