Why 2012 election was a message election
In an election year with unemployment hovering at 8 percent and millions of Americans deeply concerned about their future, in a year with no campaign-finance laws to prevent rich conservatives from dumping as much money as they wished into the process, in a year featuring an incumbent who motivated the GOP base by his mere existence, the Republican Party lost.
And it wasn’t just the presidency that they lost. At the beginning of the year, with Democrats forced to defend 23 Senate seats while Republicans defended just 10, GOP leaders were all but certain that they would reclaim Senate control and oust Harry Reid as majority leader. It was an historic opportunity.
Instead, they lost two seats. They lost five seats in the House as well, including, at last count, that of Allen West of Florida and Joe Walsh in Illinois. Michele Bachmann barely survived in a heavily Republican district. (UPDATE: The latest numbers suggest that the GOP will lose seven seats in the House, not five.)
In other signs of a changing America, voters in Maine and Maryland approved measures legalizing gay marriage. In Washington, a measure to legalize gay marriage also appears to have passed. In Minnesota, voters rejected a measure that would ban gay marriage. In Wisconsin, voters elected the nation’s first openly gay person to the Senate. And in Colorado and Washington, voters easily approved the recreational use of marijuana.
Three additional points:
The polls were not skewed. Needing an excuse to explain why the polls were so consistently unfriendly to Republicans, Fox News and the conservative media invented one: The pollsters were conspiring with the mainstream media to defraud conservatives. More specifically, the theory went, polls were showing Democrats outnumbering Republicans by a six- or seven-point margin. There’s no way that could be true, conservatives told themselves.
In one sense, it was the perfect explanation. It appealed to the GOP’s inherent distrust of experts who tell them things they don’t want to hear, and also played to their longstanding anger at the media. Eventually, though, all such explanations get “trued up” against reality. And in reality, Democrats did end up with a six-point turnout advantage over Republicans, just as predicted.
This was not Mitt Romney’s fault. Quite the contrary. From the beginning, Romney was the only GOP candidate who was even faintly plausible as president. Would Newt Gingrich have done better? Rick Santorum? Bachmann? Herman Cain? Rick Perry? Please. The blowout would have been epic.
Yes, Romney did pivot from “severely conservative” to moderate right before the first debate, and some in his party will now try to attribute his defeat to that decision. You know the drill: “He was a RINO, and RINOs always lose.” That easy excuse ignores the fact that Romney made that pivot because his “severely conservative” persona was getting killed in the polls at the time. When he changed, the polls changed. This race was close at the end only because he ditched conservatism and embraced moderation.
But here’s where the evidence gets incontrovertible: Last night, the GOP put up a viable Senate candidate in 17 states; most of those 17 candidates ran well to the right of Romney. If conservatism was a winning message, they should have done better with voters than the moderate Romney did.
The exact opposite proved true. In 12 of those 17 states, Romney outperformed the conservative Senate candidate. In six states, Romney outperformed the GOP Senate candidate by a double-digit margin. In five states, Romney outperformed the Republican Senate candidate by 15 points or more.
And the five GOP Senate candidates who did better in their states than Romney?* Every single one ran as a moderate. Overall, voters rejected conservatism, and “moderate Mitt” deserves great credit for squeezing every vote possible out of a tough situation.
But every vote possible wasn’t enough.
The country has changed; the GOP has not. Republicans lost badly among Latino voters, black voters, gay voters, Jewish voters and women. They once again did quite well among white voters, who comprised 72 percent of the electorate. But that’s down from 74 percent in 2008, which was down from 77 percent in 2004, which was down from 80 percent in 2000.
Does anybody see a trend in those numbers?
But other numbers are just as daunting. In exit polls yesterday, 74 percent of Republican voters said that they believe illegal immigrants should be deported instead of offered a chance at citizenship. That is clearly a core issue for the GOP base. Yet overall, just 29 percent of Americans share that opinion.
