Is Romney the One?

Democrats are avoiding President Obama, but Republicans are welcoming Mitt Romney. Two years feels like two decades in American politics today. Romney’s presence at campaign events has been a premium this summer. His endorsement is sought and he’s still a top fundraiser.

Romney has made clear repeatedly he’s not running in 2016. But speculation has started, fueled by a few early nomination polls.

Obama has fallen so dramatically since the ACA roll-out in voter approval, Romney, who has mostly been in seclusion, beat him in a 2012 redo 53 percent to 44 percent – or 9 points of buyer’s remorse. The ACA failure and rise of Russia as a rogue state has reminded voters that Romney warned of both and was dismissed by Obama and the Democratic establishment.

Because there is hardly a frontrunner in the Republican nomination race, Romney has also led in a recent New Hampshire poll against the Republican field getting 24 percent with Governor Christie in second at 9 percent. Typically, Republicans like to go with someone who has been on the ticket before or been tested in a previous run for the nomination.

Romney, of course, would be subject to weathering attacks in an effort to reconstruct the somewhat hapless candidate of 2012. And, indeed, the same polls showing him beating Obama show him losing to Hilary Clinton by 13 points (53% to 42%). But Romney still has his assets, especially if other establishment-type candidates, such a Christie and former Governor Jeb Bush, don’t run or get sidetracked.