Turnout Proves That Mitt Really Did Scorch the Earth (three states held votes and nobody came)

American Thinker ^ | 02/09/2012 | C. Edmund Wright

[SeekAndFind]

The real story of the three results from Tuesday night is not that Rick Santorum picked up some wins -- though that is big. No, the real story is that three states held votes and nobody came. Almost nobody, that is. Consider that the total turnout for Missouri, Colorado, and Minnesota combined was barely over half of the turnout of South Carolina alone and -- worse yet -- barely over half the turnout for the same three states in 2008.

Thus, after South Carolina's record-setting primary turnout, the Republican Party has now seen a total of five events in a row where turnout was down compared to 2008. This includes the three events from this week along with Nevada and Florida.

Yes, something has made Republicans less excited about beating Barack Obama than they were about John McCain maybe replacing George W. Bush. Who knew that was even possible?

What gives?

The answer is fairly clear. The candidates have forgotten about Obama. What has turned folks off is Mitt Romney's scorched-earth campaign, which has managed to unfortunately suck all the rest of the candidates into a circular firing squad of a childish food-fight that is of zero interest to the Republican base voter.

Given that all have entered the negative arena, though, you might ask, Why blame Mitt?

Good question, but it has an easy answer. The Romney campaign and their PACs have the lion's share of the ad money and thus can dictate the ground rules. Also, for the record, they started it, along with Ron Paul in Iowa, in a panicked response to Newt's double-digit lead in the polls. In Florida it got so bad that 99% of Mitt's ads were negative towards Newt Gingrich, and only 1% were positive about Mitt.

[ScottinVA]

The candidates have forgotten about Obama. What has turned folks off is Mitt Romney's scorched-earth campaign

...Which is why neither Romney nor Gingrich have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the general election. Those two aren't Obama's potential opponents.. they're his entertainment.

IMO, the only (and very slim at best) hope is Santorum. None of the others will bring out the conservative base.

Also, the new Ras poll indicating more people than ever before blame Bush for the economy, reversing a trend toward recognition of the truth, tells me the American electorate is brain-dead anyway.

Dear God, please give me reason to hope...

[mtrott]

I agree that the fact that no delegates were actually allocated had to put a damper on enthusiasm. And I also blame low turnout on the caucus format. Why would I go and sit for a couple hours and listen to people blather on about why they support a certain candidate? One of the networks asked the voters at one of the caucus locations how many of them still had not made up their mind on whom they would vote for. About 2 people out of around 40 said they were still open to changing their minds. So, why do they sit around and give their speeches? It seems to me that after all this time and, and after 19 nationally televised debates, folks ought to, and did know whom they were supporting.

[anoldafvet]

It started way before that. Who do you think was responsible for the attacks on Sarah Palin?

[dragonblustar]

FR is painfully slow lately

Nothing can be as painfully slow as trying to load Castleville or Frontierville games on Facebook. It can take about ten to fifteen minutes, then crashes.

[wafflehouse]

Mittens is and always has been a non-starter.
Why go vote if there is no one to vote for?

[al_c]

Then you lose your right to complain if Obama gets a second term.

[saintgermaine]

So called republicans by name only, as not all are “Conservatives”, are going to be surprised if Romney gets nominated but will not be elected. Most “Conservatives” are smart enough to realize that Romney is nothing more than the Kenyan warmed over and the most recent voter turn out appears to prove it. If he is nominated I believe many people will refrain from voting altogether which will assure the re-election of the same curse this country is suffering from. In order for a good portion of Americans to wake up this country will have to hit bottom real hard and the present leader of this show will see to it that it will happen as there is no cure for ignorance and stupidity

[Tammy8]

The other thing that just could be an issue is... conservatives have no clear conservative candidate to vote for. Some people do not want to just vote against someone, they want to actually vote for someone they truly support. Sadly as much as I agree with that, we will have Obama again and future Obamas because of that, if the GOP doesn’t wake up.

[Obadiah]

Then you lose your right to complain if Obama gets a second term.

Well, I certainly don't hold that to be true, but I would consider it a greater evil to vote for Mitt who is nothing more than a trojan horse Obama.

[matthew fuller]

I’ve experienced a hugh slowdown. Seems like it coincides with the current Freepathon?

