Well, as is usual, people are blissfully moving forward in this thread completely ignoring the fact that “Romney got less votes than McCain” and “the base stayed home” is a complete lie.
Based on my analysis of the votes counted and the votes outstanding, basically turnout in 2012 was the same as 2008, with a couple million votes switching from Obama to Romney. But it wasn’t enough.
To win in 2016, the Republician candidate will have to persuade about 2 million people that voted for Obama in 2008 AND 2012 to switch to them. The idea that instead the candidate can, alternatively persuade 4 million more of the “base” that didnt’ vote in 2012 because Romney was a RINO to turn out is a moronic fantasy, because
1) those people don’t exist
2) If they did exist, the overwhelming majority of them are in Southern and Plains/Mountain states that go Republican anyway, and they are thus irrelevant
"I'm Chris Christie, and I approve this message."
1. I exist, so your first point is wrong.
2. I live in OH.
And anecdotally, I know I’m not the only one. I live in a red hotbed county and I’m telling you the energy was much less than it was in 2004 and 2008.
Now will you listen, or will you hold on to your theories?
Not to mention the fact that Republicans won the house by a good margin. People here delude themselves. The fact is that the democrats have put together a machine in the last 25 years that turns out very large percentages of democrat voters in urban environments and they provide large numbers for the left. If anybody thinks that LBJ’s Great Society doesn’t have a present day effect on National Elections they’re retarded.