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Another Reason Romney Lost: He Had A Full Blown Idiot (Stuart Stevens) Running His Campaign.
Red State ^ | 2/25/2013 | Martin Knight

Posted on 02/26/2013 4:03:57 AM PST by IbJensen

Meaning Romney Was Also An Idiot For Not Noticing ...

Sometime before Election Day, before the debates, people already knew Stuart Stevens and his team were in over their heads. From the utter fiasco of Romney’s convention speech, which he stripped down to a thin gruel of bland forgettable pablum (and of course, stripped of any mention of America’s servicemen and women abroad), throwing aside Bush’s micro-targetting programmed wholesale, allowing his Hollywood aspirations to make him give the prime speaking slot at the RNC to Clint Eastwood (without any vetting) instead of people who would humanize his candidate, I just thought at the time, that Stu Stevens was simply disorganized.

Then, we found out about ORCA, and the fact that Stevens and his team (Moffat, et al.) still thought the system performed well because … “metrics”. Then came the revelation that Stevens had no concept of the idea that what voters tell pollsters is often quite different from what would actually influence them in favor of candidate A or B.

Then we discovered the wide disparity in both quality, quantity and reach of advertising (in Obama’s favor), despite the fact that this was supposed to be where Stevens was going to dominate and make up for months of unanswered attacks – down the home stretch the Obama Campaign and its allies outperformed Romney and every single Conservative SuperPAC on every possible measure; “[Obama] spent less on advertising than Romney and his allies but got far more — in the number of ads broadcast, in visibility in key markets and in targeting critical demographic groups, such as the working class and younger voters in swing states … Romney not only paid more for his ads but also missed crucial opportunities to advertise, for instance during the political conventions and on Spanish-language television …”

When it came to online advertising, the graph to your right tells you the entire story.

Considering the horrendous amount of what was very rightly called campaign malpractice in that WaPo piece, there actually is a viable argument that Mitt Romney could take Stuart Stevens and Co. to court for fraud.

But as they say; never attribute to malice what can just as easily be attributed to abject stupidity.

Top Romney Strategist Stuart Stevens Says Media Not ‘In The Tank’ For President Obama.

Ever since then-Senator Barack Obama first took a lead in the 2008 Democratic primary, the political news media has faced the accusation that they are “in the tank” for the now-second term President Obama. On Sunday morning’s Reliable Sources, the press got a qualified defense from a surprising source: Mitt Romney chief strategist Stuart Stevens. Host Howard Kurtz asked Stevens if ” much of the media is in the tank for Barack Obama,” to which Stevens replied, “In the tank? I would say no.”

“Do you believe, today, that much of the media is in the tank for Barack Obama?” Kurtz asked.

Stevens replied, “It’s not a yes or a no question. In the tank, I would say no. So, yes or no question, I would say no.”

Kurtz pressed the line of questioning several times. “Too sympathetic to the President? How would you put it?” he asked.

“I think after the election, you’ll have a lot tougher questions that will be asked because you’re out of an election environment,” Stevens replied. “I think you’re seeing that this past weekend with this whole golf outing. I think they will be more critical now.”

A surprised Kurtz asked, “You’re saying the press should be finally more critical about the fact that President Obama went golfing with Tiger Woods?”

“The degree to which there is not a choice between him and a Republican candidate makes it easier for them to be tougher on the President,” Stevens replied. “That’s natural.”

In hindsight; there was no way Mitt Romney could have won with the team he assembled, and I am truly flabbergasted that I was so wrong to assume that Romney would bring the same A-game he brought to selecting teams to turn around failing companies to his campaign.

The fact that Stu Stevens and his team do not see and actually never saw the media’s heavy bias in favor of the President during the campaign means there was not, at any point, any path to victory for Mitt Romney. People this blind and lacking in perception would have eventually snatched defeat from the jaws of victory no matter what had gone right; these are the people who quickly advised Mitt Romney to “tone it down” after his excellent performance in the first debate and go into prevent-defense to “appeal to Independents and women.”

Even worse is the fact that these people continue to give themselves high marks for the utter fiasco of a campaign they ran.

