Team Romney Remains At The Ready For 2012

Politico: Mitt Romney's team awaits 2012
by Jonathan Martin
(Excerpts only, read the entire article here)

Mitt Romney says publicly he’s not considering another presidential campaign, most recently on Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” But many of his loyalists expect one and remain at the ready for 2012.

In addition to the full-time employees the former Massachusetts governor has at his Boston-based Free & Strong America PAC, the early primary states and Washington are filled with former staffers and supporters who are in regular contact with one another.

For a primary campaign that ended in defeat, it’s remarkable how much the Romney team has hung together.

The ongoing coordination and alliances serve as perhaps the best reminder that, unlike any of his potential rivals, Romney has a turn-key political apparatus in place and ready for deployment should he decide to run again.

"Having run before for president puts you in a better place to run to run again,” said Terry Nelson, a top GOP strategist and for a time John McCain’s 2008 campaign manager. "He doesn’t have to build an infrastructure or recruit a a national fundraising team.”

Romney may also benefit from the Republican tradition of political primogeniture – the rewarding of the presidential nomination to those who’ve won a place at the head of the line by having run once already.

But GOP observers say that Romney’s stock is rising for two other important reasons –the political climate and his own deft moves since losing the nomination.

After the national security-dominated Bush years, the recession has brought the importance of economic issues into sharp focus.

Following a primary spent trying to navigate the politics of Iraq and a vigorous--and sometimes cringe-inducing--courtship of social conservatives, the issue matrix now favors Romney’s background as a turnaround specialist.

It’s not just the economy in general where Romney finds himself working from a position of strength, but more specifically on issues like health care and the auto industry where Romney can voice informed opposition to President Obama in a way few others in his party are equipped to.

And while other potential 2012 contenders in the party are falling by the wayside because of adultery, Romney loyalists say the father of five’s straight arrow ways suddenly look even more appealing.

“We know everything about the guy,” said one former Romney campaign official. “The good, the bad and the ugly. And it ain’t that ugly.”

Romney is also creating his own good luck.

Ed Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman, saw Romney speak earlier this month at a Virginia GOP fundraiser and came away impressed.

“You could have heard a pin drop,” said Gillespie. “And his critique of President Obama was very thoughtful and principled. It was not harsh.”

At a time when Republicans are seeking the right balance in taking on the popular president, Romney’s approach is effective, Gillespie said.

“Part of being a leader in the party is showing people how to talk about these issues, how to effectively challenge the other side,” he said.

Romney’s early moves have paid off in the polls. His favorability rating has grown by 10 points and his unfavorables have plummeted 16 points since he dropped out of the primary in February 2008, according to a Pew poll released last week.

“He’s obviously the frontrunner,” said Mark Salter, a former top aide to John McCain who launched some tough attacks on Romney during the primary.

It’s a sentiment echoed privately by many senior Republicans who see an already-thin 2012 bench getting thinner with the sins of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Nevada Sen. John Ensign, the departure of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to China and the sense that other would-be rivals either won’t run or have become damaged goods.

One potential obstacle doesn’t seem to be at issue anymore: Fehrnstrom said Romney’s wife, Ann, is in good health and cancer-free after having a pre-cancerous growth removed last December...

The consensus among those close to Romney is that his oft-stated mantra about “not closing the door” on a run is about right – he’s watching Obama closely and would be inclined to get in if it seemed like he had a realistic path to victory.

If and when he does, he’ll have a team ready to follow.

“There is a nucleus of people who, should he decide to run, will drop everything and go help him again,” said Madden.