Republican Self Rape--to what extent did the Rape comments hurt in the 2012 election?

Oct 30, 2004
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To what extent did Republican candidates' comments about rape and abortion end up hurting the Republicans in the elections for President, the Senate, and the House?

Would it have made a difference if Akin and his ilk had just kept their mouths shut on the issue of rape?
 

Ausm

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,213
14
81
It was one of numerous things that sunk Rmoney's battleship. The GOP are running out of voting blocks to piss off.
 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
25,990
4,600
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It hurt them in the senate. But Romney's loss was so large that it probably didn't do much there. Where it really hurt was in turning the new generation of women into Democrats, possibly permanently.
 

ModerateRepZero

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2006
1,572
5
81
It hurt them in the senate. But Romney's loss was so large that it probably didn't do much there. Where it really hurt was in turning the new generation of women into Democrats, possibly permanently.

I agree except for the part about "permanently".
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
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it definitely killed those two senate races, and probably helped drive women turnout higher (along with Panderthon 2012 by the Obama campaign).

but Romney would have lost either way.
 

finglobes

Senior member
Dec 13, 2010
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0
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Romney shot up huge in the polls after he exposed Obama in first debate. That surge took place well after the Rape comments. Obama was easy to expose but Romney chose to run a defensive campaign and that was his undoing. Keep in mind the tea party 2010 GOP blowout wasn't stopped by Hispanics etc. Much of the debate about GOP loss last week is fallacious (rape comments, need to go soft on borders etc)
 

wuliheron

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2011
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I think it's pretty obvious the economy and jobs were the overwhelming issue and even things like Romney calling half of America lazy moochers didn't have a serious impact on the election. Still, every little bit adds up and the collective influence of such comments over time are painting the party for exactly what it is, a bunch of intolerant throwbacks you only vote for out of desperation.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
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I think the comments cost Romney a chance to clinch the election.

If he had come out in a very forceful way and not just in his usual weasly way he could have made it into a big thing and he could have stood out as a real centrist candidate. I think an underlying feeling about Romney was that he wouldn't stand up to the looneys in the Republican party. He missed his chance for a major coup.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
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It possibly cost them the election. Even hardcore conservative white christian males dont wanna hear that shit from their politicians.

The GOP needs to boot out the christian fundamentalist zealots. They will keep losing until they do.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,831
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It possibly cost them the election. Even hardcore conservative white christian males dont wanna hear that shit from their politicians.

The GOP needs to boot out the christian fundamentalist zealots. They will keep losing until they do.

yup.

(but the GOP also needs to stop adopting their policies while criticizing them for such policies at the same time. That isn't helping them)
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Well also after booting the zealots out of their party they need to ignore zealot lobbyists, groups similar to the Westboro Baptist Church.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
174
106
Romney shot up huge in the polls after he exposed Obama in first debate. That surge took place well after the Rape comments. Obama was easy to expose but Romney chose to run a defensive campaign and that was his undoing. Keep in mind the tea party 2010 GOP blowout wasn't stopped by Hispanics etc. Much of the debate about GOP loss last week is fallacious (rape comments, need to go soft on borders etc)

Yes, the actual 'mechanics' of Romney's campaign must be questioned/analyzed. There are any number of things that can be questioned. Was he too defensive? Should he have hit Benghazi etc harder? Did he allocate his resources among the states in the most beneficial manner? Did he wait too long to step up his campaign and spending and by virture of his absence allow Obama paint their own picture of him?

Repubs need to chill, regroup and gather data before jumping straight to conclusions. The fact that many are doing just that does not bode well for them.

Fern
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
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In 1992 Clinton interrupted his campaign to go back to Arkansas to oversee the execution of Ray Rector.

Romny lost because he didn't have Clintons balls.

If Romney had forcefully stood up the Tea Party wackos even once he would have gotten enough Dems to vote for him to win.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
87,893
55,165
136
Yes, the actual 'mechanics' of Romney's campaign must be questioned/analyzed. There are any number of things that can be questioned. Was he too defensive? Should he have hit Benghazi etc harder? Did he allocate his resources among the states in the most beneficial manner? Did he wait too long to step up his campaign and spending and by virture of his absence allow Obama paint their own picture of him?

Repubs need to chill, regroup and gather data before jumping straight to conclusions. The fact that many are doing just that does not bode well for them.

Fern

He definitely should not have hit Benghazi harder. It's simply not a big enough 'scandal' (if you can even call it that) to work with. It has virtually no impact outside of the ultra right hardcore Republican base.
 

Anarchist420

Diamond Member
Feb 13, 2010
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I heard that the margin of "victory" is more like .1% rather than the 2 percentage points the MSM originally wanted you to believe. Sounds a lot like Putin's "victory".

Not trying to thread crap, but I'm not sure that Obama was really more popular.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,986
3,321
126
Romney shot up huge in the polls after he exposed Obama in first debate. That surge took place well after the Rape comments. Obama was easy to expose but Romney chose to run a defensive campaign and that was his undoing. Keep in mind the tea party 2010 GOP blowout wasn't stopped by Hispanics etc. Much of the debate about GOP loss last week is fallacious (rape comments, need to go soft on borders etc)
still in denial huh..........
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,831
31,304
146
I heard that the margin of "victory" is more like .1% rather than the 2 percentage points the MSM originally wanted you to believe. Sounds a lot like Putin's "victory".

Not trying to thread crap, but I'm not sure that Obama was really more popular.

pray-tell: from where did you "hear" this?
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,986
3,321
126
I heard that the margin of "victory" is more like .1% rather than the 2 percentage points the MSM originally wanted you to believe. Sounds a lot like Putin's "victory".

Not trying to thread crap, but I'm not sure that Obama was really more popular.
coming from you.....
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
I heard that the margin of "victory" is more like .1% rather than the 2 percentage points the MSM originally wanted you to believe. Sounds a lot like Putin's "victory".

Not trying to thread crap, but I'm not sure that Obama was really more popular.

pray-tell: from where did you "hear" this?

I think he's getting ready to announce that Romney won the election.
 

buckshot24

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2009
9,916
85
91
In 1992 Clinton interrupted his campaign to go back to Arkansas to oversee the execution of Ray Rector.

Romny lost because he didn't have Clintons balls.

If Romney had forcefully stood up the Tea Party wackos even once he would have gotten enough Dems to vote for him to win.
Are you insane?