Per other ‘insider’ threads, the Romney campaign was in disarray in the final days.
Also, he won the first debate. Thereafter, and especially after Crowley’s overt defense of Obama in the 2nd debate, Romney coasted.
Obama was accused of phoning in the first debate. Romney could be said to have phoned in the third debate.
The Obama-Christie lovefest didn’t help the GOP either.
It will probably take a decade of analysing before there is a definitive story of why Romney appeared to be winning and then lost by such a significant amount.
Both of your posts made very good points. But I would add another factor: the eleventh hour, highly suspect improvements in some economic indicators in general, and in particular the miraculous downturn in unemployment below the magic level of 8%. The timing of these obvious maniplations benefitted Obama tremendously by allowing him to make the case for more time.
The largely ignorant and greedy electorate is easily manipulated and misled. So there will only be a return to some semblance of sanity when severe economic pain forces them to reconsider the consequences of their votes. All the logic in the world won’t change peoples’ minds; only the experience of pain will, as it so often does in our personal lives.
The election was won by Ubama because of the excellent Colin Powell TV ad that was aired in the final two weeks.
No joke.
“Per other ‘insider’ threads, the Romney campaign was in disarray in the final days.”
Sabotage.
There was a story months ago that said the election was in the bag. I think it was.