Posted on 10/27/2012 11:05:03 AM PDT by Steelfish
Portman: 'If We Don't Win Ohio, It's Tough To See Us Winning The Election Nationally' By NBC's Andrew Rafferty
FAIRVIEW PARK, OH -- Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, the chairman of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign in the Buckeye State, said Friday that it would be tough for Romney to win the election without carrying Ohio.
"I'm feeling the pressure not just because I'm chairing the effort here in Ohio, but mostly because I feel the pressure for our country and what's going to happen over the next four years," Portman told NBC News on Friday while traveling between campaign stops for Romney. "If we don't win Ohio, it's tough to see us winning the election nationally. It's possible, but it's very difficult."
Paul Beck, Ohio State University professor, describes the importance of winning Ohio, a battleground with a large number of electoral votes. It's a diverse state with liberals and conservatives matching a cross section of the nation.
Most of the recent attention the Ohio senator has received has centered on the key role he played in Romney's debate preparation and how close he came to being chosen as the GOP vice presidential nominee. But before he took on any of those roles, he was tapped by Romney to lead the former Massachusetts governor's effort in the key battleground state.
"We're doing better in Cleveland, and Cincinnati and Columbus and Toledo where we have some of the numbers of the absentee and early voting, we're doing better than we expected we would," he told volunteers gathered at the Avon Lake Victory Center. "We're exceeding our targets."
(Excerpt) Read more at firstread.nbcnews.com ...
Rob needs to spend more time on FR
Thank you very much, Captain Obvious.
Even if R loses Ohio, [won’t happen] the Obama hemorrhaging is widespread and R will take this election. And yes, it’s good that Portman feels a sense of urgency to win his state.
Just trying to get out the vote. Relax
Wonder if he’s being honest or its a head fake. IA and WI are close and alternative paths to victory.
Someone said on another thread that Obama has a 13 point lead on early voting in Ohio and that 20% over the vote is already in. McCain won the vote on election day in Ohio but lost Ohio due to the early voting. This has me concerned if it is true.
I heard someone on Fox say pretty much the same thing; can’t recall now who it was. But I do think Romney will win Ohio.
“This has me concerned if it is true.”
No need to be “concerned”.
I hope you’re right. From what I have read it is almost axiomatic that if the incumbent doesn’t have 50% going into election day they will lose because undecideds break for the challenger. If that holds, then Romney is golden. But I’ve also read that Obama is trying to overcome this with the ground game in Ohio that he has been building since he was elected. But early indications are that the Republicans have significantly cut the early voting edge the democrats had in 2008 and that the early voting Republicans are more likely to be “unlikely voters” compare to the early voting democrats.
Need more data to feel better.
Chill. Now you’re making me nervous, too.
Agreed.
My emphasis is that you don’t give the enemy any quarter. You don’t give them reason to feel good about the situation.
You do everything to demoralize them and take the dominant position.
Portman is a ‘loserman’ here.
Romney is up 51-46 in Gallup. And 50-46 in Rasmussen.
If those numbers were flipped, I would be concerned. But a challenger, 9 days out, with those numbers nationally will be the next president. Take it to the bank.
Now if Ohio concerns you so much, don’t follow it. Focus on the national polls. The Ohio story is the media’s only remaining narrative. it’s their shiny little object to prop up Obama/Dems until the last possible minute, hoping for a momentum shift.
The polls will never show Romney up in Ohio. But they will tighten even more towards the end of next week.
And when Romney wins the election, and wins Ohio, the media/pollsters will brush it off as a wave election - that Romney’s national mojo finally broke through in Ohio, but too late to show up in their data.
They are so predictable.
Actually Obama can win Ohio, lose CO and WI and lose the election. Contrary to the media generated hype, Ohio is not the sole avenue of victory for Romney.
But it moot because the polling, as if your OWN polling analysis admit, is basing it sample on a minimum of +3 to +9 Dem turn out. Ohio is a 37R-36D state
Actually Obama can win Ohio, lose CO and WI and lose the election. Contrary to the media generated hype, Ohio is not the sole avenue of victory for Romney.
But it moot because the Ohio polling is all is based on a minimum of +3 to +9 Dem turn out. Ohio is a 37R-36D state
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_U.S._states
“Why do we have any Republican saying anything pessimistic about this election?”
Because scared s***less Republicans work much harder for victory & therefore stand a chance.
Complacent ones don’t. Remember “Dewey Defeats Truman”?
One thing that gives me some confidence is that Romney’s actions are those of someone in the lead and Obama’s actions are those of someone who is behind. Take a look at how the two candidates behaved in the last debate. Look at how Obama conducts himself on the stump, attacking Romney (Romnesia).
Now Obama is advertising in Minneapolis and making a campaign stop in Wisconsin. Meanwhile it looks like Romney may be dedicating some resources to Pennsylvania.
These are good signs. Meanwhile I am visiting my liberal parents this weekend and stuck watching CNN. Can’t believe how they cover Sununu’s comment but absolutely nothing about Benghazi.
“Ohio is a 37R-36D state”
Why do you say this? Does this breakdown include the dems early voting advantage?
The dems are saying their ability to get people (including the dead no doubt) to the polls before the election is the key for them. If its 37R-36D including early voters then there is no way Obama can win Ohio.
It’s not “I” who am hanging on to OH, read what Portman just said and what Michael Barone and others who are in a far better position to know that any of us here and they all agree that without OH the road ahead is a tough climb. Even the Romney camps knows this and everyone is talking about the state of the ground game. You folks need to stop wearing permanent rose-tinted glasses in making your analyses. Of course, in the next seven days the “men” vote may swing toward Romney and this would be sweet. But there is no assurance of that yet.
Rats are the ones who started this early voting scam. I wonder why Portman and Kasich did not put an end to it.
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