On occasion, there is a trope where Mitt Romney will hold political office in Michigan, where his father had been governor in the 1960s. That begs the question of what could Romney be and how far could he go in Michigan, as well as why did he not pursue that in the OTL?
Mitt in Michigan
- Thread starter Emperor Norton I
- Start date
Was it just an issue of residency? Was Romney just tied to Michigan at the time.
The issue may also have been family legacy. George Romney had overseen some hectic times: he alienated Michigan Conservative Republicans in 1964, had overseen the Detroit riots of 1965, etc. When he became Sec HUD and his wife ran for senate in Michigan, it was seen as Romney trying to use his name to get his wife elected. So there may be some sourness that wouldn't help.
The issue may also have been family legacy. George Romney had overseen some hectic times: he alienated Michigan Conservative Republicans in 1964, had overseen the Detroit riots of 1965, etc. When he became Sec HUD and his wife ran for senate in Michigan, it was seen as Romney trying to use his name to get his wife elected. So there may be some sourness that wouldn't help.
I'm a Michigan resident. Mitt Romney was as much of a Michigander as much as Ronald Reagan was from Illinois. He was born and raised in Michigan but after he graduated from high school he never lived in the state again.
Now if he had chosen to build roots in the state after he graduated from college, he could have had a decent political career in the state. He could have made his fortune in the 1980s like in the OTL. Then he could have ran for governor in 1990 or for the senate in 1994 and likely win those races. Putting him in a good position to be on the short list to be Bob Dole's running mate in 1996 or Bush's running mate in 2000 (though Clinton and Gore would have likely still won Michigan in 1996 and 2000 respectively). If he won the governorship in 1990 and won re-election in 1994, he might have even ran for president in 1996. If not 1996 then he might have ran in 2000, but he and McCain would have just split the moderate Republican vote in the primaries.
IMO there was never really a serious search for a running mate in the Bush campaign in 2000. So I doubt he would have been vice-president. He might have been selected for a cabinet position during Bush's first term. But in the OTL John Engler never got a cabinet nomination under Bush, so there is no certainty that Romney would have gotten one.
By the early 2000s Romney would have likely returned to the private sector and retire from politics. He might have ran for president in 2008, but he would likely not have gotten very far.
Now if he had chosen to build roots in the state after he graduated from college, he could have had a decent political career in the state. He could have made his fortune in the 1980s like in the OTL. Then he could have ran for governor in 1990 or for the senate in 1994 and likely win those races. Putting him in a good position to be on the short list to be Bob Dole's running mate in 1996 or Bush's running mate in 2000 (though Clinton and Gore would have likely still won Michigan in 1996 and 2000 respectively). If he won the governorship in 1990 and won re-election in 1994, he might have even ran for president in 1996. If not 1996 then he might have ran in 2000, but he and McCain would have just split the moderate Republican vote in the primaries.
IMO there was never really a serious search for a running mate in the Bush campaign in 2000. So I doubt he would have been vice-president. He might have been selected for a cabinet position during Bush's first term. But in the OTL John Engler never got a cabinet nomination under Bush, so there is no certainty that Romney would have gotten one.
By the early 2000s Romney would have likely returned to the private sector and retire from politics. He might have ran for president in 2008, but he would likely not have gotten very far.
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