Considering what we went through with Steve Schmidt and prior to that, the tragedy that was the Bush White House’s political and communications operation, I’ve had to come to the sad conclusion that right now, when it comes to political operatives, electoral experts, campaign strategists, etc, Democrats get the cream of the crop, while Republicans are stuck with the slimy fetid fungus that feeds on the decaying scum encrusting the bottom of the barrel.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: campaigning; obama; romney; romney20112; stustevens
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To: IbJensen; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; Gilbo_3; Impy; NFHale; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; Liz; GOPJ; ..
RE :”People this blind and lacking in perception would have eventually snatched defeat from the jaws of victory no matter what had gone right; these are the people who quickly advised Mitt Romney to “tone it down” after his excellent performance in the first debate and go into prevent-defense to “appeal to Independents and women.”

Watching the last two debates was outright painful. Obama kept on slamming Romney while Romney just stood there on camera with that goofy grin on his face.

I knew Romney was toast when O nailed him with ‘now a days the military has things called planes that fly in the sky and submarines that go under water ’ and the audience laughed (as did I almost), as it was a great line.

Romney just stood there on camera with that goofy grin on his face : ‘please kick me again Mr POTUS’

I and a few others ruffled a few feathers on two Bengazi threads by posting Romney needs to get aggressive on it in the debates because he is getting beat. Many here were so convinced Romney was winning when he was losing. After all Rush said 'everything points to a landslide (for Romney) mexcept the polls'

21 posted on 02/26/2013 5:28:10 AM PST by sickoflibs (Losing to Dems and Obama is not a principle! Its just losing.)
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To: IbJensen

Romney lost because he was a poor choice and at best a moderate - not conservative. It does no good to look any farther than this.


22 posted on 02/26/2013 5:28:57 AM PST by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
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To: IbJensen

Poor little Mitt, he had an idiot in charge and didn’t know it. Can’t blame him.

BS.

The candidate is responsible for the candidate’s campaign. Romney’s own son said the man wasn’t really interested in the job....more recreating the story so far as I’m concerned.

It was demographics, it was vote fraud, it was evangelicals, it was apathy, it was an idiot campaign manager.

My first concern is that this is Romney trying to launch another campaign from the ashes of this failed one. But, surely, even the GOP-E won’t push such a thing....would they????

Romney lost, first, because he was a flawed candidate lacking guts. He lost, second, because he pursued a flawed strategy. He ran to the left and ignored his base.


23 posted on 02/26/2013 5:39:08 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: exit82

Good point.

I have always been sickened by the sight and sound of this manipulator who manipulates the Republicrat Party into the dustbin of history!

Yet, neo-conservative, establishment Republican Hannity contunues to display him on his program as though he is somehow to be revered. The Wall Street Journal uses his pieces regularly.


24 posted on 02/26/2013 5:40:45 AM PST by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: mosesdapoet; IbJensen

Of course there were lots of issues to nail Obama on.

There still are.

But as soon as you start trying, all the bleeding-hearts will start wailing that “you’re just another bigoted white guy, picking on da poor black man, you conservatives are all the same, blah, blah, blah”

End of conversation. Any Obama critic (media or not) is silenced. And the incompetence continues, unchecked. Victory to the idiots, again.

There was a reason the Democrats deliberately picked a black guy in 2007. It was all about keeping any critics on the defensive, and thus, neutralized - and it’s working.


25 posted on 02/26/2013 5:42:39 AM PST by canuck_conservative
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To: Norm Lenhart
So we are supposed to believe that Romney, a man who achieved such success in business, went out and hired a team of idiots to win?

Why is that so hard to believe? Romney is a brilliant businessman by all accounts, but he only had one bright moment in his whole campaign and his advisers shut him down after that. It is hard to coherently argue against facts. The facts say that Romney is a brilliant businessman and a dunce candidate for president.

Brilliant people do stupid stuff all the time, especially when they get outside of what they do best.

Was Romney the wrong candidate? Absolutely -- that is part of the reason why he hired the idiots. If you aren't going to campaign on your ideals your victory is hollow anyway. If you don't have any ideals it is all about you anyway and no one needs that.

26 posted on 02/26/2013 5:47:07 AM PST by hopespringseternal
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To: Norm Lenhart
Hiring incompetent idiots that destroy a campaign would not instill confidence in any thinking person that the same wouldn’t have happened in his cabinet. Or other policy advisers.

Yep...and keep in mind that these very same incompetents would have been populating key positions within a Romney Administration.

27 posted on 02/26/2013 5:47:49 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Norm Lenhart

Someone can be great in one field and lousy in another. It happens all the time in politics and life in general.


