“Every passing day that Donald Trump or Michele Bachmann or Newt Gingrich do and say things that are, to many, embarrassing, is a good day for Mitt Romney,’’ said Steve Lombardo, a Washington-based Republican consultant who advised Romney’s 2008 campaign but is not working for any candidate so far this year. “It’s yet another reason for the governor to stay above the fray in talking about big issues that affect voters, and not directly engaging the president in a personal way.’’…

“He’s trying to be the adult in the room,’’ said Mary Stuckey, a professor of communication and political science from Georgia State University in Atlanta. “People are worried about the Tea Party and they’re worried about the Republicans’’ currently attracting the most attention…

“There is a gaping-wide opening for someone like Mitt Romney, who is a serious, statesmanlike potential candidate,’’ said one adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the campaign hasn’t been formalized. “Having him doing this preseason work, in a low-key fashion, is good. What you’re seeing with the rest of the field is leaving a vacancy for someone.’’