That was one of the points on which we differed.
" It doesn't tell me whether it was the Conservatives or the independents who stayed home."
That's been documented by numerous sources, including Rush Limbaugh, and discussed here at FR. It's easily found by searching the site or putting the keywords into Google. Three million conservatives stayed at home in 2012.
"One thing those numbers do show is that we, Conservatives, are outnumbered. We need candidate who can with both the right and the middle."
You can only think that by ignoring the previous facts, and history itself. Every time we have a moderate candidate who preoccupies himself with snaring the middle, we lose. I really don't understand how many losses it's going to take before people get it.
" That's why I think we'll need to nominate a woman to win in 2016."
Right, that's going to help. Just like blacks flocked to Allen West, Herman Cain, etc.
"But if Cruz gets the nomination, I'm in."
Same here.
That gives you a lot of articles -- or a lot of copies of the same article -- written right after the election. Later on, that view was called into question.
In reality, the exit polls showed that a record 35% of all voters who cast ballots in 2012 identified themselves as “conservative” – which helped to explain why Romney drew more than a million votes more than John McCain, while Obama got nearly four million votes less than he did in 2008. For the victorious George W. Bush in 2004, conservatives amounted to only 34% of those who voted, so their percentage of the electorate actually increased for Mitt Romney. The great Ronald Reagan managed to win a landslide in 1980 with an electorate that included only 28% of self-identified conservatives. Source
It's hard to say just who is a conservative and who isn't, but it doesn't look like more ideologically committed conservatives stayed home in 2012 than in 2008.
Which if true was just over half of Obama's margin of victory in the popular vote.
Every time we have a moderate candidate who preoccupies himself with snaring the middle, we lose.
I never said anything about a moderate woman. Joni Ernst, who I'm hoping is interested in the job, has very solid Conservative credentials.
Right, that's going to help. Just like blacks flocked to Allen West, Herman Cain, etc.
Herman Cain lost because he either couldn't control himself, or folded under false and easily refuted accusations. West didn't run.
Are you against nominating a Conservative woman?