Mitt Romney speaks today at CPAC 2013, returning to the Conservative Political Action Conference that has served him so well in the past. Watch his speech here live at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
As he steps out from the shadows, many at the conference are wondering what he has to say that will be of any relevance.
Romney recently appeared on Fox News with his wife Ann for a campaign autopsy that examined the reasons for Romney's loss in last year's presidential election -- or at least what Romney believes were the reasons he lost.
True to form, Romney blamed the media for covering him poorly, preventing him from showing the American public who he really is (there was no mention of the infamous "47 percent" video that showed Romney apparently bashing Democratic voters at a $50,000 per plate fundraiser last May).
Romney also blamed voters, duped by President Obama's message, and he took a share of the blame for himself, though he insisted it was the messaging that did him in, and not his message or policies.
In today's speech, Romney is likely to rehash points he made in his campaign. No one expects him to say anything new or anything that might disagree with the stances he took during the campaign, as that might add to his reputation as being too malleable a political creature.
But Romney could throw his support behind the bipartisan efforts in the Senate to create a comprehensive immigration reform bill. While Romney did oppose many of the measures those senators are currently proposing, especially a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, it is a position that is gaining support in the Republican Party, so it could be one Romney adopts.
This is probably Romney's last chance for political relevance. Unlike John McCain and John Kerry, the losers of the previous two presidential campaigns, Romney does not have a Senate seat to return to.
He is more similar to Al Gore, who retired from politics after his contested loss to George W. Bush in 2000, becoming an environmental advocate, filmmaker, Oscar and Nobel Peace Prize winner and television producer.
Romney has yet to accept a gig as a political pundit, the usual route for failed politicians, but his personal wealth ensures he doesn't need to do anything he doesn't want to do. But what that will be, perhaps even Mitt Romney doesn't know.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
