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Election Postmortem – The Point Everybody is Missing
Flopping Aces ^ | 11-11-12 | Brother Bob

Posted on 11/11/2012 10:52:27 AM PST by Starman417

By now everybody knows about the results of Tuesday's elections and we've seen tons of analysis. The predominant themes have been that only in hindsight did Romney run a horrible campaign, that the Tea Party extremism had been rejected by the voters, that this is truly Obama's mandate, all of the Republican forecasting models were horrifically wrong, and that the Republican party's only hope is to make drastic changes to its principles if it hopes to survive. Did I miss anything? It's natural to knee jerk or overreact when something unexpected happens, so I have advice for both sides: don't read too much into this election and base your next moves only on what happened Tuesday.

First, for the Democrats, you weren't given a mandate. You scored some impressive wins on Tuesday, and for that I congratulate you. You kept the presidency in a hard fought campaign. You managed to gain seats in the Senate, including one popular figure from your side in Elizabeth Warren retaking Ted Kennedy's old seat in Massachusetts. You got a referendum passed in Colorado legalizing pot, you got gay marriage ballot initiatives through in three states, and in California several measures to raise taxes and restrict economic freedom also went through. Combine this with President Obama's 333 electoral votes and it looks like you've got a clear mandate that the country is shifting leftward, right?

Not quite. When you look at the battleground states the president's victory only came by roughly 350,000 votes. Yes, I now what the final margin in the overall popular vote was certainly more decisive, but keep in mind that the president also got nine million fewer votes than in 2008. The Republicans gained seats in the House, and now has it's largest margin among Governorships that either party has had in 12 years. Your California measures only made an already hostile business climate even worse by raising taxes and assuring that the unions will still be able to force union members to pay for their political campaigning. Expect more businesses to leave your state and unemployment to rise even more. And be careful with the gay marriage wins - your side seems to be even more prone to overreach than the right is. I'm predicting you'll jump the shark on this issue when someone decides to file a lawsuit against a church that refuses to perform a gay marriage. Sadly you'll succeed in turning public opinion on this issue better than any conservative ever could.

Now for the conservatives. Yes, the Romney campaign was not perfect. I'm not even going to bother linking to any of the myriad of post game analysis articles on what went wrong. If you're reading this post you've probably read more than your share already. The day wasn't a complete disaster for the GOP, as seen by my earlier mention of the House and Governorships. Of course, the presidency was the big prize and the failure to defeat such an incompetent president is painful to say the least. While I've seen no shortage of reasons for Romney's loss to Obama, nobody has seen the most obvious reason that Romney failed - there is simply no way he could have beaten Obama.

(excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...


TOPICS: Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: election; obama; romney
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1 posted on 11/11/2012 10:52:31 AM PST by Starman417
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To: Starman417

Until 2008, Romney was Obama, so the fact that he managed to look like a republican candidate at all, is a testament to his pliability with truth.


2 posted on 11/11/2012 10:57:37 AM 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: Starman417

Putting it simply, half of the voting population (minus a very small percentage) supported Romney.

Not bad.

Not enough for a win. But this stat cannot be ignored.


3 posted on 11/11/2012 10:59:24 AM PST by dhs12345
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To: Starman417

Good thoughts, but not a great conclusion.

To say it was impossible for Romney to win because of obumbler’s skills is wrong.

Just look at who voted and who did not vote.

If every professed conservative had voted, obumbler would be looking for a job right not.

Why didn’t they vote?

Because Romney offended them in his treatment of Palin, Paul, Gingrich, Santorum, etc.

And because he did not make use of their talents.


4 posted on 11/11/2012 11:01:34 AM PST by old curmudgeon
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To: ansel12

Good point. I never thought he could run. I thought he was the least likely to be able to win because of Romneycare, and the way Bain Capital would play in some of the battleground states. We all knew he wasn’t a conservative, and that would help to depress some of the Republican base.

Also, it seems to me, the T party came out in full strength in 2010. Not so much in 2012. I didn’t see a lot of news about T party candidates and Palin holding rallies for them.

