A Romney adviser said: “We thought it was possible. But it would be hard. The polls had him up. That was residual name ID. But he can’t carry that for a year. It would have been a fight.”

So Romney decided not to fight. Kevin Madden, a former Romney adviser, said that, ultimately, it was a question of the head versus the heart.

Madden is a very smart guy and I respect him, but I think he’s got his anatomy wrong. Ultimately, Romney lacked not heart, but guts.

Running for president is a grueling test, a meat grinder. And why shouldn’t it be? The presidency is a tough job, and it demands a tough test to weed out those without the stamina and strength to perform in it.