2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumMitt’s Inglorious Shuffle Off the National Stage
JOSH MARSHALL NOVEMBER 15, 2012, 2:35 PM 10866
In 1952 Adlai Stevenson was the presidential nominee of the Democratic party and lost. He was renominated in 1956 to face Dwight Eisenhower again. And again he lost. There are some other cases like this in American history. Grover Cleveland actually won two non-consecutive terms in office. William Jennings Bryant was nominated multiple times.
But on balance America has never had party leaders in the way that is natural in parliamentary systems. And in recent years, with nominees usually having little organic connection to party infrastructure or deep base of support, the pattern has become even more merciless and total.
Michael Dukakis is perhaps the most glaring example since he had so little national profile to return to and was viewed as such a poor candidate. But something similar, if less extreme, can be said of John Kerry and Walter Mondale and Bob Dole and John McCain.
But I think we may be in even new territory with Mitt Romneys shuffle off the national stage. Its not too much to say that Romney is now uniting the country across party lines that hes someone who should leave as soon as possible and not say anything publicly again. Actually scratch that. Democrats are starting to think that having Romney around and continuing to dump on a broad range of Americans might be pretty awesome.
More seriously, it goes without saying that Romney was never more than a tolerated transplant among professional conservatives. His bonafides were doubted. We know all this. So its ironic that Republicans are uniting in calls to get off the national stage once and for all precisely because hes continuing to make the kind of makers-and-takers type statements you might hear on a particularly feral and untethered rightwing blog.
Its an amazing denouement. It puts the whole race in a new, if not surprising, perspective.
-30-
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/11/mitts_inglorious_shuffle_off_the_national_stage.php?ref=fpblg
C_U_L8R
(45,003 posts)Sure seems like Mitt's crapped his
magic underpants on the national stage.
Doesn't he have any friends to keep him
from making such a disgrace of himself?
unblock
(52,253 posts)for all the fun had at sarah palin's expense, she at least had a small group of fanatics behind her. in fact, her conduct in that entire campaign was arguably laying the groundwork for something lucrative to fall back on after defeat.
rmoney really had nothing. he was widely viewed as a loser who was less of a loser than anyone else in the republican field and then ran a general campaign trying to sell the idea that he was less of a loser than obama.
that was never gonna fly, and now he's just a loser.
dukakis at least was viewed as a very successful governor, winning three terms. rmoney was viewed as a terrible, one-term governor.
Freddie
(9,267 posts)Apologies to Dr. Seuss
Dubster
(427 posts)tanyev
(42,566 posts)Cha
(297,304 posts)WheneverTF that is.
However Senator John Kerry is a shining example of what amazing accomplishments can be made after you lose the election for US President. As is Jimmy Carter for the second term..gotta give props to his grandson, James CarterIV, here too for being such an Asset in our current WIN.
Good Piece from Josh Marshall.. thanks DonViejo
Norrin Radd
(4,959 posts)Please go away.
Jennicut
(25,415 posts)That guy was the best they could come up with this year. What a disastrous field of candidates they had when Mitt Romney was the best thing going.