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| Mitt Romney decided against taking up a third presidential bid for the 2016 elections, but according to the latest reports from Washington, he’s not disappearing from politics any time soon. The Washington Post has recently reported that Romney is planning to host the 2015 Experts and Enthusiasts Summit (or E2 Summit, as it’s usually called) in Utah this summer, targeting some of the state’s biggest donors in order to raise money for GOP presidential hopefuls.The Summit will be held June 11 – 13 in Deer Valley, a sky resort town just east of Salt Lake City. This will be the fourth Summit for Romney, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, and in past years it has been a popular event for business executives, local politicians, and Republican party voters.
Most businesses (over 50%) list marketing and sales as their top choices for investments, while investments in political campaigns have become increasingly controversial over the past decade as hints of corruption and power abuse have surfaced (Exhibit A: The Koch Brothers). Nevertheless, the E2 Summit is expected to draw a big crowd this year, partly thanks to Romney’s popularity in Utah, and partly thanks to the impressive lineup of attendees, including five presidential GOP contenders: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham have all confirmed that they will be in attendance. Jeb Bush, former Florida Gov., was invited but had already scheduled a trip to Germany, Poland, and Estonia during that week. Many Americans were disappointed when Romney announced in January this year that he would not seek another presidential bid — some people are even hoping that he will reconsider his decision — but as TSLT states, “The E2 Summit is another chance for him to put his stamp on the political world.” |