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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
665 comments Add your comment
Tundra Dude
November 7th, 2012
9:40 am
“The GOP will bounce back once a viable candidate is found.”
Sorry, but no viable candidate will ever pass your litmus tests.
ps: If the US ever instituted mandatory voting, there would be no GOP
deegee
November 7th, 2012
9:40 am
I can’t stand Ann Coulter but she accurately called this race months ago when she said that if the party picks Romney, Obama will be re-elected.
trailerparkted
November 7th, 2012
9:40 am
Well Cosby, there is always Afghanistan, sounds like you will fit right in…..
DawgDad
November 7th, 2012
9:40 am
Clydesdale – Obama won more states than Romnry – figure it out…
Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire . . . figured it out.
independent thinker
November 7th, 2012
9:40 am
MESSAGE – If the GOP keeps putting elitist and self centered members of the 1% up as presidential candidates and they saddle with the ultra nationalist neocons they will lose no matter how bad the economy is.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:41 am
“When does your flight leave?”
good luck finding an industrial country without socialized medicine!!!
Jm
November 7th, 2012
9:41 am
Soros guru Jim Rogers
“get ready for cheap money run amok”
“more inflation, more money printing, more debt, more spending”
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
9:42 am
Just as a point of interest, I followed the 11/6/2012 map on electoralvote.com last night. It was amazingly accurate when compared to the actual state EC votes from last night. I only say this, becuase more than once i posted the link to the site and was told that I needed to get “more accurate information”. Check for yourself: http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2012/Pres/Maps/Nov06.html
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:42 am
““80% of the map turns red on election night but only draws 48% of the vote”
Yeah, the U.S. Constitution can be a b]tch sometimes — that darn Electoral College, what were the Founding Fathers thinking???
tooltime234
November 7th, 2012
9:42 am
Dawgdad you could say the same thing about Montana, Idaho, Wyoming too. I’m glad we have 4 more years of Luther the angry Obama translator.
gadem
November 7th, 2012
9:43 am
This article right here sums up what is wrong with the Republican party. As many has stated, instead of them looking at themselves and the message that they are peddling. They are rationalizing that the only way that Obama won re-election is because that people that wants things voted him in…
http://www.newsmax.com/newswidget/OReilly-white-minority-establishment/2012/11/06/id/463114?promo_code=F470-1&utm_source=Fox_Politics&utm_medium=nmwidget&utm_campaign=widgetphase2
Regnad Kcin
November 7th, 2012
9:43 am
Good morning, getalife – yes, it’s a beatiful day indeed…
Jm
November 7th, 2012
9:43 am
Treasuries rallying
Safe have run
Trump is Freaking Out
November 7th, 2012
9:43 am
Donald Trump: Election Is ‘Total Sham And A Travesty,’ and suggests ‘Revolution’ Is Necessary.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
November 7th, 2012
9:43 am
While many of us hoped and prayed for a Romney/Ryan victory ………… today it is what it is.
A couple of thoughts:
1) Sure the demographics are changing but I believe historians 100 years from now will mark yesterday as the “point of no return” for what was once a great Republic. As Caesar said when he crossed the Rubicon, “Alea iacta est” (the die is cast).
2) The United States of America is no better than Israel of the Old Testament. When as a nation we collectively turn our back on God it is possible His protective hand may be withdrawn.
3) There is nothing more dangerous than a Chicago lame “thug” duck.
Where is Sean Hannity?
November 7th, 2012
9:43 am
Where is that race baiting lying ass clown? I looked for him all night!
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:44 am
MiltonMan — hint: “the candidate” is not the problem.
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:44 am
Hey Jm. pick up some Silver Wheaton, and if you haven’t owned Sprint during the run up, you still can..they just purchased more cellular markets.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Sprint is buying U.S. Cellular markets in the Midwest for $480 million to boost its network capacity in that region.
