Mitt Romney Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee

In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney announced that he was forming a Presidential Exploratory Committee:

Mitt Romney made it official Monday, announcing he’s formed a presidential exploratory committee for his all-but-certain second-chance Republican campaign next year with a video that highlights the nation’s massive loss of jobs and says “President Obama’s policies have failed.”

The move makes Romney the second semi-declared contender — Tim Pawlenty was the first, and on the Democratic side Obama made official last week — and will allow him to start raking in campaign cash toward a massive fundraising goal of well over $50 million.

He also made the announcement a day before the fifth anniversary of enacting as governor a sweeping Massachusetts health care law that has emerged as one of his biggest obstacles to winning the GOP nomination and one that Democrats have been gleefully seizing on.

The video shows a casually-dressed Romney speaking direct to camera for two-and-a-half minutes in front of the football field at the University of New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state where he has staked his second run for president and one that borders Massachusetts.

Romney is using the slogan “Believe In America,” and Jonathan Chait finds a similarity to a character from a certain well-known movie about organized crime.  Additionally, Slate notices some similarities between Romney’s logo and a toothpaste ad.

All kidding aside, and notwithstanding the oddities of the GOP field this year, Romney still strikes me as one of the best situated candidates to win the nomination notwithstanding the Massachusetts health care plan and other ways in which he’s become the ire of the Tea Party movement. This is especially true if Mike Huckabee doesn’t end up running.

Here’s the video:

FILED UNDER: 2012 Election, US Politics, , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Neil Hudelson says:

    Link for the slate article goes to the New Republic, FYI.

  2. Dan says:

    See the tweet that started it all and learn about the plan Romney supporters have to Show Mitt the Money: http://mittromneycentral.com/2011/04/11/mitt-romney-announces-2012-presidential-exploratory-committee/

  3. Trumwill says:

    I will go a step further. Not only will Romney win the nomination, but history will record that he was always going to win the nomination.

  4. Acknowledging a weak field, Romney is one of the best positioned candidates for the general election if he isn’t hamstrung by his own party.