Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Monday he's hoping Mitt Romney's decision to not seek the presidency a third time will simplify the nomination process and help prevent the Republican presidential primary from becoming a "circus."
"Well, I mean, I think it probably simplifies it a little bit more," Priebus said on NewsMaxTV's Steve Malzberg Show of Romney's decision to not run for president. "Obviously it gets pretty complicated when you get all these different candidates involved. I'm not against a lot of people being involved, but I am against a process that can turn into a circus, which is what I'm trying to prevent."
Priebus said he hoped the 2016 Republican presidential primary would have a shortened process without a "six-month, out-of-control primary."
"So, I'm trying to, in a reasonable way, allowing for debate, allowing for people to get involved, but also not allowing for 23 debates and a six-month, out-of-control primary process taking place. So I'm trying to find that happy medium, Steve. A limited amount of debates. Enough, but no too many. And a shortened primary process that gets us to the general election faster."
Priebus was also asked what the right number of candidates would be in the Republican primary.
"Enough that you can contain the process into a reasonable so that people feel that they can engage and pick the nominee," he said.