Mitt Romney displays his generous patina of hair product, which he cited as the main reason he will not pursue the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

(2015-01-30) — Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told staffers this morning he would not mount another run for the White House because he’s “unwilling to betray his traditional, conservative approach to hair styling.”

“I’ve never been one to follow the polls, or listen to the consultants,” Romney told his associates in a conference call. “They told me I’d have the nomination locked up if I would just moderate a little, you know, drop the gel. As a Mormon, I don’t drink, but when it comes to my hair, I’ll never go dry.”

The former Massachusetts governor cautioned other potential presidential candidates to understand that “the era of Vitalis and Brylcream is over,” adding as an aside, “I’m talking to you, Ted Cruz.”

A spokesman for Cruz said the Senator had no comment, but reminded reporters of his unshakeable support for the Keystone XL pipeline.