# What will conservatives blame for a Romney loss? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 19, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242 "2012-10-19T16:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/21 "2012-10-19T18:23:33Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Maybe we can gain insight into this question by examining what the Democrats did after Kerry’s 2004 loss. > > Yup. “Ohio was stolen!” > > Yup. (Well, the liberal mirror image; [The United States of Canada and Jesusland.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285530)) If it’s a very close election, with one swing state the difference between victory and defeat, then it’s inevitable that there will be allegations of fraud (from either side). ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/22 "2012-10-19T18:25:36Z")
Do you sincerely believe that there is no evidence of impropriety in the 2004 election in Ohio, or do you just mean that there is not conclusive evidence of such? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/23 "2012-10-19T18:43:54Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Eh, claiming the voting machines were rigged isn’t a claim of voter fraud, is it? > > It’s a silly conspiratorial claim. But not nearly as silly as claiming that people committing voter fraud can alter the results of an election. 😃 > [@](#): > > Voter fraud **or some other kind of election impropriety** , even in the absence of any evidence. Emphasis added for clarity. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/24 "2012-10-19T18:44:54Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Do you sincerely believe that there is no evidence of impropriety in the 2004 election in Ohio, or do you just mean that there is not conclusive evidence of such? No credible evidence of impropriety sufficient to swing the state to the other side. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/25 "2012-10-19T18:53:46Z")
So then Democrats blame shadowy corporations and Republicans blame illegal immigrants. Sounds about right. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/26 "2012-10-19T22:04:27Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Maybe we can gain insight into this question by examining what the Democrats did after Kerry’s 2004 loss. No we can’t, because Democrats and Republicans aren’t the same. Despite the constant attempts by right wing apologists to pretend that they are. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/27 "2012-10-19T22:29:41Z")
We were stuck with him and had to settle, like the Dems had to deal with John Kerry. Oh well, perhaps in 4 years someone better will come along. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/28 "2012-10-19T23:04:46Z")
I would bet that in private meetings with their really-big donors, they will discuss how the Democrats succeeded in their strategy of class warfare. (They will, of course, check for recording devices at the door.) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/29 "2012-10-19T23:05:28Z")
Muslim conspiracy led by Obama with the help of All Quaeda. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/30 "2012-10-19T23:42:50Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No we can’t, because Democrats and Republicans aren’t the same. Despite the constant attempts by right wing apologists to pretend that they are. Why not? While their party platforms are different, they use very similar talking points on things like when their party’s candidate loses. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/31 "2012-10-20T00:41:56Z")
Hey guys, don’t forget blaming “activist judges” who overturned voter ID laws!!! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/32 "2012-10-20T00:56:11Z")
They’ll blame John Roberts. Rehnquist never let the outcome of an election get in the way of deciding who was President. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/33 "2012-10-20T01:03:24Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > So then Democrats blame shadowy corporations and Republicans blame illegal immigrants. Sounds about right. So if an independent wins, the Dems and Repubs can blame illegal immigrants who started shadowy corporations. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/34 "2012-10-20T01:30:47Z")
I think smart Republicans knew there was no viable candidate this time around so it was therefore time for Romney to blow his wad and get off the scene. IOW, it’s more valuable to have Romney permanently out of the race than it is to win it this time around. By 2016 they might be able to find a charismatic Republican who will be going up against an unknown Democrat. But for this cycle they get a chance to just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks, establishing a solid platform to run on in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/35 "2012-10-20T03:57:07Z")
I think any rational analysis would be that it was election against an incumbent President, always an uphill battle, and the most ‘electable’ candidate from the opposing field was weak and came up short. Romney against Obama would then follow the pattern of Kerry in 2004, Dole in '96, Mondale in '84, McGovern '72, etc. I don’t know what the GOP will tell themselves given a loss in November, but that’s what the analysts will tell each other and us. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/36 "2012-10-20T21:00:53Z")
It would be much more interesting to hear how the Dems might explain away an Obama loss…from this crowd especially. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/37 "2012-10-20T21:06:59Z")
Personally, if Romney loses I will blame it on him saying things that never should have been said outside the confines of his immediate family, like that 47% remark. I don’t care if he believes his statement, it’s just a devastatingly stupid thing to have risked saying in front of others and given Dems such fine ammunition. That was an even dumber move than the one that sank Howard Dean’s chances. I guess this is a vote for an incompetent campaign? ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/38 "2012-10-20T21:22:47Z")
Let’s not forget those two Black Panthers with the nightstick in Philly. They intimidated millions of voters nationwide in '08; they can do it again in '12, maybe even without showing up. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/39 "2012-10-20T21:32:28Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > It would be much more interesting to hear how the Dems might explain away an Obama loss…from this crowd especially. That’s easy, Romney is such a colossal liar that he fooled a bunch of people. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242/40 "2012-10-20T23:16:45Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > It would be much more interesting to hear how the Dems might explain away an Obama loss…from this crowd especially. If Romney does win, I’m logging on here with some popcorn to watch heads explode. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-conservatives-blame-for-a-romney-loss/638242.md?page=3)