Posted on 11/12/2012 6:45:11 PM PST by SquarePants
Romney probably used a lot more than these, but here are a few of his biggest losing strategies I came up with:
1. Nominate a candidate who doesn't represent the core values of your party. Mitt Romney is not now, nor has he ever been, a conservative. Of course, next to Barack Obama, Mitt Romney looks like a conservative, but then next to Obama, Francois Hollande would look like a conservative.
2. Suppress your own vote. The Romney team invested millions of dollars, and gambled election day success, on a program called ORCA, which was designed to centralize (centralize?) the Republican GOTV. Somewhat predictably, the intricate and complex system, which was untested before election day (untested?), crashed and burned when they tried to use it. (Mr. Romney, meet Mr. Murphy. He has a law you may want to familiarize yourself with.) Unfortunately, the Romney team realized this well after they had usurped and dismantled the GOP's local GOTV infrastructure. Which also leaves us wondering just how much the Romney team oversold his managerial prowess.
3. Allow enormous voter fraud. 100 Ohio precincts with Obama winning 99%+ of the vote, including 44 districts in Cleveland? 59 precincts in Philadelphia where Mitt Romney got ZERO votes? In Florida, Romney got less than 1% in Broward County? These numbers would be too suspicious for Hugo Chavez to use to claim legitimacy.. but I guess the GOP just ignores this kind of stuff.
4. Assume that the under-informed voters understand what the hell you're talking about. Paul Ryan seems like a pretty knowledgeable guy, if you're paying close attention. Most people do not pay close attention. People who pay no attention to politics and then, in the last few weeks before an election make up their minds, are often called "under-informed." They may or may not be stupid, but their ignorance of the issues is undeniable. The Romney/Ryan campaign was heavy on wonkery, but weak on visceral pull. An example of Mitt Romney's overestimation of the sophistication of the electorate was when, in the third debate, he took a pass on Benghazi. I think most conservatives (with whom Mitt has only party affiliation in common) winced as Romney walked right past the best opportunity he had to portray Obama as the dishonest fraud he is in terms everyone would understand. Four dead Americans, and a President spinning and lying to mold the narrative to fit his agenda. In the end, Romney failed to differentiate himself from Obama enough for the under-informed voters to pull the trigger for him.
Ultimately the Romney/Ryan ticket will be remembered as proving that ninety minutes of brilliance cannot make up for a poorly run, disorganized campaign with a weak message and hobbled by its standard bearer, and the fact that he did not represent the core of his own party.
Blame Romney, Ryan, ORCA, the GOP, whatever...
Voter fraud is the #1 reason and root cause. Others don’t matter a lick because of voter fraud. Without the voter fraud it would be President Elect Mitt Romney.
Speaking of voter turnout in Minnesota here.... this is really suspect to me...
Dodge: 93.5 percent.
Olmsted: 93.1 percent.
Winona: 92.7 percent.
Mower: 91.7 percent.
Wabasha: 91 percent.
Fillmore: 90.8 percent.
Houston: 89 percent.
Really? That high? When there have been “fewer voters” this time around. Things are not jiving.
And here’s an interesting quote: “We had a couple of machines that pooped out on us, but we got those switched out real fast,” she said.
Really. Hm.
And we have no voter id. Hm. And the voter id provision was knocked down. Hm.
Obama won 127 of the 1077 precincts in Cuyahoga County by 99% or more.
The precincts in question are range in size from 400-1000 registered voters, are almost 99% black, poor, and the turnout of registered voters ranged from 40-70%. Sorry, but there isn't really any evidence of fraud here.
In Florida, Romney got less than 1% in Broward County?
Since people proved that they will vote for whoever has a (R) after thier name, expect the same in 2016.
It’s been reported that in 21 precincts in Cleveland that Romney got 0 votes. While this is true, Obama’s total in those 21 precincts was 5978. Average Obama total was 284 per precinct. Not a big deal.
