# Romney 2016? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 26, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562 "2014-08-26T16:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/21 "2014-08-26T19:47:43Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > He has this going for him if he tries: The batshit vote could be as fractured as it was 4 years ago. If he’s allowed to pick off the nutjobs coming out of the un-Romney clown car one by one like he was last time, he wins the nomination going away. As far as the primaries were concerned, he didn’t really get to do this. Everyone besides Romney but Santorum and Newt had already self-killed before Iowa, and Newt didn’t last long. Romney beat Santorum because not enough GOPers found him credible as a candidate. > [@](#): > > If he gets to run against Cruz and Paul, he wins. I would have to strongly disagree with you there. In a 3-way race between Cruz, Paul, and Romney, Romney would lose despite the base vote being split. > [@](#): > > If Jeb Bush goes against him, he loses. In an epic battle of aging rich kids, Romney would win. Jeb’s just got too much rust on him, and the world’s changed since he last ran for office in 2002. But the chance that both of them would run, let alone that it would come down to the two of them if they did, is vanishingly infinitesimal. > [@](#): > > None of this gives him a chance against Hillary. Tru dat, but he’s light-years away from getting the opportunity to take her on. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/22 "2014-08-26T19:53:28Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > THat’s the main problem. Romney only wins the nomination if no one more viable runs. The GOP really likes their young guns. If we have to hold our nose, we probably hold our nose for Chris Christie, not Mitt Romney. Nah. Christie’s got so much baggage now, it would double the cost of his plane ticket to Iowa. The problem with Christie is that people can see voting for an asshole who kicks the right butts to make government do what it ought to do. People can’t see voting for an asshole who is a whirlwind of fuckupitude. So he’s already massively unelectable, but electability is the only reason why the GOP was flirting with him anyway. He’s an ex-candidate. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/23 "2014-08-26T19:59:28Z")
Marley and iiandyii, you’re right that a campaign would make a big difference, but Obama is definitely a weaker candidate today than he was in 2012, when he was a weaker candidate than he was in 2008. The CNN poll showed Romney winning big. I think after a campaign, he just wins small. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/24 "2014-08-26T20:04:02Z")
> [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > At the risk of hijacking my own thread… > Why would you like to see Al Gore run again? I posted a similar sentiment on facebook about a week ago because I think that enough time has passed since the 2000 election that he could be a viable candidate as well as a capable and experienced President who knows how to get the job done. I’ll vote for Hillary over any of the GOP crowd, but she reminds me a lot of Romney, i.e. overly pragmatic and willing to say whatever it takes to get elected. Gore never stopped being viable. He was the frontrunner in 2004 before declining to get into the race. I’ve always liked Gore because I have an affection for heterodox candidates. Gore’s super liberal on some issues, quite conservative on others, he’s got a great deal of personal integrity, he’s intelligent, and he’s about as qualified as can be. Plus he’s not a loser like Romney is. He won in 2000 but lost on a technicality(and may have actually been robbed). So if there’s ever a candidate who should take another shot it’s Al Gore. But I doubt he wants it and he certainly doesn’t want it bad enough to go to war with the Clintons. But who knows, maybe if Hillary decides she doesn’t want to do it… The country could do a heck of a lot worse. I’m also a little disappointed that Howard Dean isn’t trying again. He made noises like he was going to but has pretty much endorsed Hillary. He’s another guy who is intriguing. Very liberal on a lot of hot button issues but was a very conservative governor on budget issues, which is what’s most important to me. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/25 "2014-08-26T20:05:05Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Nah. Christie’s got so much baggage now, it would double the cost of his plane ticket to Iowa. > > The problem with Christie is that people can see voting for an asshole who kicks the right butts to make government do what it ought to do. People can’t see voting for an asshole who is a whirlwind of fuckupitude. So he’s already massively unelectable, but electability is the only reason why the GOP was flirting with him anyway. He’s an ex-candidate. Probably true. Hopefully we get a good candidate though. I’m still a fan of Jindal. He’ll be my first choice should he run. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/26 "2014-08-26T20:06:17Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The CNN poll showed Romney winning big. I think after a campaign, he just wins small. Your track record on election predictions speaks for itself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/27 "2014-08-26T20:08:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I’m still a fan of Jindal. He’ll be my first choice should he run. Run, Bobby! Fast as you can! ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/28 "2014-08-26T20:22:50Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Probably true. Hopefully we get a good candidate though. I’m still a fan of Jindal. He’ll be my first choice should he run. There is no way that someone with that much ethnicity could make it through the primaries. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/29 "2014-08-26T20:39:50Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > There is no way that someone with that much ethnicity could make it through the primaries. And [there’s other things . . .](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Bobby_Jindal#Outright_wingnuttery) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/30 "2014-08-26T20:46:16Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Run, Bobby! Fast as you can! And there is no way, no way in hell, I’m making a firm prediction here, that Ted Cruz will ever be President.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/31 "2014-08-27T01:18:27Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > This is meaningless. Elections happen after campaigns, and campaigns are designed (among other things) to improve a candidates approval rating. And Obama has run some very, very good political campaigns. > > If the election were held today, there would have been a long campaign beforehand, in which Obama probably would have wiped the floor (again) with Romney. Quite so. ---
