Romney considers endorsing Gary Johnson

[Redban]

You really think this man's stupid enough to do this at this point in the campaign? The convention just took place. This would burn every political bridge he's ever established in his life.

It's not as if he's going to need to ever cross those bridges to nowhere. Romney won't ever be running for another political office.

Several people who are striving to get Trump elected (e.g. Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and others) also worked hard in 2012 for Romney's candidacy. An endorsement for Gary Johnson demonstrates disrespect and ingratitude towards those people, regardless of Romney's retirement.

you cannot support t***p and pretend to care about "disrespect and ingratitude". those are mutually exclusive positions.

I said he should refrain from endorsing Gary Johnson; I never said that he had to support Trump. He can just sit this election cycle out, as George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush are.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

You really think this man's stupid enough to do this at this point in the campaign? The convention just took place. This would burn every political bridge he's ever established in his life.

It's not as if he's going to need to ever cross those bridges to nowhere. Romney won't ever be running for another political office.

Several people who are striving to get Trump elected (e.g. Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and others) also worked hard in 2012 for Romney's candidacy. An endorsement for Gary Johnson demonstrates disrespect and ingratitude towards those people, regardless of Romney's retirement.

you cannot support t***p and pretend to care about "disrespect and ingratitude". those are mutually exclusive positions.

I said he should refrain from endorsing Gary Johnson; I never said that he had to support Trump. He can just sit this election cycle out, as George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush are.

i was talking about you, buddo.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

You really think this man's stupid enough to do this at this point in the campaign? The convention just took place. This would burn every political bridge he's ever established in his life.

At this point in his life/career, do you think Romney is really concerned about any political bridges. He's 69 and can't run for president again. He probably just wants to sit around in his magic underwear and enjoy being a grandfather.

How can he get away from critiquing Trump when he a) excepted Trump's endorsement and campaigned with him in 2012, and b) attacked Ron Paul and libertarianism and tried to keep Gary Johnson off the 2012 ballot?

Like I said, if Johnson wants to gain more support and run as this reasonable outsider, he should publicly condemn Romney and cast him as part of the Clintonian politics-as-usual clique. He could seriously erode at some of Trump's appeal that way.

[Mehmentum]

You really think this man's stupid enough to do this at this point in the campaign? The convention just took place. This would burn every political bridge he's ever established in his life.

At this point in his life/career, do you think Romney is really concerned about any political bridges. He's 69 and can't run for president again. He probably just wants to sit around in his magic underwear and enjoy being a grandfather.

How can he get away from critiquing Trump when he a) excepted Trump's endorsement and campaigned with him in 2012, and b) attacked Ron Paul and libertarianism and tried to keep Gary Johnson off the 2012 ballot?

Like I said, if Johnson wants to gain more support and run as this reasonable outsider, he should publicly condemn Romney and cast him as part of the Clintonian politics-as-usual clique. He could seriously erode at some of Trump's appeal that way.

That would be idiotic.  Anybody who would be impressed by a Trumpian response by Johnson is obviously going to go with the real deal, not the imitator.  Doing this would gain him nothing and alienate many of the 10% or so he's been getting in the polls.

[Human]

Let's hope Willard "Mitt" Romney endorses Johnson. If this happens, Clinton's chances of victory will soar since Johnson will mostly steal votes from Donald Trump.

[Erc]

Let's hope Willard "Mitt" Romney endorses Johnson. If this happens, Clinton's chances of victory will soar since Johnson will mostly steal votes from Donald Trump.

You would think so, but the polling's been pretty mixed so far. If Johnson gains traction as a credible "a pox on both your houses" choice, he could pick up considerable support from disaffected Bernie voters on the left, as well.

Obviously, it makes very little sense, but these are not the most ideologically coherent bloc of voters in the first place.  Whether major support from Romney, Jeb, and other establishment Republicans would turn such voters off from Johnson instead is unclear.

[Chief Justice Keef]

Let's hope Willard "Mitt" Romney endorses Johnson. If this happens, Clinton's chances of victory will soar since Johnson will mostly steal votes from Donald Trump.

