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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Mitt Romney Exits Political Stage, Wishes Obama Success

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney walks off stage with his wife Ann Romney after he arrives gave his concession speech at his election night rally in Boston, early Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney walks off stage with his wife Ann Romney after he arrives gave his concession speech at his election night rally in Boston, early Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Mitt Romney says he and Paul Ryan gave all they had to their campaign — but that “the nation chose another leader.”

His campaign of nearly 17 months came to an end with a concession speech in Boston, where Romney told supporters he wished he’d been able to “lead the country in a different direction.”

Romney watched the returns from a Boston hotel, as one battleground state after another went to the Democrats.

In the aftermath of the loss, Republican campaign officials conceded that they’d had serious concerns about Romney’s path to victory even before Superstorm Sandy struck last week. And their internal polls showed President Barack Obama’s standing improving in the days after the storm.

In the end, Romney officials said they underestimated the level of turnout from Obama’s supporters. And they said they didn’t anticipate a surge in African-American turnout.

Guest:

  • Michael Kranish, Boston Globe reporter and co-author with Scot Helman of “The Real Romney.”

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

  • Doug Sweet

    Republicans howl about the other side being mean while their whole plan is to be mean. All the hoo-ha about democratic ballot cheating that republican governors and legislatures were saying they were seeing was really a way to allow them to cheat by government fiat.  Listen to what they are complaining loudest about and you will know what shenanigans they are trying themselves. They cry WOLF!, but the wolf is them.   

  • J__o__h__n

    I checked this book out of the library months ago and despite renewing it five times, I wasn’t able to force myself to read it.  I’m thrilled that I can return it without having to do so.  (This is not meant to be critical of the book but the subject.)

  • BHA_in_Vermont

    Are you SURE Romney is not still a candidate for President? He might be gearing up for a 2016 run.

    Also interesting; Romney’s father was running trying to move the Republican party more toward the center, and lost in the primaries. That was back when the Republican party WAS more centrist. Mitt Romney ran as “more conservative that they other guys” in a day and age where the party is very right of center. I doubt George Romney would be a happy Republican these days. Who knows, he might have been with those like Jim Jeffords who said the “I didn’t leave the Republican party, it left me”.

  • It

    It was amazing the difference in tone Robin had about Mitt today. She almost was impartial. I believe it was just the euphoria
    from knowing the candidate she has been pitching for all these months won.

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