Biggest mistake of the campaign? Republicans assumed voters were smart

http://www.joepags.com/blog/the-biggest-mistake-this-campaign-republicans-assumed-voters-were-smart/ ^ | Joe Pagliarulo

[oneprolifewoman]

Even if you don't agree with HL Mencken, I think you can kinda see where he was coming from when he said back in the day: "Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. No one in this world, so far as I know—and I have researched the records for years, and employed agents to help me—has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby."

[SquarePants]

With all apologies to PT Barnum, no one even went broke underestimating the American public. And no one ever got elected President overestimating them.

Nominating a candidate who doesn’t reflect the core values of your base and suppressing your own vote doesn’t help much, either.

[indthkr]

Nail —> Head

[ProfoundMan]

Biggest mistake of the campaign? Republicans assumed voters were smart

Hard to say it more succinctly than that, really.

[icwhatudo]

Obama won 70% of the Hispanic vote and the GOP-e response? Grant amnesty and voting rights to 15 million more.

Pass on this vid if you agree how crazy this is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KnXz_qZ5RE

[frnewsjunkie]

The Republicans are terrible at communicating. They do assume everyone knows what they are saying when they say nothing. And when they do speak, it’s with the wrong emphasis and weak words. They don’t know how to repeat.. to drum it in... or to convince.

[rfp1234]

The only effective GOP communication was Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie!”.

[muawiyah]

It's like this ~ the Republican party has been runningon BACKWARDS for several years. Whether or not he was a good manager the Republican party decided to fire their RNC Chairman who'd presided over their biggest victory in 70 years in 2010.

A smart move is to make it look like you are REWARDING victory.

We haven't yet fired Preibus, who presided over another major loss. He should have known to resign as soon as the votes were in. Somebody needs to tell him.

[muawiyah]

Encourage pigeons to roost on government buildings.

[no-to-illegals]

Should have consulted the Wild Angels at Free Republic. Final tonight ... For all the FReepers that are ... Wild Angels ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XyqV3s2BFk

[yarddog]

Why?

To give them Psittacosis?

[Slings and Arrows]

Let me add another Mencken quote:

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
—H. L. Mencken

[mike_9958]

“They gave the American people credit for being smart enough to know better. Millions are and do — but, unfortunately, more millions aren’t and don’t”

Exactly.... in the future politics will be a marketing game... issues and performance may impact 1/2 of the electorate the other half is pure puff. This election should have been a walk... but millions of voters never ever listen to the news - they listen to Vanity Fair, The View and Oprah.

See if conservatives learn.... (we won’t like it)

[Gay State Conservative]

The mistake we made was to assume that voters believed in...and desired...self sufficiency.

[Reddon]

The Republicans are terrible at communicating. They do assume everyone knows what they are saying when they say nothing. And when they do speak, it’s with the wrong emphasis and weak words. They don’t know how to repeat.. to drum it in... or to convince.

And the ones who CAN communicate? Like Rush, Levin, Palin- couldn't get elected to anything in a million years, even if they were willing to run for office. I think a lot of Americans hate these people's guts because they CAN communicate, and more importantly because they can communicate the truth. I think Americans "can't handle the truth" even when they do hear it.

[Just mythoughts]

The Romney of the Florida primary never showed up to challenge Obama. He was as about limp wristed as any politician can be seeking voters love. Romney never included the TeaParty supporters, treated them as if they did not exist. Rather strange given Romney's claim to political fame is Governor of that liberal bastion of saint Ted Kennedy and John F. Kerry, where the first TEA PARTY took place not all that long ago.

Tea Party is NO government mandates/taxation without representation. It is not that difficult of a message to express. But no Romney got neutered and spayed because of his wealth accumulation getting taxed at a capital gains congress created tax rate.

[ari-freedom]

“Obama won 70% of the Hispanic vote and the GOP-e response? Grant amnesty and voting rights to 15 million more.”

And the conservative response is to either stay home and wait for the perfect candidate or prop up candidates like Joe “Berlin Wall” Wilson and Todd Akin.

[Liberty Wins]

The Republicans are terrible at communicating.

One of the iron rules in advertising is that a consumer has to see or hear a message a minimum of 25 times before they decide to act.

[bigbob]

Yup. Next time I’m watching O’Reilly and he sends Jesse Watters to to see how many people think Joe Biden got elected because he’s black, I’ll remember Mencken’s words.