Mitt Romney is now the third GOP presidential candidate to opt out of Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice Presidential Debate on December 27, 2011. Rep Ron Paul and former Governor Jon Huntsman have already told the Donald that they will not take part in his political circus debate.
"I'm not participating," Romney said during an interview on Fox News. "I spoke with Donald Trump earlier today and indicated that we just can't make this debate."
The only GOP candidates to confirm that they will attend the political circus debate are Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry. Michele Bachmann has not announced whether she will attend at this time.
Donald Trump who has dropped hints that he will run for President in the last four Presidential election cycles including this cycle, has said that soon after the debate which he will moderate, that he would announce his endorsement and that if he thinks that none of the candidates could beat President Obama in the general election he may run as an Independent.
A spokesman for Donald Trump responded to Romney's decision not to attend the debate.
"It would seem logical to me that if I was substantially behind in the polls, especially in Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida, I would be participating in the debate. But, I can also understand why Governor Romney decided not to do it."
Newt Gingrich currently leads Mitt Romney in Iowa polls, and is moving closer to Romney in the New Hampshire polls. After New Hampshire the primaries move to the southern states where Gingrich is well liked and Romney is seen as a carpetbagger.
When Nevada first changed its caucus date to January 14, 2012 it was seen as a gift to Mitt Romney who has lots of support in the State and as a launching pad to propel Romney after New Hampshire as the race turned to the south.
Now that the Nevada GOP capitulated to pressure from the Republican National Committee (RNC) and other outside republican forces to rethink and change the Nevada caucus date again from January 14th to February 4, 2012, Romney no longer has that advantage. In fact, when the Nevada GOP caved to the RNC they knew that it would help the "Anyone but Mitt Romney” voter base.
As for Mitt Romney dropping out of the Donald circus, that is a good move, even if it upsets the right wing fringe voter base.