Johnson could steal #NeverTrump Republicans, but I think he could steal #BernieOrBust people from Clinton. I think a CNN poll had him taking a quarter of Sanders supporters.

[Enduro]

The Romney endorsement would help a little bit, but not as much as the debacle that is the 2016 DNC.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Let's hope Willard "Mitt" Romney endorses Johnson. If this happens, Clinton's chances of victory will soar since Johnson will mostly steal votes from Donald Trump.

You would think so, but the polling's been pretty mixed so far. If Johnson gains traction as a credible "a pox on both your houses" choice, he could pick up considerable support from disaffected Bernie voters on the left, as well.

Maybe disaffected white Bernie voters, but blacks will remain solidly Democratic, and I think the same will be true for other ethnic minorities.  If Johnson gains traction, a number of States in the south that are currently solidly Republican will be in play and could be won by Clinton.

[Xing]

Let's hope Willard "Mitt" Romney endorses Johnson. If this happens, Clinton's chances of victory will soar since Johnson will mostly steal votes from Donald Trump.

Johnson could steal #NeverTrump Republicans, but I think he could steal #BernieOrBust people from Clinton. I think a CNN poll had him taking a quarter of Sanders supporters.

That is a good point, and it might be the case that some NeverTrumpers who might actually pull the lever for Hillary, if push came to shove, might consider Johnson instead, as a result.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

It's worth noting that many leading libertarians, including Justin Amash, are now anti-Johnson due to his recent comments on religious liberty and appointing moderate to soft liberals to the Supreme Court.

Johnson's "fiscally responsible/socially inclusive " moderate hero policies are really making me wonder if the Gary Johnson I liked in 2012 was any better than Romney. Maybe I should've backed Goode. Or not. Who cares. I couldn't vote then.

[mencken]

It's worth noting that many leading libertarians, including Justin Amash, are now anti-Johnson due to his recent comments on religious liberty and appointing moderate to soft liberals to the Supreme Court.

Johnson's "fiscally responsible/socially inclusive " moderate hero policies are really making me wonder if the Gary Johnson I liked in 2012 was any better than Romney. Maybe I should've backed Goode. Or not. Who cares. I couldn't vote then.

Indeed; I have been regretting my Johnson vote for almost four years now.

[BlueSwan]

Guys like Mitt Romney who KNOW how dangerous Trump is - have even said it publically - really have a moral responsibility to do everything they can to stop Trump. Never mind Johnson, he should endorse Clinton. It won't happen though - too much misguided party loyalty.

[ag]

Romney endorsing Johnson is ok: puts pressure on mormon areas. But overall I do not want Johnson go up too much. Normal Republicans/mainstream conservatives should vote Clinton, not Johnson.

[ag]

Guys like Mitt Romney who KNOW how dangerous Trump is - have even said it publically - really have a moral responsibility to do everything they can to stop Trump. Never mind Johnson, he should endorse Clinton. It won't happen though - too much misguided party loyalty.

I really hope, if election is still close in late October, mainstream Republicans will do their duty and endorse Clinton.

[Senator-elect Spark]

It's worth noting that many leading libertarians, including Justin Amash, are now anti-Johnson due to his recent comments on religious liberty and appointing moderate to soft liberals to the Supreme Court.

Johnson's "fiscally responsible/socially inclusive " moderate hero policies are really making me wonder if the Gary Johnson I liked in 2012 was any better than Romney. Maybe I should've backed Goode. Or not. Who cares. I couldn't vote then.

I am getting worried that Johnson is just going to screw Clinton.

He probably will hurt her the most at the polls.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Why would they? Even formerly decent posters like Tmth have signalled that they are willing to do the mental gymnastics necessary to support Trump.

[dirks]

Mitt Romney is the most milquetoast no personality bland oatmeal politician on earth. His opinion means squat. The fact that the elites forked over $$$ to him and brought him out of mothballs months ago to all of a sudden attack Trump just spoke to their desperation and his own opportunism. Did he realize how sad it made him look?

Go away Mitt. Nobody ever liked you.

The Anne Hathaway of American politics