Why did Romney get fewer votes in Ohio than McCain?
There are several theories about those missing white voters, but the most plausible is that the ones who were undecideds or weak Republicans were deeply influenced by Obama’s relentless attacks on Romney in May, June, July and August. A steady stream of negative ads portrayed Romney as a heartless, out-of-touch rich guy, and Romney didn’t really fight back. The missing white voters didn’t like Obama but were also turned off by the Republican, so they stayed home. That’s the theory, at least; Republicans will know more when they actually interview lots of those nonvoters.
“Obama won Ohio because he did what Bush did in 2004 — surprised pundits by increasing turnout in his base,” says Mark Weaver, a veteran Ohio Republican strategist. “Also, by demonizing the undefined Romney, he tamped down Romney’s ability to motivate weak Republicans to turn out.”
What does all this have to do with a conservative cocoon? Not much. The missing voters certainly weren’t in the cocoon, and there’s no evidence the Romney campaign ignored those voters because conservative media told them the election was already in the bag. Just the opposite; Romney chased them hard.
Blowback
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I don’t know, but everything will be solved by anmesty.
Oil Can on November 13, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Romney got more votes than McCain – and he got more votes than obama – the votes just weren’t counted.
Pork-Chop on November 13, 2012 at 3:08 PM
Populist Vietnam Vets, class conscious, see McCain differently than you and me. They are populists, there are some in New Hampshire, and in the woods and on the cape in MA, they like their bikes, they ride without helmets, they hate white rich guys like Romney, and get into this “he didn’t serve” thing.
Fleuries on November 13, 2012 at 3:09 PM
Let us not forget that so much of the negative ads against Romney from Obama concerned Bain Capital.
Which he was attacked for by “conservatives” and Republicans during the primary season.
Joseph Russo III on November 13, 2012 at 3:09 PM
That works for me.
clippermiami on November 13, 2012 at 3:11 PM
Still about 202,000 provisional ballots to count in Ohio, so the entire premise of this article might be wrong.
AngusMc on November 13, 2012 at 3:11 PM
I think social conservatives stayed home. They were key to winning Ohio in 2004. Bush was a magnet for these people. As to his successors:
McCain offered them: Sarah Palin!
Willard offered them: …?
Valkyriepundit on November 13, 2012 at 3:11 PM
true.
Joseph Russo III on November 13, 2012 at 3:11 PM
We’re talking Ohio here, so you can take 20% off the top as fraudulent with the majority of those tipping to the DEM side and then we can talk about who actually got the votes – not the silly totals put out on Tuesday night, but the real #’s of folks who pulled the lever for Obama or Mitt.
gatorboy on November 13, 2012 at 3:11 PM
The dems count them, and then they send out for a busload more of democrat voters, they Count the Cards on election day while you are at work.
Fleuries on November 13, 2012 at 3:13 PM
I know people here don’t like to hear about Sarah Palin, but I do find it interesting that many of the Republican leaders blamed her for McCain’s loss. The fact that McCain received more votes than Romney basically puts that idea to rest.
Rose on November 13, 2012 at 3:14 PM
I still say these Ohio voters, and I would bet there are some in Pennsylvania and Michigan too, simply did not get enough passion from the Romney/Ryan ticket and didn’t relate to either Obama or Romney.
Romney went after votes hard, but he didn’t fight for them.
Rocks on November 13, 2012 at 3:16 PM
I hear he would’ve done better if those darned other republican candidates wouldn’t have said they would be better nominees than Mitt. The nerve! /
Fezzik on November 13, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Well, we’re not allowed to suggest it might have been voter fraud, because then we’ll be ostracized like the birthers. And, besides, we know Democrats operate honestly and honorably, so it must have just been a lack of enthusiasm.
