I think that both parties lose when they put up an awful candidate. I don’t think it has anything to do with the candidate that wins.
Carter-Reagan - Carter Awful
Reagan-Mondale - Mondale Awful
Bush - Clinton - Bush awful (too liberal and raised taxes)
Dole - Clinton - Dole Awful
Bush - Gore - Gore terrible candidate...too stiff and people were sick of Dems.
Bush - Kerry - Kerry AWFUL
McCain - Obama - McCain AWFUL
Romney-Obama - Romney AWFUL
That to me is the reason in a nutshell. it is pretty simple to see why candidates lose.
You didn’t put Obama in the MOST AWFUL category? Honestly, can you think of a MORE awful candidate in the history of the Republic? A communist agitator, no work experience, no record of any accomplishment, consummate liar, and clearly not very bright. He’s nothing but a tough gay Chicago / Cook County race-baiting political thug who happens to benefit from a dark skin tone that appeals to white guilt and reads words others have written in a manner that a lot of people find appealing.
Seriously, Romney was better on every single measure, but he lost. It wasn’t our candidate; it was a nation that created an electoral coalition of children, minorities and women who want to keep free stuff and the baby-killing machine rolling along.