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"There's a Sense That We Let Mitt Romney Down"
Townhall.com ^ | November 9, 2012 | Guy Benson

Posted on 11/09/2012 4:02:56 PM PST by Kaslin

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To: Catsrus
Romney got crushed by approximately 60 points on the question of which candidate "cares about people like me." This suggests that the Obama campaign's early "kill Romney" approach -- painting the former governor and CEO as an out-of-touch, uber-wealthy, outsourcing robber barron -- worked.

This is the key. This is why all those working-class white voters just plain didn't show up. We had the election in the bag. It was ours to lose. They were never going to vote for Obama no matter what. We only had to come up with an acceptable candidate. And we didn't.

Many of us saw this coming in the primaries. FR helped lead the charge in fighting against a Romney nomination. Why nominate a candidate with 1%'er baggage in a season when class warfare, income inequality, Wall Street distrust and corporate bailouts had already ticked so many people off? What was so great about Romney that made it worth trying to overcome that baggage before even beginning to get our political message out?

Problem is the beltway blue bloods that run the GOP are completely tone deaf to the perspective of the common folk in flyover country. They may have believed Romney was a great candidate. But they are totally blind to the distrust most people have towards people who got super rich by pushing big money around in things like corporate buyouts or stock trades, as opposed to someone they could respect who built a successful company from the ground up, became a rich and famous star through pure talent or came up with a brilliant new invention.

The long primary wouldn't have made a difference. There was no way Romney was going to be able to "define" himself in any way that could overcome the Democrats' negative highlighting of his business career. If you were involved in numerous companies that shut down and created bitter employees to rail against you in ad after ad, that's a little too steep of a hill to climb. Besides, whatever Romney did to define himself in this campaign didn't work out too well. It wasn't the "lateness" of his effort, it was the poorness of his effort and the incredible weight he would have had to lift to make himself seem like he could relate to the common man.

21 posted on 11/09/2012 4:33:27 PM PST by JediJones (Newt Gingrich warned us that the "King of Bain" was unelectable. Did you listen?)
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To: Venturer

I’m looking into my crystal ball for the spelling of the next GOP candidate’s name, it is too fuzzy to make out for sure, but I think it is spelled, “anybody, anything, except for a conservative”.


22 posted on 11/09/2012 4:34:00 PM PST by ansel12 (Todd Akin was NOT the tea party candidate, Sarah Steelman was, Brunner had tea party support also.)
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To: Kaslin
No, the Republican establishment let us all down.......again.

We're sick of the "reach across the aisle" types and are yearning for someone willing and able to kick a$$ and take names.

23 posted on 11/09/2012 4:36:33 PM PST by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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Comment #24 Removed by Moderator

To: ansel12

but but but he has such nice hair and it was his turn too.


25 posted on 11/09/2012 4:45:30 PM PST by Graybeard58 (What G.O.P.e. candidate is in store for us in 2016?)
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To: FURINOS1978
REAL TV ~ REAL SMARMY TV too.

We lost 2006 over sexual matters ~ to wit, too many gay Republicans doing their stuff in public.

When it comes to sex and smarminess and homosexuals and bastardy and every sort of calumny and corruption the Democrats are unexcelled in this country. We need simply do realistic portrayals of real Democrats lying, cheating, stealing, catting around, raping, robbing ~ sitting in jail.

The numbers are on our side.

26 posted on 11/09/2012 4:46:15 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: GeneWil

Romney should have called Obama a failure to his face at the second debate and told him flat out that he was elected to fix things, not to complain about his predecessor. He should have invoked Ronald Reagan. Reagan inherited a worse financial crisis with both high unemployment and rampant inflation. Yet, Reagan was immediately blamed for the country’s economic ills. He did not have an adoring press to cover for him. Reagan never blamed Jimmy Carter. Instead he rolled up his sleeves, got to work and fixed things. He didn’t take exotic vacations and play golf all the time. He held cabinet meetings, worked with Congress and held regular press conferences — remember those? I actually miss Helen Thomas because she reminds me of the time when Presidents of either party had the decency and accountability to go a few rounds with the press.


