Obama was the incumbent. You offer an alternative to the incumbent.
I left off my list of GOP curses : GWB legacy. Its only been 4 years, he was POTUS for 8. That gives Dems a powerful argument. And how was Mitt different from Bush and O to the causal observer?
I think you got it. I look back to John Kerry.
He had nothing, no message but BUSH SUCKS. I told my liberal friends that wasn’t enough. People on our side at least then were in Bush’s corner (other than the the smart people who realized he was a rino) and there was no enthusiasim for Kerry.
Obama is a damn disaster and it should have been enough, but no. Just like disaster Harry “White Obama” Truman before him. Both Truman and Obama should have been destroyed.
Indies may have soured on Osama but his base still likes him, I have reports of locals celebrating.
After 4 years of GHWB, I didn't find Clinton particularly inspiring but he won. Romney tried, but O was the better deceiver? Maybe this was like the OJ trial -- the jury was going to acquit OJ no matter what the evidence was. Maybe, as you suggest, Romney could not overcome the GWB curse.
It's really embarrassing to have such a person as the leader of the nation.
Maybe the GOP is dead. A dozen or so very vulnerable Dem senators, and the GOP lost seats.