The claim the Romney won independents is a bit misguided. Many of the “independents” are in fact former faithful Republicans who have become disillusioned with their party’s takeover by the right wing extremists. You can have a big tent or you can have a pure tent, you can’t have both. They chose the pure tent as witnessed by all of the presidential candidates trying to out-right each other in the primaries.
The Republican Alternate Reality Bubble makes all those that dwell within it convinced that everybody hates Obama because everyone they listen to hates Obama, and that all that was needed to reclaim their rightful place in the White House was to say “I am not Barack Obama.” Romney was convinced that he didn’t have to release his tax returns, he didn’t have to get specific on his economic plans, and he didn’t have to have a large ground game. All he had to do was have white skin and the White House was his.
In the Senate, they gave away sure wins (MO and IN) because they nominated right wing extremists and the party took on the stench of misogyny.
Now the Republicans either insist that they lost because they weren’t conservative enough or that they really won because they retained control of the House. Take away the gerrymandering, and Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker.
So in short, they will never figure out why or even that they lost.