How do you convince that 74 percent of Republicans that their party has to change and change pretty dramatically if it’s to compete in the emerging America? How do you convince them that they have to break out of the lily-white political ghetto in which they’ve confined themselves?
It’s going to take leadership. It’s going to take people such as Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindal and Jeb Bush and Chris Christie telling hard truths to a base that has often found ingenious ways to avoid hard truths. It’s going to take a willingness to compromise and a willingness to change and a willingness to confront the talk-radio hosts and special interest groups who see no personal benefit to such change.
Overall, the narrowness of the GOP defeat in the presidential race disguises just how significant this election really was. The ground was prepared perfectly for a major GOP victory — everything was in place — and the opposite happened. And it’s not something new. In the last six presidential cycles, the GOP candidate has won a plurality of votes just once. That was George W. Bush in 2004, riding the fumes of his post-9/11 performance.
This was a message election, in terms of both ideology and demography, and from here on out that message is going to be restated louder and louder and louder until the Republican Party finds a way to respond to it.
– Jay Bookman
*The states in question are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico.
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665 comments Add your comment
smike
November 7th, 2012
8:56 am
@Robert >>Ummm… What about Ron Paul?
Please. Huntsman was the only viable GOP candidate, and the conservative base wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
8:56 am
rc – “I can’t deal with stupidity!”
Neither could half the country, that’s why Mitt lost.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 7th, 2012
8:57 am
Trump calling for a revolution?
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
8:57 am
“hey right wing nut jobs anymore ideas to suppress the vote?”
gm — ain’t America great???
Thomas Heyward Jr
November 7th, 2012
8:57 am
“Why 2012 election was a message election”
.
The message is the same one that the good people of the USSR were getting around 1992.
.
It will be the same result.
and the world will be better off for it.
bozzman
November 7th, 2012
8:57 am
Well done article. I am a Republican voter, but I do not like the ultra-conservative views of some of the Party. What is really the deeper problem is on both sides. I read comments like “Suck It” and others that are indicative of the division of this country. Instead of gloating over the victory and trying to rub each other’s face in it or bemoan why Romney lost and blame it fake polls and loaded voting, lets look at the things that divided us. On both sides it was extreme views that made us choose the other. On both sides it was “my way or the highway”. This is a chance to listen to what the other side and improve this country for all of us. We have become a very selfish and entitled nation. It is killing this great country. Stop bashing and start working together.
Rabbit
November 7th, 2012
8:57 am
The President’s plans, Jm?
Implement Obamacare and reduce overall health costs. Wrestle with what is hopefully a more rational congress to promote new economies that will promote jobs. Counteract stupid state efforts that try to turn education over to corporations. Yes, tax reform.
Improve domestic oil production and (back to those new economies) promote battery technology, fuel efficiency, and fund research and technology to reduce greenhouse gases.
Help coastal areas develop (job creating) plans to combat rising sea levels.
Find a Secretary of State as good as Hilary to continue to work with the world on the big problems out there.
Here’s a tip. Turn off the radio and pick up several publications to read: be sure they represent several points of view so you can begin to make your own opinion instead of adopting one from the spinmasters.
real john
November 7th, 2012
8:58 am
Jay, here is my take on the election.
1. African American’s will vote Democrate NO Matter what..Black unemployment is through the roof. Blacks are far worse off financially than four years ago, but they will vote for “their” candidate no matter what he did or said.
2. Latinos will vote for the Dems because the Repubs are the only ones trying to do something about our rampant illegal immigration problem. Of course the Dems don’t want to do anything about it, they just want their votes.
3. Jews..I have no idea why they vote for this man. He has not had anything nice to say about Isreal.
I guess since I’m a white, heterosexual male I’m considered the enemy by the Democratic party.
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
8:58 am
Jm
Put the rum punch down. You will be alright, just put down it down. All those little umbrellas must be adding up by now.
