After losing in both 2008 and 2012, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney has insisted multiple times that a future presidential run is just not in the picture, saying this week to supporters at an Atlanta restaurant, "I'm not running and I'm not planning on running. I've got nothing to add to that story."
But friends and former aides say that should a specific series of events play out in Romney's favor, it's entirely possible that he could run once more, reported Reuters. Specifically, if no single powerhouse comes out leading from the field of Republican candidate hopefuls, Romney could find himself back in the race.
Not only is Romney the most sought-after Republican on the endorsement campaign trail - headlining 44 fundraisers and campaign events this year in 21 states - but 53 percent of Americans said in a July poll that if the election were held today, they would vote for Romney, according to CBS.
"I'm sure there are people who invested a lot in him last time who are urging him to consider it," Republican Sen. John McCain told Reuters. "I think it's fine if he considers it. But at the same time I think Mitt would have to feel that he has a real strong shot at winning because it is a very, very tough ordeal not only on the candidate but also on the family."
While Romney may not have ran the best campaign, one thing he does have going for him is that he is liked by everybody in the Republican Party. "He certainly checks the box for likeability amongst the Republican Party," said McCain.
Karl Rove, the Republican strategist and architect of George W. Bush's campaigns, offered similar sentiment to Reuters, claiming that running a third time would be the "equivalent of running three back-to-back marathons," and would "require basically a year's commitment to the primary and another year commitment to the general election. That's a hard thing to ask of anybody in politics."