I am suprised he did as well as he did, all things considered.


5 posted on 11/11/2012 11:09:01 AM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Starman417

The Republican Party needs to stick to Conservative principles and Conservative candidates.

If we begin to chase power and control at the price of our values, we are lost as a country and the Constitutional Republic has failed.


6 posted on 11/11/2012 11:12:57 AM PST by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: Starman417; pookie18
OBAMA SANTA
7 posted on 11/11/2012 11:15:34 AM PST by FrankR (They will become our ultimate masters the day we surrender the 2nd Amendment.)
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To: Starman417

I actually could not disagree with this more. His entire article makes a lot of sense up until his final point...that Obama won because he is so popular and win elections. He has a very good political machine, much as many presidents do, and their strategy worked successfully. He won because they came up with the right strategy executed it against another team that picked the wrong strategy. They only can execute their strategy with a compliant media. Our side has to beat two opponents.

Obama worked to get his approval from 45 to 50 percent between August and October. Our side did not even try to define him in the campaign and assumed that people’s overall dissatisfaction meant they could simply be convinced to go with the other guy if he looked like a palatable alternative. Probably every person on this board with something in the pit of their stomach during the convention as the strategy was becoming clear...Obama’s a nice guy, but his policies failed’. I deferred and didn’t complain, but it didn’t feel like a winer.


8 posted on 11/11/2012 11:15:46 AM PST by ilgipper (Obama supporters are comprised of the uninformed & the ill-informed)
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To: Starman417
The American voters want bread and circuses. Forget Benghazi, Forget the oil crunch. Forget national security. Forget China's manipulation of currency. GIVE US STUFF!

I have read that when the barbarians broke through the gates of Ancient ROME, the population was in the Colosseum watching the Gladiator fights.

9 posted on 11/11/2012 11:24:13 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (The parasites now outnumber the producers.)
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To: dhs12345

And how many of those Romney votes were negated illegally by voter fraud?

I think the general feeling of the voting public is the same as it was before Nov.6. Obama has no more for him now than before. All those former Obama followers who were going to vote against him were caught up in this massive fraud.


10 posted on 11/11/2012 11:25:05 AM PST by Exit148
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To: ilgipper

It does seem that Romney and the convention conservative wisdom is to accept that making your attacks on the person will turn voters off, especially women. Why then was Obama so successful in attacking Romney and making him into a wife killer? The GOP refused to attack the media’s popular president, and by acknowledging the media myth that everyone loves Obama/democrats and we have to separate the man and myth from deeds is indeed a recipe for failure.


11 posted on 11/11/2012 11:29:44 AM PST by Jumper
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To: dhs12345
Fully 2/3 rds of R's votes came from anti”0” repubs. and indipendents. Only the GOPe wanted Mitt. When he bought the nomination many felt it was more important to get rid of Husein.

The three million voters that couldn't hold their nose and vote for Mitt will do so again until they have a conservative running for office.

If the GOP decides they want to become dimms by reaching out for all then they will go the way of the Whig party.

12 posted on 11/11/2012 11:31:11 AM PST by Big Mack (I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat VEGETABLES!)
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To: Jumper

The Republicans need to start using Alinsky tactics on the Rats.....sometimes you do have to stoop down to your opponent’s level.


13 posted on 11/11/2012 11:31:23 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: Starman417

What’s the point that everybody’s missing except Brother Bob the genius of the hour?


14 posted on 11/11/2012 11:35:48 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: Starman417
...don't read too much into this election and base your next moves only on what happened Tuesday.

Oh, really?

...Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ...

When elected officials and bureaucracies act outside the law they are simply lawbreakers. When the majority of the people vote in favor of the lawlessness that has greatly manifested itself in the highest offices they have withdrawn their consent to be governed by a constitutional government. By what legitimate basis does the United States of America, as a Constitutional republic, still exist?