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
8:59 am
just put it down………..
Heck, maybe I need some of that punch
willie lynch
November 7th, 2012
8:59 am
Reince Priebus is a JOKE! The Republicans found out in exit polls that the people understand that the problems we are digging out of are directly related to the policies they espoused preceding President Obama’s first term. This is the reason why they wouldn’t touch the two term Republican president or ask him to do any appearances or high profile endorsements. This election is a sound rejection by an emerging demographic that said the real politics of division is what the Republicans represent, small tent politics.
This should once and for all put down the neocon warmongering side of the right and send a clear message to the Tea People that their politics are not national level politics.
Now Dick Cheney and his daughter can slink back into their hole never to be players again. Rush Limp…’s can continue his appeal to his Honey Boo Boo radio audience, and Sean Hannity can continue his ignorant racist appeals.
There is a story that was told about an early battle where the General kept sending his men forth to die because he refused to accept the superiority of the crossbow. Republicans this is your crossbow moment.
Republicans you are out of the mainstream and out of the White House for FOUR MORE YEARS!!! And did I mention Reince Priebus is a JOKE!
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
8:59 am
bozzman
November 7th, 2012
8:57 am
On both sides it was extreme views that made us choose the other. On both sides it was “my way or the highway”.
++++++++++++++++++++
No it wasn’t. The Republicans are on record MANY TIMES saying that their main goal was to make Obama a one term President. They refused to negotiate on ANY issue.
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
9:00 am
real john – “I guess since I’m a white, heterosexual male I’m considered the enemy by the Democratic party.”
Not at all, your free to vote for one of their candidates anytime you want to.
smike
November 7th, 2012
9:00 am
>>We have become a greedy mob without a brain believing the gravy train will never end.
If we were really that greedy, we would have voted for Romney. He was the one promising big tax cuts for everyone.
333
November 7th, 2012
9:00 am
Gloat, you delusional fools—and watch our once great Republic become the land of Federalism. Get used to that hand on your shoulder guiding your every move—enjoy.
Jay
November 7th, 2012
9:00 am
Yes, Jeff, I did witness that Karl Rove meltdown over Ohio. It was epic, bizarre television. Even Fox viewers had to be stunned by his refusal to acknowledge reality.
Jerome Horwitz
November 7th, 2012
9:01 am
Good Morning Goldie! The sun is shining in our world today!
We watched the returns with some friends last night. We rattled the floor when the announcement was made.
Dunwoody Granny
November 7th, 2012
9:01 am
A little bit of a repudiation of “government of older white men, by older white men, for older white men” by the portion of the electorate” that’s younger, darker, and less likely to think “legitimate” and “rape” belong in the same sentence.
Also, GM is still alive and OBL is now dead. Results matter.
But let’s not kid ourselves. There’s also the power of incumbency and the advantage of not having to go through a bruising primary season.
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
9:01 am
Thulsa
If you are on, I guess that Romney surge and potential victory you were speaking about fizzled……….
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:02 am
“I guess since I’m a white, heterosexual male I’m considered the enemy by the Democratic party.”
Unreal John — you forgot to insert “with his eyes closed” after the word male.
You’re welcome!
howard emmons
November 7th, 2012
9:02 am
Well, thank God, Fox News, Karl Rove and Rush all secretly work for the Democratic Party…the depiction of Republicans as lunatics will secure their Democratic team victories for decades to come…what an asset to the Democratic Party!
ap
November 7th, 2012
9:02 am
Funny how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still not named even after this election. And the reason is precisely what this article refers to: The Republican old guard must realize that the platform W ran on no longer resonates. And the reason this writer doesn’t include Ron Paul in his list of those he thinks the public could not imagine as president is because Ron Paul’s unifying message of liberty is the very winning message the Republican party should embrace. Status quo politics (R and D) is about personalities seeking power, taxpayer-funded special interests, and government control wherever possible. The message of liberty will end that cycle. While Dr. Paul is retiring, there’s an inspired groundswell of young, intelligent, future-minded Americans ready to defend the cause, and a few in the electorate to take the challenge.
