Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, announced in a conference call this morning (Friday, Jan. 30) he will not be running for president.
Thank (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
“After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee,” Romney said in a statement, which he planned to read to supporters on the call.
Rumors had swirled Romney was mulling another run after he lost to President Obama in 2012. The two-time GOP nominee and former Massachusetts Gov. Republican told donors a few weeks ago he was mulling a third run. But according to the Associated Press, major GOP bundlers, who previously backed Romney, said they plan to support former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Other former Romney operatives have also jumped onto Bush’s presumed campaign.
Bush announced last month he is mulling a run for the nation’s top post, following in the foot steps of his father, George H.W. Bush, and brother George W. Bush. Jeb’s son is first-term Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, formerly of Fort Worth.
But in politics there will be curve balls. And Francis Underwood, the fictional president on Netflix’s hit series House of Cards, is full of ’em. He chimed in with some advice on Twitter:
Remember, @MittRomney, you can still become president without running. Notes are on Netflix.
— Francis J. Underwood (@RepUnderwoodSC) January 30, 2015
Here’s hoping he doesn’t heed Underwood’s advice. And if he does, here’s hoping Olivia Pope will derail him.
