# Mitt Romney, presidential bid as a democrat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 14, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129 "2023-09-14T23:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/41 "2023-04-09T12:17:50Z")
No. That is sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/42 "2023-04-09T12:29:24Z")
He should run as a Republican, but they have moved on from even pretending to be reasonable. But, no, there is no point in him pretending to be a Democrat when he does not support their views. Why not independent? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/43 "2023-04-09T12:42:57Z")
I don’t know if Fox really has a leash on the monster they have created anymore. If Fox isn’t telling the viewers what they want to hear, they will turn to even more extreme media outlets. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/44 "2023-04-09T12:51:19Z")
Willard is about nine months younger than Individual-ONE. The country is getting weary of old-ass white guys. Of course, give us four years of Floridaman (who is currently 44) and we would see that young-ass white guys are not necessarily an improvement. Perhaps the top-down Executive structure is more of a problem than whosoever is actually at the top. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/45 "2023-04-09T13:22:50Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I continue to believe that there is a sensible R contingent. Admittedly it is significantly shrunken from 2020 when GWB was elected. They are totally in hiding. So they’re quiet. And, sadly, they will vote “Whoever (R)” in 2024. The provlem is that the “sensible” contingent looks to the moderate Democrats to save them, which is not a bad idea on ots face. But they can’t acknowledge that they aren’t in a power postion here and they aren’t wiling to compromise. So it’s “what if Liz Chaney ran as a Democrat?” “What if Mitt Romney ran as a Democrat”. Collin Powell was another you’d hear, before he died. They are not yet willing to entertain the idea of supporting even a moderate Democrat. But they somehow are weirdly flabergasted that the moderate wing of the Democratic party is unwilling to see that turning the party over to a Republican, who fully supports most of the Republican agenda, is not somehow a heck of a deal. It’s like your neighbor’s car is broken and you offer to drop him off at work, but he really doesn’t like the idea of not having a car available all day, so he keeps suggesting he drop you off, and keep your car. And thinks hes being generous. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/46 "2023-04-09T13:31:38Z")
@HMS_Irruncible has it right. Whoever does the best job of supporting today’s GOP agenda wins. Today’s agenda is typically filled with hate for democracy and treason, but on any day may be all about white supremacy and defaulting on the national debt. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/47 "2023-04-09T16:06:09Z")
Trump was a democrat who ran as a republican. Voters seem to have short memories. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/48 "2023-04-09T16:12:50Z")
Trump can say he was anything he likes, but Democrats would never have allowed him to be their standard bearer. And just to keep this on topic, Democrats won’t let Romney be their standard bearer, either, for different reasons. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/49 "2023-04-09T16:39:37Z")
Not now they won’t but either one of them could have courted the democrats and succeeded. That point in time passed at least 20 years ago. Those guys are old and have long histories that they can’t now disavow. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/50 "2023-04-09T16:40:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I continue to believe that there is a sensible R contingent. I apologize if this is a hijack, but what is the basis for this belief? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/51 "2023-04-09T16:50:45Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Trump was a democrat who ran as a republican. Voters seem to have short memories. Trump was never a traditional Democrat or Republican. He’s always been for whatever he thinks helps himself. That’s generally been more closely aligned with the Republican party except for whatever populist things would help with voters, e.g. not cutting entitlement programs. As for how he personally identified, here’s an interview transcript from the Larry King show in 1999 where he describes himself as a registered Republican and personally pretty conservative and aligned with the Party except on some social issues: [https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/10/08/trump.transcript/](https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/10/08/trump.transcript/) Forget “short memories”. Voters would have to have “alternate facts” to buy into that line. Mitt Romney doesn’t even have this urban legend of once being a Democrat. He’s solidly to the right on pretty much every issue of any plausible Dem candidate for POTUS. It’s a ridiculous idea on its face and grows even more ridiculous once more facts and figures are assembled. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/52 "2023-04-09T17:24:43Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Trump was a democrat who ran as a republican. Not really. Why do you believe this? > [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Voters seem to have short memories. Not really. Why do you believe this? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/53 "2023-04-09T17:38:00Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > This article has a higher opinion of Romney than many voters. > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/07/romney-trump-indictment-unprecedented-revenge-obama/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/07/romney-trump-indictment-unprecedented-revenge-obama/) It’s ironic that Kathleen Parker now seems somewhat sympathetic to Mitt Romney and says it would be good if he was up for another run at the Republican Presidential nomination, seeing how thoroughly she’s blasted Romney [in the past](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2012/09/19/kathleen-parker-mechanical-romney-on-display-again/61043785007/). If by some miracle Romney got traction again as a national contender, he’d soon morph into the Antichrist in the eyes of Parker et al. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/54 "2023-04-09T17:56:21Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Trump was never a traditional Democrat or Republican. He’s always been for whatever he thinks helps himself. That’s generally been more closely aligned with the Republican party except for whatever populist things would help with voters, e.g. not cutting entitlement programs. Definitely agreed. He supported (and donated to) Democratic politicians in the past, including the Clintons, but I suspect that was largely a matter of currying favor with powerful politicians in the city and country in which he primarily does/did business, who just so happened to be Democrats. It all came down to, “how can I make it so that these people owe me, Donald Trump, favors which I can use to my advantage?” ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/55 "2023-04-09T18:30:02Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I think Romney is a better choice than many Republicans, Talk about a low bar. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I continue to believe that there is a sensible R contingent. Admittedly it is significantly shrunken from 2020 when GWB was elected. It’s down to about a half dozen or so. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/56 "2023-04-09T18:35:23Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > I continue to believe that there is a sensible R contingent. > > I apologize if this is a hijack, but what is the basis for this belief? The Reagan doctine: “_Never speak ill of a fellow Republican_.” The core of the Party adheres to this edict, which means that reasonable Rs get subsumed in the din of the irrational. ---
**Author:** ![Beesnest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@Beesnest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beesnest)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/57 "2023-04-10T08:52:32Z")
He is too busy right now getting a coalition of 10 Republicans together to vote to raise the debt ceiling by May and presenting a lean budget that does not increase inflation. (in my dreams\_) ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/58 "2023-04-10T13:48:05Z")
Right, it’s all relative. When he was running, he seemed scary; compare to Trump, he seems positively presidential. Which doesn’t mean he is. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/59 "2023-04-10T15:42:21Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > When he was running, he seemed scary; compare to Trump, he seems positively presidential. Which doesn’t mean he is. I didn’t vote for him, but I think he is presidential as a Republican. If he switched parties, he would no longer be the same man he is now, so who knows? (I sense that most other posters are thinking – what if he changed parties without changing views – but that’s impossible.) Just to remind about the comparison to the least presidential president ever: [ HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, INCLUDING THOSE THAT DREAM ENDLESSLY OF DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF DREAMING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, THOSE THAT ARE SO INCOMPETENT THEY DON’T REALIZE THAT HAVING A BORDER AND POWERFUL WALL IS A GOOD THING, & HAVING VOTER I.D., ALL PAPER BALLOTS, & SAME DAY VOTING WILL QUICKLY END MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD, & TO ALL OF THOSE WEAK & PATHETIC RINOS, RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS, SOCIALISTS MARXISTS, & COMMUNISTS WHO ARE KILLING OUR NATION, REMEMBER, WE WILL BE BACK!](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009423365.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![knavette57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knavette57/32/3871_2.png) [@knavette57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knavette57)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129/60 "2023-04-10T16:21:27Z")
I well remember that photo bc a friend posted it on Facebook, expressing her disgust. At the time, I thought Romney was like all the others, and dismissed him. I was surprised at his turnaround. Romney would only be acceptable as President if Democrats controlled Congress. If and only if. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-presidential-bid-as-a-democrat/990129.md?page=4)