Jm
November 7th, 2012
9:02 am
Aquagirl
D’s and R’s are light years apart
Immigration reform may happen, it won’t help the republicans
DannyX
November 7th, 2012
9:03 am
Lets show some compassion for our Republican friends. They are grieving right now, and the Republican way of dealing with grief is very difficult.
The 7 stages of Republican grief are…
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Negotiation
4. Anger
5. Fox News marathon
6. Denial
7. Finally, 4 years of Anger
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:03 am
Jm. the Republican’s can choose to help illegal aliens become legal…… The Latino’s are a hard working group, they are the only group willing to work the fields in Georgia, where farmers lost millions on crops that never got picked.
They are the guys cutting the Rich Republican lawns….. They are growing in number, and the tax revenue will be wonderful as a way to cut the deficit.
White Republican males are the same demographic that are the Boy Scout leaders under fire, the one’s responsible for the under age sex trade…….. all at the same time wanting to tell women if they get rapped it is a blessing from God.
Time to wake up…and the South that was once a Republican strong hold, will slowly become a mixed bag as the voting population changes.
willie lynch
November 7th, 2012
9:03 am
@jm
Hey buddy if you’re not happy here in what you term this socialist country last time I checked there were other country’s for you to live in.
Like the say, “Don’t go away mad just go away.”
moonbat betty
November 7th, 2012
9:03 am
Well, I picked up a spicy crow biscuit from Chik-Fil-a this morning and it was damn good!
Congrats to Obama and the liberals, but I doubt we are going to have a one party system any time soon.
Hope he is more effective as a leader this go around, but don’t hold your breath.
fedup
November 7th, 2012
9:04 am
Yes, I watched Karl Rove last night. So funny. I never watch Fox “News” unless the Republicans have lost a national election. And it was so worth it last night. Watching them being forced to accept reality and watching Rove struggle to prevent it was great. And very satisfying.
straitroad
November 7th, 2012
9:04 am
This election came down to a few things. 1) There are a lot of people on the tax payer dime and they vote. 2) The media is a powerful tool and it deflected long enough on several issues (gas prices, benghazi, debt). 3) Division – obama successfully divided enough people into groups and motivated them with fear and promises of other people’s stuff. Now that the election is over, he will do one of two things, go hard left and leave us with more of the same or take Clinton’s advice and be willing to work with the opposition to find common ground. Let’s hope it’s the latter.
ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT
November 7th, 2012
9:04 am
Hety CONS you can all thank Bushie no one wanted to go back to that. ..LOL
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
9:05 am
moonbat
Have an awesome day
H.E. Pennypacker
November 7th, 2012
9:05 am
Last night Karl Rove was like Randolph Duke at the end of Trading Places when he lost all of his money yelling to turn the machines back on as they wheeled out his brother on a stretcher.
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:05 am
What about Ron Paul?
His age, and the fact he does not beleive in a big military and controlling the world….. Republican’s in general do not like him.
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:05 am
DannyX @ 9:03 —
ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT
November 7th, 2012
9:06 am
Maybe now Robme can outsource himself and take the rest of the Loser GOP/ Teaturds with him.
Peadawg
November 7th, 2012
9:07 am
“Clinton’s advice and be willing to work with the opposition to find common ground”
Compromise is a 2-way street. Hopefully the Republicans are able to work w/ Obama as well.
moonbat betty
November 7th, 2012
9:07 am
“White Republican males are the same demographic that are the Boy Scout leaders under fire, the one’s responsible for the under age sex trade…….. all at the same time wanting to tell women if they get rapped it is a blessing from God.”
Yeah, Peter, perhaps you can get Obama to deport all the Republican white males and legalize all the illegal aliens?
Hope and Change!