**Author:** ![JesterX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JesterX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JesterX)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/32 "2014-08-27T01:50:18Z")
Well, to deviate from the general speculating on Romney’s chances in 2016, I want to offer two things on the personal level… One, stories are Mitt had to beg his wife to let him run for the second time in 2012 and she did it ONLY on his promise that it would be the last time, win or lose. Two, Ann Romney has MS. Which is a progressive, physically debilitating disease. She was said to have had some trouble on the 2012 campaign and 2016 is gonna be four years later. I’m not sure what kind of physical shape she’ll be in but, given the track of MS, it’s not likely to be better than she was in 2012. I think Romney is enjoying having his name whirled around and might possibly be looking to play kingmaker in 2016, but I don’t see him running again. ---
**Author:** ![cookiecuttercc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@cookiecuttercc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cookiecuttercc)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/33 "2014-08-27T01:58:30Z")
sheesh, how tone deaf are Republicans? In an era of stagnant middle class wages, someone wants Thurston Howell IV to be the GOP’s nominee? again!!?? ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/34 "2014-08-27T07:51:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Ann Romney has MS. Which is a **progressive** , physically debilitating disease. You sure about that? Back in 2012 I distinctly remember Mitt describing it as a Conservative, physically debilitating disease. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/35 "2014-08-27T11:07:19Z")
> [@cookiecuttercc](#): > > sheesh, how tone deaf are Republicans? > > In an era of stagnant middle class wages, someone wants Thurston Howell IV to be the GOP’s nominee? again!!?? I know, I know, only Democrats are allowed to nominate patrician candidates, and then it’s a positive thing. In fact, all the Democrats’ biggest heroes come from old money. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/36 "2014-08-27T11:48:55Z")
Obama has had the considerable disadvantage of having to govern since the election. Anyone inclined to choose between the two gets to compare actual Obama to theoretical Romney. One reason why we might be hearing chatter like this now is that Romney is out stumping for GOP Senate candidates–they just announced that he’d be coming to KY to help out McConnell. Getting some 2016 speculation out there into the media helps raise his profile for those appearances. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/37 "2014-08-27T14:31:03Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > As far as the primaries were concerned, he didn’t really get to do this. Everyone besides Romney but Santorum and Newt had already self-killed before Iowa, and Newt didn’t last long. Romney beat Santorum because not enough GOPers found him credible as a candidate. Still, the un-Romneys seemed to emerge one by one. In Newt’s case, carpetbombing negative ads did the trick. If it had been Newt v Romney one on one, not sure who I’d take. But I’d give Newt better odds than Bachmann, Perry, Santorum, or Cain. > [@](#): > > I would have to strongly disagree with you there. In a 3-way race between Cruz, Paul, and Romney, Romney would lose despite the base vote being split. I have to disagree here. Cruz and Paul split the far right and Romney picks up the Wall Street crowd. > [@](#): > > In an epic battle of aging rich kids, Romney would win. Jeb’s just got too much rust on him, and the world’s changed since he last ran for office in 2002 But Jeb has the ability to pull in the corporatists, something Cruz and Paul would never do. Romney MIGHT still win, but I wouldn’t be too sure. Depends on if Bush was willing to stoop to the depths that we know Romney will. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/38 "2014-08-27T14:32:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I know, I know, only Democrats are allowed to nominate patrician candidates, and then it’s a positive thing. In fact, all the Democrats’ biggest heroes come from old money. It’s a positive thing if it comes with a strong sense of _noblesse oblige_, as has been the case with the Kennedys and the Roosevelts, for examples, and the Rockefellers back when the Republicans still permitted liberals to be part of them. And, yes, Mitt Romney too, early in his half-term as governor. What is admired is a strong interest in social justice, not wealth as such. Wealth simply permits a public servant to be relatively free from the endless mundane financial pressures that interfere with the ability of the less wealthy to act on similar convictions. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/39 "2014-08-27T15:04:28Z")
So the wealth doesn’t actually matter, it’s being liberal. If Romney grew up poor, he’d still be a mean old conservative. The wealth is just a useful cudgel to pain him as “not like us”. Of course, turnabout is fair play. The GOP nominee will probably have come from humble beginnings assuming it’s not Bush or Romney, and we can paint Hillary as an out of touch rich lady. While the GOP candidate is the guy you’d like to have a beer with. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562/40 "2014-08-27T15:06:35Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Obama being at 41% approval vs. 48% in 2012 makes a big difference. CNN’s polling says that Romney would win if the election was today. He wouldn’t be running against Obama. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-2016/696562.md?page=3)