Right Mover on November 13, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Two reasons: apathy about the namesake of Romneycare, and cheating.
beatcanvas on November 13, 2012 at 3:18 PM
A slap in the face. Astoundingly, voters prefer Sarah Palin to A Slap in the Face by a 73-18 margin, with 9% of voters undecided. =P
Stoic Patriot on November 13, 2012 at 3:18 PM
Different VP’s…funny how that gets shoved to the back burner.
The fact is, one VP brought out the votes, the other did not.
How could someone who has won every year, lose his state, not Wisconsin or Michigan were won by Romney or Ryan…
The fact is, as much as others won’t admit it…Palin brought the votes, Ryan just “cemented” the votes.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:20 PM
Exactly…and it should put to rest that Palin was a drag and not a draw to the ticket…but it won’t.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:21 PM
My goodness why would we even dream that a President and party that sent arms to drug lords and sat and watched while an Ambassador was murdered would even THINK of voter fraud. My goodness…no way.
PierreLegrand on November 13, 2012 at 3:22 PM
Also, notice how the “Mormon faithful” have deserted HotAir?
Fair weather conservatives…don’t win elections.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:22 PM
The thinker’s vote vs. the Obamaphone vote. On one side you have the weary deliberation between two not so great choices and on the other side you have a voter who is told if you vote one way, you get more stuff and if you vote the other way, it gets taken away.
It was too mentally taxing on the republican side. And a quick no-brainer (literally) on the other. Plus it helps if you get a bus ride to and from the polling stations.
salem on November 13, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Thomas Sowell summed it up perfectly:
Romney Just Another Nice, Moderate Republican Loser
portlandon on November 13, 2012 at 3:25 PM
The only fraud was trying to convince people that Romney was a conservative, no a moderate, no a conservative, no a moderate…all the while he was ignoring the Tea Party…
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:26 PM
Can’t make the pancake any flatter than that.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on November 13, 2012 at 3:27 PM
You should have been in the David Frum thread last night.
It was real Ugly. I had to put the smack down on a Romney worshiper.
portlandon on November 13, 2012 at 3:29 PM
I’m tellin’ ya, up to 10% of any group is insane. Even fictitious groups.
alwaysfiredup on November 13, 2012 at 3:29 PM
No Contrast
Romney = romneycare / obama = obamacare
Romney was never grassroots popular, over the last 4 years he bought the nomination. He owned the RNC, with Rove/Gillespie he cornered all the money etc.
Worst he couldn’t identify with the electorate, ran to the middle, thinking conservative would vote for him because of our hatred of obama. Problem, some of us conservatives see Romneycare the same as obamacare.
I don’t want to hear any crap from RINO’s. over the last two years you got everything. You turned the 2010 landslide midterms running against obamacare into a loss.
Rino’s cost us this election!!
Danielvito on November 13, 2012 at 3:29 PM
Funniest line evah!
Can.I.be.in.the.middle on November 13, 2012 at 3:29 PM
What a great quote…Thomas Sowell, if only he was younger, what a great candidate he would have made…
He is the man that most Republican candidates have “ignored” rather than honor…
And his analysis, as most always, spot on…thanks for that link.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:30 PM
The answer is abandon the base!!!!!!
/
faraway on November 13, 2012 at 3:30 PM
Rino’s cost us this election!!
Danielvito on November 13, 2012 at 3:29 PM
you got that right!
/
Can.I.be.in.the.middle on November 13, 2012 at 3:30 PM
You cannot blame the customer for not being smart enough to appreciate the brilliance of your product. Politicking = advertising. You have to find a way to reach/persuade that customer where he is.
Can we please get some marketing consultants here stat?
alwaysfiredup on November 13, 2012 at 3:31 PM
It was the bail out. Bush knew how working people would respond to GM going bankrupt and workers being laid off right before Christmas, that was why he loaned them the money. However, there were people out there who seemed to think that average people just hated all those bail outs..obviously, they did not.
Terrye on November 13, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Stop with these facts. You will destroy the RINO meme.
faraway on November 13, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Can.I.be.in.the.middle on November 13, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Yet Romney won the primary figure that one out.
