Is Romney up to the task of running against Obama?

[Greenbeard]

This election should be so god dang easy to win for Romney. It just boggles my mind that the polls are basically even.

Following a two day stretch where three national polls (showing Obama +7, Obama +7, and Obama +9) came out, I imagine Team Romney would be elated if the polls returned to being "basically even." Then he'd only be getting blown out in the electoral college, which seems more respectable somehow.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

This election should be so god dang easy to win for Romney. It just boggles my mind that the polls are basically even.

Following a two day stretch where three national polls (showing Obama +7, Obama +7, and Obama +9) came out, I imagine Team Romney would be elated if the polls returned to being "basically even." Then he'd only be getting blown out in the electoral college, which seems more respectable somehow.

I've been so busy with work lately I haven't been up on the polls lately. Sorry to be a few points off but my message still stands

 

[auditor0007]

This election should be so god dang easy to win for Romney. It just boggles my mind that the polls are basically even.

Its because you guys are wearing blinders and the majority of the public is not.

Those in this forum who are on the far right really believe that the majority of America thinks like them. Of course, we know that is not true, and it's not because the rest of America is a bunch of left wing marxist liberals who want a nanny state.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

This election should be so god dang easy to win for Romney. It just boggles my mind that the polls are basically even.

Its because you guys are wearing blinders and the majority of the public is not.

Those in this forum who are on the far right really believe that the majority of America thinks like them. Of course, we know that is not true, and it's not because the rest of America is a bunch of left wing marxist liberals who want a nanny state.

Do you consider me far right?

Serious question

 

[Avatar4321]

That's not the question to ask. The question to ask is whether is up to the task of being President. And I believe he can be. If anyone can be.

We know that Obama isn't. I wish he had been. It would have been good to have a great President.

I pray to God Mitt Romney is up to the task. And I hope we are worthy enough to have a Great President once again. Because we desperately need one.

 

[Avatar4321]

This election should be so god dang easy to win for Romney. It just boggles my mind that the polls are basically even.

Its because you guys are wearing blinders and the majority of the public is not.

Those in this forum who are on the far right really believe that the majority of America thinks like them. Of course, we know that is not true, and it's not because the rest of America is a bunch of left wing marxist liberals who want a nanny state.

No. It's not that we think the majority thinks like us. We stand for what we do because it's the right thing to do. We want limited government because it's wrong to burden the people with taxes and unnecessary regulations. It's wrong to concentrate power in Washington. Power rightfully belongs to the people and should reside closest to the people.

We believe people can govern themselves, not because a majority thinks so. I hope a majority thinks that, but that's not why. We believe it because it's right. We can govern ourselves. Thousands and i hope millions of us do that all the time.

 

[Bfgrn]

I'm really beginning to have some doubts. Flashbacks of McCains terrible campaign.

I hear pro Obama and anti Romney ads regularly. But not hardly a peep or response from Romney. Some of the anti Romney ads are pretty ruthless and will serve to put Romney in a box he can't get out of if he doesn't start firing back. He won't win from a defensive position. He must put forth his own attacks and positive agenda. If he spends all his time on defense he is toast.

He has plenty of ammunition. Hopefully he doesn't squander it like he did the SCOTUS ruling.

 

[Bfgrn]

Its because you guys are wearing blinders and the majority of the public is not.

Those in this forum who are on the far right really believe that the majority of America thinks like them. Of course, we know that is not true, and it's not because the rest of America is a bunch of left wing marxist liberals who want a nanny state.

No. It's not that we think the majority thinks like us. We stand for what we do because it's the right thing to do. We want limited government because it's wrong to burden the people with taxes and unnecessary regulations. It's wrong to concentrate power in Washington. Power rightfully belongs to the people and should reside closest to the people.

We believe people can govern themselves, not because a majority thinks so. I hope a majority thinks that, but that's not why. We believe it because it's right. We can govern ourselves. Thousands and i hope millions of us do that all the time.

We ARE the government. That point is always lost on conservatives. And the collapse of our economy was not caused by government action, it was caused by government IN-action and corruption.

The 'power' is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of monied interests that are not concerned about We, the People. They are only concerned about their corporate interests and their bottom line. And only a small handful of We, the People have representation as stockholders. We, the People are STAKE-holders in our economy and country.

"Harry Truman once said, 'There are 14 or 15 million Americans who have the resources to have representatives in Washington to protect their interests, and that the interests of the great mass of the other people - the 150 or 160 million - is the responsibility of the president of the United States, and I propose to fulfill it.'"
President John F. Kennedy

 

[Lakhota]

Herman Munster is more charismatic than Romney.

