Why Mitt Romney Matters

The good old days in the GOP?

Well, Mitt Romney is probably running for President, while his running-mate is not. This isn't completely shocking, as we had heard rumors of a possible return to the trail for Romney for a few weeks now. This is his third run for the White House, the first ending after two second place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2008, and a general election loss in 2012.

This sets up a showdown with Jeb Bush, the brother of the last Republican President, for control of the "establishment" wing of the party. Bush can probably shut other "establishment" figures like Chris Christie's fundraising down, but in the case of Romney, that's much harder. Romney has deep ties now to a national donors list that have been with him through two elections. Romney also has deep pockets and hundreds of millions of his own dollars. In other words, he's the one guy Bush can't muscle.

Romney received 206 electoral votes, just 64 short of the White House in our last election. He's now vowing to take on Jeb Bush from his right in the 2016 election. He is a viable national figure who has the personal finances to run a serious race. His entrance slows down the narrative of Bush being coronated, and it puts all the issues and narratives from 2012 on the table. In short, the GOP is going to have to confront not only the demons of their last President, but also of their last nominee. That's gotta be a bit uncomfortable for Republicans.