ChunkyLover on November 13, 2012 at 3:34 PM
Um, no. Whether or not the base was being lied to, that was not the problem Romney had with the base. Romney had an enthusiasm deficit in a year where the base should have been hypermotivated. Telling them uncomfortable truths would not have motivated anyone. What they needed was a psychological bone from the Romney campaign indicating he would not sell them out. He wouldn’t toss one, not even a lie.
alwaysfiredup on November 13, 2012 at 3:35 PM
York’s column is good. I’d already quoted it on the Jindal thread because York is one of the few who hasn’t rushed to judgment:
Almost every pundit and politician commenting on this election is choosing their own reasons as to why Romney lost to use to push their agenda.
INC on November 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Obama framed the GM bailout as a ‘rescue’.
Obama framed Romney with wanting ‘bankruptcy’.
This ‘rescue’ meme went totally unopposed by Romney and surrogates.
faraway on November 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Democrats love GOP moderates.
alwaysfiredup on November 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Darn, missed it.
Who thought Mitt had only 2 months to prepare? He has been preparing for over 4 years…
The fact is, Palin brought more to the game, and Romney less…
But they are right, you can’t be a Republican for 2 months and win an election…that is why him turning his back on the Tea Party, true Republican’s was a disaster…and the people with a “ground game”.
Romney lost because he was a timid moderate Republican…nice guy, honest, intelligent, but a timid moderate, basically not too different from who he was running against.
And his running mate, who I like, but who has won in a democrat controlled district, how? Not by being a conservative that’s for sure.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM
The Truth of the Month
faraway on November 13, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Easy, it fits, he was more comfortable attacking conservatives, than moderates…now you figure out how he lost…hint, he wasn’t running against a conservative.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:38 PM
We need evangelical conservatives, not fake conservatives. And I’m not talking about God.
faraway on November 13, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Wrong, most of us agree, he was a moderate, too moderate…but nice try.
right2bright on November 13, 2012 at 3:39 PM
Big government republicians showed up small government types stayed home. It takes 3 legs of the stool at best Mitt got 2 of the three. He pissed off Ron paul supporters, he pissed off Palin supporters, he pissed off Reagan democrates, Hell Mitt even managed to piss off Newt, Perry and Santurom supporters. So Mitt pissed off everyone in the GOp not a Mittbot or Bushite and the Mittbots are wondering what went wrong…. I knew they were clueless But I really had no idea how clueless the Mittbots were.
unseen on November 13, 2012 at 3:39 PM
I will never understand people who say I wont vote for candidate A who agrees with me 60% of of the time, so candidate B who agrees with me 0% of the time can win. Romney was far from perfect but at least we could have gotten a repreve from Obama’s policies.
ChunkyLover on November 13, 2012 at 3:39 PM
???
I’m not talking about commenters. I’m talking about people like Rove.
INC on November 13, 2012 at 3:40 PM
So to summarize your views:
1) The electorate is stupid
(because you guys were so smart that you let the ‘RINO! Romney get the nomination and donate money just for his advisers to be getting bonuses)
2) The electorate wants free stuff
(but yet, as BK pointed out yesterday, half of millionaires voted against Romney…including Oprah, Colin Powell, George Clooney, Bloomberg…..and indirectly Chris Christie)(P.S. Urban folks are not on the poor side of the balance).
3)The electorate is not informed……
-No body trusts the media anyway.
-Says people who won’t believe anything until Rush says it’s true.
That’s why I found this line so hilarious. Not because of the election results, but you behavior AFTER.
Keep proving them right….
Can.I.be.in.the.middle on November 13, 2012 at 3:42 PM
It’s the 40% that people know will succeed and that 60% they know doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. So if you know Candidate A and B will both fail at governening because they are both liberals who wants to vote to saddle their party with that failure. Mitt’s liberalism would have made more people unemployed and expanded governemnt. Then what happens in 2016? another total takeover by the marxists?
unseen on November 13, 2012 at 3:42 PM
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