Sprint Nextel Corp., the third-largest U.S. cellphone carrier, said Wednesday that it is buying spectrum and 585,000 customers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. That covers about 10 percent of U.S. Cellular’s customer base and includes its key Chicago and St. Louis markets.
trailerparkted
November 7th, 2012
9:44 am
for the record there coz, abut $59 billion is spent on traditional social welfare programs and about $92 billion is spent on corporate susidies. 3% of the total federal budget is spent on rental aid, public housing, and food stamps. That’s about .01% of your paycheck, now guess how much of your check goes to that $92 billion for corporate welfare?
Nunna Yobinnes
November 7th, 2012
9:44 am
I never saw so many people so excited over their taxes going up. Oh wait, those who are excited probably don’t have to pay any taxes, they let the working people pay their taxes while they sit on the couch and watch “reality” TV.
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:44 am
Flagboy — “Joe – I just wanted to make sure you weren’t accusing me of demonizing or obfustication/rhetoric . I actually take a small bit of pride in not seeming like a complete idiot on the interwebs.”
FWIW, I’m not insensitive to your position. I voted Republican for over 20 years of my adult life before I left the party in 2003/2004.
“So shoot. What’s your idea?”
You may have seen me discuss the notion of a national ID card, to be used for voting purposes. It would utilize a national data infrastructure and would have to be nigh-unforgeable. Leaving aside the technical considerations for a moment, it could *also* serve as proof of citizenship OR as work authorization for legal immigrants. Prospective employers could use the ID card for instant checks against the national database to be *assured* that they’re hiring a citizen or work-authorized immigrant, and job applicants could be assured of a quick, hassle-free check. Plus, we impose FAT fines and penalties for hiring *without* checking the card, or for forgery or fraud — and those penalties apply both to the worker and the employer. If the fines are stiff enough and a few companies are made into examples (let’s say each individual offense incurs a fine of one percent of the company’s previous annual gross income, as reported to the IRS), employers will get the message and jobs will dry up for illegosos. Plus, we’ve made working without authorization a crime, which means that offenders so caught *wouldn’t* be eligible for future immigration. IOW, play by the rules or risk getting cut off from the US job marked *forever.*
With a system like this, we could bring back the ‘bracero’ guest-worker program so that industries that need and want unskilled labor that most Americans won’t do (e.g. agricultural) can get *authorization* and be above-board about it.
In short, such an ID system protects American workers, American employers and even gives us a way to bring in foreign ‘temp’ workers when and where needed. It gives everyone involved an *incentive* to work within the system.
What do you think? Any ideas to improve it?
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
MiltonMan
November 7th, 2012
9:39 am
Your man won – congratulations.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank you. Maybe you can convince YOUR folks to grow up and start working with him now that they failed in their main goal of making him a one term President. It would be nice if the Republicans would actually start working FOR America rather than for China……….
Beyond the Middle of the Road
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
Most surreal moments from last night had to be Rove’s total denial of reality and Trump’s complete twitter meltdown. If you missed his tweets here’s a link: http://mashable.com/2012/11/06/trump-reacts-to-election/ And of course the biggest winners were mathematics and Nate Silver. I’d like to say that BOTH sides will now bury the hatchet and work together for the good of the country. Yes, I’d like to say that.
Adam
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY
smike
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
@deegee >>I can’t stand Ann Coulter but she accurately called this race months ago when she said that if the party picks Romney, Obama will be re-elected.
Yeah, but at that point Romney was their best option. I don’t think Coulter ever backed Huntsman, who was their one truly viable candidate.
Tundra Dude
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
— “keine Obszönitäten auf diesem Blog erlaubt”
Wirklich?
Was just guessin’…kinda looked like naughty words..
saywhat?
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
The 2012 election was Americas way of politely inviting the right wingers to enjoy a nice hot cup of STFU while the adults run the country.
ad
November 7th, 2012
9:45 am
DawgDad – the blue states, by and large, are subsidizing the red states as far as taxes to and from the Federal government. Those people voting for Obama in the industrial heartland were working people. People in New York and New Jersey work and they’ve started a few businesses over the years. Some have even done it without going bankrupt over and over (see Trump). The GOP framed this as a “producer” vs. “moocher” election, but most people saw through that c$ap.
Aquagirl
November 7th, 2012
9:46 am
80% of the map turns red on election night but only draws 48% of the vote
We need a constitutional amendment. All those disenfranchised prairie dogs, cattle, and huge tracts ‘o empty land are a travesty.
Adam
November 7th, 2012
9:46 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrwhfhncPfM
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:46 am
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801 ……….. There is nothing more dangerous then a Group of old White Men wanting to tell Women and the world how to behave, as they act poorly themselves.
Dirty Dawg
November 7th, 2012
9:46 am
Two things…as is if anybody cared…white folks, particularly older white men, have desperately been trying to hold onto the reins – and whip – in the belief/fear that once the black and brown minorities become the majority they’ll treat the ‘new’ white male minority the way they’ve been treated all these centuries…and who could blame em? The other thing is that ‘thinking off’ about how great it feels to realize that the Kochs, Adelsen, Rove, and all those other a-hole billionaires have awakened today to the realization that they’ve ‘pi$$ed it all away’. That they’ve squandered hundreds and hundreds of millions of non-deductible dollars with nothing to show for it but the hatred of a good portion of the American people. Can’t wait to hear that the DOJ has indicted Adelsen for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. As for the Kochs, I don’t know what it’s gonna take to make their lives miserable, but I’m all for it…guess I’ll have to settle for continuing to boycott Georgia Pacific products until they get the tar and feathers ready. As for those companies that promised to layoff their folks if Obama won…we’ve got our eyes on you and if there ain’t a law against what you’re planning, we’ll make one.
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:46 am
Rubio will be the next Republican candidate.
Sad state of affairs when you can make that prediction based on demographics rather than ideas, but I have to think that will be the GOP’s response.
pw
November 7th, 2012
9:47 am
Excellent article and very much on point but good luck with the GOP ever owning up to their real reality.
will the "REAL" Mitt Romney please stand up
November 7th, 2012
9:47 am
when “FACTS” become reality….
Nate Silver’s New Book
Posted on October 19, 2012 by Rob I’ve been reading and greatly enjoying Nate Silver’s book, The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—and Some Don’t. I’d recommend the book based on the introduction and first chapter alone. (And, no, that’s not because that’s all I’ve read so far. It’s because they’re that good.) If you’re the sort who skips introductions, I strongly suggest you become a new sort and read this one. It’s a wonderful essay about the dangers of too much information, and the need to make sense of it. Silver makes the point that, historically, when we’ve been faced with more information than we can handle, we tend to pick-and-choose which ‘facts’ we wish to believe. Sounds like a presidential debate, no?
http://citizen-statistician.org/2012/10/19/nate-silvers-new-book/
Welcome to the Occupation
November 7th, 2012
9:47 am
Yes, American is a “center right” nation, which is why the center-right party — the DEMOCRATIC party — is winning — Peter Beinart
DawgDad
November 7th, 2012
9:47 am
“MESSAGE – If the GOP keeps putting elitist and self centered members of the 1% up as presidential candidates and they saddle with the ultra nationalist neocons they will lose no matter how bad the economy is.”
Ok, how do you explain Democrats? Oh, they find an empty suit front-man, who in the process becomes 1%.
Doggone/GA
November 7th, 2012
9:48 am
“then Oblama can run again and win”
No, he can’t
trailerparkted
November 7th, 2012
9:48 am
@nunna yobinnes, Our colleagues at PolitiFact National found last year that for the average middle-class family, the effective tax rate — how much the average taxpayer pays as a percentage of his income — fell between 2008 and 2011.
smike
November 7th, 2012
9:48 am
@Nunna >>I never saw so many people so excited over their taxes going up. Oh wait, those who are excited probably don’t have to pay any taxes, they let the working people pay their taxes while they sit on the couch and watch “reality” TV.
I’m happy to pay my fair share of taxes so that I can live in the world’s best country.
