Romney says campaign would be different

Mitt Romney said Monday night that a presidential campaign in 2016 would be different than previous ones, citing lessons learned such as the need for better communication and to avoid being defined early. 

Romney said at a town hall in Indian Wells, Calif., that he learned he needed to communicate “who I am—not just through the policies I talk about but the places that I go and the audiences I speak to,” Fox News reports. 

{mosads}In the 2012 campaign, President Obama was able to define Romney as out of touch. 

“If you show up at businesses it looks like you’re a business person,” Romney said. “If you show up at churches and at minority communities it shows you care much more broadly. And that’s something that I want to do.” 

Romney has made clear that he would focus more on poverty in another campaign. 

“The reason that I am a Republican is because I believe the principles of conservatism are the best to help people get out of poverty and the best to help people have opportunity and rising wages,” he said.   

Romney also discussed climate change, something of a shift from his previous campaign. The Desert Sun reports that Romney said he thinks it is real, a major problem, and that China and India need to be part of the solution. 

He said he does not have a timeline for a decision on a run. 

“For me this comes down to whether I think I’m in a position to do what the country needs or whether someone else would do better,” he said. “And that’s a decision which is obviously very personal.”