(Newser)
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When the bell tolled on Mitt Romney's presidential ambitions, he told his staff they'd just seen his final political campaign. But, he vowed, "I will not fall off the map," the New York Times reports. Now speculation is swirling over the former CEO's next gig. Here's what advisers think he might do next:
- Many believe he will write another book—Romney kept a daily diary of the campaign, and takes pride in his writing.
- Some believe he will return to finance. "He's a hot commodity to me," says one hedge fund manager who tried to hire him for $30 million a year after his failed 2008 campaign. Friends say he got many similar offers.
- Still others believe he'll return to a prominent position in the Mormon Church.
- One thing that's off the table: punditry. Aides say there's no way Romney will join Fox News' cadre of ex-candidates, though he may churn out occasional opinion columns for newspapers.
- The Hill today became the latest to suggest that President Obama should consider Romney for Treasury Secretary. (The New York Daily News did so yesterday), though the idea seems unlikely.
“The only door that is closed to Mitt Romney for the remainder of his life is being president of the United States,” says McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt. “He can do whatever else he wants to do.”
