Romneys vote was less than McCains. If he had got just a few hundred thousand votes more votes than McCain , Romney would have won the popular vote and maybe the electoral vote. Honest reporting of the Benghazi might have increased the turnout. The turnout was the lowest in many election cycles.
Yes, that's what happens when Kamikaze Conservatives vote for a third party or sit home when the Republican candidate isn't "conservative" enough for them. We have probably seen our last Republican or "conservative" president because of this juvenile tactic.