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Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Republicans Nostalgic For Mitt Romney?

BOSTON (CBS) – Mitt Romney is back in the news after CBS News's Bob Schieffer said on Face the Nation that the former Massachusetts governor might run for president again if Jeb Bush decides not to run.

It certainly caught my attention.

After all, Romney has said on the record that he will not run again. And he's said it no fewer than ten times.

His wife Ann has said the same thing repeatedly.

But apparently there is still support for a Romney campaign.

A poll conducted earlier this year in New Hampshire by the firm Purple Strategies found Romney was the Republican front runner for 2016 with 25-percent support – outrunning names like Chris Christie and yes, even Jeb Bush.

But why does Romney's name keep coming up even though he's made it clear he won't run?

The answer likely has more to do with the calendar than anything else.

I realize it's a perpetual campaign but it's still early to be talking about 2016.

And while Democrats seem to have their sights set on Hillary Clinton, the Republican field has yet to take shape in a meaningful way - especially after Christie's bridge scandal - so many are still looking back at 2012.

A simple Google news search brings up any number of stories about Romney being pushed to run again, using terms like "Mitt-stalgia," in the case of the Huffington Post.

Not that looking back is a problem for either party as we wait to cover a possible Clinton-Bush campaign.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz

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