28 posted on 02/26/2013 5:48:05 AM PST by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: IbJensen

I have wondered, since Mccain’s run, if our consultants and campaign managers have been compromised by the DNC. Those who have run the Presidential campaigns have obviously been in over there heads or appear to have been working for someone else.


29 posted on 02/26/2013 5:48:36 AM PST by buffaloguy
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To: mountn man
This story is supposed to be a DISTRACTION. But it points to the TRUTH. ZERO was CHOSEN to win the "election". Our overlords wanted it this way.

The Republican Party Establishment did not want to win. That's why they backed Romney in 2012, McCain in 2008, and Dole in 1996. The GOPe does not want the presidency -- it would make them accountable for results.

The GOPe's job is to provide the illusion of there being opposition to the Dem agenda.

30 posted on 02/26/2013 5:50:48 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: IbJensen

RINO’s hiring RINO’s


31 posted on 02/26/2013 5:52:09 AM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: hopespringseternal

Well, for one thing, it wasn’t his first rodeo. He has been both a Gov and a once previous presidential candidate.

Sorry. Anyone at that level does not hire idiots. The people funding them do not allow it.


32 posted on 02/26/2013 5:56:35 AM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: IbJensen

I love Cruz.

The fact that the Media Monsters are attacking him so early is that view him as a serious threat.

No matter WHAT they dig up on Cruz, Rubio, or ANY genuine GOP conservative, we need to hang tough, NEVER criticize them and support them regardless.

A political movement which glorifies a serial rapist (Clinton) and a Marxist Muslim Foreigner (Obama Hussein) is in NO postion to criticize ANYONE else!!!


33 posted on 02/26/2013 6:00:35 AM PST by ZULU (See: http://gatesofvienna.net/)
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To: All
Romney never looked more stupid than the night he "conceded"----actually saying Ohaha had "won." The Romney know-nothings never even considered voter-fraud. And never called out Obama on his campaign activites----red flags all of them.

THE OHAHA PROPAGANDA WAS RELENTLESS---CANDIDATE OBAMA announced he "BORROWED" $100 million from BofA Romney never asked why Obama's $1 billion US campaign (the amt touted by Team Ohaha to show how "popular" he was) needed to borrow millions for the final two months of the campaign?

Obama borrowed ---and a second report said the DNC was borrowing money to keep him afloat. Even after Ohaha announced he had the first $$$billion dollar campaign war chest, yet another report said: "Team O has "to decide" how to allocate what’s left of its campaign treasury down the stretch...."

The sinister Ohaha Team plotted a very crafty strategy-- lying about their campaign outlays-----the same callous cadre that blatantly lied about four Americans killed in Benghazi.

===============================================

Ohaha's executive orders and Dems legislative tricks were intended to fuel his reelection: the so-called TARP stimulus hid zillions in several states---in NJ alone $17.6 Billion was sent and promptly disappeared when it landed there. Fact is, Obama and the Chi/mobsters running his campaign had---and still have--- zillions salted away.

Romney stupidly underestimated the dirty cash the Ohahas/Chi-mob had to fix the election......these are the kingpins of Chicago politics. At one time, conscientious FEC investigators verified money was coming from legal citizens....Romney should have demanded investigations. Remember, there are billions unaccounted for in Obama's stimulus packages....the Ohaha kingpins have tons of money stashed away.

POINTS TO PONDER

<><> author Dean Koontz estimates there's about $90 billion missing from the US Treasury.

<><> Ohaha's ex-COS Chi/Mayor Rahm Emanuel was one of the Chi/mobsters running Ohaha's reelection campaign---this Wall Street turd knows where all the money is hidden. Rahm also controlled all US Treasury assets (at Obama's behest) when he was COS.

<><>The Ohahas took control of the census upon taking office----they had all the necessary CV to phony up contribution reports for the FEC.

THIS MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD Obama's ex-COS "Wall Street Rahm" "suddenly" discovered he wanted to be Chicago mayor---so the dancing little turd went before the mics and announced his mayoral campaign "raised $10 million in just a few weeks" .........(cue laugh machine). Rahm also controlled the US Treasury as COS. This turd-o-crat knows where all the stolen Federal money is hidden....Wall Street knows how to make money disappear faster than a cream puff at a Weight Watcher weigh-in.

