Romney/Ryan Lose 2012 Election Thread

[visionary]

One of the more fun bits on last night's DS was the clips of Fox frothing heads talking about how Romney was brutally savaged by a distorted Obama-led presentation of who Mitt was, followed by a montage of clips of all the other conservative GOP candidates saying the EXACT same things about Romney before the R convention.

Oh yeah, I remember Newt and Perry were really going after him over 'vulture capitalism'.

I'm surprised there weren't too many ads in the general showing his rivals bashing him during the primaries.

[Jumbo]

Oh yeah, I remember Newt and Perry were really going after him over 'vulture capitalism'.

I'm surprised there weren't too many ads in the general showing his rivals bashing him during the primaries.

I thought for sure Obama's campaign would have used more clips of Mitt's rivals in the GOP slamming him so mercilessly.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Click on the link to read the rest.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss

Adviser: Romney "shellshocked" by loss

Mitt Romney's campaign got its first hint something was wrong on the afternoon of Election Day, when state campaign workers on the ground began reporting huge turnout in areas favorable to President Obama: northeastern Ohio, northern Virginia, central Florida and Miami-Dade.

Then came the early exit polls that also were favorable to the president.

But it wasn't until the polls closed that concern turned into alarm. They expected North Carolina to be called early. It wasn't. They expected Pennsylvania to be up in the air all night; it went early for the President.

After Ohio went for Mr. Obama, it was over, but senior advisers say no one could process it.

"We went into the evening confident we had a good path to victory," said one senior adviser. "I don't think there was one person who saw this coming."

They just couldn't believe they had been so wrong. And maybe they weren't: There was Karl Rove on Fox saying Ohio wasn't settled, so campaign aides decided to wait. They didn't want to have to withdraw their concession, like Al Gore did in 2000, and they thought maybe the suburbs of Columbus and Cincinnati, which hadn't been reported, could make a difference.

But then came Colorado for the president and Florida also was looking tougher than anyone had imagined.

"We just felt, 'where's our path?'" said a senior adviser. "There wasn't one."

Romney then said what they knew: it was over.

[nonniey]

Click on the link to read the rest.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss

I think they truelly believed that they would significantly improve over the numbers McCain had. I know I did, heck I think most people thought this and the question was would it be enough to overcome the decline in Obama's 2008 votes. Turns out support for the President actually collapsed to the point even a very small improvement over McCains numbers would have won it for Romney. The problem is the Republican vote declined significantly as well and no one saw that coming.

[Prosperity]

Click on the link to read the rest.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss

These people must have been truly delusional then.

[thebluefood]

These people must have been truly delusional then.

I dunno about all that. Yes, maybe they were a bit over confident about Romney winning easily, but I can't blame them for their reactions to all this. Think about all the blood, sweat and tears they put into this campaign. If after all that time and effort you lose the election, and by a pretty hefty margin in the electoral college, after many polls assured you it was at least going to be close, you'd be shell shocked, too.

[Unforgiven]

I'm not sure if this was posted earlier elsewhere but Rachael Maddow tweeted this tonight.

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/334783.php

It's a first person account of Romney's Project ORCA. It really shows the level of organization they had for their ground game on election day, it's no wonder Obama's team killed them in this regard.

[Prosperity]

I dunno about all that. Yes, maybe they were a bit over confident about Romney winning easily, but I can't blame them for their reactions to all this. Think about all the blood, sweat and tears they put into this campaign. If after all that time and effort you lose the election, and by a pretty hefty margin in the electoral college, after many polls assured you it was at least going to be close, you'd be shell shocked, too.

Shell shocked? Maybe. I understand being disappointed, but I don't understand how professional political strategists were certain they would win. Fact is, at best the race was a toss up, but there was tremendous amount of evidence that Obama was the favorite going into this race. If they were surprised it is because they didn't know what they were doing. They didn't know what they were doing because they surrounded themselves with people who were more concerned about spinning and soothsaying than actual evidence and analysis. They were flabbergasted because they did not entertain opposing ideas. I can understand rank and file party folks favoring overly optimistic outlets like Unskewed polls. But, people who are paid for this? People's who's jobs it is to win elections? No. They really should have known better. But they didn't because they believed their own lies.

[spjunkies]

I don't think I've ever observed a phonier person in my life.

Fitting first response about this guy.

Now he can fade away from my memory forever

[brandymac27]

Now he can fade away from my memory forever

We can only hope.

[greenspandan]

They actually do with minorities. Hispanics/Blacks are a conservative culture in general. Talk to most of them on their political views & sound republican to me. I lean liberal myself, but I'm surprised the minorities swing that way.

this is true. Repblicans are leaving a lot of votes on the table with socially conservative and evangelical blacks and hispanics.

but when the GOP lashes out and labels ANY minority that votes democrat as lazy and looking for a handout and simply voting for dependence on government, it's insulting and comes off as racist (hint: because it is), and trust me they are not making any new friends with that rhetoric.

but the white base eats it up like candy (even the ones on public assistance themselves, weirdly) and regurgitates it all over facebook and news comment sections, with far less careful word choice and semantic nuance, laying bare the basic point far more honestly than the professional candidates would ever dare, but honestly the sentiment is the same anyway.

it is the most damaging thing of all to the republican brand, and it's a habit they can't seem to kick.

people didn't vote for obama because they wanted a handout. (although, ironically, a lot of rich people DID vote for mitt for that very reason!)

