The 2016 Republican presidential nomination is Jeb Bush's if he wants it, and should not under any circumstances go to two-time hopeful Mitt Romney, political strategist Dick Morris told
Newsmax TV on Thursday.
Morris, author of
"Power Grab: Obama's Dangerous Plan for a One Party Nation", told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner that it would be "terrible" for both the GOP and the former Massachusetts governor "to go into the next election having to deal with the kind of baggage that Romney has."
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Morris joined Donald Trump in discouraging another Romney run — which Romney himself has said is not in the cards. But Romney's
active campaigning on behalf of GOP midterm candidates is still feeding speculation about his future plans, said Morris.
"Let me be clear that Romney has an exemplary record in business," said Morris. "But because he was so incompetent in answering the attacks that were made on him about Bain Capital, he has a terrible reputation, and that comment about 47 percent will be used against him up and down."
Morris was referring to remarks by Romney at a closed-door fundraiser that almost half of Americans feel entitled to government assistance, and to partisan accusations that as a financier he oversaw the destruction of U.S. jobs.
"We need somebody who doesn't have that kind of mud on their face to wipe off," said Morris. "It's hard enough to elect a president, much less to repair a damaged product."
Sorting through the party's potential 2016 field, Morris said that "it's Bush's choice" to claim the nomination, and that everything hinges on whether the former Florida governor opts to run.
"The pivotal person that's got to make a decision is Bush," he said.
Morris joked about the air of inevitability surrounding the 2016 general election contest.
"As long as it's going to be Clinton, it might as well be Bush," he said, suggesting a likely match-up between Bush and odds-on Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton.
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Morris said not to bother looking for an unexpected Republican hopeful to emerge out of nowhere.
"That's not the Republican way," he said. "They only nominate people who've been tried and true."
He said there is a split within the party between conservative tea party favorites for the nomination — Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio — and establishment picks — Bush, Rick Perry, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, John Kasich and Bobby Jindal.
Morris said that Cruz, the Texas senator, is likely to outlast his U.S. Senate colleagues, Paul of Kentucky and Rubio of Florida, and become conservatives' choice for the nominee.
"The tea party will have a strong candidate," he said.
Morris also discussed the midterm races that will determine whether the U.S. Senate joins the House as a Republican-controlled chamber.
With several races listed as toss-ups, Morris said a key is whether the Democrats' field organizations — which he called "better than the Republican ground game" — can overcome the malaise that Democratic voters are feeling six years into President Barack Obama's administration.
"The Democrats have always had enthusiasm and manpower together," said Morris. "Now they have the manpower, but not the enthusiasm, and I'm not sure that they'll be effective in getting the vote out."
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