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Why Mitt Romney Lost (NewsMax's Christopher Ruddy Blames the Choice of Paul Ryan was one factor)
NewsMax ^ | 11/08/2012 | Christopher Ruddy

Posted on 11/08/2012 5:44:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind

With the 2012 election results in, there are no short- or even medium-term "silver linings" for Republicans.

SNIP SNIP

On to why our pilot Mitt Romney and his plan were so flawed.

1. Paul Ryan. Romney's choice of Ryan was almost inexplicable.

A good conservative, Ryan was unqualified for the job of vice president, and therefore the job of president. A sitting member of Congress, he held no leadership position on the Hill.

Romney's VP selection was the most important one of his campaign, and by it he telegraphed his lack of political wisdom to the nation.

With his VP pick Romney had the opportunity to show he was willing to reach out to middle voters and break out of the GOP's demographic box (think Rubio, Nevada's Brian Sandoval, or New Mexico's Susana Martinez) or pick a Republican heavyweight who exuded gravitas while potentially giving him a state (think Rob Portman or Tim Pawlenty).

2. The Ryan Plan. Romney had endorsed Ryan's plan for Medicare even before he tapped him as a running mate. But by selecting Ryan, he was nailing the odious plan to the masthead of his campaign.

Ryan's plan, which first called for abolishing federal Medicare in 10 years and later for a substitute voucher program, proved to be disastrous for Romney and other Republican candidates.

As far as I could see, the Ryan plan was the No. 1 policy focus of Obama's and other Democratic attack ads against the GOP.

I am not sure what the GOP was smoking when they decided to propose demolishing or radically altering the cherished healthcare program for seniors.

Apparently, the Romney campaign began to realize Ryan's negatives late in the campaign, banishing his public appearances to secure red states. But it was too late.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012veep; blame; duplicate; elections; mediscare; paulryan; romney; romney2012; ruddy; ryan
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To: dalebert

ratio..not ration...and what was the 3rd party vote..did it sink romney?


21 posted on 11/08/2012 6:27:00 AM PST by dalebert
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To: SeekAndFind

Mitt Romney, in the end, was just too nice a guy. How many times was he called a liar? They are fightibg words. He just took it and took it.

I also get a sneaking feeling a lot of evangelicals sat this election out.

Finally, Republicans had better figure out a way to win at least 50% of the Latino vote or we are permanently screwed. I do think Marco Rubio, speaking spanish and working every Latino district, in every swing state, would have won Florida for sure and would have won us enough swing states. What did Ryan in the end deliver? He couldn’t even win Wisconsin for us.


22 posted on 11/08/2012 6:28:45 AM PST by LeonardFMason
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m sick and tired of the blame game! The sad truth is that we are for the most part a Godless and uninformed nation. There is just more of them than us.


23 posted on 11/08/2012 6:30:23 AM PST by Coldwater Creek (He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadows of the Almighty Psalm 91:)
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To: SeekAndFind
Romney lost because he was Romney. He let obama off the hook during the 2nd and 3rd debates after turning his fortunes around during the first.

There are plenty of people who wanted to vote for a Republican someone who would represent them and counter obama and the demonrats.

They saw that guy in the first debate and then realized during the next two debates that the first debate was the exception, not the norm.

How many GOP voters just stayed home in what should have been the easiest election to win in the GOP's history?

The Rino Rule is that rinos don't rule or govern, they just go along with the demonrats. Thanks, but no thanks.

And to that response, the GOP offers Jeb Bush? See? They just don't get it...or get votes.

The GOP has the history, principles and people to turn things around, but by their actions I really don't believe they want to win or lead.

The GOP? It's dead, Jim.

24 posted on 11/08/2012 6:31:49 AM PST by GBA (Here in the Matrix, life is but a dream.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Check what Ruddy said about Clinton after he left office.He said he had been “FORCED” TO WRITE NEGATVE THINGS and that Clinton was a great guy and wonderful President. He is no conservative or even friend of conservatives which is why I avoid NewsMax. I read contributors from their personal sites.


25 posted on 11/08/2012 6:49:19 AM PST by nclaurel
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To: dalebert

RE: should he have went with Rubio. I dont think it mattered.

OK, someone tell me what Rubio has that Paul Ryan does not have in terms of competence and experience other than the former is Hispanic...


26 posted on 11/08/2012 6:51:22 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

From the article:

“Ryan’s plan, which first called for abolishing federal Medicare in 10 years and later for a substitute voucher program, proved to be disastrous for Romney and other Republican candidates.”

Ruddy seems to be saying that ANY candidate should allow Medicare to go bankrupt (not my words, the trustees say so ) and not even attempt to propose a plan to save it.


27 posted on 11/08/2012 6:53:26 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: Patton@Bastogne

>> If ... the “Seven Million Sarah Palin Voters” ... from 2008 ... that STAYED-HOME in 2012 ... had voted Tuesday <<

If that’s true, then Sarah is to blame for Romney’s loss, since she should have been campaigning like Hell for him. Instead, she stayed out of the fray and didn’t endorse until the very last minute.


28 posted on 11/08/2012 7:04:00 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: Hawthorn
.


If that’s true, then Sarah is to blame for Romney’s loss, since she should have been campaigning like Hell for him.


Well ... perhaps Sarah well-remembered how Myth Romney's "political assassination thugs" set-out to DESTROY her professional reputation ...

and her FAMILY's reputation ...

even while the 2008 campaign was in full-swing.



If course, Mittens ... whith his usual "white and delightsome" CEO smile ...

never lifted a finger to stop it ...

nor did Anne Romney ...




