This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
— Romney's bizarre odyssey with Trump — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
"In a perfect world, former Republican presidential nominee and one-term Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would have been a shoo-in for a Cabinet post in the new Donald Trump administration. But it seems blind ambition along with primary election shenanigans — anybody but Trump — may have been his Waterloo. ...
" ... Perhaps at no other time in American politics has a major party's nominee spoken so unkindly about his successor.
"So it was with shock and bemusement that Trump summoned Romney to an early post-election transition meeting with word that he was being considered for secretary of state. Three weeks later, and following one embarrassing spectacle after another, Romney was passed over in favor of ExxonMobil's CEO, Rex Tillerson. ...
" ... Only history will reveal the motives behind this bizarre odyssey, but one thing is certain, the Mitt of old — shapeshifter, man of unbridled ambition and remake artist — was on full display. The best case for Romney would have been remaining consistent to his anti-Trump screed and eventually acting as a check on the new president's hubris.
"That opportunity has now given way to a sold soul and a lesson for the history books worthy of Shakespeare."
— For Mitt Romney, Dinner and a Kiss-Off — Gail Collins | The New York Times
" ... Romney, who once spent nearly a decade being rejected by the American electorate, got the heave-ho from Donald Trump this week — passed over for the secretary of state nomination in favor of an oil executive who is great pals with Vladimir Putin. ...
" ... Should we feel sorry for him? He'd have been a more qualified pick than Tillerson. But really, Romney has been such a jerk during this election that it's hard not to giggle.
"He made a huge, dramatic profile in courage out of his refusal to support Trump, but he didn't have the spine to say that he'd be voting for Hillary Clinton. Instead, Romney straddled that swamp masquerading as moral high ground where he rejected everybody, took no responsibility for anybody, and therefore was no help at all.
"Then, when the man he denounced as a fraud got elected, Mitt was instantly in the employment line, grinning and blowing kisses. Suddenly we were reminded of all the years of political shape-shifting, when Romney's opinions on everything from gun control to health care changed with every twitch of the polls. ..."
— 2016's 'Person of the Year' should have been Mitt Romney, the GOP leader who made Trump possible — Haroon Moghul | The Center on Global Policy | Quartz
" ... Romney in particular could have and should have worked harder to resist Trump's pull by holding fast to his criticisms and rallying reasonable Republicans. Respected, well-funded, and high-profile, Romney could have used his status to rally millions of Americans who were clearly desperate for a leader. ...
" ... But ultimately, it seems Romney didn't have the guts to see his criticisms through. The political risks were just too great—and perhaps the potential rewards seemed too high. Not that his spinelessness was unique. ..."
— The Humbling Of Mitt Romney, By Donald J. Trump — Sam Stein | Huffington Post
" 'Mitt Romney is somebody I had respect for,' Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says. 'I have none anymore.'..."
"The short answer: Not until he's sure that Rex Tillerson isn't getting Borked. ..."