According to Utah's Gov. Gary Herbert, he has confirmation third-hand that Mitt Romney is indeed going to run for the Senate seat Orrin Hatch is finally vacating. Now all of Republican-land is wondering what kind of race Romney will run: Trump or anti-Trump. His boosters are certain he'll reflect his state's values and anti-Trump leanings and be a brave, stand-up kind of guy.
“I think if he wants to be a check, it won’t hurt him here like it has others,” [Lt. Gov. Spencer J. Cox] said, noting the Republican lawmakers who have been politically damaged for their criticism of Mr. Trump, such as Senators Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee, both of whom are retiring. “He could do it from Day 1 and he’d be fine.”
Mr. Cox joins Mr. Herbert in certain delusions about the principles and the stature of Romney.
Some Republicans here see Mr. Romney’s ascent to the Senate as only the first step. Mr. Herbert said he "can accelerate" and become Senate Republican leader. Daniel Hemmert, a state senator who last year began a Draft Romney effort, went further, suggesting that if Mr. Trump is damaged or does not run again in 2020, the party should turn to the freshman senator from Utah.
‘Cuz Mitch McConnell will let that happen. By the way, Romney will be 74 years old in 2020. If he's going to accelerate to be the savior of the whole Republican thing, damn, he's going to have to work fast.
All these guys would be advised to remember not just 2012, the last time Romney was on the national stage, as well as how things have been going so far for this ardent opposer of all things Trump.
Just how far Mr. Romney is willing to go to confront Mr. Trump, though, is very much in question. After his Salt Lake speech, Mr. Romney embraced Mr. Trump when it appeared he was in the running for secretary of state, even submitting to a frog leg dinner with Mr. Trump at Jean-Georges in Manhattan. […]
Mr. Trump telephoned Mr. Romney in recent days, and they had a pleasant conversation, according to two White House officials, but, they added, the president did not explicitly offer his support.
Romney might bigfoot his way into the Senate. He's not going to be the guy who fixes everything for Republicans. None of them can. They have to destroy themselves to rebuild the party, and Romney is not going to be that bomb-thrower.