At the Republican National Convention in August, Mitt Romney, surrounded by zealous supporters, was the center of attention. After the election, he’s been relegated to the outskirts of public view. Since losing the presidency, he’s also lost thousands of Facebook followers, as graphed by the website disappearingromney.com. Liberals may see this as evidence of the Republican Party’s decline, while Republicans could defend the fall from grace as a result of a failed presidential campaign, but is this normal? What is normal for the presidential runner-up?
Most ex-presidential candidates retain political activity, ranging from Senate seats to UN Ambassador appointments. After leaving the campaign behind, many begin a new political crusade, usually for the rights of others. Bob Dole, the 1996 Republican nominee, fought against child hunger and poverty. Al Gore, the 2000 Democratic nominee, was renowned for his work in environmentalism. After losing the presidency, a few candidates, including Jimmy Carter and Al Gore, have even gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, showing that a future in politics and a positive world impact are possible without a chair in the Oval Office.
Other presidential nominees choose to fill their time in different ways. A plethora of boards and committees, juggled with writing a book or two, can be balanced with public appearances. So, after setting down Gerald Ford’s autobiography, you could listen to John Kerry’s speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Law firms have been dotted with returning presidential hopefuls, from Adlai Stevenson II (1952, 1956) to Walter Mondale (1988).
It’s too soon to see what lies ahead for Mitt Romney. But while the harsh spotlight of the campaign has faded, it may not be time to turn the lights off for the latest losing nominee.