ORCA would have made a difference if the application was tested and designed better. I for one am glad Romney tried to somewhat match Obama’s ground game a website/app/texting tools... This is where the RNC needs some work at. They are matching about 35% of the DNC’s technological advatage.
We were played for fools
Romney ran the ultimate pump amd dump scam of the electoral history
NExt election the RNC and Super PACs need to allocate lots and lots of money toward post election voter fraud REGARDLESS of if the DNC or RNC win specific elections. This is a must.
As you said almost 99% of voters in those precincts are black...and somehow conservatives think that blacks -- who voted for Obama 95-5% around the country -- should they vote for Obama 100-0% in given precincts is somehow surprising?
ESPECIALLY when Obama's opponent was a multi-$million contributor to an organization who thru 1978 (when Romney was 31) essentially had a sign on its temple, "Blacks, other non-White colors, keep out...til you become more 'white and delightsome.' No blacks allowed to be married in this temple."
Now, obviously the Lds church had no such literal signs on their temples; but they might as well have...blacks -- and other minorities -- could NOT be married in their temples thru June of 1978 solely because of their skin color! They were NOT allowed to receive temple recommends; and male blacks were NOT allowed to be part of a "priesthood" that Mormons even allow 12 yo white boys to be!
And somehow, with this racist baggage in Romney's past...something the GoP-e knew about, they still thought it would somehow be a "non-issue" to minority voters??? Especially vs. a foe like Obama -- of all opponents???
How mind-numbing can you get?
And then people are actually flabbergasted that Romney couldn't somehow capture a single vote in ALL kinds of black precincts around the country? And couldn't even garner 6% of the overall black vote?
Heck, per Pew Forum exit polls, Romney couldn't even get more of the Mormon vote than the white Evangelical vote!!!! (78-21% vs. 79-20%)
So that likely meant that almost half-a-million Mormons voted for Obama!!!!!
We tried & tried & tried -- for FIVE years -- on FR to warn people about these obvious flaws...that Romney would NOT appeal to minorities...and that even so-called "conservative value" Mormons wouldn't be able to tell the pro-abortion, socialist healthcare difference 'tween the two major (liberal) candidates!
There is maybe a million votes in Broward County. There apparently were a lot of precincts reporting turnout of 90+ to 100% turnout with 99% for Obama. The turnouts and percentages are highly suspect. Such is the case in Allen West’s contested race in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties.
I think in hindsight one big mistake Mitt Romney made was to not offer a specific speech to Christian conservatives. He could have arranged a speech with leaders and congregants from major Protestant and Catholic leaders, offering alliance in matters of real importance to people of faith.
It would have gone a long way to engage and include Christians and let them know that in spite of religious differences, we have so much in common and face a common opponent to our culture. George W. Bush succeeded in his rise and reelection in good part from his Bob Jones University speech. The Left attacked him badly for it. That’s how we know it was effective.
That’s a good point. Romney alienated evangelicals by excluding them from the convention as well. I think another great idea would have been to have Sarah Palin speak to the convention. Oh well...
This is what happens when you pick the electable candidate.
This is what happens when you pick the electable candidate.
Romney really , really wanted to be president. He had a lot of money. Political consultants noticed that Romney had a lot of money and that he really wanted to be president. This made him vulnerable to the con. First they had to get rid of Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Herman Cain and others. Then they had to get Romney nominated. Then they could make a lot of money advising Romney and promising to make him president. Romney wanted to honor his late father by getting to be president. Someone quoted David Mamet on this board saying “If you are in a con and you don’t know who the mark is, you are the mark”. Romney was the mark. Romney really wanted to be president.
Bingo. I feel ad or him since it seems he did not realize is.
5. Ignore Conservative Talk Radio where your real supporters would be listening.
6. Be a mAsshole. Alienate your base and “never light your hair on fire”.
“Since people proved that they will vote for whoever has a (R) after thier name, expect the same in 2016.”
Stump broke for Jeb Bush. Hell, stump broke for Lindsey Graham if the Geriatric Old Plotters put him up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.