Romney Lost. So What's Next?

As some of you may have figured out and finally admitted Governor Willard "Mitt" Romney lost in the 2012 Presidential election to President Barack Obama.

I heard today that Governor Romney has no intentions of running again. Probably a wise move as I doubt he'd be nominated again.

So what should the Republican Party endeavor to do in the next four years?

If I took the comments of the past three days that have been voiced on this forum I would say you're on the wrong track.
Insults, attacks, holier than thou and use of such hilarious terms such as DimocRATS just haven't worked so well. In other words some might consider "putting on big boy pants" and growing up.

To me the Democrats have already done the Republicans a big favor by defeating many of the moronic members of the Tea Party who are of course listed as Republicans. They are an embarrassment even to what the Republican party has become.

Perhaps the Republican Party should start looking for folks that are more in touch with reality. Move a bit more toward the center instead of gravitating further to the right. Find some folks that even a Democrat will look at and say "hey he/she makes some good points and has some good ideas".

I have not seen this in many years unfortunately hence my leaning to the left obviously and becoming a "typical liberal" because I'm not a Republican. Sorry, but rampant stupidity does not bode well with me.

2016 is but four years away. President Obama will NOT be running for President although I'm sure enough will think he is via conspiracy thearies.
Clean slate. New ballgame.

It has been pointed out that people vote AGAINST candidates as much as FOR candidates. I believe this is true.
I do not think President Obama is the "messiah" but I do feel he's much better than a John McCain or Mitt Romney. That's a shame.

So I guess I'm challenging the Republican party on a few levels. First many have to remove their heads from their butts and really focus on what's best for America and it's citizens.
Second is the biggie.

Find that candidate that a guy like me would actually vote for.

Think I'm kidding? Some here know it while others don't so I'll reiterate.
Since George Bush Sr. I have voted for BOTH Sr. and Jr. as well as independent.
Yep. This typical liberal.

Give me that candidate in 2016 and I will gladly back and vote for that Republican.

Just give me that candidate. You have four years.

 

How about someone like Chris Christie?

 

Without a serious remake of their party platform, I do not believe it matters who the Republicans put up in 2016. Unless they run away from the Religious Right and toward a more libertarian (small l) social agenda, they are on a downward spiral. JMHO.

 

But, I of course could be wrong and overestimating the people again.

Because it is worth noting that 48% of the American people did vote for Romney. And also that 7.7 million fewer people voted for Obama in 2012 than 2008 while only about 1.5 million less voted for the Republican running against him this time.

And it will be much easier for the Republicans to find a better candidate than Romney (to appeal to their party) than it will for the Democrats to find a better one than Obama (to appeal to their party) in 2016.

 

You don't think Hillary or Kucinich are as appealing as Obama to the Democratic base?

 

Not true Stu! 48% of the people that voted, voted for Romney. In fact only 57.5% of eligible voters went to the polls the election cycle. That means 126 million people voted while 93 million people didn't vote.
Romney got 27.5 of the eligible voters. How the support of people that didn't breaks down we'll never know but we certainly can't assume it was for Romney either.

Also, 2016 we have Clinton, Warren, Booker, the mayor San Antonio (forget his name) and lots of other rising stars on the Left. The slate of losers the Right put up this year is going to look good by comparison to the next crop of pukes the Right comes up with.

 

The political landscape is cyclical. Democrats rise and fall. Republicans rise and fall. The American people are fickle and tire of the same tactics from whichever party is in power for any length of time. Every dog has his day and the Democrats are enjoying theirs now. Enjoy it while it lasts.

 

I figure the logical front runners are...the VP or a Clinton. I am not sure how an old, old white man and an old white woman are going to stack up to Obama.* Booker? He is charismatic and interesting but he is just a mayor...how many have been President right after just being a mayor? Same with the other mayor who is so good neither of us can remember his name.

Yes, I meant to put voters, not 'people' in the sentence above.

* Anyone can feel free and chastise me for talking about race and age in the race. I don't care. Look at the demographics and statistics and tell me how it does not figure prominently and will not figure prominently, one way or the other, moving forward. Then we can talk..

 

Thank you for contributing that litany of cliches. It was said during the campaign that if no one was elected and no additional policies introduced, the economy would add 12 million jobs over the next 4 years. It was also pointed out that Republican governors cut 3 million public sector jobs since 2010. If they hadn't done that, our unemployment rate would currently be below 7%. Who do you think is going to look better come 2016, the Right or the Left.

 

It's hard to say. In the next 4 years there is no telling how many screw-ups Obama and the Democrats are going to cause. By that time, people may be BEGGING for Republican leadership. Time will tell.

 

Jimmy Carter could always run again. I think Michael Dukakis and John Kerry are still around. Al Gore's gotten fat and his health probably isn't too good these days, but he could always throw his hat in the ring. I'd love to see Dennis Kucinich get the nomination in 2016. I really, really would. Hillary? Too much baggage. Perhaps Michelle Obama will run, but I doubt it. She's not a power-hungry Hitler-wannabe like Hillary. Who knows... perhaps Andrew Wiener will make a comeback!

 

Tell the 50,000 Latinos that turn 18 every month in this country. The demographics continue to favor the Democrats. The only choice the Right has is to move to the Left. I just don't see the radical Right that controls the GOP doing that any time soon.

 

If Condi had been in the VP slot for the Reps, they likely would have won.

 

What does being Latino have to do with wanting what is right in America (limited government, freedom, personal responsibility, fiscal responsibility, strong defense, etc.)? Are you stereotyping Latinos into a group that only wants big government and handouts from the Democrats? What are the Democrats offering Latinos, specifically, that would sway their vote?

 

Actually, you are stereotyping both Democrats and Republicans. Of course you stereotype the Right favorably and the Democrats unfavorably but that is just your partisan tendency.

Latinos voted Democrat by about 70 percentage points. That is my point.

 

It's a odd fact considering Latinos, by in large, tend to hold views contrary to what the liberals preach. Most Latinos are anti-abortion, believe in God & aren't in favor of same-sex marriage.

 

I guess my point is that it is as much how many of your people you can get out to vote as anything else. Obama has been a superstar at that. He energized the minority and young vote...much more so in 08 than 12 but still a superstar at it.

Does Clinton or Biden or Warren do that? How about against Rubio? Or Jindal? Or Rice? Or even Christie or Paul?

I still completely feel that the Republican party could, not will - but could, find a much stronger candidate than Romney a whole lot easier than the Democrats can find a stronger candidate than, or even a candidate as strong as, Obama.

 

What, in your opinion, did Obama offer Latinos that made him so appealing to them in this election?

 

A lot of truth in what you say here Coin.

I can definitely see a good possibility of a Republican President come 2016.

The party itself needs to get away from being so uber right and find that candidate.

Voters do change if they think it's the right choice. I know I've done it in the past.

 

Yes, the Republicans would do better if they dumped the uber Right march BUT that is not what they have tended to learn from these drubbings. Already, just like after McCain, they are talking that if only they had run a more conservative candidate than Romney, they would have done better. I predict, and I've earned some predictive cred recently, that the Right will target the 2014 midterms with more uber Right-wingers and take another beating at the polls if the Left bothers to show up. If the Left stays home, the Right will make some gains and take that as proof that their hell bent march to the Right fringe is justified. That will be exactly he wrong lesson to learn if it happens and the backlash will be even stronger in 2016.