What Mitt Romney's victories have in common: a low Republican turnout

The Telegraph UK ^ | 2/1/2012 | Mike Smithson

[GVnana]

The Florida primary overnight has produced the thumping victory for Mitt Romney that the polls were predicting. But what might be worrying GOP strategists is that turnout was down sharply compared to four years ago. Florida will be one of the critical battlegrounds in November and the last thing the party wants is for Republican-inclined voters to be less enthusiastic.

The New York Times's election and polling analyst, Nate Silver, has done some number-crunching using the exit poll data from the four states that voted in January and finds that there is a pattern. In Iowa the number of self-identifying Republicans was down by 11%, in New Hampshire 15% the reduction was 15% while in Florida overnight it was 16%.

Romney, of course, won New Hampshire and Florida and came within 34 votes in Iowa.

The exception is South Carolina, which Newt Gingrich won a week and a half ago, where there was a 20% increase on four years ago in the number of Republicans voting.

[Mountain Mary]

Excellent analysis, TF. Right on...

[Mountain Mary]

I am telling you right now that if Romney ends up being the nominee... Texas will be in play in the general.

I knew I loved your state, TF.

[Theodore R.]

Do you see Dewhurst as unstoppable for the Senate? Maybe Dewhurst can carry Romney to victory in the fall.

[factmart]

F*** Romney and all who vote for him,

[donna]

Don’t I know it. Too much money to be made with slave wages - why else would smart men give away our citizenship for cheap.

[Once-Ler]

Thanx for posting that story. I hadn’t heard about it before so I did a search and found it listed as true on snopes.

[fight_truth_decay]

Palin came out and said it was not Bachmann’s time yet.
Could not have made Bachmann’s too happy the opposite of an endorsement.

Romney in double digits means someone voted
Repubs are fewest in # now...
The rate it is going will no longer be a duopoly as voters sick of both parties. Independents tend to be more moderate

Voters are just sick of Washington...these candidates all qualified bear the brunt of it

[fight_truth_decay]

They called a Romney Market today on business channels
Congress can’t go any lower lol

[gunsequalfreedom]

If Romney is the nominee, I will look at other candidates on the ballot to vote for or just wont vote for POTUS.

[gunsequalfreedom]

And we have just heard from a paid online poster from the Romney campaign.

[GVnana]

I think it's very possible that Romney has good qualities. I seriously looked at him in the 2008 campaign.

But I'm not liking his ideas for government. His healthcare initiative for Massachusetts is not something I want to live with. I don't want my choices about my body made by the government. The whole idea is repulsive to me and contrary to every precept of personal freedom I have held dear through my life.

I dread the spectre of crony capitalism in government health care.

I'm in California, so I have not yet witnessed first hand Romney's campaign style. From what I have seen and heard, I am beginning to have a deep dislike of the man. Kinda reminds me of Richard Nixon. While Nixon too had a keen mind, on balance his legacy was not as beneficial to the republic as I would like.

That's part of the reason I support Gingrich. HE GETS IT. He's not just a "fixer" -- he gets the big picture AND the long view.

[iowamark]

Excellent article. It is interesting that this kind of insightful reporting often only seems to appear in the British press.

[Future Useless Eater]

Pushing Pro-abortionist material here on FR are you?

[stubernx98]

I was very anti Mitt, but after reading this piece he gained a few points. I have tested over a thousand people for their management style over the years(running co’s & consulting) Mitt falls into the “results Oriented, and they get their ego satisfaction from getting things done(maybe not the right things) tend to be blunt and are good delegators. While another group (%17) are Influencers and they get their ego satisfaction by controlling other people (politicians, Lawyers, Journ O lists, and used car salesmen. I put Newt in that category.

Re Abortion - I used to be a pro choicer - but then read a study how abortion is changing the gene pool in a negative way. I agree life exists upon conception. So I moved 170 degrees to pro life though choice should still be available with restrictions such as sonograms, counseling and sign off by the DNA proved father. And only in the first 3 months.

[DannyTN]

Character Counts

Yes it does, and Romney just showed his character with

• his smear campaign against Newt.
• his past support of abortion, gay special rights, socialized medicine, anti-gun rights, etc.
• his acceptance of Mormon beliefs that contradict scripture.

  Romney is not a character I want in the white house.

[DannyTN]

Character Counts

Yes it does, and Romney just showed his character with

• his smear campaign against Newt.
• his past support of abortion, gay special rights, socialized medicine, anti-gun rights, etc.
• his acceptance of Mormon beliefs that contradict scripture.

  Romney is not a character I want in the white house.