The Boston Globe reports that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney seems to be keeping his distance from the Tea Party.

The feeling is mutual. Teabaggers absolutely hate Mitt Romney for many reasons, including his religion, his pro-choice background, and his relative moderation in a field of extremists. It’s not just that Romney is making a choice to stay away from the Tea Party — they don’t want anything to do with him, either.

In recent years, Romney’s made a concerted effort to appeal to the religious right, even appearing at the Values Voter Summit staged by the far right Family Research Council. So don’t be surprised if this article turns out to be premature, and Romney makes a play for teabag support. He’ll need it to have a chance at the GOP nomination in 2012.