Support NeoGAF

[DOWN]

RIP their non-Trump savior

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/18/p...er-trump-independent-2016-campaign/index.html

The 2012 Republican nominee had attempted to recruit a challenger to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. But prospects like Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said no, and Romney is now dropping his efforts, a source familiar with Romney's thinking told CNN. The news was first reported by Yahoo News.
It's the latest blow to the "Never Trump" movement -- a group of conservatives led by Romney, blogger Erick Erickson and The Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol -- to find an alternative to Trump.

Romney still hopes a candidate will emerge. But an adviser to the "Never Trump" efforts confirmed Tuesday night that the efforts are looking grim.

Part of the challenge, a key "Never Trump" official said, is that prospective candidates need to hear a campaign plan that involves money, staffing, viability, key states to target and a plan to get onto the presidential debate stages.

But the people making the pitches, the official said, "aren't campaign managers. They're writers, activists and politicians. You need someone to say, 'this is how I'd make this real.' The odds remain low."

A list of prospects that include Sasse, Romney, former Marine Gen. James Mattis, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have all publicly said they're not willing to launch campaigns at this stage.

Romney had been heavily involved in the recruiting efforts. He encouraged Sasse, the freshman Nebraska Republican, to run -- but Sasse, who has three small children, said he's not in a position to consider it.

 

[John Dunbar]

He encouraged Sasse, the freshman Nebraska Republican, to run -- but Sasse, who has three small children, said he's not in a position to consider it.

even a republican knows a suicide mission when he sees one.

 

[dallow_bg]

Mark Cuban?

 

[Bel Marduk]

If Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party can't get above 5% in this election -- where both major party candidates are intensely disliked -- they might as well just pack it up.

 

[Sanjuro]

Mitt...why you break my heart?

 

[woolley]

Did they really think they could get someone for that suicide mission? They would gain nothing and potentially lose everything.

 

[MetatronM]

If Romney was really serious about stopping Trump, he would have just started running a campaign for himself rather than wasting time dicking around trying to find some other sucker to take the fall. Lord knows he's mounted futile campaigns before.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Romney is such a little douche. I'm not a Trump supporter (I do vote republican), but if Romney is/was so opposed to Trump, he should have hopped in himself when he had the chance.

 

[O Canada Our Home and Native Land]

Why is Romney so salty about Trump? He seems more upset than the Bush family.

 

[EatinOlives]

I fucking called it.

Then again it wasn't a hard thing to call.

Did they really think they could get someone for that suicide mission? They would gain nothing and potentially lose everything.

It'd be the only way to salvage the party by distancing themselves from a candidate as terrible as Trump.

I think Republicans backing him because he's the nominee is actually the riskier endeavor, because come election day they'll all have egg in their face by going on record for blindly falling in line and backing an unelectable buffoon.

 

[Suikoguy]

After the Texas deadline passed, it was obvious they were not going that direction.
Perhaps they still should have without their name on the TX ballot.

 

[Slayven]

No one want the stink of losing to Trump if they have a viable political career.

 

[Bronetta]

Why is Romney so salty about Trump? He seems more upset than the Bush family.

He really doesn't wanna have to move to Canada, the single greatest nation on Earth.

 

[ZealousD]

If Romney was really serious about stopping Trump, he would have just started running a campaign for himself rather than wasting time dicking around trying to find some other sucker to take the fall. Lord knows he's mounted futile campaigns before.

Yeah I'm kind of wondering this myself. He doesn't have any presidential prospects of his own anymore ever since he lost to Obama, so it's not like he has any political future. He's as good of a candidate to take the fall as anybody.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Why is Romney so salty about Trump? He seems more upset than the Bush family.

Trump talked a bit of shit about Romney and the butt hurt is strong.. Same with the bushs. Good on Rubio for not going after him.

 

[hawk2025]

Why is Romney so salty about Trump? He seems more upset than the Bush family.

The reality is that there's a significant risk that a Trump presidency would actually sink the economy.

 

[johnsmith]

Why is Romney so salty about Trump? He seems more upset than the Bush family.

Trump implied Romney was willing to suck his dick for his endorsement in 2012. I'm not even kidding.

 

[Bronetta]

Trump talked a bit of shit about Romney and the butt hurt is strong.. Same with the bushs. Good on Rubio for not going after him.

Pretty sure Romney went after Trump first.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Pretty sure Romney went after Trump first.

I don't think so. Near the beginning of this whole shit show, Trump went after Romney for being a weak candidate.. Saying he was smart to stay out. Romney then gave a speech tearing into Trump.

 

[Bruce Springsteen]

It was never realistically going to happen, republican voters voted for him, deal with it

 

[Rentahamster]

I'm starting to question Romney's judgement. Did he really think he had a chance in hell to get that off the ground?

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Heeeeere he caaaame to saaaave the daaaaay

then he gave up

 

[Strike]

It's for their own good. They were going to have to face this sooner or later.

 

[Calamari41]

If Romney was really serious about stopping Trump, he would have just started running a campaign for himself rather than wasting time dicking around trying to find some other sucker to take the fall. Lord knows he's mounted futile campaigns before.

My favorite part of this election cycle so far is the fact that Romney didn't enter the race because he deemed Jeb to be unbeatable.

 

[CaptainofIndustry]

Lol. Just give it up.

 

[Nibiru]

Watching all of these long time GoP establishment types get rekt one after the other has been amazing.

 

[Kusagari]

The funniest thing of this entire campaign might be Romney sauntering in and trying to throw his weight around to stop Trump.

Nobody likes you, even your own party.

 

[Ryaaan14]

Still hopes a candidate will emerge? Are they waiting by a summoning portal?

 

[Stinkles]

If anyone is serious about stopping Trump they'll simply go after his masculinity and ACTUAL net worth.

All the people who think Trump is "masculine" forget what a little bitch he is when people bring those things up.

Like the kid at school who threatened to have his dad sue people.

 

[boingball]

If Romney would be serious about this he would do it himself.
An alternative is to endorse the Libertarian party but that probably would have some repercussions for the endorsers, i.e. they might lose their GOP support.

 

[RustyNails]

Choked again. Like a dog. Once a loser always a loser. Sad!

 

[makingmusic476]

Good. Trump running as the sole major conservative will hopefully depress turnout and allow more House seats to flip.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

Good. No reason to see the GOP self destruct, nobody in their right mind wants a country where only one party has absolute control when half the country hates the other half. Its a recipe for disaster.

 

[LilZippa]

He must have hired different pollsters this time.

 

[SubScorpianZero]

I'm sadistic enough to think Trump winning one term isn't that bad. He will unite the dems and might actually help them gain more ground in the senate and more importantly help win a few more seats in the house, plus the presidency in 2020.

Only major down side is the open seat in the supreme court, plus the possibility of another within the next four years. Otherwise I wouldn't have cared all that much.

 

[Aaron Strife]

"I have stopped searching for a third-party candidate to run

Because I'm running!"

Spoiler

gets 1% of the vote on election day

I'm sadistic enough to think Trump winning one term isn't that bad. He will unite the dems and might actually help them gain more ground in the senate and more importantly help win a few more seats in the house, plus the presidency in 2020.

Only major down side is the open seat in the supreme court, plus the possibility of another within the next four years. Otherwise I wouldn't have cared all that much.

I somewhat see this point, but the Court is too important. Especially with Kennedy and Ginsburg being pretty old themselves.

Even without the vacancy I'd still say winning the presidency is the most important thing. It would be nice though if the midterm dynamics worked in our favor for once.

 

[antonz]

It can take some time but the one thing the GOP is good at is falling in line for the Party for good or bad.