Gator Joe
November 7th, 2012
9:49 am
Jay:
The only thing that could make this morning nicer, would be for Congressional Republicans moving forward, to make a sincere effort to work with President Obama to make this an even better country (I know we Liberals are dreamers).
willie lynch
November 7th, 2012
9:49 am
Jay, I think it’s time for some early travelin music for the cons on here. Don Meridith is ringing in my ears.
philospher
November 7th, 2012
9:50 am
Karl Rove’s refusal to accept the loss in Ohio was absolutely no surprise. If I had spent that many billions of mine and others’ dollars trying to buy an election, there’s no way I would believe it failed!
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:50 am
USinUK — “not that we didn’t already know this. NATE RULES!!!”
FWIW, Dean Chambers, the “Unskewed Polls” guy, tried to rewrite some history last night. He updated his site somewhere around 1-3 AM to make it match the election results, but someone posted on his website and berated him for doing it. Seems that Chambers didn’t realize that people were caching old versions of his site for future reference, conservabloggers like him having tried to pull this sort of thing in the past.
So Mr. Shirt-Buttoned-Up-To-His-Three-Chins changed his site back the way it was, with all his bullspit intact.
Romney 400+ EVs, my butt.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 7th, 2012
9:50 am
Oh believe me, I did but the field was pretty “slim pickens”
(shrug)
We were assured several times, by several different people here that even Elmer Fudd could easily defeat Obama.
Peter
November 7th, 2012
9:50 am
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
When as a nation we collectively turn our back on God it is possible His protective hand may be withdrawn.
Gosh . I had no idea you were into Voodoo ? Do you really beleive that stuff you typed ?
Perhaps all ought to join the catholic Church, and do as the priest do and molest little boys…or do as the Vatican does, and launder money for the Mafia ?
Will that makes us great again ?
Adam
November 7th, 2012
9:50 am
Ode to Tea Party:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_O0yXqxfMI
Fedup
November 7th, 2012
9:51 am
When you build your party platform around “you lie” you have a problem. The cons are still stuck in the mindset that they will never compromise. I’ll bet they hate Christie for not being like Jindal.
DawgDad
November 7th, 2012
9:51 am
“Two things…as is if anybody cared…white folks, particularly older white men, have desperately been trying to hold onto the reins – and whip – in the belief/fear that once the black and brown minorities become the majority they’ll treat the ‘new’ white male minority the way they’ve been treated all these centuries…and who could blame em?”
This is utter nonsense. Not a single person alive today has been mistreated “all these centuries”, by ANYBODY. Now, that certainly does not stop a lot of people from playing the race card, or the reparations card, or the woe-is-me card, does it? Says so much more about them than “old white men”.
gadem
November 7th, 2012
9:51 am
Stay classy Mississippi…
http://www.wmctv.com/story/20025451/riots-on-ole-miss-campus-after-election-results-announced
The south will always be a century or two behind the rest of the country.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:51 am
“Donald Trump: Election Is ‘Total Sham And A Travesty,’ and suggests ‘Revolution’ Is Necessary.”
my favorite was when he said “they’re all LAUGHING at us”
No, Donald.
They’re laughing at YOU.
Adam
November 7th, 2012
9:51 am
*Football spike*
fair and balanced
November 7th, 2012
9:51 am
Now Anne Romney can go back to her horse, car elevator, Cadillacs,millions in profits in Delphi from government bailout money and offshore accounts and lead the privileged life she deserves.
“We have given you people all the information you need” did it for me in considering Romney. It only got worse from there.And the icing on the cake- Romney having a fundraiser in Tampa with the 1% on a yacht with the Cayman Islands flag.
Hey Mitt and Anne- join Michelle and Jill Biden on a visit to wounded veterans- those 47% moochers you detest and never mentioned once.
midtownguy
November 7th, 2012
9:52 am
As a gay man I can’t vote Republican even though I am a fiscal conservative having come from a family of small business owners. The GOP needs to divorce itself from the religious right, drop all social and family issue and concentrate on promoting conservative, pro-business tax and fiscal policies. Otherwise, they are doomed. I hope I get to vote “conservative” before I pass this earth, but the GOP just won’t let me. I can’t vote for people who openly despise me even if I go bankrupt.