=======================================

YOO HOO, ROMNEY The Ohaha's "said" they added $45 million to reelection coffers in one month alone.....raised jointly by the DNC, "Obama for America" and two other joint fundraising committees — the "Obama Victory Fund" and the "Swing State Victory Fund,"...and whatever other voter frauds they dreamed up.

=========================================================

ANOTHER BIG CLUE Obama's open mic slip in Russia revealed his hidden agenda. He didnt say "after the election, or “after the next election.” He said: “This is my last election" ... reassuring the Ruskis that he'll then have "more flexibility after the election....”

Clearly Ohaha's certainty WRT staying in offce is not based on his approval ratings or massive opposition to his cockamamie polices----mandated healthcare, trillion dollar stimulus, using aborted babies' brains in lab experiments, giving himself massive executive power over Americans, co-opting religious beliefs, $4-Plus gas, 16% real unemployment, trillion dollar deficits, escalating inflation at the supermarket, the GSA spending scandal......to name a few.

Ohaha's certainty stems from his knowledge that he would stay in office---not by the will of the people---but by buying his reelection with federal money....using massive vote fraud.

Remember, voter fraud is the Chi/mobs' specialty---do NOT underestimate Rahm and Axelrod (both running O's reelection), and Valerie whatsherface in the WH. Let us not forget----the minute they hit the WH, the Chi/mob went into action: the WH Chi/mob took over the census---and now have all the CV they need to file phony FEC reports using stolen federal dollars as campaign contributions.

=========================================

DID ROMNEY EVEN NOTICE THIS ? 2012 Ohaha used the 2008 Anita (Mao) Dunn strategy to manipulate voters, to downplay Ohaha's destructive policies ....and his scary plans for the next term. Dunn said THEY and only THEY decided what the media should know about 2008 candidate Ohaha. The strategy is already in place---watch the Ohahas copping that "don't worry--we're harmless" attitude.

Who could believe there was a candidate stupider than McCain---but there was---and his name was Romney. Both flopolas strived mightily to look "unconservative"---clearly, their biggest mistake.

34 posted on 02/26/2013 6:00:48 AM PST by Liz
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To: Timber Rattler

Ah but there’s the thing. Incompetent or pushing an agenda?

All things aside, these people ‘behind the scenes’ are not incompetent. Nor are people like Rove and Bhoner/McConell. They are however following a very clear and traceable path. It’s just that most people can’t bring themselves to accept that.

What they do looks stupid as hell, sure. But what are the odds that with so much money and power involved, so very many ‘stupid people’ got to where they are?

Zero. They WANT the Leftism. They just play Right wingers on TV.


35 posted on 02/26/2013 6:00:57 AM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: IbJensen

Romney lost because the Republican Party is the political equivalent of the “bad guy” in any WWE pro wrestling event.

In this day and age, they have become a construct of the Ruling Class to make sure that nobody will make any meaningful changes that might derail the 14-digit taxpayer-funded gravy train for lobbyists, political consultants, political appointees, government bureaucrats, public sector unions, and crony capitalist corporations.

The sooner we all figure this out, the sooner we can destroy this ivy-league locust swarm that ravenously feeds on the fruit of our hard labor.


36 posted on 02/26/2013 6:03:38 AM PST by EricT. (The Second Amendment is Tyrant Control.)
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To: IbJensen

Only the congenitally clueless eGOP thought that running a Wall St. billionaire against a Black president who feeds off The Poor was a good idea. Simple common sense would have ditched that notion, but no, Common Sense was never offered in the wimpy RINOs’ university degree programs.


37 posted on 02/26/2013 6:08:29 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: IbJensen

The Democrats have admitted that they had a room full of Social Scientists advising them on the last election. Political Scientists tell you WHY people vote the way they do. Social Scientists (Psychologists, Sociologists, etc...) tell you HOW to get people to vote for you. The Republicans are always a day late and a dollar short.


38 posted on 02/26/2013 6:08:57 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: EricT.

Great post


39 posted on 02/26/2013 6:14:44 AM PST by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: 2nd wave ofo attacks on America after 9/11)
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To: IbJensen
Romney made all the decisions. He is the LOSER. There is no other blame.
Good grief, do we really need this tedious adolescent drama at this time?
40 posted on 02/26/2013 6:22:29 AM PST by MaxMax
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