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Big-money donors push Romney out for Bush

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Big-money donors push Romney out for Bush
‘Mitt’s a great guy, but winning is everything in this business’

Well-placed whispers. Emails sent to deep-pocket donors. A silent, but swift campaign behind the scenes to swing support from the old establishment darling to the new.

The net result: Mitt Romney is out, and Jeb Bush is in.

According to a report in the New York Times, a coalition of wealthy and powerful Republican donors reached the decision early that Romney had his shot at being elected president, and it was time for new blood.

“Donors who supported [Romney] last time refused to commit to his campaign,” the Times summarized. “Key operatives were signing up with former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida. The Republican establishment that lifted Mr. Romney to the nomination in 2012 in the face of scrappy opposition had moved on.”

Romney announced on Friday that he would not seek the GOP nomination for president in 2016, after missing out on the nomination in 2008 and losing the presidential election as the Republican candidate in 2012.

According to the Times, however, Romney’s decision was pretty much made for him.

“People were much more excited about Jeb than Mitt,” Ron Gidwitz, a Chicago financier who helped raise millions for Mr. Romney and allies in 2012, told the Times. “Mitt ran twice before unsuccessfully. He’s a great guy. But winning is everything in this business.”

The Times also reported a campaign to stop Romney from running again began the same weekend the former Massachusetts governor announced his potential candidacy.

William Oberndorf, a prominent California investor who supported Romney in both of his previous presidential campaigns, reportedly emailed a group of 52 powerful and wealthy Republicans with a rallying cry: “We are fortunate in Jeb Bush to have an extremely talented and able candidate who, I believe, has a far better prospect of winning a general election than Mitt. Moreover, Mitt has now run twice and has had his chance to be president. It is now time to cede the field to others.”

Oberndorf told the Times in an interview that many he contacted in turn pressured Romney’s team directly not to let the former candidate run again.

“Of everybody I contacted, I only heard from one person who thought Mitt should give it another shot,” said Oberndorf.

“In the weeks after he expressed renewed interest in running, Mr. Romney contacted some of his most loyal supporters. But often, he found Mr. Bush had gotten there already,” the Times reported. “The former Massachusetts governor called Eric Tanenblatt, an Atlanta lobbyist, who reminded him they had talked the previous month and that Mr. Tanenblatt was supporting Mr. Bush. It was a recurring theme: Mr. Romney’s supporters had taken him at his word when he had said repeatedly after 2012 that he would not run again.”

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/big-money-donors-push-romney-out-for-bush/#ODtKrLuexRHDs4r3.99

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