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:52 am
Joe – in this plan, are all US citizens required to get the ID card?
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:52 am
Clydesdale — “We need to sell the American dream to urban people of all colors including single white women.”
No, you need to stop selling and START LISTENING.
Most Americans have heard your message and don’t want any part of it.
Darwin
November 7th, 2012
9:53 am
Hey Gator Joe – The Repubs first announcement will be to make Obama a Two Term President!
jconservative
November 7th, 2012
9:53 am
Jay – “This race was close at the end only because he ditched conservatism and embraced moderation.”
Correct. Romney was being buried and moved to the Left and made a race out of it.
But that is bad news for we conservatives. Only after Romney moved to the Left did the race become competitive. That means, to me at least, that the country is getting more Liberal, not more Conservative, as we conservatives have preached for the past 60 years.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
“According to witnesses, the riot originally started on social media and ended with 300 to 400 students protesting on the campus.
The riot blew up on social networking sites overnight. Photos were posted all over Twitter, and a video was even uploaded to Youtube.
Photos show huge group of people on the campus, some even lighting Obama-Biden signs on fire in response to the presidential election results.”
but … but … but … I was told that it was the DEMS who were threatening riots … Michelle “get yer hate on” Malkin told me it was so!!!
indigo
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
Scout – 9:43
1. Neither you or I or anyone else can possibly predict what
historians, 100 years from now, will say.
2. There’s not one shred of evidence that any God exists. How is it you can’t understand this?
3. Calling Obama a “thug” is foolish and makes you look very lame.
DawgDad
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
“Now Anne Romney can go back to her horse, car elevator, Cadillacs,millions in profits in Delphi from government bailout money and offshore accounts and lead the privileged life she deserves.”
Now Michelle Obama can go back to . . . the privileged life she deserves. See how utterly non-sensical your statement is?
youcantseetheforestforthetrees
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
foxy lady-the facts are the facts. The “47 percent” is the Democratic base-what are they going to do-vote away their entitlements and go back to work?
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
Tundra Dude: The German says: No profanity is allowed on this blog. It was referring to the filthy gutter Spanish posted earlier.
Common Sense isn't very Common
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
I think USMC, Scout and Del are all at a Tea Party with Allen West
Doggone/GA
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
“80% of the map turns red on election night but only draws 48% of the vote
That’s because land doesn’t vote…people do
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:54 am
Aquagirl — “We need a constitutional amendment. All those disenfranchised prairie dogs, cattle, and huge tracts ‘o empty land are a travesty.”
No doubt the Limbaugh crew will trot out a map showing all the districts that went for Romney, as if acreage somehow is entitled to suffrage.
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:56 am
Fair and Balanced. . .i’m going to go out on a limb and say your mind was made up before “We have given you people all the information you need” . .
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 7th, 2012
9:56 am
Michelle Malkin.
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:56 am
As for those companies that promised to layoff their folks if Obama won…we’ve got our eyes on you and if there ain’t a law against what you’re planning, we’ll make one.
Boortz was just bragging about a guy who told him he called in 5 people that he employs who have Obama bumper stickers and fired them to get below 300 employees………..
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:56 am
saywhat? @ 9:45 —
sirwinston
November 7th, 2012
9:56 am
This morning here in the state of Georiga there are many dissappointments on this Presidential Election. There are people who talk of racism and wanting the White House back to be lived in by whites. For millions……God saw to it that things cannot continue to be onesided, rather, he is about to show us that we are thinking and living wrongly among one and other. We all must learn that being a Republician or Democrat don’t make us better than the other or set anyone of us apart; even if we want to continue to be haves and haves not types of life. I will end with this…Katrina and Sandy should send a message to us all. What we have to day and how we live can be gone with one word for the master. Something is wrong that all of this destructions around us and we don’t pay attention. You now see the light, if not, you need too!
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:57 am
“The Repubs first announcement will be to make Obama a Two Term President!”
PartyTime
November 7th, 2012
9:57 am
Hey Goldie girl, do you know how “to do math?” Maybe you haven’t taken it in school yet?