[Osage Orange]

That sounds series!!

[SoConPubbie]

I totally disagree with the premise of this article.

The light needs to shine on Mitt’s Progressive Liberal record very brightly until he is just a nightmare of a memory.

This focusing on Obama crap is what Romney’s handlers want everyone to do because then they can pump up the volume on their Mr. Inevitable crap and then Romney can go to his standard practice of just saying whatever he thinks the current set of voters wants to hear.

I say keep telling the truth about Romney until he is no longer a threat to Conservatives, the GOP, or this great country, then, and only then, we can nominate someone who can actually beat Obama.

[SoConPubbie]

They’ll turn out in November. But not necessarily to vote FOR the Republican candidate. They’ll be voting AGAINST Obama.

I Hope.

If Mitt Romney is the nominee, your Hope will be a false one.

The base will not turn out for a candidate with the Progressive Liberal record that Mitt Romney has.

And as more and more people get educated about Mitt Romney's past, he is more and more unlikely to get nominated, and if by some fluke he was nominated, it becomes more and more likely he would be slaughtered by Obama in the general election.

[Sal]

Perhaps my grapes were a bit sour. That doesn't change the fact that the analysis and prediction were right on the money. Mitt's scorched earth has indeed come back to haunt not only him, but the entire party. Even Santorum can claim wins only with tiny voter populations that have been carpet-bombed with negativity. He has shown zero ability to promote enthusiasm or turnout either.

In a cycle when primary turnout should be at an all-time high, the hatred the candidates have for each other is trumping their love for the country and turning voters away in droves. There is no way this is a winning strategy in 2012. If one of these candidates does not re-apprehend what the voters are demanding, we will all be losers.

Your analysis and prediction were right on the money! There will be a debate on February 22 before the AZ and Michigan primaries on the 28th.

If Mitt remains scorched earth and the others simply ignore him I will be okay with either Newt or Santorum but will plan to vote for Newt barring extremely low poll numbers. (Same for their ads.)

I am hoping that Newt can rise above his ego and realize that Mitt has exposed Mitt's destructive, dishonest self and people DO NOT LIKE HIM for it!!!

IOW this time Newt doesn't have to respond in kind except maybe to say some variation of "there you go again" maybe adding "with your turnout depressing destructive and false accusations, here's what's important...". Then address the audience at home, remark to US "Please don't let this depress your positive enthusiasm and then give one of his award winning answers.

[wardaddy]

hardly...we get the right to complain that we will not vote for yet another not very conservative GOP nominee

what have we had ..1 conservative...since 1964?

give me a break

I’m 54, first time I’m not gonna play along

[SoConPubbie]

Then you lose your right to complain if Obama gets a second term.

Why?

Why does it become our fault if:

1. The GOP Elite (GOP-E).
2. Moderates
3. Open-Primary Democrats/So-Called Independents
4. Cowardly conservatives who sacrifice their values and principles for the false mantra of either Electability or Inevitability.
5. Mormon Conservatives practicing a Tribal Religious loyalty.

Give us a nominee who has such a Progress Liberal record as Mitt Romney?

How does that become our fault if we choose to value our principles and values and say either write-in, leave blank or vote Third Party for an actual conservative for POTUS?

Your logic is completely faulty.

[Obadiah]

I’m 54, first time I’m not gonna play along.

Dam skippy!

[al_c]

Why? Because it will eventually come down to a contest between two people ... one that leans left, and the other that has proven himself to be a socialist hellbent on taking down this country. Personally, between the two ... I’d rather have the former.

[C. Edmund Wright]

Don’t
Doubt
Me

[redinIllinois]

“Why? Because it will eventually come down to a contest between two people ... one that leans left, and the other that has proven himself to be a socialist hellbent on taking down this country. Personally, between the two ... I’d rather have the former.”

Wrong.

Two business as usual politicians, whose records, while in power, are practically mirror images.

Pay attention to ‘the establishment’ voices, and how often they slip and reveal that it is all for show.

They are trying to convince us that he has changed his beliefs, and he just needs to learns to say the right things to win over the base.

There are a lot of us out here who will not vote for an evil man, even if he has an R by his name.

I will not vote for Romney.