Republicans go to Obama school
Barack Obama’s campaign schooled Mitt Romney’s in November, something of which the Republicans who gathered at the quadrennial, off-the-record Harvard Institute of Politics Campaign Managers Conference were intensely aware. And while the proceedings of the event are under embargo until the institute releases audio transcripts of the proceedings, some participants shared their reactions.
“We got our butts kicked, so I’m going to school,” said the manager of one 2012 Republican presidential campaign on his way into the sessions on Thursday morning, held in a cozy university conference space. …
The evening-and-a-day conference is the tenth in a 40-year tradition of analyzing winning and losing campaigns. It is, the Institute says, convened “in an effort to allow future candidates, managers, journalists and scholars to better understand the nature of modern presidential campaigns. This year, the line between students and teachers is clear. The Obama team spent much of the morning at the Charles Hotel, and skipped the session at which Romney aides and their Republican primary opponents discussed the bitter nominating process, trading strategies and regrets.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
The mistake was thinking it was about convincing convincible people to vote for you, when the reality is that it is all about busing impressionable people to the polls to vote for you.
Count to 10 on December 2, 2012 at 4:05 PM
They can all start by firing the fat-cat political consultants who are living high off your tax dollars and playing both sides of the aisle, all the while losing political election after political election:
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/11/29/the-quisling-consultants
theotherone on December 2, 2012 at 4:12 PM
The mistake was taking for granted the conservative wing of the electorate. They turned out just fine. But They did not take family, friends and neighbors with them.
Lets think about this real quick. The fiscal only conservatives are people too busy working to have a large following of friends and neighbors and instead of working working working.
The social conservatives, are social creatures, with large families, involved in many community events and have lots and lots of people they consider to be friends.
Which group do you think can make or break a major election? Hint, I left 30 family members at home who do not vote unless I pressure them to. I am full spectrum conservative.
astonerii on December 2, 2012 at 4:15 PM
Charlatanic thuggery wins and can’t be beaten with silky gloves.
I kept telling you this, over, and over, and over again.
The once freest land has no semblance of decency left.
Schadenfreude on December 2, 2012 at 4:20 PM
The r’s will NOT learn a stinkin thing if they try? They are not or won’t be as nasty, hateful, get in your face as bho/team has been/is! And to boot, the r’s will get zero help from bhopress, none, and that was the major help for bho, IMO!
If the r’s would just stop being so ‘nice’ and their attitude of ‘just get along’ they might get someplace, IMO! And if the r’s didn’t give a flying flit what bhopress will slam them on, they might get someplace, IMO! The r’s will ALWAYS get slammed, no matter what they do or say, IMO!
L
letget on December 2, 2012 at 4:24 PM
letget, dearest, it’s all your opinion
Schadenfreude on December 2, 2012 at 4:26 PM
So sad, but true….
Priscilla on December 2, 2012 at 4:28 PM
if Rs are going to school they should learn who the left is. Understand people like Marcuse.
they have to understand their opponents…and tactical issues are not gong to work. For example, socons will have to ask themselves if they can live with another 25 years of Roe in order to save the country.
Fiscalcons have to understand the great power of faith, and the country is not just a balance sheet. They have to be fiscally sound, but not penurious.
Foreign cons really need to learn the nation building stuff is done. Foreign entanglements and all that. But we need a strong defense and a deep intel
bravery is required, to stand up against the sloth of leftist thinking
r keller on December 2, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Obama school: where failure IS the only option.
thebrokenrattle on December 2, 2012 at 4:32 PM
YES it is, but I put that on there so others who don’t agree will not slam me? It would not be the first time someone might for my opinion!
BTW, I am ticked off at the r’s that is why I got on a rant.
L
letget on December 2, 2012 at 4:32 PM
I have a better Idea Chumps
Instead of trying to be MORE LIKE Democrats, how about you figure out who YOU are and run as that.
You know, if Mitt (that’s the House I’m running for the Senate) Romney had actually campaigned on What he was going to do and How he was going to fix things, instead of being Safe and Vague, he might just have won the electon.
jaydee_007 on December 2, 2012 at 4:51 PM
Democrat Lessons for Winning Elections:
1. Do under the table deals with Lib Propaganda Media to barrage
America with positive things AKA lies about Obama, WHILE suppressing white votes with false accusations of racism.
2. Partner with unions, acorn and similar voter fraud organizations to sign up dead people and vote multiple times
3. Lie about literally EVERYTHING knowing the media will NEVER report it. Deaths, taxes, wars, collapsing economy, hyper inflation, blocking domestic energy, etc., etc., will be between you and Brian Williams and no one else.
