CNN’s Van Jones on Romney: ‘Please don’t go’

CNN commentator Van Jones reacted to Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-Utah) retirement announcement Wednesday, asking the senator, “Please don’t go,” in the wake of what he called the “deterioration” within the Republican party.  

Pointing to the Democrats’ opposition of Romney during the 2012 election while on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” Jones said, “We fought like dogs to stop him from winning and 10 years later, I’m … Please don’t go man, we need you to stick around.”

“It gives you a sense of how much the Republican party has changed, I would say deteriorated,” Jones continued. “And also, it gives you a sense that … if you stick around long enough, people start to recognize … you could have a different politics of the head.” 

Romney, 76, announced earlier Wednesday he will retire from the Senate at the end of his term, saying it is time for a new group of political leaders to step in. Romney pointed to his last 25 years in public service, including a term as governor of Massachusetts, six years representing Utah in the Senate and an unsuccessful run against former President Obama in the 2012 presidential election. 

“Ten years ago, give or take, he was running against Barack Obama, we hated this guy, we thought this guy was terrible,” Jones said on CNN’s “The Situation Room.” “We thought he was a blow-dried, rich dude out of touch.”

Jones expressed his change in beliefs about the Utah senator, calling him a “worthy opponent” of Obama. 

“This guy cares about America, he cares about the principles of values,” Jones said. “He was a worthy opponent of President Obama and I can’t believe 10 years later, I’m on CNN begging the guy not to go, but that just shows you how much things have changed.”