Romney ran as Independent

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I'm pretty sure he would have already had to file the appropriate paperwork and collect enough signatures in all 50 states in order to appear on the ballot as an actual Independent and not be a write-in. It's logistically impossible; even if he did get on the ballot as an Independent, you would still most likely have his name as a Republican choice as well.

In other words:

[X] Barack Obama (D)
[ ] Mitt Romney (R)
[ ] Mitt Romney (I)

I have to admit, though, it would be interesting to see if they would count his cumulative vote in a situation like that or whether he'd literally split himself in two. Flip-flop mitosis.

8 states have electoral fusion. The other 42 would have flip flopping Romney running against himself.

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Wait, so we'd see the 'severe conservative' running against the 'independent during Reagan/Bush', at the same time?

*popcorn*

Yes, and thankfully Massachusetts is one of the 42, so that he could be the penultimate Massachusetts flip flopper. 5 of the 8 electoral fusion states wouldn't vote for him anyways, so fusion would only save him in South Carolina and Mississippi (Romney doesn't need fusion to win Idaho).

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For each possible combination of political views and flip flops, the multiverse contains a universe where Mitt Romney has those views. Just think, your favorite candidate could be replaced with a Mitt Romney whose views are your own. We must figure out how to harness the multiverses of Mitt Romneys.