 

[Shelzin]

Release his tax returns. If Romney is being truthful about when he left Bain the returns will confirm that. Then with that attack line dead he will be freed up to put forth his own message while Obama flails around searching for his next diversion.

You have too much faith in the lying democrats. they will just start another bullshit line of attack. You've seen it before. Don't you recognize it now?

Sure. But this attack may have teeth with independents. The next? Who knows. I mean Obama has blamed a lot of things for his failures and much of it is laughed at. Ie: the weather and ATM's

We don't agree on much... But... yeah.

 

[Interpol]

It says a lot about the GOP if they can't even beat Obama.

I honestly don't know what it will take to beat some sense into this crop of UnConservatives. I would like to believe getting their asses handed to them by Obama, again, would wake them up to just how diseased and sick they are, but I am too cynical at this point.

The Republican Party has a big problem. On one hand, Republicans must kowtow to the far right of the party. If they don't, they lose some of those votes. On the other hand, by giving in completely to the far right agenda, they are driving moderates away. I am a prime example of this. After being a declared Republican for nearly 30 years, I have switched to the Democratic Party. At this point, as a moderate, I seem to be closer politically to the Dems than the Republicans.

You're not alone.

This just isn't the Republican Party any longer; it's the Tea Party.

The problem is, it isn't a natural TeePee who is leading them into battle but a yesteryear Republican like Boehner who is not so extreme.

Republicans are having problems all around the country in places where they're turfing their establishment candidates and finding a new crop of Christine O'Donnell's to put forward this year.

Look where the campaign money is going in terms of their ads. That's their "free speech", remember. What they say with their ads gives clues as to what they're doing and thinking. Mitt Romney is having trouble connecting with independents, but with his base, too. His last three ads have been about contraception (aka Obama's War on Religion), Obama not visiting Israel, and welfare (aka Obama just wants to give free money to black people).

You don't put a whole week's worth of ads like that in order to attract moderates. What was McCain's problem? The TeePees said he should have fought nasty. Take off the gloves and bloody Obama. Well, looks like Mitt is beginning to do that now, and it's because he's having to run two campaigns; one against Obama, and one sucking up to his base, who are a bunch of flighty motherfuckers who are so stupid, the minute you say something true or smart, they hate you (consider his staffer yesterday who got into huge trouble when she was responding about the Obama ad that implies that Mitt laying people off costs some folks their lives--she said that if the people had lived in Mass with Romneycare, they wouldn't have gotten the raw deal they did on health care because they were from Indiana).

See, Romney was supposed to run on how he's good, that even the President used his idea nationally and went with a conservative proposal on health care, not a liberal one.

But Romney can't run on his strengths now. Can't run on health care!

In the past couple weeks, national as well as state polls have miraculously cemented with only 6-8% of the country still undecided. Historically, we don't get to a number that low until late September or early October. It's at that point that you get your base out and hope for the best. You stop trying to appeal to what you don't have locked in anymore and just turn out the vote.

Well, Romney's doing that now, and I think that signals the turning point in this election.

The Republican nominee is basically not allowed to go out and court the middle, or else his base will fry him.

I actually kind of feel sorry for the guy. He's an injured candidate in a campaign that is a lot less organized on his part than what I would have thought from a guy with the business record he has.

But he's got no freedom because he has no balls. There have been several moments in the last two months where he should have just turned to the TeePees and said, "I'm courting Independent voters the next three months now because I need to put us over the top. So I'm gonna say some shit that's gonna make you scratch your head, but it's because I want to win more than I just want to say how foreign Obama is, you stupid, stupid base you."

If Mitt Romney can't stand up to a teabagger, than how the hell is he going to stand up to a fanatical dictator?

 

[OODA_Loop]

If Mitt Romney can't stand up to a teabagger, than how the hell is he going to stand up to a fanatical dictator?

There isn't a Tea Party member in the land who wont pull the lever for Romeny over Obama come November.

 

[editec]

It might help if Romeny wasn't so obviously indifferent about the fate of Americans.

Unlike Obama he isn't willing to pretend about how much he cares.

 

[Plasmaball]

Its because you guys are wearing blinders and the majority of the public is not.

Those in this forum who are on the far right really believe that the majority of America thinks like them. Of course, we know that is not true, and it's not because the rest of America is a bunch of left wing marxist liberals who want a nanny state.

No. It's not that we think the majority thinks like us. We stand for what we do because it's the right thing to do. We want limited government because it's wrong to burden the people with taxes and unnecessary regulations. It's wrong to concentrate power in Washington. Power rightfully belongs to the people and should reside closest to the people.

We believe people can govern themselves, not because a majority thinks so. I hope a majority thinks that, but that's not why. We believe it because it's right. We can govern ourselves. Thousands and i hope millions of us do that all the time.

The jesus freak lies.if only you really did think that would you at least be respected by other people. You want control and power and the evidence is everytime a local or state law comes into affect that you don't like.

Oh you scream state rights because it sounds nice, but in the end that's just a cover. An empty slogan to butter each other up.

No you people tend to be part of the problem and not the solution

 

[JoeB131]

On the OP-

Of course, Romney was always an awful candidate. He was an awful candidate in 2008, when he lost to McCain and Huckabee. He was an awful candidate in 1994 when he lost to Ted the Drunk. He was an awful candidate in 2002 when he barely beat Shannon O'Brien after outspending her 10-1.

A lot of you realized that in January when you supported Newt, Rick, Herman Cain or Rick Perry. BUt now you have to pretend he isn't, I get that.

The point is, Romney doesn't have to win over people who hate Obama. He has to win over people who voted for Obama in 2008, maybe regret their decision, but are really keen to admit they made a mistake.

And saying, "BOy, you were stupid for voting for him" isn't the way to win these folks over.

 

[OODA_Loop]

He has to win over people who voted for Obama in 2008, maybe regret their decision, but are really keen to admit they made a mistake.

I think you misjudge the 10 million voter opportunity that seperated the 2008 candidates.

 

[JoeB131]

He has to win over people who voted for Obama in 2008, maybe regret their decision, but are really keen to admit they made a mistake.

I think you misjudge the 10 million voter opportunity that seperated the 2008 candidates.

I don't.

If anything, incumbant presidents usually get MORE votes the second time around.

Bush-43 got 12 million more votes than he got in 2000.
Clinton got 3 million more in 1996 than he got in in 1992.
Reagan got 10 million more in 1984 than he got in 1980.
Nixon got 16 million more votes in 1972 than he got in 1968.
Ike got 2 million more votes in 1956 than he got in 1952.

So using history as a guide, the probability is Obama will get more votes in 2012 than he got in 2008.

But there's more. Yes, there are two cases where incumbant presidents got less in their second election than their first.

Carter in 1980 and Bush-41 in 1992. And, yes, they both lost.

But in both of those cases, it was not that they lost huge numbers of those votes to the other side.

Carter got 5 million less votes in 1980 than he got in 1976. Reagan got 5 million more votes than Ford and John Anderson got 6 million. Carters lost votes were probably more going to Anderson than Reagan, and Reagan mostly got new voters.

Bush-41 got 9 million less votes in 1992 than he got in 1988, but Clinton only got 2 million more votes than Dukakis. The big gain was Ross Perot, who got 19 million votes.

Much to my surprise, there hasn't been a third party effort this year. Which is odd in a year when no one really like either of the choices all that much. As a rule, though, it's easier to get someone to admit they made a mistake last time if you give them a third option. Otherwise, a lot of them just won't admit they goofed.

Conversely, voting for McCain is not a shoo-in for Romney. A lot of us voted for McCain in the primaries because we didn't like Romney all that much. some of us don't like him now.

 

[candycorn]

Its because you guys are wearing blinders and the majority of the public is not.

Those in this forum who are on the far right really believe that the majority of America thinks like them. Of course, we know that is not true, and it's not because the rest of America is a bunch of left wing marxist liberals who want a nanny state.

No. It's not that we think the majority thinks like us. We stand for what we do because it's the right thing to do. We want limited government because it's wrong to burden the people with taxes and unnecessary regulations.

Yet the tax cut bill for 98% of all Americans passed the the Democrat controlled Senate and supported by POTUS (who earn sub $250K) sits in the House that is controlled by Republicans. Apparently "we" doesn't include the House.

It's wrong to concentrate power in Washington. Power rightfully belongs to the people and should reside closest to the people.

Was IKE wrong to federalize the Arkansas National Guard? Was Kennedy wrong to do it in 'Bama? The States seemed to want to keep the power to not integrate their public schools.

We believe people can govern themselves, not because a majority thinks so. I hope a majority thinks that, but that's not why. We believe it because it's right. We can govern ourselves. Thousands and i hope millions of us do that all the time.

Yet George Bush expanded the federal government creating DHS. The same "small" government that spies on you.

There is a rumble in the distance.

 

[LoneLaugher]

Mitt Romney is a punch line. Gets a chuckle every time.