Mitt Romney, who just
hosted his E2 GOP donor summit in Utah, says the 2016 field should not repeat his mistake in 2012: They should focus on minority voters early.
Appearing Sunday on
"Meet the Press,"Romney said that not focusing on Hispanic Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans early enough was his "biggest mistake" when he ran unsuccessfully as the Republican nominee in 2012.
Republicans' conservative policies are designed to actually help people get out of poverty and achieve rising incomes, rather than just talk about it as Democrats do, Romney said.
"They don't create jobs," he said of Democrats. "Hillary Clinton said famously that businesses don't create jobs. How in the world can you be so out of touch as to not realize that if we want to have better jobs for people, we want small businesses to grow and thrive?"
Every Republican candidates needs to communicate to minority voters and show the GOP record, he said, and that will lead to more minorities voting for Republicans.
Romney's summits have many labeling him Republican kingmaker, but he has refused to endorse anyone. A former governor himself, he has changed his rhetoric that governor's make the best candidates because of their executive experience.
Rubio on Sunday said there are various ways to gain leadership.
"As you look at the people running on the Republican side, almost every single one of them has had the opportunity to lead, to manage, to help direct something," he said. "Marco Rubio, for instance, was speaker of the House in his state."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who officially announces his candidacy on Monday, faces many of the same criticisms from the conservative wing of the party as did Romney four years ago.
But Romney said Bush doesn't have to try to tout his conservative bona fides.
"He has a very strong record," Roney said. "He doesn't have to speak his way into conservatism. He has lived conservatism."
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