.
29 posted on 11/08/2012 7:13:46 AM PST by Patton@Bastogne (Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin will DEFEAT the Obama-Romney Socialist Gay-Marriage Axis of Evil)
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To: SeekAndFind

MSM—MSM—MSM—MSM Period End of argument

I am amazed that as many vote GOP as they do considering our schools and the MSM


30 posted on 11/08/2012 7:17:27 AM PST by uncbob
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To: uncbob
MSM—MSM—MSM—MSM Period End of argument

Bingo.

31 posted on 11/08/2012 7:27:14 AM PST by Vinnie (A)
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To: Hawthorn
“....she should have been campaigning like ...”

It is hard to support a candidate that just took out the true conservatives during nominations. They (supporters-PAC) used Liberal tactics to smear them out. why would Palin want to get caught in that circus?

I find it very intersting that Libs FEAR Palin, or Herman Cain, why is that, you suppose? Could it be the majority of Lib voters are shallow? they vote appearance? Like a woman having a real shot to win? (pretty at that) or a Black man (who happens to have conservative values?)

Ummmm

You do make a good point. I voted for R&R against Obama...wrong reason!!! She did “sit this one out”.
Thanks!

32 posted on 11/08/2012 7:30:39 AM PST by kimtom (USA on the Brink-Falling over the edge)
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To: mosaicwolf
This guy is a moron. Ryan was unqualified?!? How about the idiot sitting in the White House!

The "idiot sitting in the White House" is IN the White House. Ryan's never been anything more than budget chair; he's an good ideas guy but he's not lead successfully on pushing his plans through. That matters for someone coming from the House.

Paul Ryan was a very risky choice and I listed off why immediately on hearing he was picked. I was attacked on FR for being too negative.

I thought Ryan performed poorly on the stump (and likely said so on FR). He didn't connect, he didn't come across as warm and likeable. He was wonkish and scripted. He may have had good chemistry with Romney but that didn't come through the camera.

Losing two million voters vs. McCain suggests Romney should've "gone big" with a running mate. He could've used someone with foreign policy experience but someone who made the ticket something other than two white guys because those optics mattered to voters .

33 posted on 11/08/2012 7:32:14 AM PST by newzjunkey (Obama thanks Pontius Pilate voter Freepers for making him president til 2017!)
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To: Patton@Bastogne

Good point!!! (near same as mine)


34 posted on 11/08/2012 7:32:37 AM PST by kimtom (USA on the Brink-Falling over the edge)
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To: Diogenesis
If you have problems with women, what's wrong with letting your wife defend you?

How did Romney make a fortune from this election? He wasn't running a vanity campaign like Santorum, Cain, Bachmann or even Newt.

Conservatives committed murder-suicide in the primary and you know it.

35 posted on 11/08/2012 7:35:28 AM PST by newzjunkey (Obama thanks Pontius Pilate voter Freepers for making him president til 2017!)
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To: Diogenesis
If you have problems appealing to women, what's wrong with letting your wife defend you?

How did Romney make a fortune from this election? He wasn't running a vanity campaign like Santorum, Cain, Bachmann or even Newt.

Conservatives committed murder-suicide in the primary and you know it.

36 posted on 11/08/2012 7:35:53 AM PST by newzjunkey (Obama thanks Pontius Pilate voter Freepers for making him president til 2017!)
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To: 11th Commandment; All
Romney did a good job of explaining the difference between he and Obama. What he did not do well is explain how implementing his ideas would make a difference. Thus undecided voted for the safe incumbent and people stayed home.

Did you pay attention? Every speech was about how his ideas would create 12 million new jobs in his first term. How it would raise personal incomes that have eroded under Obama. How we'd be more secure financially. So your point is flat wrong.

People voted for the 'safe incumbent' because Obama ran against Bush for 4 years so tying Romney's proposals to Bush's policies, however ridiculous, scared off already weary and afraid voters from making a change. Exit polls showed people blame Bush for the economy more than Obama. That's not on Romney.

Add in the "historical nature" of Obama's presidency and Obama won by begging for more time and instilling fear of the unknown.

37 posted on 11/08/2012 7:42:28 AM PST by newzjunkey (Obama thanks Pontius Pilate voter Freepers for making him president til 2017!)
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To: SeekAndFind
The loss had nothing to do with our candidate or the issues. It had everything to do with Obama’s superior plan to get out their voters.

1. He is a Community Organizer and he uses their methodology. He organizes the grass roots in a way that has never been seen in American politics. In this area when his “organizer” came to town the NAACP became the nucleus of the his operation. They went house to house in the black communities, they transported students from the nearby predominantly black university to vote early and they were highly successful.
2. Their marketing plan was head and shoulders better than ours. Every time I fired up my computer for the past six months there was a picture ad of Obama or wife on the Yahoo homepage. Everywhere I would go on the airways, there they were again. They saturated internet, radio and TV. You couldn't get away from them. They had well-written letters to the editors on a variety of topics espousing Obama in large newspapers and small.

It is on the nuts and bolts of the campaign we got whipped!!

38 posted on 11/08/2012 7:47:29 AM PST by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
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To: SeekAndFind

cometence is not the issue..appealing to the millions of immigrants (legal and illegal)who out vote us is an issue..better yet maybe a mulim would have won considering the pull they have in this country


39 posted on 11/08/2012 7:55:51 AM PST by dalebert
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To: mosaicwolf

I think after Obama got elected the idea that anyone ever again would be deemed “unqualified” went out the window.


40 posted on 11/08/2012 8:10:46 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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