4. Get GOP dupes to AGAIN agree to Lib propagandist media types to moderate debates and DESTROY the other party’s chances (Romney had Obama on the ropes before Candy Crowley’s REHEARSED LIE about Benghazi.
Oh, right. Only libs can do this. It requires shameless complicit liberal liars in media.
bob77 on December 2, 2012 at 4:52 PM
You can fool most of the Americans, all of the time.
Schadenfreude on December 2, 2012 at 5:00 PM
I don’t have a problem in listening to what these guys have to say, but I would be skeptical of their honesty when giving away secrets of how President Obama won the election.
Aside from his get-out-the-vote/non-stop fund-raising I thought that President Obama ran a horrible campaign. It doesn’t seem likely that the next Democrat candidate in 2016 will be able to squeeze that kind of money from Hollywood celebrities and Rich Americans the way it was done over the past year and a half. Would Biden or Clinton evoke the same kind of love even if President Obama and Bill Clinton were being heavily utilized? That’s assuming that President Obama is as popular as he is now come 2016.
Or are we going to see the Democratic Party continue to put forth young untested, charismatic racial minorities up for nomination from here unto eternity?
DeathtotheSwiss on December 2, 2012 at 5:10 PM
Then, no, they DIDN’T turn out “just fine.” Romney or no Romney, if your so-called “conservative wing” couldn’t be bothered to turn out to oppose Obama then you and they are just ignorant. If that insults you, good. At least you’re smart enough to comprehend something.
cicerone on December 2, 2012 at 5:43 PM
Total Waste of Time, Money, Energy, et. al. (just an excuse to get away, party, rub elbows with other sycophantic losers, feel important, and — most importantly — to capture a tax-deductible business write-off).
All these morons in attendance need to know, and likely already do know, is one thing: The LSM is primarily responsible for picking/influencing both those that win their party’s respective nominations and ultimately which candidate wins. Period.
ShainS on December 2, 2012 at 5:49 PM
Romney did exactly that. In spades. However, as brilliant as he is, in a 47-43-10 country, Romney was unable to overcome the disadvantages of the Palin-Prolonged-Primary and the inherently inept and disorganized GOP.
Basilsbest on December 2, 2012 at 5:57 PM
Unlike Ronald Reagan who ran on Actons -
I’m going to Cut Taxes
I’m going to increas our Military Ability
.
Romney ran on Results
I’ll create 12 million jobs (How?)
He said he’d reform but was blatant about not specifying anything to reform or how.
Romney was vague and Safe.
Sarah Palin at least doesn’t play it safe, she goes out there and says “This is Who I Am” and you can take it or leave it.
That’s what people were looking for.
Romney allowed Obama to say “This is who Romney is” and depended on people to Not Beleive it rather than refute it in order to look big or something.
Romeny didn’t even really campaign after Storm Sandy to speak of.
Again, he was playing it safe.
jaydee_007 on December 2, 2012 at 6:40 PM
Boehner and McConnell have done little besides dilute the GOP brand by doing nothing (besides working on the perfect tan) by squandering the Tea Party momentum at their disposal following the 2010 elections.
Romney gets a share of the blame, of course, but the RINOs like the Maine Twins and others selling out on OcommieCare then hardly a sound after JustUs Roberts’ treachery then, finding Palin not Beltway enough and wimping out on Arizona’s border crisis and the Fast and Furious mass killings…. and they pretty much defined the GOP as Democrat lite.
viking01 on December 2, 2012 at 7:03 PM
Well cicerone. We warned you WELL in advance we were not going to turn out for a social progressive and fiscal miscreant like Romney way the hell back in 2011. Thus, those who pushed him on us are the ones that are to blame for the out come.
Instead, you took us for granted. You know what happens when you take things for granted, they stop giving to you. That means that it was up to Romney and his sycophants to make up the loss of votes.
Republicans do not OWN US, we outlawed slavery long ago. People will do what they see is in their best interest. Romney was not much in their best interest. The 2% difference just wan not enough to get people excited about him.
astonerii on December 2, 2012 at 7:49 PM
I think I need to make things a bit clearer.
There are two opposing forces right now in the Republican party. People who want us to be Democrat light (Romney and McCain supporters) and people who actually want to save the nation.
DO NOT EXPECT THE LATTER TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HELP YOU CHANGE THE PARTY INTO THE OPPOSITION.
Romney was Democrat light, in fact, he really is Democrat Pure. He is further to the left than 2nd term Clinton!
astonerii on December 2, 2012 at 8:43 PM