Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Mitt Romney Lost
newsmax ^ | November 7, 2012 | Christopher Ruddy

Posted on 11/07/2012 3:31:00 PM PST by all the best

It was the worst of times and the worst of times.

With the 2012 election results in, there are no short- or even medium-term "silver linings" for Republicans.

President Barack Obama has won a decisive victory and the GOP, expecting to gain Senate seats, actually had a net loss of three.

The "morning after" will bring the expected explanations and after-game quarterbacking. Still, it is important that the GOP understand why we lost this one in hopes of future victory.

Perhaps the easy explanation is that two hurricanes and two betrayals by Chris Christie killed Mitt Romney's chances.

The first hurricane was Isaac, the one that skirted Tampa in late August during the Republican convention. That one seriously disrupted the official schedule.

GOP star Marco Rubio — who gave the best speech of the convention — was bumped off prime-time TV coverage, and so was the video biography "introducing" Mitt to the nation.

Aging actor Clint Eastwood was scrambled into the schedule to offer a funny but often incoherent monologue with an empty chair. He stole Mitt's show. And prime-time keynoter Chris Christie barely mentioned the nominee or Obama in a speech that sounded like the New Jersey governor was pumping his re-election.

The ground lost in Tampa wasn't regained until the first debate in Denver, when Romney shined. It was the first, best, and last time he would really sparkle.

As a result of the debates, by late October polls showed that Romney was finally beginning to see a surge.

Then the second hurricane, Sandy, struck on Oct. 29. The campaign went into “freeze” mode while Obama swung into “commander in chief” mode. Romney's surge was suddenly frozen too.

Enter Iago.

It was perfectly fine for Chris Christie to join with Obama in the wake of the crisis. But...

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012analysis; 2012electionanalysis; election; romney
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last
To: ThePatriotsFlag

Which is why we will continue to vote liberal leaders each and every election. Conservatism is doomed.


41 posted on 11/07/2012 4:18:37 PM PST by ObozoMustGo2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Tau Food

“This conservative didn’t want Obama or Romney.”

Well, you don’t always get what you want in this world.


42 posted on 11/07/2012 4:20:00 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: all the best
I've read a lot of day after threads, seen a lot of punditry on the ture.

No one has mentioned the referendum on Socialized Medicine.

"I will repeal Obama Care on day one."

The Obammunist is re-elected.

yitbos

43 posted on 11/07/2012 4:20:51 PM PST by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds." -- Ayn Rand)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: all the best
1 - The promise of free stuff trumps freedom

2 - The message "You are very important, get high, screw, fight amongst yourselves, music is very important, celebrities are very important, Don't worry we'll handle all the boring stuff for you" is very powerful.

44 posted on 11/07/2012 4:21:39 PM PST by MrBambaLaMamba (This Message Contains Privileged Attorney-Client Communications)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: all the best

Can anyone name me the last time that the less charismatic, more emotionally detached presidential candidate won? It wasn’t Kerry, Gore, Dole, Dukakis, Mondale or Bush, Sr. against Clinton...

Even Slate agrees that this campaign was not won on the issues, but was won on the fact that the “swing” voters think Obama “feels their pain” more, even though they readily admitted in exit polls that Romney’s policies would be better for the economy. That is the kind of dimwitted, mush-brained, middle-of-the-road voter that seems to always decide presidential elections, at least since suffrage.

http://news.msn.com/politics/how-barack-obama-won-four-more-years


45 posted on 11/07/2012 4:22:35 PM PST by JediJones (Vote NO on Proposition Zero! Tuesday, November 6th!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Just mythoughts

“Romney then gets exposed as privately besmirching 47% of Americans... Romney was a horrible moderate candidate. “

The Bloomberg mentality.


46 posted on 11/07/2012 4:22:39 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Adder
it was fraud...the turnout was great by all accounts...something happened..either with the machines, those who tabulated the results, etc....

Romney ran a great campaign...proud of him...

but what do you do when the election is stolen by the other party?....Soros owns the company in Spain who officially counted the votes...

47 posted on 11/07/2012 4:23:25 PM PST by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Tau Food
he never masqueraded as anything more than a successful businessman, a father, and a former governor....

I just love how so called freepers and patriots can think of nothing better to do than attack its own...

Romney was basically 24/7 campaigning ......

the votes were there and then just disappeared....

48 posted on 11/07/2012 4:27:06 PM PST by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: NoLibZone
We can’t outspend them.

Quite true. The anti-Romney ads were run by planned parenthood (with our tax money) here in Virginia about every 10 minutes on the country music station. We had no chance once the stupid women (note there are obviously smart and stupid women just like men) got motivated to get out on Tuesday. Also several anti-Romney fliers a day in my mailbox.

49 posted on 11/07/2012 4:27:06 PM PST by palmer (Jim, please bill me 50 cents for this completely useless post)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: all the best
There's only one reason worth discussing:

1. Romney simply didn't do enough to make people excited about voting for him.

Take that simple statement, and you can translate it to any demographic group.

