Nelson, King, and Nicholas recall how much better Romney did than your average Republican senate candidate. And watch them give the "Stand fast! Not a step back!" order:
GOP Leaders' Debate: Change Message or Candidates?: "It is critically important we remain true to who we are," Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said in an interview here at the meeting of the Republican Governors Association. "We have to figure out how to make our principles more attractive to emerging voters. But if we abdicate those, we become a very different entity."… "America doesn't need two liberal political parties," said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, incoming chairman of the Republican Governors Association. "I think we need to be true to our principles."… In Florida, the Romney state campaign manager, Brett Doster, blames Mr. Romney's loss there on the campaign missing its targets in just three key counties, thus losing the state by 70,000 or so votes. "We fell short on registering and rallying voters and really building up the party. That's where we need to turn now," Mr. Doster said…. Gary Bauer said Republicans would be drawing the wrong lessons if they scrap long-held positions. "Panic is always a bad idea in politics," he said. And providing citizenship to 10 million or more illegal immigrants, he said, would boost the vote count for the Democratic Party. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad joined others in dismissing suggestions that Republicans lost on the issues on Nov. 6. But like many GOP leaders, he faulted some of the party's candidates for remarks that alienated women and other groups. "We need candidates that don't say dumb things," he said.
Andrew Gelman advances through the snow:
Oh no . . . Obama is doooooomed!!!!!!!!!!! (Don’t worry, it’s just Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen talking): Political strategists Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen report that Romney has a 12-point lead in Missouri and a 4-point lead in North Carolina. Is it even possible for Obama to win in the Electoral College without Missouri and North Carolina?… And Obama is only leading by 1 point in Florida. Sure, that’s better than trailing by 1 point in Florida, but still, it’s cause for worry! Caddell and Schoen have the secret:
What voters are looking for—and particularly what swing voters, independents, and disillusioned Obama voters are looking for—is a new direction for America based on fiscal discipline, a balanced budget, and economic growth and leadership.
What about polls that show voters are much more concerned with employment and the economy than with fiscal discipline and a balanced budget? Caddell and Schoen don’t care about those particular polls…. And Caddell and Schoen are Democratic pollsters, too. This really is scary news for the O-man. Seriously, though, I haven’t seen advice this bad since the Democrats were told that they lost the House in 1994 because they weren’t liberal enough….
Caddell and Schoen are supposed to be pollsters. That’s their professional life, and here they are just making stuff up. What’s the point of that? Are they adding any value at all? I don’t think so. The WSJ would be better off running old Art Buchwald and William F. Buckley columns.
