a) a vocal minority can appear to be a majority, and
b) some FReepers who are the most condemning, eloquent, passionate, and harsh critics of Romney, people whose posts you read and assume they would never under any circumstances vote for a politician they consider so vile and hold in such contempt ... plan on voting for him anyway in their desperation and fear.
I've been compiling a list of FReepers who agree with me that Romney is a bridge too far, and who refuse to vote for him, period. I won't add a name to the list until I see a declaration, or long enough and pointed enough lack of "I'm voting for him anyway" in an in-forum search. This is a list of FRiends, not enemies, and I put it together for the sole purpose of getting a more accurate picture of reality because "things are not always as they seem." I expected that there'd be about 60 FReepers on the list, including myself.
At this point, I've found about 180 FReepers who have outright declared they won't vote for Romney, and easily another two dozen who have as good as said so and I can find no post in-forum, even going back several weeks or more, to indicate otherwise.
Just FYI. I know FR sentiment isn't representative of Republicans in general, but I do know that it's representative of a many of them. As you say, the GOP has a problem on its hands. But it has known that for years -- it is just calling our bluff once again.
In 2008, I voted for McCain for the SOLE reason that it seemed a decent bet to me that Nutso McCain wouldn't last the term and Palin would step in; if not for Palin, my vote woud have gone third party, and it would have been the first time in my 36 years of voting every general and every primary that I'd have declined any Republican on the ballot.
It appears that that sad distinction is going to the general of 2012. :^(
The GOP is calling conservatives' bluff again. This time fewer will fall for it than before.
