I didn’t vote for him and wasn’t surprised (although I did worry about that 10%+ chance), but a few people on my Facebook wall seemed genuinely surprised. It was all based on the fact that they thought it was self evident how evil Obama was and the fact that everyone they knew was voting for Romney. (Take a look at the county-by-county election map of my state of Arkansas, if you can find one. It’s almost entirely red.) Heck, the few people I know who even expressed the idea that Obama might be a good guy were disowned by their friends until they clarified that they still weren’t sure.
And, yes, as I said before, it was all about the abortion issue.
I’m a conservative Republican, and naturally supported Romney. I wasn’t shocked that Obama won, but I’ll admit being a little surprised he won Florida (I predicted an Obama win, but hinging mainly on Ohio).
As to how I felt on election night? I mentioned in another thread I wasn’t going to watch. I was on a lengthy hunting trip and could only occasionally listen to the radio (no cell coverage).
Frankly, I’m rather shocked that you’re shocked that some people were shocked. As the $20 million Fox-In-Chief said “Obama wins because it’s not a traditional America anymore. The white establishment is the minority. People want things.”
Obama got 74% of the Asian vote, 71% of the Latino vote, and 93% of the Black vote. “The racial divide was clear on the cable news networks that have chosen their constituencies. When their cameras panned Romney supporters, they showed a nearly all-white crowd.” Obama also got 67% of the single woman vote.
The other side of the coin is that Romney got 60% of the white vote, and 70% of the vote of white males with no college education. The 60% of white vote is a national average. To a white person whose friends are all white and mostly watch FauxNews, support for Romney was overwhelming and there must have been a strong perception that Romney would win.
I wouldn’t have been too surprised to see Romney win. In Ohio and Pennsylvania and elsewhere, there were despicable attempts to suppress Democratic turnout. I was worried, but there finally seems to be general public awareness of Republican ignominy, and the worst abuses were staved off.
I’m guessing Romney supporters feel about the same way I felt the morning after the 2004 elections. Utter disbelief that the country could re-elect such an obviously incompetent liar. I can’t remember how the polls were leading up to 2004, but I felt shocked, shocked! I say - maybe I wasn’t following the best polls closely enough. Maybe I was in denial, but I definitely remember how I felt.
Well I’m shocked that you’re shocked that… No, seriously now, the Fox News guys do have their heads lodged neatly in denial’s asshole. If anyone hasn’t seen this hilarious bit of entertainment by now, it’s 20 minutes of Karl Rove fussing like a little fucking baby about Ohio being called for Obama. Even the Fox News numbers guys are like “This is over, brah,” and Rove’s response is “No! No! No!” This is *after *it’s been called, mind you. He simply refuses to accept reality. He harps on and on about how there are still votes left, and when the statisticians respond that yes, but in heavily and reliably Democratic areas, and there’s just no way Romney can make up ground. And how does Rove respond to this bit of information? With the claim, yet again, that there are still votes left! You may have seen compilations of this on “The Daily Show” or elsewhere, but the complete footage is brilliant and gives you a greater appreciation of the full lunacy. Even Megyn Kelly was like “It’s over, dude,” but Rove balls his fists up at his side and cries about how the math = lies. What a fucking clown.
This is the nervousness you get when the plane is accelerating down the runway, and before it lifts off. Sure, I know all about Newton and trust in Science and Engineering, but there’s that moment where you say to yourself “I hope this thing flies”
I trust Nate Silver, and statistical analysis in general, but election day comes, I say “I hope this stuff is right.” and I don’t crow too much, lest I have a bigger bird to eat when things don’t go right.
I voted for Romney, and I don’t think this is particularly close to how I, or anyone I talked to, felt. The election is usually the incumbent’s to lose. Obama apparently succeeded in getting a majority of the electorate to accept what we have now as the new normal.
It’s too bad - Romney was the better candidate, and the country would have been better served by his election rather than four more years of Obama - but not shocking.
I think a board as partisan as this one is, is prone to exaggeration, especially of the positions of the other side.
I wouldn’t call myself a supporter, but I wasn’t surprised he lost. He consistently polled below Obama except after the first debate. If he could have maintained that momentum things might have been different. As it was I thought it was maybe 25% likely he could win.
I voted for Obama, trusted what I’d read on 538, but still felt nervous- just like the airplane analogy listed above.
From what I’m seeing here, I really doubt that any Romney supporter on this board would admit that he or she fully expected Romney to win. I’m sure if you go and check the posts on the election forum, you’ll find a few people who were sure that Romney would win, that Nate Silver is biased and full of crap, but would never pop in to this post to announce how wrong they were.
I had friends and relatives re-posting Dick Morris predictions and other bold assurances of a Romney victory right up until election day, but they’ve been curiously silent since then and I’m too gracious to ask them what their reaction was.
Huh. Okay, two things. First, I’m always a little smiley when I see a post by someone who’s been around for a while, but posts so rarely. This board is full of the same loudmouths mashing their keyboards and pressing submit. I count myself in that group of loudmouths, for whatever it’s worth. But second, and more importantly, why?
Only because its you asking, will I answer this. I’ve loved your posts for quite some time, so I feel a debt to you. I hate debates, and don’t want to turn this into a fight.
I believe the government is just too damn big, and too damn intrusive into our lives. I want them out of my personal life, and I want them to free up restrictions on the business environment so that we can get people back to work. I believed Romney’s platform was the best way to accomplish this. In a review of the two candidate’s financial policies, the math just doesnt’ work on Obama’s stuff, no matter how you try to work the numbers. I thought that this would be evident to most people. I didn’t think with the unemployment numbers being so high that there’s any way the man could win re-election.
I’m still floored by it, because it directly affects my work environment, as the Obamacare policies negatively impact a lot of things. I saw the race being close, but not over so quickly. And I fear for what his policies mean for the future of some soon-to-be college graduates I am friends with.
Sooo, did the tattoo guy even think for five seconds about what he was going to do to himself? And his wife didn’t stop him even if she only got an hour’s notice before?
“Sorry, babe, I got to now. I mean, it’s FIVE GRAND!”
Christ, I’m unemployed, and that doesn’t sound like enough to do something permanent like this.
I know there’s lots of people who like tattoos on this board, but honestly, this?? Does anybody think this was a good idea? Even if Romney had won?
He might as well just have “Idiot” tattooed on his forehead.
Aww. This honestly made me feel warm and squishy inside.
As for the rest, I’m still not sure why you thought Romney would win. I get why you wanted him to, and why you thought your reasons would be apparent to everyone else, but it doesn’t explain the surprise at his loss. I won’t turn this into a debate over Romney’s or Obama’s policies (lord knows we only have one bajillion of those already in these parts), but I’m curious as to why you were surprised by election night. Were you not looking at the polls? I know that question sounds snarky, but I swear to Jim Bean it isn’t. I embrace my snark, and am really asking in earnest.
