Obama shocked, 'slightly irritated' by Mitt Romney's 2012 concession call: David Axelrod

President Obama was shocked and irritated by Mitt Romney's concession call in the 2012 presidential election - and claimed Romney insinuated that Obama won only by getting out the black vote, according to a new book by presidential campaign strategist David Axelrod.

Obama was "unsmiling during the call, and slightly irritated when it was over," Axelrod writes.

The president hung up and said Romney admitted he was surprised at his own loss, Axelrod wrote.

"'You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee,' in other words, black people,'" Obama said, paraphrasing Romney. "That's what he thinks this was all about."

The 488-page memoir, "Believer: My 40 Years in Politics," is due out Feb. 10 from Penguin Press. An advance copy was obtained by the Daily News.

* Shortly after winning the Democratic primary in 2008, Obama briefly considered appointing Hillary Clinton to the Supreme Court.

* Former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was uncomfortable with senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, because of her close personal relationship with the Obamas. "'I don't want to manage the president's best friend," Emanuel said. To get rid of her, he campaigned for Jarrett to run for Obama's Senate seat. But Obama wanted her in the White House and convinced her to abandon the idea.

* Obama complained privately about Biden's long-winded nature when they were senators. "Joe Biden is a decent guy, but man, that guy can just talk and talk," Obama complained to Axelrod at one point. "It's an incredible thing to see."

* The president was so desperate to get then-Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe to support his healthcare plan he joked he would give her the White House if she voted for it. "We'll call it the Snowe plan. Hell, she can live here in the White House! Michelle and I will get an apartment,'" Obama said.

* On a trip to New York City in 2009, then Mayor Mike Bloomberg offered unsolicited advice about Obama's demeanor. "'You know what his problem is? You have to like people to be successful. You have to connect," Bloomberg told Axelrod. "I saw him greet people at the golf course. You probably told him to do it. But he doesn't feel it. You have to have that!"

* In 2007, Obama got a sneak peek at the iPhone during a private meeting with Apple's Steve Jobs. "If it were legal, I would buy a boatload of Apple stock. This thing is going to be really big," Obama said after the meeting.

* Axelrod said Obama in 2004 rejected the idea of being Vice President, telling him in a private conversation: "I can't imagine wanting that job. I'd rather come back and run for Governor after a term than be somebody's Vice President."

* Axelrod claims Bill Clinton offered him the job of communications director on his first presidential campaign in 1992. The job went to George Stephanopoulos after he turned it down.

* But he still tried to save Hillary Clinton from her famous 1992 gaffe about "staying home and baking cookies." After Jerry Brown accused Bill Clinton of "funneling money to his wife's law firm for state business," Axelrod advised keeping Hillary Clinton away from the press. "If it were me, I would not send Hillary out," he told the Clinton camp. "I'd send the Governor out on his own."

Instead, she answered questions from the press and ended up with her famous line: "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas," she said. "But what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession."

“He probably would have won this close election anyway, if it had not been for CNN and Candy Crowley, who colluded . . . “

Politics is a blood sport. Romney and his team agreed to the rules for the debates and the moderators. He knew the moderators were not neutral and Crowley was supporting Obama. He should have expected treachery. When you are under the cameras on live television you have to be on top of your game and even the smallest gaffe can be fatal.

I agree the Crowley incident was the turning point in the Romney campaign. Romney flubbed the chance to turn the tables on Crowley and Obama and by flubbing his response he looked weak. Americans do not want a president who freezes when he is blindsided unexpectedly.

Compare Romney’s behavior to Reagan’s response in the Reagan/Mondale debate when one of the questioners asked Reagan’s ability to perform the job of President due to his age. This was at theme the media and Mondale were trying to exploit, and clearly they hoped Reagan would flub the answer, supporting the elite perception he was a senile old fool. Instead of fumbling over an answer, Reagan turned the tables with the quip, “Not at all, Mr. Trewhitt, and I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Reagan’s remark drew laughs, made a strong point he was more experienced (i.e. qualified) than Mondale, and effectively shut down the Democrat and media mantra that Reagan was old and senile.

What could Romney have done differently? First, like Reagan he could have quipped something like - “I thought I was here to debate Mr. Obama, not the moderator.” If he made the statement with a smile on his face and a chuckle, he would have made the point Crowley was out of line without appearing defensive or mean spirited. He could then have then said virtually anything attacking the President’s policy on Benghazi and not respond at all to Obama’s nit picking accusation he was wrong about Obama’s failure to call it a terrorist incident. If Romney had made a joke and then told the American people why Obama’s policy leading to Benghazi was wrong he would have looked presidential and diminished both Obama and Crowley.

In any event Romney should have won the election of 2012. He lost because:
1) He failed to go on the attack against Obama’s policies. He ignored the opportunity to portray Obama as being over his head.
2) Romney allowed Obama to define him as a wealthy capitalist exploiter who was out of touch with America.
3) He failed to clearly distinguish his policies from Obama (healthcare, immigration, abortion, gun control).
4) He failed to develop a response to the “war on women” theme of the Democrats.
5) He failed to clearly distinguish himself from Obama in the debates.
6) He distanced himself from the Tea Party, thereby failing to capitalize on the Tea Party’s ability to get people out to vote on election day. Instead his own ground game was pitiful.
7) He and his ground team were not prepared to aggressively go after voter fraud during the period when votes were begin cast.
8) He failed to execute his campaign with passion. He didn’t seem to care if he won or lost.
9) He was the wrong candidate for the out of office party to run. Opposition to Obamacare could have been the winning issue in 2012 and a counter to the “war on women” theme. However, as the architect of Romneycare in Massachusetts, Romney could not go on a all out offensive against Obamacare. A candidate who is unable to capitalize on a winning issue, that resonates strongly with the American people, is the wrong candidate.

“He failed to go on the attack against Obama’s policies.”

Over the years, the press has intimidating the Republicans by jumping all over them when they “go negative”. When a conservative, who by definition wants to conserve things that are essential to our culture (like individual freedom and dignity) is running against liberals who “go positive” by making us their grateful serfs, the least the conservatives could do would be to point out that this leads to a dumbed down populace, a permanent welfare refuge for blacks, a 60 percent workforce participation rate, 35 year old upper middle class men living off their parents, and a diminishing standard of living.

Screw the press. Conservatives should sell conservatism instead of apologizing foe it. Its our only hope.

“Conservatives should sell conservatism instead of apologizing foe it. Its our only hope.”

I agree. Unfortunately most self proclaimed conservative politicians (McCain, Romney, Bush, McConnell, Boehner, and most Republican Congressmen and Senators) are not conservative. They are narcissistic elitists who crave the approval of the media and their elite progressive friends.

Real conservatives (Reagan, Palin, Cruz, Walker, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin) are not afraid to sell conservatism and take the flack. Unfortunately there are very few real conservatives prominent in public life. Neither of the national political parties represent conservatives, even though the Republican Party, until the last election cycle, claimed it does. Now GOP leaders are very open about their disdain for conservatives.

A new party, committed to conservative principles is the only answer. The Democrat party has gone full marxist. The monied interests funding the GOP have no interest in conservatism.

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