Kay
November 7th, 2012
9:07 am
The GOP lost because they tried to change Mitt Romney, they had this man so confused he didn’t know his own name at times, If he would have been the Governor of the past and not trying to please the Hardcore GOP and Tea Party, He might have won! GOP needs to stop looking like visiting day at the nursing home and more like the real america.
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:08 am
I think we should band together as a team and look after JM. I think he needs outr help. Let’s keep him on a suicide watch to make sure he doesn’t harm himself.
We are here for you JM, let it all out. Share brother. Don’t hold it in. We want to help, just reach out we are here for you man………….
ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT
November 7th, 2012
9:08 am
Deport Grover and the Koch Bros.
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
9:08 am
Now that the election is over, do you think that businesses will have enough “certainty” to start hiring again?
the cat
November 7th, 2012
9:08 am
Lifelong blue voting person here who would vote for a Huntsman.
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
Yeah, Peter, perhaps you can get Obama to deport all the Republican white males and legalize all the illegal aliens?
Damn Betty, you may be on to something there. I like it.
Fedup
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
On foreign policy. Bibi go suck an egg. Obama will bring the runts in Iran to their miserable knees. They are already halfway there. And rich folks I hope your tax rates go up.
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
I’m conservative
Stop debating abortion.
Stop arguing gay marriage.
Embrace the illegals that are here while coming up with a viable solution from more illegal immigrants crossing the border. I’m not sure how border protection isn’t a major concern for both parties, but apparently it isn’t.
Come up with a real solution for the deficit. Cutting foreign aid, which is less than 1% of the budget, isn’t a solution. Someone is going to have to tackle Medicaid/Medicare, Social Security, etc. Thing is, if someone actually tried to fix those problems, they’d be crucified by the other side.
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
Jm
You picked GA and FL for Romney. You are one down and one to go. Hold on, man. You never know.
Keep track of the local news down there for the latest updates
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
“Hey, where’s RB, Kayaker, USMC, Mighty Righty, Scout, Donovan , etc… to tell us how awesome Romney is and how “Obozo” doesn’t stand a chance?”
with Unca Karl at the bottom of a scotch glass … 300+ electoral college votes my fuzzy white butt!!
Paul
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
“telling hard truths to a base that has found often ingenious ways to avoid hard truths”
I think that’s the key, Jay. That the base does not want to hear the truth and they’ve plenty of people telling them what they want to hear (whole those people continue to get rich by doing so).
Congrats, Jm. You are here, about the only regular from the conservative end of the spectrum, making your case.
What happened? Didn’t hear 0311 yell “Retreat!!!”?
moonbat betty
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
Thanks, TBs.
You do the same.
willie lynch
November 7th, 2012
9:09 am
straitroad
November 7th, 2012
9:04 am
Stop it! The president has nothing to do with gas prices. and who doesn’t know about the debt? And thirdly, what is the time frame for having all the information about an attack in a non governed foreign land?
Grasshopper
November 7th, 2012
9:10 am
The message that I take out of this election is that half of the country doesn’t recognize poor leadership even when they live under it for four years. I’m not surprised by that though; half the country has lived with one hand out and the other over their eyes for a long time now.
For the next four years, whenever one of our liberties falls, whenever government grows even larger and more unresponsive, whenever federal taxes increase, I’ll simply say, “Thanks Ohio.”
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:10 am
Peter
November 7th, 2012
White Republican males are the same demographic that are the Boy Scout leaders under fire, the one’s responsible for the under age sex trade…….. all at the same time wanting to tell women if they get rapped it is a blessing from God
_________________________________
great argument. . . . . .
. . .