27 posted on 11/09/2012 4:47:33 PM PST by Atticus
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To: JediJones
This is why all those working-class white voters just plain didn't show up. We had the election in the bag. It was ours to lose. They were never going to vote for Obama no matter what. We only had to come up with an acceptable candidate. And we didn't.

I will never give those traitorous Obama-voters-by-default any excuse for what they did. Those idiots are being turned out of their jobs by the thousands right now. But at least they got to make their statement against the rich guy by staying home and not voting for him.

28 posted on 11/09/2012 4:48:38 PM PST by hopespringseternal
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To: muawiyah

Crack political correctness down the middle everyday and turn the left into outraged Berserkers. Day after day after day...

We would get the youth vote.


29 posted on 11/09/2012 4:51:51 PM PST by donna (Pray for revival.)
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To: Kaslin
"It also suggests that personal connection and relatability are now more important factors in national elections than experience or accomplishment."

So they completely ignored history. This isn't anything new, they've been important for along time for the electorate. Clinton didn't say "I feel your pain" for nothing.

30 posted on 11/09/2012 4:53:11 PM PST by Tigermoth ("...in order to form a more perfect union.....and secure the blessings of liberty..")
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To: Kaslin

Just today, one potential Democrat Presidential candidate, Petraeus, was sent home to make pot holders. John Kerry went after Hillary Clinton. They’re trying to determine their candidate right now.


31 posted on 11/09/2012 4:54:59 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: FURINOS1978

Romney lost because the fix was in. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

We need to stop the “post game analysis” and consider the reality we face - indeed - the reality that pundits and news folk are all leading us away from because it is unthinkable.

No one is really discussing fraud, they are in fact avoiding that discussion, poo pooing it even.

WHY? What entity controls this country?


32 posted on 11/09/2012 4:55:04 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: KittenClaws

Romney had the votes. I know it, you know it, he knew it, the RNC knew it, the democrats knew it.

He had the votes!


33 posted on 11/09/2012 4:58:36 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: KittenClaws

Romney had the votes. I know it, you know it, he knew it, the RNC knew it, the democrats knew it.

He had the votes!


34 posted on 11/09/2012 4:58:36 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: KittenClaws

Romney had the votes. I know it, you know it, he knew it, the RNC knew it, the democrats knew it.

He had the votes!


35 posted on 11/09/2012 4:58:45 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: KittenClaws

Romney had the votes. I know it, you know it, he knew it, the RNC knew it, the democrats knew it.

He had the votes!


36 posted on 11/09/2012 4:58:49 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: KittenClaws

Romney had the votes. I know it, you know it, he knew it, the RNC knew it, the democrats knew it.

He had the votes!


37 posted on 11/09/2012 4:58:49 PM PST by KittenClaws (You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: Tigermoth

Mitt did learn to warm up a little as the campaign season wore on. He told heartwarming stories even if he did not emote very well.

I think he poured on the power too late.


38 posted on 11/09/2012 4:59:59 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (How long before all this "fairness" kills everybody, even the poor it was supposed to help???)
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To: muawiyah

We lost 2006 because we spent years spending money like Democrats... we only got the house back in 2010 because Democrats proceeded to spend like Bolsheviks.


39 posted on 11/09/2012 5:01:57 PM PST by rwilson99 (Please tell me how the words "shall not perish and have everlasting life" would NOT apply to Mary.)
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To: rwilson99

Mark Foley had a lot to do with the loss and you know it. Don’t try covering up for him or his little friends ~ the Republicans who vote do not tolerate that behavior. Democrats don’t care but they know how to stir up the Republican voters to just stay home.


40 posted on 11/09/2012 5:08:09 PM PST by muawiyah
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