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

'The People' no longer support that. They voted in support of lawlessness from the highest office on down. They voted against the rule of law. By referendum we now have a banana republic. The USAINO.

15 posted on 11/11/2012 11:39:12 AM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: dhs12345
Can we ignore the fact that everyone voted for a liberal?
16 posted on 11/11/2012 11:41:47 AM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: Starman417
this is why he lost

Photobucket

When the country is given a choice between Obama and Obama-lite... we Americans picked the real socialist.

It was all smoke an mirrors, Kabuki theatre.

I say we crater the whole thing. I've limited my self over the last 4 years on purchases of big ticket items and vehicles. My truck is 13 years old, my wife's Suburban is 11 years old and we are just saving our bucks by not vacationing more than once a year for 5 days and being frugal. It's easy getting out of the buy everything new addiction. All that is needed is for my wife to get on disability and just go Galt.

My kids in college are learning about stuff not being free. Welcome to the New World Order.

17 posted on 11/11/2012 11:49:06 AM PST by Dick Vomer (democrats are like flies, whatever they don't eat they sh#t on.)
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To: Starman417

Very few people could have beaten “Baracka Claus”!!


18 posted on 11/11/2012 12:11:13 PM PST by Twinkie (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.)
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To: G Larry

“The Republican Party needs to stick to Conservative principles and Conservative candidates.”

Therein lies the rub. It does not, has not and will not. Ever. It cannot.

If the country moves to the right, the South will continue to give us a fair number of conservatives (think Rand Paul or Jim Demint). As the country moves right, however, the North will also give us Republicans, reflecting the shift in national sentiment. The North will simply give us even more “moderate” Republicans (flaming leftist morons like Snowe, Collins, Jeffords, etc.).

On balance, the Republican Party will lurch leftward even as the country becomes more conservative and moves to the right. It is a lose-lose situation.

The Republican Pary can NEVER move to the right if it expands its base because the expanded base, be it from cities, regions, demographics, whatever, will cause the Party to move left because of the candidates,reflecting the values of those voters, provide. If the Republican Party becomes a true conservative party, it cannot expand its base and grow its influence on national policy matters.

Am I for “liberalising” the Republican Party? No. I think it should become much more closely aligned with the Libertarians and expand its base that way while remaining true to conservatve principles (on economic and Constitutional matters), but that is just me. That, of course, would alienate the morals voters so we are back to square one.

In the future, I refuse to vote for a liberal Republican, no matter what (after Reagan I was forced to vote for Bush, Dole, Bush, Bush, McCain and Romney). To what end? Lousy candidates that were not conservative. I kept picking the lesser of two evils and even had they won (the losers, anyway), they wouldn’t have been conservative.

I am done with my Republican Party affiliation and being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. I will vote for the most conservative candidate, even if it is a third party nobody. The country has now reached the point that it doesn’t matter whom I vote for. I may as well vote out of principle from now on.


19 posted on 11/11/2012 12:23:00 PM PST by FerociousRabbit
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To: Starman417

This might be a good analysis if the author weren’t ignoring the 12,000 lb. canary sitting beside him - the left committed fraud and stole the election.

Look at the numbers. Before the election, zero and Romney were neck and neck - a statistical dead heat (even WITH democrat oversampling!) - and. yet, zero won by ~2%.

The DBM told us that zero’s supporters were “depressed”; at least the ones that still planned to vote for him, NOT the ones who realized what a huge mistake they made in ‘08 and Romney supporters were “energized” to make their own change.

So, how does zero pull out a victory with 23 million unemployed, an economy in the crapper, failed policies littering federal buildings across America and around the world, a crippling debt that is getting higher every day, gas prices that doubled after zero took office (and will soon resume their upward trek)?? How does this happen in light of all of these facts??

Simple. The election was stolen right out from beneath our noses. zero and his union thugs lied, cheated and stole and the rule of law died and the Constitution was shredded.

Now is it beginning to make sense??


20 posted on 11/11/2012 12:30:00 PM PST by DustyMoment (Congress - another name for white collar criminals!!)
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