But interviews with more than two dozen Republican activists, elected officials and contributors around the country reveal little appetite for another Romney candidacy. Beyond his enthusiasts — a formidable constituency given that many are donors — opinions range from indifference to openly hostility…
“He got defined early, after he got through the nomination process, and they spent a lot of money to define him,” said Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, who praised Mr. Romney’s passion and sense of purpose. “And those issues are still there. That doesn’t change, and that narrative is still out there.”…
“I would be surprised if he gets much traction,” said Mark Lundberg, chairman of the Sioux County Republican Party in Iowa…
Several Republicans interviewed this week, brought up another data point from 2012, which they said showed Mr. Romney’s inability to connect: In a national exit poll conducted by Edison Research, among voters who said the candidate quality that most mattered to them was “cares about people like me,” President Obama won 81 percent to Mr. Romney’s 18 percent.
