Comments on: A short Romney campaign autopsy

By: M. Simon

M. Simon — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 09:15:00 +0000

Well fine Rivah. But you lost. Any more voters you don’t want? As one of the libertarians mine is probably unwanted as well. Fine.

This year is the last one that I do anything to support Republicans. I’m throwing my lot in with the communists. Nothing personal. It is just tactics.

By: M. Simon

M. Simon — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 09:11:00 +0000

And the message to women? Republicans will institute vagina police. Given the Drug War experience that was a fearsome proposition.

Did Romney counter with “the Feds should leave med pot alone”? (favored by 70% to 80% of the population) Nope. They let it stand that Republicans favor a war on youth (the largest demographic of pot users). And care not a wit for those who gain advantage from med pot. (Soldiers with PTSD, MS sufferers, etc.) The call off the Drug War dogs would have given the impression that Republicans are not the “War On” party.

Yes. The Rs should change nothing. I will work with who ever is in power. It looks like Democrats for as far as the eye can see.

By: jwatersphd

jwatersphd — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:10:00 +0000

finally a sensible piece, Rick. we can speculate on many things, but women, who are the majority of the voting population, were heavily for Obama, as were Blacks, Hispanics and gay. Although Romney did his best to confuse everyone in the final month by pretending he was no longer the “severe conservative” that he had recently become, I think a lot of people in those 3 groups were truly scared by his willingness to sell his soul to the right wing. Even if he didn’t really believe it – and who can say what he believes? – he was clearly willing to stand up for the legitimate-rape-is-god’s-gift and embryo-is-a-person group, was glad to propose measures that would serve himself as one of the ultra rich (like no capital gains taxes), proposed self-deportation as immigration reform, and was in alignment with the massive voter suppression efforts barely disguised as election security measures. Plus he advocated spending more on defense than even the defense dept wanted, and people really do clearly see that Mormonism is a cult. Yes, by adopting these positions, he appealed to many White males and older folks, but not all (I’m a member of both blocs, but he didn’t appeal to me), and if you adopt clearly outrageous positions with regards to women, and to ethnic and sexual-preference minorities who make up maybe 20% of the voting population, what do you really expect? A lot of people, myself included, see these policies as simple meanness of spirit and whims by people who already have far more in the way of privilege and resources than most people, and it scares those it’s supposed to (women, minorities, gays, and the 47%) and turns off a lot of the rest of us. I’m privileged, white and male, and i don’t need any of that crap. Finally, the republicans and right wing had clearly established themselves as being primarily committed to blocking and defeating Obama regardless what he proposed, and i think a lot of people found the “he didn’t keep his promises” and “didn’t fix the economy” arguments preposterous in light of the pervasive, unceasing oppositionalism. You can’t fight someone clean and dirty, night and day, and then fault them for not succeeding.

By: rivahmitch

rivahmitch — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:04:00 +0000

Offending such as you doesn’t bother me a bit. I’m offended by the idea that I should pay for Sandy Fluke’s sexual activities or PBS left-wing news coverage, but that probably doesn’t bother you either. I don’t have much use for Rove and his games but, then, I have even less
use for Soros and Obozos games and those of the Chicago political
machine. Then, again I guess you missed the meaningless “ads and phrases” your Kenyan Marxist buddy put out (remember “hoax and chains”?) BTW, you don’t find “separation of church and state” in the Constitution. The specific language is “Congress shall make no law… with respect to the establishment of religion” (which had a specific meaning coming from fairly recent european history) “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. As for “whining”, none here, just stockpiling and waiting. As for “giving an inch”, why don’t you come and try to take it? Semper Fi!

By: Gerg

Gerg — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Right…to hell with the 47%.
Overturn Roe v. Wade.
Shut down PBS…

All ultra right viewpoints, and nothing to do with a focus on the economy. It is insane to hear the silence on abortion, “legitimate rape”, “God’s will…rape is…”, etc.

Too much denial going on here. Wake up GOP, it could be your turn next election if you dump the ancient, Talibanic behavior and approach to this subjects.

By: Gerg

Gerg — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Well said…

By: Gerg

Gerg — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:29:00 +0000

But they did offend “us”…carrying on with the ultraconservative religious viewpoints. Remember, we’re supposed to have separation of church and state. We were also offended because the likes of Rove and others thought the campaign as a game and tried to win it with ads and phrases, thereby lacking any substance. I bet that if Flip Romney hadn’t been one of so many personalities, the Pubs would be enjoying this victory right now. Instead, all I am hearing and seeing is whining and GOP stomping their feet, insisting they won’t give and inch. Well, what did that get them?

By: Gerg

Gerg — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:24:00 +0000

This introspection of the Republican loss really seems to be in denial of the facts… That is, and I don’t see any mention of the fanatical, religious “right” (which in many ways is so very wrong)…the cooky and insane remarks from the likes of Murdock and Akin. It is no coincidence that they both lost their elections. These are not the only nutcases that crawled out from the ultra-conservative rocks, there were many more, these two just got the most attention.

I am a registered Republican, but have been appalled by the No Choice stance by the GOP…No Abortions, no PBS, tear down Obamacare, and we’ll do vouchers — just another way of denying decent and reliable healthcare to Americans.

Face it…dump the religious conservatism and the GOP may have likely won the White House. So very many people working in the Federal Procurement industry are fed up with crap, no wonder the GOP lost again.

GOP lost on obstructing these last several years — that is not leadership.
GOP lost because of their arcane view on the economy and who pays taxes — that is not leadership.

GOP lost for espousing these ultra-conservative religious viewpoints that encouraged Akin and other to admit to what they are thinking — that is scary — and that is not leadership.

There is a lot of denial going around for the Republicans. They can certainly keep a conservative viewpoint on jobs, taxes, economy, etc. — but let personal choices remain personal choices!

By: rivahmitch

rivahmitch — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Precisely the Cloward-Piven strategy… but let’s leave that up to “Bill Murphy” (above) who apparently feels that demanding that the government live within its means, that societal benefits be restricted to citizens and that productive citizens be treated at least a well as parasites is “irrational, vitriolic and reactionary”. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see the desired end-result of the ClowardPiven strategy (a totally government-controlled economy and society) come to fruition.

By: Bill Murphy

Bill Murphy — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 15:50:00 +0000

And you’re wondering why you lost? It couldn’t possibly be the rabid, hate-fueled, wingnut rhetoric that scares the hell out of independent voters? The GOP needs to take a good, long hard look at itself in the mirror. This election was lost because of an irrational, vitriolic and reactionary minority of very vocal, very insane Tea Party dupes that have somehow taken over the ideological wing of the conservative GOP.