[mistertim]

but the white base eats it up like candy (even the ones on public assistance themselves, weirdly)

I've always found this to be so odd as well but I think a lot of it may come down to the way the politicians and commentators on the right frame the debate and, more specifically, the exact words and phrases they use. You never hear the words "medicare" or "medicaid" or other programs that are gov't funded when someone on the right is going off on the "moochers". You hear "food stamps" and "welfare" over and over and those are absolutely 100% dog whistle code words that have racial undertones.

Because of the attacks of the past and the racial politics involved those words carry a behind the scenes meaning of "lazy black people" (or "blah people" as Rick Santorum would call them) and I think that might be what a lot of the white people who are on some form of gov't assistance but still go off about "moochers" lean on, even if it is subconscious: "Oh...its those lazy moochers. The minorities. Welfare queens. Food stamps. I'm not one of THOSE people. Not me."

It really irks me that that nonsense still works. But it does, and they know it.

[Burgold]

I'm sure this will help their cause :doh:

http://dailycurrant.com/2012/11/08/santorum-i-vote-romney/

Santorum Claims Homosexuals Stole Election

Former Pennsylvania Senator and GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum has claimed that a 'homosexual cabal' stole Tuesday's presidential election.

The conservative catholic politician told CNN this morning that something about the official numbers "just didn't add up" and was forced to draw the only obvious conclusion:

"I see the hand of the homosexual in this massive election fraud," Santorum explained, "Romney was tied or leading in most polls before the election. And then he loses?... Homosexual dirty tricks. It's is the only explanation that makes sense."

[mistertim]

Rick Santorum sees homosexuals everywhere. Wonder why that is...

"Homosexual dirty tricks"

And no, Rick, they were not leading or tied in most polls. They were leading or tied in the Romney team's internal polling and in the polling that happened in the heads of the right wing media. The vast majority of credible public polls showed a relatively small but steady lead for Obama throughout the battleground states.

[FanboyOf91]

Duh.

[Dan T.]

I'm sure this will help their cause :doh:

http://dailycurrant.com/2012/11/08/santorum-i-vote-romney/

Santorum Claims Homosexuals Stole Election

Former Pennsylvania Senator and GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum has claimed that a 'homosexual cabal' stole Tuesday's presidential election.

The conservative catholic politician told CNN this morning that something about the official numbers "just didn't add up" and was forced to draw the only obvious conclusion:

"I see the hand of the homosexual in this massive election fraud," Santorum explained, "Romney was tied or leading in most polls before the election. And then he loses?... Homosexual dirty tricks. It's is the only explanation that makes sense."

Burgold, Jonathan Swift called. He'd like a word with you.

[JimboDaMan]

Burgold, Jonathan Swift called. He'd like a word with you.

I wouldn't be overly shocked if Santorum really thinks that, but I'd be surprised to hear it spoken out loud.

edit: Elton John is a homosexual? Who knew?

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

this is true. Repblicans are leaving a lot of votes on the table with socially conservative and evangelical blacks and hispanics.

Maybe, but this is going to be less and less true.

George W. Bush was probably the most AA friendly Republican politician EVER (two blacks to SoS, and 4 blacks to his cabinet overall, he made overt attempts to win their votes, and a big part of his ownership society rhetoric was aimed directly at upwardly mobile middle-class African-Americans), and he could still only carry the same 5-7% of the black vote every GOP presidential candidate carries. Granted, he won Ohio because he got 13% but still. And that ship has sailed since 2008, probably permanently. And I don't think any GOP president will ever win 40% of the Hispanic vote ever again, maybe unless we get a Jeb/Rubio ticket, and I don't think either Jeb or Rubio can get out of a GOP primary unless the guys who pull the strings decide to disregard his still toxic last name and go all in on Jeb as the last hope for the GOP)

Also, and more importantly, black AND hispanic social conservatism has swung massively the other way, if you judge it by positions on marriage equality. Right now, a majority of blacks AND a majority of Hispanics are pro-marriage equality. And even the most hardened social conservatives are now at least willing to listen because Obama supported it.

And if they tone down the xenophobia and racial undertones, it'll depress the turnout of the xenophobic base in the short term, while failing to really win back any of the minority voters they lost.

Also minorities are absolutely fiscally liberal, and the young vote is well to the left of even the Dems.

Imo I think we're looking at another 20-30 year run of liberal ascendancy. Might be too early in the game to make that call but:

- Growing minority population that is NOT going to move into the GOP fold in enough numbers to win,

- Declining white base that is aging out of the voting pool

- Young voters 18-29 are more liberal than ever, especially on social issues (unlike the Boomers, in which a lot of attention was given to a fringish 10-15%, the Millenials are actually a truly left-leaning generation)

- No Cold War to scare voters on foreign policy, and while the War on Terror is still raging, Obama's been so strong on it that he's largely broken the "weak Dem on defense" myth. Killing OBL is going to resonate far past this election imo and the whole Benghazi non-controversy was the GOP sensing this and trying desperately to stem the tide.