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:10 am
“The message is the same one that the good people of the USSR were getting around 1992.”
um. you mean that the GOP politics isn’t working and they need to get back to center?
yeah. I can agree with that.
nobodyyouknow
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
Well Mr. Bookman congratulations. You and you media buddies did it again. You got your man in for a 2nd term. What a choice we had, Morman Mitt, and O,bama. A man no one seems to know alot about. Most people looked at Romney as another rich republican. (and thats what he is) O,bama is someone who we can connect with. One on our level.Just a common man. Nothing could be futher from the truth.. I wonder where all these “experts” are? The ones who said it would be a Romney landslide.I enjoy reading about politics. But I’m never goin to proclaim I,m an expert. As old and senile as I am I could see it was going to be close. There are so many people that depend on the government to get them through life. They want someone they think will not take the freebies from them. If one is well educated and has made his own success and wealthy, they just can’t relate. I hope the so-called experts that claim if O,bama was re-elected we would have a financial disaster. I pray they are wrong. God help us.
Tinkerella
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
I was a lone wolf while I voted among the pickup trucks, camouflage, and gun racks yesterday. The only downside….no baby unicorn from Mitt as he promised me one.
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
Karl Rove…. We haven’t counted Cats and Dogs as of yet !
WOW… will the Tabby’s and Chihuahua be part of it ?
ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
VIVA OBAMA……ROBME ES UN PENDEJO!
Fedup
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
Lost MA, MI & WI. What a loooooooser.
A Moderate Independent
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
The GOP went off and left me a long, long time ago. I think the Tea Party is the worst thing to ever happen to the GOP.
Jm
November 7th, 2012
9:12 am
Capitalism doesn’t like the result
Dow futures down 120 as of now
deegee
November 7th, 2012
9:12 am
The highlight of my night came around 10:30 when the irrelevant Karl Rove was explaining how Romney could still win 5 battleground states. When he was finished, the highly partisan Fox News anchor looked him in the eyes and said, “Are you saying this to make yourself feel better or do you have some basis in fact?” It was hilarious!!!
Democrats keep control of Senate – CNN | Chrome Book Case
November 7th, 2012
9:12 am
[...] 134Houston ChronicleDemocrats seize supermajority in state LegislatureSan Francisco ChronicleAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -Washington Post (blog) -Voice of America (blog)all 5,812 news [...]
michael
November 7th, 2012
9:12 am
kay you are right about that an until the GOP deals with their far right wing views like Jim Demint, Rove Limbaugh they will be in trouble. And I am a 60 some year old white male independent.
bookman parrot
November 7th, 2012
9:13 am
jay,
continues speaking in half-truths and inuendo. would not expect anything else.
what about foreign money dumped into BHO campaign. oh that is ok, because that is the side i (jay) support and anything goes and is ok when it is the side i (jay) support.
the message is, there is alot of people on the public dole and they want to continue there and the message is if you spin falseness enough, the foolish people will believe.
and you sir jay and your cohort are just plain better at it and have a few more foolish and simpleton people to work with.
i will help you out now, and say that if the economy still stinks in 4 years from now and the deficit is 25 trillion or more … it is Bush’s fault. you’re welcome!!!
i hope i’m wrong … time will tell …
lastly, what is truly disconcerting is the posts and ideology from the “tolerant/enlightened” that basically say the hell with everyone else, what’s in it for me, ….
Fedup
November 7th, 2012
9:13 am
Need to fix these voter fraud kicks these loser are in. If they fix that the house will flip to blue too.
Regnad Kcin
November 7th, 2012
9:13 am
real john
November 7th, 2012
8:58 am
“Jay, here is my take on the election.”
=============
Then you reduced everybody to a stereotype, and express your confusion as to why things did not work out as you expected.
Until you realize people are real individuals, you will continue to be confused. Try reality; it’s liberating!
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:13 am
Stuff to fix before 2014:
1. Citizens United
2. GOP governors who keep trying to suppress voters from voting
3. Tea Purity patriots needing lobotomies
4. Electoral College with “winner takes all” distribution of electors
5. Florida
the cat
November 7th, 2012
9:14 am
I still want to see Lord High Hair Gel’s (thanks St. Simons for that name) taxes.
Mary Elizabeth
November 7th, 2012
9:14 am
Well analyzed and well stated article.
Consciousness has changed in Americans and so have America’s demographics. America will not see a return to an outdated perception of interpersonal dynamics based on hierarchy and on the control of the less fortunate through the wealth and power of the more fortunate, as was true with slavery and Jim Crow. Americans are becoming more egalitarian in their perceptions, just as our Founding Fathers had envisioned would happen to citizens within our nation, over time.
President Obama understands well that egalitarian vision, with both his head and his heart. Watch for him to try to enhance that consciousness through programs that will strenghten the working middle class, lift the under classes (especially through education), and foster an egalitarianism, as best he is able, throughout the world. If only Republicans will not remain intransigent toward him and his vision, as they have been in the past few years, America, under Obama’s leadership, will continue to move toward that “more perfect union” to which she was destined.
Simple Truths
November 7th, 2012
9:14 am
As the GOP thinks up new ideas on how to fix problems, perhaps they will drop the abortion issue. It is not a winning issue.
gm
November 7th, 2012
9:14 am
To the right wing conservatives is it time to get ride of losers like Dick Morris, Hannity, Rush the scum Limbaugh, Karl Rowe? , these angry white men time is up, no one under 30 listen to these people yet they have made millions off old angry white men of the south.
Where is Sara Palin, who has made millions off this party, do you get it now? rest of the country as moved to the 21 century.
Paul
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
USinUK
“300+ electoral college votes my fuzzy white butt!!”
http://tinyurl.com/c6blz72
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
Jm
If you are measuring the stock market based on one day’s results, you might not be as good of a finance & economics guy as you pretend to be.
Pass the Cheesy Grits Please
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
Tax the rich! Best platform ever, if you’re a socialist country.
Do you know what the tax rate was for the rich under JFK
77 percent.
Taxes on the rich are at historically low levels. Some pay little if any tax at all.
Heck Romney only pays 14 percent.
So spare me will ya.
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
“The GOP went off and left me a long, long time ago.”
Moderate — you are the new GOP awakening… keep pushin’!
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
A Moderate Independent
November 7th, 2012
9:11 am
The GOP went off and left me a long, long time ago. I think the Tea Party is the worst thing to ever happen to the GOP.
___________________
I think the Tea Party, in the beginning, was a great idea. The idea of actually holding representatives accountable for financial decisions and shrinking government. . . but then they lost their minds. the idea of signing something pledging to never raise taxes. . . .
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
Jm Capitalism doesn’t like the result Dow futures down 120 as of now
Sorry to dispel your belief system….. Wall Street likes a Democrat in the white house……numbers will prove it in the end.
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
“Fred”
I’m about to go speak to the crowd here in Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first.
I want you to know that this wasn’t fate, and it wasn’t an accident. You made this happen.
You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn’t easy, you pressed forward.
I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started.
But I want you to take real pride, as I do, in how we got the chance in the first place.
Today is the clearest proof yet that, against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests.
There’s a lot more work to do.
But for right now: Thank you.
Barack
What Happened to the Tea Party?
November 7th, 2012
9:15 am
Allen West of Florida and Joe Walsh of Illinois… Goners!
Jm
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
First up: debt ceiling
tooltime234
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
stritroad you do realize we have almost no control over gas prices right? And there might be a lot of people on the tax payer dime that will vote straight democrat as you say but there are also a lot of intolerant rednecks that will vote straight republican so the gays cant get married. I don’t particularly like Obama but Romney seems like a bigot. I don’t think that really is what this country needs and it was telling in the election last night. I feel like if the Liberatrian party could put a strong charismatic canidate out there in the next election a lot more people are actually libertarian than liberal or conservative.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
“Capitalism doesn’t like the result
Dow futures down 120 as of now”
(shhhhhh … don’t anyone tell him about the fiscal cliff)
Fedup
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
bookman parrot
“what about foreign money dumped into BHO campaign. oh that is ok, because that is the side i (jay) support and anything goes and is ok when it is the side i (jay) support”
Addelson and Romney goes to Isreal and brings in bag full of money from the Cons over there. That is OK for you.