Anyway, as of 9:46 AM, here is the official vote count:
Barry 59,666,526 51.1%
Mitt 57,045,501 48.9%
Total 116,712,027 100.0%
I’d say that’s more like 51% to 49%, so it’s pretty safe to say Mr. Romney drew 49% of the vote, not 48%. But hey, who’s counting? Barry rocked the election winning the “popular” vote by about 2.6 million votes, which is equivalent to (means about equal to) less than half the population of Metro Atlanta. Is that a mandate or did he just squeak by?
Enjoy the Ride, aka, the next 4 years!
Morality?
November 7th, 2012
9:57 am
FOUR MORE YEARS FOR THE SOCIALIST MOVEMENT : WINNERS? Vlad Putin – Iran LOSERS? democracy and the USA
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
9:57 am
Can’t wait to watch Hannity tonight. Any takers on how many times he uses the word “outraged”?
Darwin
November 7th, 2012
9:58 am
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “The voters have not endorsed the failures or excesses of the president’s first term,” McConnell said. “They have simply given him more time to finish the job they asked him to do together” with a balanced Congress.
Sound familiar?
Fred ™
November 7th, 2012
9:58 am
DawgDad
November 7th, 2012
9:47 am
“MESSAGE – If the GOP keeps putting elitist and self centered members of the 1% up as presidential candidates and they saddle with the ultra nationalist neocons they will lose no matter how bad the economy is.”
Ok, how do you explain Democrats? Oh, they find an empty suit front-man, who in the process becomes 1%.
++++++++++++++
Sounds to me like you could find YOUR ideal candidate here…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDe5WnN8ujk
Union
November 7th, 2012
9:58 am
message.. the biggest liar won this one. the other message.. sadly.. is that the party of “give me” now outnumbers the people that actually produce something in this country..
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
Flagboy — “Joe – in this plan, are all US citizens required to get the ID card?”
Yes; it also serves as a voter ID.
Without going into too much detail, IMO this would be a multi-year project, set to launch on a certain date. Let’s say, for example, that the cards would be available (and the supporting data infrastructure brought online) by 1 JAN 2017, with all Americans being required to have the card by 1 JAN 2018.
The long lead time would help ensure that everyone can get it without the pressure of an election staring them in the face.
Butch Cassidy (I)
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
Morality – “FOUR MORE YEARS FOR THE SOCIALIST MOVEMENT”
Don’t wait too long to book your flight.
St Simons
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
oh god, Rush will be EPIC today. heheh
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
There is some light in the darkness today.
The House remains in Republican hands.
At least for the next two years Obama’s policies can be restrained if not totally thwarted.
Alphare
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
I believe Limbaugh doomed Romney from the beginning. Limb labeled Rom as a flip-flopper, which made Rom shift too much to the right, which he cannot dig out by himself.
They BOTH suck
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
Scout
You must have had the names transposed, when you were posting about Reagan and Carter in 1980.
But in the end, it wasn’t as bad.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
“Boortz was just bragging about a guy who told him he called in 5 people that he employs who have Obama bumper stickers and fired them to get below 300 employees………..”
LAWSUIT!
I hope they drag his sorry ass the court and take him DOWN
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
9:59 am
“Hey Mitt and Anne- join Michelle and Jill Biden on a visit to wounded veterans- those 47% moochers you detest and never mentioned once.”
fair and balanced — more good advice for the Cons (like they really care)!
Joe Hussein Mama
November 7th, 2012
10:00 am
K’Chak — “Michelle Malkin.”
So pretty on the outside, but so horribly ugly on the inside.
DannyX
November 7th, 2012
10:00 am
“No doubt the Limbaugh crew will trot out a map showing all the districts that went for Romney, as if acreage somehow is entitled to suffrage.”
Yep JHM, they will spin, spin, spin. They’ll try to turn us into ‘geocracy’
getalife
November 7th, 2012
10:01 am
mitt said stop the bickering and solve problems on his way out.
This is good advice for the gop and a classy move.
