For many Americans, this photo will undoubtedly confirm the report that losing the presidency to Barack Obama left Mitt Romney "shellshocked."
The former GOP presidential nominee was photographed Monday night pumping his own gas in La Jolla, Calif., near one of his many homes. (The photo, which was posted to Reddit.com, could not be authenticated.)
"Mitt Romney at my local gas station," the photographer, Reddit user mkb95, wrote. "He looks tired and washed up." Indeed, Romney's hair appeared to be somewhat frazzled compared to the slicked-back and immovable 'do he sported on the campaign trail. And at least for a moment, he appeared to be a bit grumpy. But otherwise, he actually looked fine.
Nancy Spencer, using the Twitter handle @thegirlss, snapped another photo of Romney at the same gas station.
@huffingtonpost Sad Mitt pumping his own gas at the Chevron station in LaJolla. twitter.com/thegirlss/stat…— nancy spencer (@thegirlss) November 20, 2012
"I talked to him for a good three minutes while he was filling his tank," mkb95 added. "I guess he's moving to one of his houses in the town I live in, La Jolla."
Indeed, the Boston Globe recently reported Mitt and Ann Romney will likely be permanently moving into their home in La Jolla, the San Diego suburb that is sometimes called "where the money meets the sea."
The former Republican nominee was also spotted going to see the new film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 in Del Mar, Calif., on Saturday with Ann. According to TMZ, the couple "hit up a pizza place across the street" after the movie.
Otherwise, Romney has kept a low profile since decisively losing the Nov. 6 election.
The major exception was a conference call with donors in which he blamed "gifts" to blacks, Hispanics, and younger voters for his loss to President Obama.
Those remarks were widely condemned by Republicans: