Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Where Did the Voters Go? Nowhere.
commentary magazine ^ | 11-8-12 | Jon Podhoretz

Posted on 11/08/2012 7:25:35 PM PST by cdchik123

As the national vote total began to solidify last night, one question on the minds of Republicans was: Where are the missing voters? Last night it looked like Mitt Romney had received something like 10 to 15 percent fewer votes than John McCain had in 2008, even though his percentage of the overall vote was at least two points higher. What did this mean? Where did the voters go? They didn’t go to Barack Obama, because exit polls suggested he had basically turned out the same demographic support he had four years ago. So where are they? Did this suggest a significant element of the GOP base had stayed home? Perhaps evangelical voters quietly refusing to cast a ballot for a Mormon? Populist voters disgusted by the 47 percent tape?

As I write, Mitt Romney has 57.4 million votes. John McCain ended up with 59.9 million. It’s a little noticed fact that in two weeks following every presidential election, votes continue to be reported…by the millions. As I recall, Barack Obama got something like four million more votes in the weeks after election day, while John McCain got two or three million. It’s likely that by Thanksgiving, the final vote tally will show Romney very close to or even slightly exceeding McCain’s total.

So there are probably no missing voters. The idea offers a certain degree of cold comfort for conservatives and Republicans, because it would suggest the problem was with Romney’s candidacy in particular and not with the movement or the party. But it’s false, and they will not be spared the reckoning about the party’s future.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 2012electionanalysis; 2012obamafraud; election2012
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-108 last
To: StAnDeliver
40 year old advice that worked for LBJ, Nixon, Reagan and 'W'. Do you have something more recent that works better?

Hey, it worked twice for Obama.

Romney's proposal dates back to the late 1700s when they thought, seriously, that talented men would be recognized and elected through some sort of discussion in parlors and salons somewhere by "the best people" ~ Jefferson himself put an end to that so why did we hear it creeping into Romney's excuses for running.

BTW, that was just a taste of the dozens of threads where I posted far more discussion on the matter and made detailed predictions. The fact you don't remember any of it is probably one of the reasons we lost nobody cares.

101 posted on 11/09/2012 12:58:32 PM PST by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: StAnDeliver

You betchya!


102 posted on 11/09/2012 3:30:39 PM PST by An American In Dairyland
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears

Great new tagline. I wonder if Rush has thought of this.


103 posted on 11/09/2012 3:36:38 PM PST by Jane Long (Soli Deo Gloria!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Bellflower

” It is time for Conservatives to begin to realize the board the game is being played on and play on it.”

Your right but it really makes me angry at the America we’ve become.

Conservatives will lose their identity and the reason we are conservative. Instead we will “market” our candidates like a can of green beans, using colors, celebrities, and relationships, instead of issues.

The one with best marketing campaign wins - not the the one with best ideas. Obama ran a terrible political campaign but a fantastic marketing campaign and won. Every indicator had him losing.... and he won. The old GOP sit around trying to figure it out and can’t seem to articulate why they lost.

We lost a really important election - and we now will have a different looking nation for decades because of it.

More importantly we learned a new way to win elections on a national level where the issues and results don’t matter which will change parties and platforms forever, and will have far reaching implications.


104 posted on 11/09/2012 7:37:02 PM PST by mike_9958
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: mike_9958

I think we should run both kinds of ads, ads to dummies, and ads to thinking, caring people. Different ads for different peoples, selectively on programs and the internet sites etc. that each might frequent. And most especially we must get our message out in ways that also appeal to people. Our message and appeal are not mutually exclusive of one another. We have to get much smarter and more sophisticated with our approach, but in the end let it be the same message.


105 posted on 11/09/2012 8:15:56 PM PST by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 104 | View Replies]

To: Bellflower

“Different ads for different peoples”

Bingo... that’s a strategy in a successful market campaign, appeal to lots demographics.

Find out what makes them tick and “tickle it”.

Romney spent alot time exciting his base. Way more than Obama did. We all made fun of Obama dinners with celebs, but there are whole swatches of people who follow celebs and not politics, so guess what, if Obama dines with Beyonce then he’s got their vote.

Sickening but effective if you want to win.


106 posted on 11/09/2012 8:24:29 PM PST by mike_9958
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: PVT4evr; All

“I’m not saying we don’t need moral, ethical people in office, we do, we absolutely do. Personally, I don’t care whether my man is Protestant, Catholic, Sikh, Jewish, you name it. Does he care about this country and does he want it to improve? If yes, he probably has my vote.”

Satan is for “good morals.” What Satan opposes is Jesus Christ and the Gospel. “Good morals” alone are useless. I WILL NOT be for electing anyone that is NOT FOR the real Gospel of Jesus Christ and the morality that flows out of that. What is good for REAL Christianity is GOOD for the country. What is NOT SUPPORTIVE (not merely neutral) of REAL CHRISTIANITY is bad for the country. One cannot be “for improving the country” and NOT be for spreading the REAL Gospel...they go hand in hand. Freedom begins with GOD and the fear of Him. Jesus Christ is God. That is absolute truth.


107 posted on 11/10/2012 6:03:02 AM PST by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: cydcharisse

Whatever troll!


108 posted on 11/12/2012 8:10:48 PM PST by eeriegeno (<p>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-108 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson