Inside the campaign: How Mitt Romney stumbled

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

Politico has a fairly detailed article describing the turmoil in Romney's campaign, mostly pointing the finger at Stuart Stevens, one of the top strategists. Yeah, I know, it's that liberal media bias trying to make Romney look bad...

 

In what many in the campaign now consider a fundamental design flaw, Stevens is doing three major jobs: chief strategist, chief ad maker and chief speechwriter. It would be as if George W. Bush had run for president in 2000 with one person playing the roles of Karl Rove, Mark McKinnon and Michael Gerson. Or if on the Obama campaign of 2008, David Axelrod had not been backed up by Jim Margolis, Robert Gibbs and Jon Favreau.

[Doc]

Which is worse: a campaign allegedly in turmoil, or the country?

[IDBillzFan]

This would be a crapload easier if only Romney had sealed divorce docs.

[B-Man]

Ed Morrissey: Media having a little narrative problem today?

 

“It’s not often that I laugh out loud while reading my e-mail (and that’s not an invitation to forward the jokes from 1996 still circulating, either), but today’s entries left me no choice. No less than three media outlets have scoops about the Mitt Romney campaign this morning that describe changes in strategy and direction. The only problem is that all three contradict each other despite having come from sources inside the campaign.”

 

It’s like they’re just making **** up.

 

.

 

 

 

First, we have Politico, which insists that the campaign wants to broaden its message to include more issues and more voters:

 

 

No, no, no, says BuzzFeed — Romney wants to focus on the base, and will talk more about family values than the economy:

 

 

Meanwhile, today’s Washington Post reports that both Romney and Barack Obama will focus even more on the economy:

 

 

This looks like media narrative-building to leave the impression that Team Romney is in disarray.

 

It ends up appearing more like the media’s narrative-building apparatus is in disarray.

 

I suspect that the Romney campaign is more or less on the message trajectory they anticipated.

 

.

Edited September 17, 2012 by B-Man

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

Talk about TMI !!

 

Romney likes Snooki and wears as little to bed as possible.

 

1) The Jersey shore is an insult to the Italians.

 

2) I don't want to know about his magic underpants. The interviewer should be docked a weeks pay for such a stupid question. oh carp it was ABC's "Live! With Kelly and Michael Strahan. OMG.

 

 

For the record -

 

the campaigns are LIES based on lies with a hint of the truth sprinkled in.

Edited September 17, 2012 by BillsFan-4-Ever

[erynthered]

If Mitt stumbled, then obama is falling down drunk.

[B-Large]

Romney is not strong candidate because I think perceptually Americans don't identify with him.... that just who he is, there is nothing wrong with it, just the reality.

 

The real issue with this campaign is not that Romney is a bad option, its that the American electorate is utter convincing that Government still has the answers, whether they be R or D's.... the fact of the situation is Government needs to be incharge of and presiding over less.... you wil be surpised how much better things get for everybody.....

 

But then what would all the Policticians and Media outlets do if we no longer needed them so desperately?

[dayman]

Romney is not strong candidate because I think perceptually Americans don't identify with him.... that just who he is, there is nothing wrong with it, just the reality.

 

The real issue with this campaign is not that Romney is a bad option, its that the American electorate is utter convincing that Government still has the answers, whether they be R or D's.... the fact of the situation is Government needs to be incharge of and presiding over less.... you wil be surpised how much better things get for everybody.....

 

But then what would all the Policticians and Media outlets do if we no longer needed them so desperately?

 

Romney is a pretty "meh" candidate there really is no doubt about that and most repub backers would have admitted it until the primary started wrapping up.

 

But the true problem with Romney's campaign is simple....the current state of the Republican party. It really is that simple. They're in an tough situation running under that banner as it is configured right now.

 

In any event...it's fun to hear about and dissect campaigns b/c we all like politics but these sort of stories are of limited importance.

[B-Man]

But then what would all the Policticians and Media outlets do if we no longer needed them so desperately?

 

I think that we should try and find out B...............lol

 

 

SO IF THINGS ARE SO GREAT FOR OBAMA, why are Republicans doing so well in party identification?

 

 

For the last two weeks we have been treated to the narrative that Barack Obama is surging at the polls, Mitt Romney is in trouble and unless there is a massive change in direction it is all over.

Simply put this is a lie.

Of all the polls you have seen, there is one poll that has gotten no attention, it is a poll that has been taken monthly, it is a poll that Doug Ross spotted and promoted on his site. It is the Rasmussen Poll of party identification.

 

{snip}

 

At no time during the year do the Democrats have a registration advantage vs republicans, the gap closes in July & re-separates in August. The low point for the GOP was July for 34.9 and the high August at 37.6 For democrats the high was 34.0 in June & July the low was 32.4 in Feb

 

What does this mean for November? It means a lot.

 

The Democrats won 2 election in this period 2006 & 2008 with a 6.9 advantage in 2006 & a 7.6 advantage in 2008.

 

There is no example of the Democrats winning since 2004 with an advantage less that 6.9.

 

The GOP won two elections in this period 2004 with a -1.6 disadvantage & 2010 with a 1.3 advantage. This means the GOP has proven it can win with not only a small lead but with an actual disadvantage. Additionally with an advantage of only 1.3 they pulled off the biggest house swing in my lifetime.

 

Also: Jay Cost: How the Media Misrepresents the Race.

 

.

[DC Tom]

Romney is a pretty "meh" candidate there really is no doubt about that and most repub backers would have admitted it until the primary started wrapping up.

 

But the true problem with Romney's campaign is simple....the current state of the Republican party. It really is that simple. They're in an tough situation running under that banner as it is configured right now.

 

In any event...it's fun to hear about and dissect campaigns b/c we all like politics but these sort of stories are of limited importance.

 

The bigger problem with Romney's campaign is that he's a pretty "meh" candidate running against a rock star...and the electoral and governing processes have pretty much become "American Idol."

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

Ed Morrissey: Media having a little narrative problem today?

 

“It’s not often that I laugh out loud while reading my e-mail (and that’s not an invitation to forward the jokes from 1996 still circulating, either), but today’s entries left me no choice. No less than three media outlets have scoops about the Mitt Romney campaign this morning that describe changes in strategy and direction. The only problem is that all three contradict each other despite having come from sources inside the campaign.”

 

It’s like they’re just making **** up.

 

.

 

 

 

First, we have Politico, which insists that the campaign wants to broaden its message to include more issues and more voters:

 

 

No, no, no, says BuzzFeed — Romney wants to focus on the base, and will talk more about family values than the economy:

 

 

Meanwhile, today’s Washington Post reports that both Romney and Barack Obama will focus even more on the economy:

 

 

This looks like media narrative-building to leave the impression that Team Romney is in disarray.

 

It ends up appearing more like the media’s narrative-building apparatus is in disarray.

 

I suspect that the Romney campaign is more or less on the message trajectory they anticipated.

 

.

 

Mr Gillespie was given the job to muddy the waters, but I kinda agree with alot of what you said.

 

it isn't that crazy. There were more than enough conservatives like Bill Kristol, the WSJ, and others saying he needs to abandon the current strategy; open up on policy details on how he is different and expanding to other issues, like foreign policy.

 

So it's pretty clear that he jumped on foreign policy, lots of opinions about the goodness factor of that, but now it looks like he's yielding and describing his policies more detail (within the economy) for starters - taxes, entitlements, etc. A good chance that he'll follow up with non-economic policies and use the debates to talk about details in some cases.

 

And Ryan is a good social issues guy to go on the stump. He delivered at Values Voters, and probably more after that. One thing that hasn't been said yet (I haven't heard...) is that the Romney campaign is gonna unmuzzle Ryan, so focusing on values and staying on their economic message might be his do this for the team thing. BuzzFeed might be mostly right, but using surrogates.

 

IMO, your last sentence is probably wrong, he's changing the campaign in a big way, based on performance and advice.

[truth on hold]

 

 

Romney is a pretty "meh" candidate there really is no doubt about that and most repub backers would have admitted it until the primary started wrapping up.

 

But the true problem with Romney's campaign is simple....the current state of the Republican party. It really is that simple. They're in an tough situation running under that banner as it is configured right now.

 

In any event...it's fun to hear about and dissect campaigns b/c we all like politics but these sort of stories are of limited importance.

That's right. 2nd time in a row that party has produced an epicly weak ticket. Its not a coincidence.

[Rob's House]

The bigger problem with Romney's campaign is that he's a pretty "meh" candidate running against a rock star...and the electoral and governing processes have pretty much become "American Idol."

Is he Milli or Vanilli?

[ExiledInIllinois]

This would be a crapload easier if only Romney had sealed divorce docs.

Divorce? Without riding Mitt's coat tails to heavan, that poor Mormon girl is going to hell! Outta the question!

 

How much easier do you want it?... The economy is in shambles and Old Mittens still can't get it straight... Like the Dems are handing it to Mitt and his merry band of clowns... And he doesn't know what to do with it! Great potential leader we have here!

 

Now 50% of Americans are victims according to him. He should have just spoke what he really felt and said 99%. Even mighty LABillzFan is now a victim!

[IDBillzFan]

The economy is in shambles and Old Mittens still can't get it straight...

 

There will come a moment in the next four weeks that will define this one way or another. I continue to believe that beyond the liberal chattering that "it's all over" and "Mitt blew it" and "weak candidate blah blah," that there remains one unseen truth that few talk about or report: the significant number of people who don't live in a political bubble know, today, their life is exceedingly crappier than it was four years ago, and that regardless of who is to blame for it, Obama is only making things worse.

 

They know unemployment is higher, debt is deeper, houses are worth less, and the leader of the free world is missing in action while appearing on Letterman or hanging out with Jayz and Beyonce. THIS is the stuff they see. These people, the one's who believed in hope and change, may not vote for Romney...but I highly believe they will stay home.

 

And the only person that hurts is Obama because if you eliminate all the minorities who rose to help Obama last election, he's nothing but a third-rate candidate who would almost lose to John McCain.

Edited September 17, 2012 by LABillzFan

[Doc]

There will come a moment in the next four weeks that will define this one way or another. I continue to believe that beyond the liberal chattering that "it's all over" and "Mitt blew it" and "weak candidate blah blah," that there remains one unseen truth that few talk about or report: the significant number of people who don't live in a political bubble know, today, their life is exceedingly crappier than it was four years ago, and that regardless of who is to blame for it, Obama is only making things worse.

 

They know unemployment is higher, debt is deeper, houses are worth less, and the leader of the free world is missing in action while appearing on Letterman or hanging out with Jayz and Beyonce. THIS is the stuff they see. These people, the one's who believed in hope and change, may not vote for Romney...but I highly believe they will stay home.

 

And the only person that hurts is Obama because if you eliminate all the minorities who rose to help Obama last election, he's nothing but a third-rate candidate who would almost lose to John McCain.

Romney is infinitely more qualified to be president than Barry was or is. The only reason Barry is as close as he is in the polls is because so many people are in such dire straits with his mishandling of the recovery that they need a Dem president to keep them on the gravy train, and/or they're jealous of Romney's success. But that's what society has come to. And I'm saying it right now that if Barry gets re-elected, we're !@#$ed because no Repub will ever win the presidency again as more and more people go on the dole. And then we become like Greece.

[1billsfan]

The bigger problem with Romney's campaign is that he's a pretty "meh" candidate running against a rock star...and the electoral and governing processes have pretty much become "American Idol."

 

Remember when people got sick of MC Hammer, I mean reeeeeeeeally sick of him and his stupid baggy pants dance?

 

I think that Americans have crossed that threshold with Obama.

 

 

This isn't being reflective in the polls because the majority of polls are way oversampling dems as if it were 2008 which is so not the case in 2012. Romney just needs to perform well in the debates to seal the deal with America and send that dopey "rock star" packing.

Edited September 17, 2012 by 1billsfan

[ExiledInIllinois]

Romney is infinitely more qualified to be president than Barry was or is.

 

BS.

Edited September 17, 2012 by ExiledInIllinois

[dayman]

Is he Milli or Vanilli?

 

Golden Tate

 

[IDBillzFan]

Golden Tate

 

You know what was funny about that clip? The guy pushing the receiver out of bounds at the very end of that clip got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.