When the lights dimmed on Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, little knew what to expect of the man next. A one-term governor from Massachusetts whose Mormon roots and political heritage were not only rich, but deeply intertwined, Mitt Romney had represented something of the vanilla face that compassionate conservatism had come to know and love during the Bush years.
Campaigning against Barack Obama in 2012, Republicans wanted anything but vanilla.
And so, cue the music for 2016 and the whirlwind of a political year that was. Finger pointing, miscues with millennials, name calling, corrupt emails, and Russian meddling, the 2016 presidential election was anything but vanilla…though perhaps not in the way that some Republicans truly wanted.
And so now it is 2018. And where is Mitt Romney?
Apparently, he’s running for the Senate. In Utah.
Romney endeavored to find solid ground to stand on in the aftermath of his 2012 loss. Returning to the private sector, he surfaced again when Donald Trump’s antics elicited the commentary of just about everyone in 2016, and as the most recent presidential nominee for the party, Romney vacillated between stern criticism of Trump during the campaign and tepid entente following the election.
But after being passed over for a possible spot in the Trump cabinet, it seems that Romney is no longer content to informally involve himself with politics from the sidelines, and will instead pursue the Senate seat of the retiring Orrin Hatch.
In a campaign video put out on February 16th, Romney highlights his work with successfully turning around the floundering 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, as well as the innovation and volunteerism of Utahans. In triumph, he then declares that Washington is not functioning as it should and that the District has a thing or two to learn about respect from the Beehive State.
These subtle jabs at Trump certainly won’t hurt Romney, who was hailed a hero after saving the 2002 Winter Olympics and is regarded with much pride in Utah after becoming the first Mormon presidential nominee from a major political party. After all, Trump only won 45% of Utah’s vote in the 2016 election, by far the smallest total from any of his winning states.
Still, Romney isn’t totally immune to criticism. As a resident of many states, most recently Massachusetts, Romney only established his residency in Utah in 2014. His wealth may also become a target from some, as he owns two homes in one of the richest suburbs of Salt Lake City.
Regardless, Romney, who will turn 71 this March, clearly is not done with public life, and if anything, he sees the rise of Trumpism as an opportunity to resuscitate what had otherwise been a finished political career in 2012.
I for one, welcome it.
As someone who was thoroughly repulsed by Donald Trump’s campaign, though hardly enamored with Obama’s presidency or the thought of a third Clinton term, I’ve become something of a political wanderer in the aftermath of 2016. And while I’ve supported Trump where I’ve agreed with him, I think it’s safe to say that most of his policy and the vast majority of his behavior has been antithetical to what I want in a president.
Enter Mitt Romney, stage Utah, a freshman senator that has anything but freshman experience.
Now, I’m not saying that Mitt Romney will challenge Trump for the presidency. But having a seat at the table in Washington will grant him a level of visibility and respect that is sometimes lacking in Congress. And while I don’t assume that he’ll immediately be a vocal #NeverTrump-er, I doubt he’ll let many of the President’s policies that he disagrees with, such as immigration, go by the wayside.
In short, Mitt Romney’s Senate bid is good news for the former presidential nominee…and good news for the rest of us, too.
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