Common sense thoughts on what happened in the election

[chadbag]

This is Gary Bauer's take:

"What Happened?

There will be plenty of time for serious analysis and navel-gazing in the days ahead, but here are three things I must stress with you regarding the 2012 elections.

First, Barack Obama has no mandate. He lost about 9.5 million votes from 2008. Talk about buyer's remorse! His rhetoric four years ago may have inspired many, but his record has turned off millions.

Second, regardless of what the talking heads at "MSDNC" say, this was not a repudiation of conservatism. The country is narrowly divided. Obama's support fell from 53% in 2008 to 50% in 2012. The House of Representatives remains solidly Republican, and thankfully will remain a conservative firewall against the worst of Obama's radical agenda.

Third, Hurricane Sandy hurt us. According to the exit polls, 15% of Americans said that Obama's response to the hurricane was "the most important factor" in their vote for president. Another 27% said it was an important factor. Here's more: 9% of Americans waited until "the last few days" to decide which candidate to support, and they broke for Obama.

In times of crisis, the American people naturally rally to the president. For days the hurricane and its aftermath dominated the news and allowed Obama to appear presidential. Romney's momentum was stopped, and there was not enough time to recover.
"

[Iraqgunz]

I can't completely explain what happened because the numbers are confusing. Republicans control the house, we now have 30 Republican governors and yet they lost 3 Senate seats and the Presidency.

How anyone cannot see what has happened in the last few years (growing number of food stamp recipients, Obamacare, higher gas prices, lack of government accountability, Libya, etc..) and the only conclusion that can be drawn is that people don't care anymore. They have become numbed to politics.

Unfortunately things will have to get so much worse that when it does we may not be able to recover. Maybe when people see how bad Obamacare is and how it will cause even more job loss and taxes.

[brickboy240]

Geez! Don't send them to Texas! We have enough transplanted yankees bringing their blue state politics with them. Toss in the growing illegal population and we will be New Jersey as far as political landscape goes soon! LOL

Nope...you can slice this any way you want but the GOP lost because they ran another mushy moderate against Santa Claus and these days, even Reagan's ghost would not beat Santa Claus.

The Bible thumpers also helped ensure another GOP loss. They allowed the left to once again bog the candidates down on silly crap like abortion, contraception and gay marriage. Two Senate GOP candidates lost ONLY because they ran their mouths on social issues. If they did not take the bait and kept their yaps shut...they'd be in the Senate right now. Social issues sink GOP candidates over an over and they always fall for this trap the leftists set for them. Like Lucy faking the punt for Charlie Brown...it works every time!

The GOP should have made the case more, based on the fiscal and other economic issues. The devaluation of the dollar, defecit, credit downgrades and spending should have been front and center.

Knowing that the left basically owns the media minus Fox and talk AM radio....they should have made more of a case to get the economic truths out there in other ways.

They also made little of the disaster in Libya and Fast & Furious. Those two things alone should have meant curtains for Obama.

But as Obama gets 4 more years to grow the entitlement class in America...fat chance on seeing a true conservative make it again as president. The producer class in America will have shrunk even more by 2016 and again...how do you run against and beat Santa Claus?

-brickboy240

[rljatl]

All I can say is, wow! Of course, a lot of the red area is sparsely populated.

[PaulL]

I honestly don't know what to think about what happened. I work in a major oil refinery where a lot of people are making $100,000+ doing non-union blue-collar work, and a fair amount of them voted for Obama. They say everything is fine and all this talk about raising taxes and obamacare breaking us is just scare tactics used by the republicans. They usually follow this with a recommendation to listen to a non-biased news source like NPR.

These people truly believe Obama will be better for them.

[brickboy240]

Oil people voting for Obama is like chickens voting for Col. Sanders!

In my end of the oil biz (petro chemicals) nobody I can think of voted for Obama. We are all petrified at what Cap & Trade might do to our part of the industry.

Besides, the price of gas doubled in Obama's first term...wanna bet we see 7-8 bucks a gallon by 2016?

...scary days are ahead.

[SPQR476]

All I can say is, wow! Of course, a lot of the red area is sparsely populated.

Overlay a "city lights" US map, or a population density map, and I'm about 1000% sure it would match up nearly exactly.

[Caeser25]

But if you don't have the ability to implement real ideas and get the country behind you once you're in, you will only experience political gridlock and accomplish little of lasting value as the past several election cycles have demonstrated.

There lies the problem. Obama speaks in soundbytes. The sheeple don't have the attention span to listen someone like Ron Paul, for example, on economic issues because it takes a couple hours to address every problem, explain how we got here and the solution. Otherwise they'd understand liberty and economic liberty benefits all, except for the santa claus voters.

Nor do they have the critical thinking ability to differentiate the difference between the math problem below. Most hear Obamas ads that Romney paid less taxes than someone making $50,000. Umm, no, he paid a lower tax rate because all of his income was through investments, which are taxed at the capital gains tax rate. 15% of 20 million is still more than the income tax rate of $50,000 (median income).

[brickboy240]

The sheeple have been dumbed down by design....so that a leader like Obama or other left winger can win their approval.

-brickboy240

[Sensei]

1) Democrates have a very good ground game for turning out the vote. Despite the bad economy, Obama turned out about the same numbers of his constituents this year as in 2008 - remarkable.

2) Minorities and immigrants - the Democrates own'em. This is especially true when it comes to Hispanics. How the GOP will win over this voting block without shedding a key component of its platform (i.e. stopping illegal immigration) and pissing of the white voters is beyond me. However, they better come up with some good brown candidates quick because the Dems now have a lock on Presidential elections at 70% Hispanic and 95% black support.

3) The power of incumbency - it's damn hard to beat the king. Bush proved this in 2004 when he beat Kerry despite the unfavorability ratings for the GOP brand. This is especially true when the king is running to the rescue a la Sandy.

4) We are no longer a center right country - plain and simple. Rush probably said it best today, " It's hard to beat Santa Clause in a nation full of children."

Solve these riddles and MAYBE the GOP will win an election for national office.