"A lot of middle-class white voters didn't support Romney because ..."

"A lot of Hispanic voters didn't support Romney because ..."

"A lot of Christians didn't support Romney because ..."

"A lot of strong conservatives didn't support Romney because ..."

I said early this morning that I suspect a lot of people right here on FreeRepublic -- including many who are gnashing their teeth about this election right now -- never cast a vote for Romney yesterday.

50 posted on 11/07/2012 4:27:38 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("If you touch my junk, I'm gonna have you arrested.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JediJones

“Even Slate agrees that this campaign was not won on the issues, but was won on the fact that the “swing” voters think Obama “feels their pain” more, even though they readily admitted in exit polls that Romney’s policies would be better for the economy. That is the kind of dimwitted, mush-brained, middle-of-the-road voter that seems to always decide presidential elections, at least since suffrage.”

That’s why those GOP-e women cried and begged for Christie to run. They didn’t just want a RINO. They knew if they didn’t have a ‘dude’ they’d be in trouble.


51 posted on 11/07/2012 4:30:06 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: all the best
I believe that we lost due to massive voter fraud. Call me a conspiracy nut, but Romney had everything in his favor, i.e. huge numbers at his rallys, Republican registration at an all time high, reports of Indpendents siding with Romney. I just don’t believe Obama won honestly.
52 posted on 11/07/2012 4:30:30 PM PST by diamond6 (Pray........pray very hard!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KSCITYBOY

I think there will be a backlash. I wonder how many of those millions that voted for Obamagabe are actually willing to fight for him.


53 posted on 11/07/2012 4:30:45 PM PST by SkyDancer (Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church shows up at your funeral)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: all the best

Bottom line is the “swing” voters are too ignorant or dumb to really understand the issues. Their thinking goes something like this, “I don’t really know what issues are important or what should be done about them, so in my ignorance I’m just going to pick the candidate who I feel cares more about me, because I assume he’s more likely to come down on my side of whatever issue comes up.”


54 posted on 11/07/2012 4:31:17 PM PST by JediJones (Vote NO on Proposition Zero! Tuesday, November 6th!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

” I said early this morning that I suspect a lot of people right here on FreeRepublic — including many who are gnashing their teeth about this election right now — never cast a vote for Romney yesterday. “

They counted on the less ‘pure’ conservatives to do their work for them.


55 posted on 11/07/2012 4:33:02 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: cherry
Well, I urge you to google "severely conservative" to find out whether I made up that term or whether it was Romney who decided to pose as "severely conservative." People didn't buy it; they know he's a liberal. Like I said, he was inauthentic.
56 posted on 11/07/2012 4:33:41 PM PST by Tau Food (Praise God. Trust God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Just mythoughts
Interestingly, I think the OWS crowd may have been much more tuned into this nation's affairs in 2012 than most of us might think. One exit poll number I saw last night that startled me said that Obama had only won something like 56% of the 18-29 age group. That was shocking, when you consider how enthusiastic they were about him in 2008.

Upon further reflection it made more sense. Those 18-22 year-olds from 2008 -- many of whom ended up camped out at OWS rallies -- are now college graduates who haven't been gainfully employed in four years. Some of them may have voted for Romney, but I'm sure a ton of them simply sat this election out.

57 posted on 11/07/2012 4:33:47 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("If you touch my junk, I'm gonna have you arrested.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

“Remember the way we felt on 9/11? That just how I feel now. America as a nation is no more.”

Emotionally, this is where I am and have to be....

http://youtu.be/LflWCVrux20

It will take a revolution of some kind to bring this nation back, if that happens I will be there or help make it happen, but being in California, I have lost everything doubly so and there is no hope.


58 posted on 11/07/2012 4:34:44 PM PST by Names Ash Housewares ( Refusing to kneel before the "messiah".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TruthWillWin
The simple reason he lost was because less Republicans (and perhaps Independents) voted in 2012 than in 2008.

Hard to understand why, Romney ran a much better campaign than McCain?

That's easy.

McCain picked a movement Conservative as his running mate. Sarah Palin galvanized the base and attracted a much higher turnout.

59 posted on 11/07/2012 4:36:33 PM PST by Bratch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: all the best
8 good points

8 irrelevant points.......The country has passed the tipping point where conservatism once ruled. Had Reagan been the candidate, he likely would have lost too.......

There is a new voting community out there, young people who have been indoctrinated by our liberal public schools and universities, the third generation of welfare recipients, the growing numbers of environmentalists and the over powerful MSM that is now the propaganda machine for the leftist movement.

As a side note, I sincerely doubt that J. F. Kennedy would even have survived a democrat primary today.............

Our cultural and political values are shifting left and the only way a Republican will ever be able to get elected president is if we start embracing the philosophies that we are staunchly against. Then that defeats everything we stand for..........

60 posted on 11/07/2012 4:38:07 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Jab her with a harpoon.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson