The Example of Stephen A. Douglas

While Donald Trump continues to use the bully pulpit as a pulpit to bully, Mitt Romney is getting pressure to enter the race as a third-party candidate.  Conservatives in the "Never Trump" camp are realizing that Romney (despite his flaws) is the only person with the money and connections to mount a serious campaign.  I hope he does.

Consider the example of Stephen A. Douglas.  Douglas was a scoundrel for much of his career.  He defended slavery, and his foolish push for the Kansas-Nebraska Act was in part done to improve his presidential prospects.  In 1860 he won the most votes at the Democratic National Convention, but southerners refused to vote for him and the convention broke up without picking anyone. How did Douglas respond?  By running for President as a Northern Democrat.  He had no hope of winning and essentially handed Lincoln the election by dividing the Democratic vote, but he felt that a southern victory was even worse. Indeed, Douglas felt so strongly about this that he broke with tradition and personally campaigned (often getting heckled in the process). After he lost, he supported Lincoln's policies in the Spring of 1861, but then, sadly, died of a sudden illness.

Sometimes you a duty to run and lose.  Mitt Romney should think about that.  Taking Utah from Donald Trump, which would be a real possibility if Romney runs, might swing the election.