real john
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
Regnad Kcin:
Please dispute one thing I said. Obama overwhelmingly won the black, latino, and Jewish vote by HUGE margins. Even Jay mentioned it in his article. Those are ACTUAL, INDISPUTABLE FACTS.
will the "REAL" Mitt Romney please stand up
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
just thought that I would watch this one for the LAST time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxch-yi14BE
East Lake Ira
November 7th, 2012
9:16 am
Boortz is losing it right now…
Hilarious!
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:17 am
Flagboy — “Embrace the illegals that are here while coming up with a viable solution from more illegal immigrants crossing the border. I’m not sure how border protection isn’t a major concern for both parties, but apparently it isn’t.”
Actually, it is. The problem is that your party’s rhetoric on the topic consists of ‘We have GOT to do (insert wildly implausible solution here) or else our country will be OVERRUN by illegal brown people.’ To which Democrats respond ‘that’s not a very good idea.’ And then the Republicans say ‘you just LOVE illegals coming here and voting in our elections, you SNAKES.’
Consequently, the problem doesn’t get fixed. So drop the rhetoric and the demonizing, and let’s talk turkey. I’ve actually proposed a partial solution to the problem here several times, and some of our conservative posters have agreed that it’s a good approach. Perhaps we could bat it around; you might have some ideas on how to improve it.
midtownguy
November 7th, 2012
9:17 am
Looks like the “southern strategy” with it’s attack on black citizens first then gay citizens then “illegals” has come full circle. Yes, GOP, it won you the South. But it lost you America.
gm
November 7th, 2012
9:17 am
bin ladin just rose up and said “Dam I hate this guy”
Simple Truths
November 7th, 2012
9:17 am
Anyone heard from Redneck Convert? Is he sleeping off a monster bender?
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:17 am
As the GOP thinks up new ideas on how to fix problems, perhaps they will drop the abortion issue. It is not a winning issue.
Yes…….Since when do white males have the ” judging power ” over women in general ?
the cat
November 7th, 2012
9:18 am
Where is Ben Shockley???? hahahhahahahahahahahahha
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:18 am
IABF — “ROBME ES UN PENDEJO!”
I LOLed.
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
9:18 am
bookman parrot – “what is truly disconcerting is the posts and ideology from the “tolerant/enlightened” that basically say the hell with everyone else, what’s in it for me, ….”
Agreed, if the GOP and it’s supporters have any hope of winning in 2016, they will really need to change that message.
Why 2012 election was a message election
November 7th, 2012
9:18 am
[...] Street JournalPolicyMic -OregonLive.com -BuzzFeedall 5,790 news articles » Read more » Sponsored [...]
gm
November 7th, 2012
9:18 am
Hey bigot Neal B. how you like the thug from Chicago now?
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:18 am
First up: debt ceiling hey Jm.
Please tell us how many times Bush raised the debt ceiling during his 2 terms…..all while bankrupting America ?
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:19 am
“Obama overwhelmingly won the black, latino, and Jewish vote by HUGE margins. Even Jay mentioned it in his article. Those are ACTUAL, INDISPUTABLE FACTS.”
yes. AND WOMEN.
if I was the GOP, I’d be taking a long, hard look at my platform and trying to figure out how long I can survive when I alienate so many people .
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:19 am
“Allen West of Florida and Joe Walsh of Illinois… Goners!”
Woo-hooo — yep, we’re weeding out the loonies slowly but slowly!
Jm
November 7th, 2012
9:19 am
Peter 9:15 hilarious
Alright, talking to the dim is a waste of time
Democrats will probably rule for decades
Out