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[Moranis]

I wonder if Portman had been selected as the VP candidate if it would have made a difference.  Portman is a fairly moderate Republican and it might have painted Romney more in the middle and away from the Religious right.  Thus making him more likeable by the independents in the middle of the country.  Portman is also very popular in Ohio and would have appealed a lot more in Florida and Virginia than Ryan did.  Heck even Wisconsin might have been a closer race with Portman. 

[Interceptor]

I wonder if Portman had been selected as the VP candidate if it would have made a difference.  Portman is a fairly moderate Republican and it might have painted Romney more in the middle and away from the Religious right.  Thus making him more likeable by the independents in the middle of the country.  Portman is also very popular in Ohio and would have appealed a lot more in Florida and Virginia than Ryan did.  Heck even Wisconsin might have been a closer race with Portman.

Not much room there. Romney already won independents, and I don't think that any running mate short of JHC would have flipped that election for him. Even ignoring the possibility that a moderate Republican veep doesn't have any effect on keeping conservatives home.

Now that the dust has settled, it's becoming more and more apparent that one of the biggest contributing factors to the result, was the strength of Obama's campaign. The edge in D turnout, which everyone expected to fall short of the 2008 coalition... pretty much stayed where it used to be, which made him almost unbeatable. Only two states flipped.

[Moranis]

I wonder if Portman had been selected as the VP candidate if it would have made a difference.  Portman is a fairly moderate Republican and it might have painted Romney more in the middle and away from the Religious right.  Thus making him more likeable by the independents in the middle of the country.  Portman is also very popular in Ohio and would have appealed a lot more in Florida and Virginia than Ryan did.  Heck even Wisconsin might have been a closer race with Portman.

Not much room there. Romney already won independents, and I don't think that any running mate short of JHC would have flipped that election for him. Even ignoring the possibility that a moderate Republican veep doesn't have any effect on keeping conservatives home.

Now that the dust has settled, it's becoming more and more apparent that one of the biggest contributing factors to the result, was the strength of Obama's campaign. The edge in D turnout, which everyone expected to fall short of the 2008 coalition... pretty much stayed where it used to be, which made him almost unbeatable. Only two states flipped.

Romney held a very slim lead in independents and while only two states flipped, most of the key swing states got a lot closer then they were in the last election. 

I just think with Portman as his running mate, Romney would have gone to the middle a lot quicker and would have generally had a better more winnable platform to run on i.e. he wouldn't have come off so insincere because he wouldn't have gone to things he didn't believe.  With Ryan there Romney stayed on the right too long and it cost him big time (because that is not who Romney he is, he is a moderate, just like McCain who also ran way more to the right than his beliefs dictated he should have).

[nickagneta]

Honestly the biggest problem with the Republican ticket was Romney. He is a man who will flip flop on a whim to get voters, say whatever he has to to get votes, and omit saying whatever he has to to get votes. His stands on issues are everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

He went conservative in the primaries to win and painted himself as an ultra conservative, allowing his Republican running mates to bash him and when he tried to move moderate in the general election everything his Republican running mates came out with, Obama used against him.

He was a horrible candidate for this Republican Party to run out there and ultimately picking him to represent Republicans, lost this race before it got started.

[LooseCannon]

People do know that while Romney won independents, Obama won moderates (although not as heavily as in 2008), right?

[fairweatherfan]

I wonder if Portman had been selected as the VP candidate if it would have made a difference.  Portman is a fairly moderate Republican and it might have painted Romney more in the middle and away from the Religious right.  Thus making him more likeable by the independents in the middle of the country.  Portman is also very popular in Ohio and would have appealed a lot more in Florida and Virginia than Ryan did.  Heck even Wisconsin might have been a closer race with Portman.

Not much room there. Romney already won independents, and I don't think that any running mate short of JHC would have flipped that election for him. Even ignoring the possibility that a moderate Republican veep doesn't have any effect on keeping conservatives home.

Now that the dust has settled, it's becoming more and more apparent that one of the biggest contributing factors to the result, was the strength of Obama's campaign. The edge in D turnout, which everyone expected to fall short of the 2008 coalition... pretty much stayed where it used to be, which made him almost unbeatable. Only two states flipped.

Those two points are actually pretty closely linked.  The reason why so many people thought the polls were skewed toward Democrats is the same reason why Romney had a decent lead among independents - a lot of conservatives no longer consider themselves Republicans.  Which is another cause for alarm in the GOP power structure.

Obama's ground game did pretty much run circles around Romney's though, just like McCain in 08.  That also contributed to the turnout differential.

[Celtics4ever]

I think guys like Akins and Murdoch didn't help matters either.   Women favored Obama by a margin.   I still think the biggest reason the GOP lost was their primaries and the comments made during the primaries.  Anyone who thinks conservatism by itself can win without bringing more people simply doesn't understand the electorate anymore.   

I lived in Ohio for 42 years.  Portman is not popular there, I knew Obama had it once Kasich endorsed Romney.   Kasich is despised as governor.

[D.o.s.]

I think guys like Akins and Murdoch didn't help matters either.   Women favored Obama by a margin.   I still think the biggest reason the GOP lost was their primaries and the comments made during the primaries.  Anyone who thinks conservatism by itself can win without bringing more people simply doesn't understand the electorate anymore.   

I lived in Ohio for 42 years.  Portman is not popular there, I knew Obama had it once Kasich endorsed Romney.   Kasich is despised as governor.

But isn't the point of conservatism to always be looking backward? If they try to understand this new electorate, they're acting, dare I say, progressive!

 

[BballTim]

I think guys like Akins and Murdoch didn't help matters either.   Women favored Obama by a margin.   I still think the biggest reason the GOP lost was their primaries and the comments made during the primaries.  Anyone who thinks conservatism by itself can win without bringing more people simply doesn't understand the electorate anymore.   

I lived in Ohio for 42 years.  Portman is not popular there, I knew Obama had it once Kasich endorsed Romney.   Kasich is despised as governor.

But isn't the point of conservatism to always be looking backward? If they try to understand this new electorate, they're acting, dare I say, progressive!

 

  There's two meanings for "progressive", right? There's "moving forward" and "I'm embarrassed to call myself a liberal". Clearly the republicans would be the former.

[LB3533]

We need a brand new federal govn't. The only way to do this is to not vote ever again.

Abolish all the branches of the federal gov't....it's the only way.

First, love the Five-0 reboot, my parents loved the original series.

2nd: ----- http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/21/cbs-news-affiliate-calls-2012-presidential-race-for-barack-obama-weeks-ahead-of-election/#ixzz2A2c5qV41

3rd: Don't call me naive or a fanatic or a conspiracy theorist. There is too much evidence out there that shows the fix is in.

The majority of the population ARE in fact naive and feel they are actually playing their proper part in helping this country, helping their own society their own world.

The reality is that it is all just a mirage, a fairytale masquerade.

The real naivity are the people who go out there and vote or who think that they are "doing their part" or a political officianato/expert.....WAKE UP!

You (the people) don't mean didly squat. Our gov't (if that's what you want to call it) doesn't mean didly squat. Maybe our gov't used to work for us, you know back in the day, but they don't work for us anymore. Heck, they don't even work for themselves anymore!!!!