The wealthy will pay more taxes to help the deficit and we will help the middle class get back on their feet.
Our President won the argument but will not get everything he wants . Most of it but not all of it.
There will be deals cut that will upset both partisan sides.
Goldie
November 7th, 2012
10:01 am
midtownguy @ 9:52 — more good advice for the Cons (like they really care)!
Keep Up the Good Fight!
November 7th, 2012
10:02 am
Hmmm…. I am sure that Boortz would have no problem if employers terminated people for supporting Romney. Perhaps Boortz should just man up and quit before he is terminated.
Jeffrey
November 7th, 2012
10:02 am
Their main objective for the last four years was to make Obama a one term president. They should have kept that to themselves. America disagreed that’s the message. Go USA!!!!!!
middle of the road
November 7th, 2012
10:02 am
“It is the job of the President to bring us together.”
Uh…No. It is the job of EVERY politician to come together and COMPROMISE and do what is best for the country. It is NOT just the President’s job.
There are things I do not like about Obamacare, but I really like the basic parts. The Republicans had a great opportunity to make changes to it (in return for votes for it) and NOT ONE Republican would work with the Democrats on it, not even Olympia Snowe. The Republicans were too concerned with “our main goal is to limit Obama to one term”. Well, that has failed, so why don’t you now turn to doing what you were elected to do – help run the country. Don’t be just the “Party of No”.
I am sure that Democrats also have played party politics and they need to buckle down and get real with bi-partisanship, also.
But compromise is the answer and you can’t compromise if you go into negotiations with a list of absolutes you will not agree to (e.g. NO INCREASE IN TAXES).
Peter
November 7th, 2012
10:02 am
That means, to me at least, that the country is getting more Liberal, not more Conservative, as we conservatives have preached for the past 60 years.
Define conservatism for us please…… Is it telling women what to do ?
Is it invading other countries ? Is it saying deficits don’t matter ? Is it creating a larger government, as with Bush ? Is it bilking the US Treasury with cost plus contracts ?
Man behind the Curtain
November 7th, 2012
10:03 am
“After Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Schummer destroy the American economy, the GOP will reign for the following decade. Unfortunately it may be to late by the time this train wreck is finished.”
After Bush destroyed the economy, the democrats are putting things right, and if they do their jobs and serve the people honorably, will win many elections to come.
Rightwing Troll
November 7th, 2012
10:04 am
“1) Sure the demographics are changing but I believe historians 100 years from now will mark yesterday as the “point of no return” for what was once a great Republic. As Caesar said when he crossed the Rubicon, “Alea iacta est” (the die is cast).”
Scout, I say to you and your ilks that now is the time to get onboard and become part of the solution and no longer part of the problem before “Murum aries attigit” because once the assault has begun there is no quarter given…
Regan forever
November 7th, 2012
10:04 am
Ok Liberals. You guys asked for him, you got him. I now see how clear this is not the country it once was. God help us. Obama will destroy this county.
willie lynch
November 7th, 2012
10:04 am
flagboy?
November 7th, 2012
9:46 am
Interesting point. They scrambled to put Michael Steele in as RNC chair then had the largest gains in 30 years but their base wasn’t comfortable with “one of them” in such high position. They force Steele out and put in that clown Priebus and look what they got.
As much as many may not like it Obama offered the country something it needed in’08, hope and change and this re-election says most people understand you need time to make this happen. To select Marco Rubio simply because he represents a minority block is like putting Clarence Thomas on the supreme court. Most people know pandering when they see it that’s why Romney/Ryan lost.
Rubio, Jindal, why? What will they represent in 2016? If they represent the same tired nonsense they’ve always brought they’ll get shot down too.
getalife
November 7th, 2012
10:05 am
cons might want to think about stopping the lies and living in the real world or they lose all the future elections.
Personally, I hope the cons stay the course so we can finally marginalize them as kooks.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
November 7th, 2012
10:05 am
The shameful performance of the Florida voting system and other states should not be tolerated. NO one should have to wait in lines for hours to cast a vote, ever.