Dems could really lock it down, though, if they rolled back some of the infringements on civil liberties like warrantless surveillance and the like, and legalized marijuana.

[GoSkins0721]

And no, Rick, they were not leading or tied in most polls. They were leading or tied in the Romney team's internal polling and in the polling that happened in the heads of the right wing media. The vast majority of credible public polls showed a relatively small but steady lead for Obama throughout the battleground states.

Is this just math that you do as a republican to make yourself feel better or is this real? - Megyn Kelly to Karl Rove

[twa]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83564.html

Texas politicians said Thursday that the Lone Star State offers key insight into the Hispanic vote, a demographic that has been the subject of considerable discussion — especially among Republicans — in the wake of the election.

“Texas is a way forward to show that you can be very conservative and talk about the issues that Hispanic small business people and people who want their kids to get a good education embrace,” said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) on CNN’s “Starting Point.” “I get a very large percent of Hispanic votes, as did George W. Bush. It’s doable for sure at a national level if we kind of follow the Texas model.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83564.html#ixzz2BjUtnP92

give them a reasons and a person worth voting for and you will win

[spjunkies]

I'm sure this will help their cause :doh:

http://dailycurrant.com/2012/11/08/santorum-i-vote-romney/

Santorum Claims Homosexuals Stole Election

Former Pennsylvania Senator and GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum has claimed that a 'homosexual cabal' stole Tuesday's presidential election.

The conservative catholic politician told CNN this morning that something about the official numbers "just didn't add up" and was forced to draw the only obvious conclusion:

"I see the hand of the homosexual in this massive election fraud," Santorum explained, "Romney was tied or leading in most polls before the election. And then he loses?... Homosexual dirty tricks. It's is the only explanation that makes sense."

This HAS to be from the Onion

[AsburySkinsFan]

Is this just math that you do as a republican to make yourself feel better or is this real? - Megyn Kelly to Karl Rove

That was such a beautiful moment. I love that she then picked up a handheld mic and went down to interview the folks in the internal voting center of Fox who then explained why Rove was a moron.

Heck, I've got friends who believe that once all of the votes are counted that Romney will win the popular vote, all because they believed the Fox News numbers which were (as Dick Morris said) based on 2004 turn-out rather than the 2008 turn-out because they didn't want to believe that the electorate had changed so quickly. And in one night we see ever so clearly what i looks like when the walls of the echo chamber collapse under the weight of reality.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 09:19 AM ----------

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83564.html

Texas politicians said Thursday that the Lone Star State offers key insight into the Hispanic vote, a demographic that has been the subject of considerable discussion — especially among Republicans — in the wake of the election.

“Texas is a way forward to show that you can be very conservative and talk about the issues that Hispanic small business people and people who want their kids to get a good education embrace,” said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) on CNN’s “Starting Point.” “I get a very large percent of Hispanic votes, as did George W. Bush. It’s doable for sure at a national level if we kind of follow the Texas model.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83564.html#ixzz2BjUtnP92

give them a reasons and a person worth voting for and you will win

Yep, and I'm willing to bet that Hurchison doesn't talk about self deportation, but then I figure she'd fare about as well as Huntsman in the GOP primaries.

[Going Commando]

Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing a candidate (or Party) that was middle-left on social issues, and slightly right on economic issues (by today's standards). I think that's what's next.

That's pretty much Obama and the Democratic Party.

[greenspandan]

Click on the link to read the rest.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss

This is 100% due to the Republicans getting ideologically sloppy over the last 12 years or so. They refuse to acknowledge any information that isn't what they want to hear. They've become so cowardly that they refuse to look even at raw data objectively, and so they get blindsided by reality when their fortress of bull**** suddenly collapses. It was easy to see -- in fact it was almost unavoidable -- that Obama had a slim but tangible lead going in to election day. An overwhelming majority of polls painted that picture, particularly in the swing states. But Republicans had spent so much time only accepting the data points they WANTED to be true, that they were completely unprepared. It's a good thing Mitt lost: a good leader must be smart enough to asimilate all information, both good and bad, into his decisionmaking process.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 09:32 AM ----------

This HAS to be from the Onion

daily currant is sort of an onion clone that isn't as brilliantly satirical, instead it goes for more "realism" and gets confused as a real source more often.

[mistertim]

Yep, and I'm willing to bet that Hurchison doesn't talk about self deportation, but then I figure she'd fare about as well as Huntsman in the GOP primaries.

Yeah, that's the biggest difference, I think. Hutchison and W were at least somewhat friendly towards immigrants; at the very least they weren't openly hostile towards them in the way that many in the current GOP seem to be.

It's a good thing Mitt lost: a good leader must be smart enough to asimilate all information, both good and bad, into his decisionmaking process.

The fact that Mitt didn't even bother to write anything other than a victory speech spoke volumes to me in that way. Not sure if it was willful ignorance, arrogance, or a combination of both.