# Why is there no Romney Alternative? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 29, 2012, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736 "2012-07-29T05:05:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736/81 "2012-08-22T16:23:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But didn’t you say that Romney bought the nomination? Why won’t he buy the Presidency? He has been outspent thus far, but he’s outraised Obama in the last two months and may be able to swamp him in the home stretch. Because unlike Romney’s primary opponents, Obama will actually fight back. Oh, plus he’s the current president, which kinda helps. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736/82 "2012-08-22T16:25:06Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If that’s enough to win elections, why shouldn’t they? 40% of the country self-reports as conservative. Doesn’t take much to get 11% more. Only 20% of the country self-reports as liberal. The obligation is on Democrats to move to the center if they want to win, which is why they’ve been saying “middle class” over and over for the past few years. If they say it, maybe they’ll actually win the taxpayer vote for once. Because once you win the election, you have to actually govern. You can’t just sit around and say “government sucks” anymore. You are the government. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736/83 "2012-08-22T22:21:51Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > Oh yeah, the Belaya Gvardiya come to rescue the country from the rampaging hordes. Does have a white ring to it. 😕😕😕HAH?😕😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736/84 "2012-08-23T10:08:24Z")
It’s a joke. Right wing, white ring? White Guard protecting the country from the Bolshies/blacks? Course, I don’t actually believe that. I’m in the Rosa Luxemburg camp. > [@adaher](#): > > What this conservative group sees as “economic freedom” is a pretty good proxy for economic conservatism. Rent and wage labour? The freedom to be owned and the freedom to die? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736/85 "2012-08-23T22:27:22Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > 😕😕😕HAH?😕😕😕 > [@gamerunknown](#): > > It’s a joke. Right wing, white ring? White Guard protecting the country from the Bolshies/blacks? > > Course, I don’t actually believe that. I’m in the Rosa Luxemburg camp. 😕😕😕HAH?😕😕😕 ---
**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:** [August 23, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736/86 "2012-08-23T23:08:59Z")
It just occurred to me that this could be a Machiavellian plot to destroy Romney and put him out of contention. If the Republicans knew in advance that they didn’t have much hope of capturing the executive branch this time around, perhaps they’re taking the opportunity to bankrupt the guy they all agree they hate. Romney fails miserably, takes Paul Ryan down with him and spends himself out of contention for next time around. Meanwhile the Republicans have three or four more years to find someone who doesn’t have so many skeletons in his closet and who isn’t so afraid of the media. For this election they can concentrate on winning senate and congress seats, from which they can effectively prevent Obama from doing… anything. The public ends up hating Obama for being ineffective, hates Romney for being a loser and shifts right as the country slowly goes to hell in a handbasket. It’s probably too clever but I do love the idea of the Republicans are trolling the whole country with Romney’s campaign and deliberately setting him up to fail. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-romney-alternative/629736.md?page=4)