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Politico has a long story this morning based on anonymous sources which basically puts the blame for the Romney campaign’s poor performance on top strategist Stuart Stevens. The whole article is worth a read. Here is just tiny part to get a sense of the tone:
As mishaps have piled up, Stevens has taken the brunt of the blame for an unwieldy campaign structure that, as the joke goes among frustrated Republicans, badly needs a consultant from Bain & Co. to straighten it out.
[...]
Stevens enjoys little of the internal affection that surrounded the brain trusts of the Bush and Obama campaigns. “I always have the impression Stuart must save his best stuff for meetings I’m not important enough to attend,” said one Romney campaign insider. “The campaign is filled with people who spend a lot of their time either avoiding him or resisting him.”
More interesting than any revelation in the story is the fact that the article exists at all. There are a large number of professions directly or indirectly involved in a campaign. If a campaign looks like it is heading for defeat there are many personal, professional and financial reasons why those people would want to avoid blame. Working for a campaign that loses is one thing; being seen as the reason a campaign lost is another. The latter could be devastating for a professional operative.
It would appear Stevens — fairly or unfairly — has emerged as the scapegoat of choice, but people only need to find a scapegoat if they think something bad is going to happen. We are still 50 days out from the election but the Romney campaign is starting to develop the first characteristics of a sinking ship.
Articles like this don’t project confidence and can be very discouraging to donors.
55 Comments
of course nobody is going to remember how many of us here at the lake predicted whoever would run, the puppeteers would undermine the campaign since their dog is already on leash in the white house
Stevens may be an unpleasant person and a poor strategist, but he doesn’t have a good product to sell.
“being seen as the reason a campaign lost is another. The latter could be devastating for a professional operative.”
Could be is the operative word — there are so many people that fail upwards such as Bob Shrum.
Romney tells you to your face he wants to steal your SS and Medicare to pay for an 0.86% tax rate for himself and more wars. Why would anyone want that, you can’t ‘spin’ it into something good.
They can pass the blame around all they want, but the fact is that the campaign, the people that were hired, and the structure are all a prime demonstration of the capabilities of the man in charge and what he would do if elected to the office he seeks.
Fail.
‘Nuff said.
You’ve noticed, too, how all of Obama’s election opponents seem mysteriously to self-destruct well before the election. It’s eerie.
Puppeteers have been giving shitloads more cash to Romney. I think it may have created a weird sense of confidence in the Romney campaign, since the candidate that the oligarchs place their bets on usually does come out on top.
‘xactly.
And were a real investigative journalist to dig deep into Mitt’s story, I’m betting $10thou that his business acumen was as phony as Oz.
It’s a shite campaign. Seriously, those guys couldn’t find their asses with both hands. Whatever outside forces may or may not exist, the people running the Romney campaign don’t know what the hell they’re doing.
Bishop Willard, or whoever the R’s came up with, was never meant for anything more than the illusion of choice.
As mishaps have piled up, Stevens has taken the brunt of the blame for an unwieldy campaign structure that, as the joke goes among frustrated Republicans, badly needs a consultant from Bain & Co. to straighten it out.
GOPers came up with self depreciating humor? Reality must be settling in.
Rmoney’s new strategy is to not be McGovern. The base will prevent a landslide otherwise his losing was baked in the cake before the clown show started.
of course nobody is going to remember how many of us here at the lake predicted whoever would run, the puppeteers would undermine the campaign since their dog is already on leash in the white house
Bwahahhaa! A list of GOP pundits who said Mitt would win would be a great snark fest.
From what I’m reading many GOP Pundits seem to think Mitt can’t win.
The most blameworthy member of the campaign team is Romney himself. He’s currently performing at the Dukakis level and is one major gaffe (or blow-up) away from descending into McGovern territory.
I have thought the same.
Rmoney’s new strategy is to not be McGovern. The base will prevent a landslide otherwise his losing was baked in the cake before the clown show started.
If the GOP base thinks Mitt is going to lose then we might expect to see GOPers not bothering to show up to vote.
I doubt many Ron Paul voters will show. I doubt many Fundies can vote for a Mormon.
I expect light turnout in safe Red States this election. If they know Mitt is going to win their state any way but lose the general election why bother to vote?
If only we still had a 50 state strategy this election.
RMoney was the patsy all along, the guy who would take a dive so the GOPers’ 1st choice, Obama, would win.
RMoney’s only job is to keep it close enough so the GOPers can control at least 1 house of Congress, just in case Obama gets out of line.
No kidding. You can’t blame the underlings for putting together a crap campaign.
Looks like making all your money from being born elite and above the law during a time of unprecedented graft, fraud and thievery isn’t synonymous with “good management skills.”
The most blameworthy member of the campaign team is Romney himself. He’s currently performing at the Dukakis level and is one major gaffe (or blow-up) away from descending into McGovern territory.
I expect that to happen during the debates we should start a betting pool on which debate Mitt blows up his campaign.
Given that GOP 30ers are not likely to change their minds I think if we see only a 5 point drop after a debate and it stays that way until after the election then Mitt has committed a gaffe. Over 5 points a major gaffe.
But can Mitt do a campaign ending gaffe something that puts him below 30%?
Beg to differ. The GOP wants to be in charge of the DC theft machine again. That’s ALL they want. They would give their collective left nuts for a Republican to be in the White House again, even if it’s Mitt Romney, so they can really amp up the shake-downs again.
All the big players stayed out of this election because it’s an uphill battle to win against an incumbent President. They believe 2016 will be easy pickings for them, just as 2008 was for the Dems. They can run on (ba-dum-bum) “change.” The primary will be an ugly bloodbath.
My hope is what you hope only I want third party voters to show up to make a statement. Electing more millionaire D’s to replace multi-millionaire R’s is working out so good for the 99%, the Constitution, or the World for that matter.
The Superpacs are getting more money than Rmoney anyway. And it’s generally smart money. When you see THEIR spending drop, it’s over.
I’m seeing the money move out of Pa and Mich and moving to Ohio. Rmoney still thinks he can win here and he may be right.Obama’s support is REALLY soft and if the GOP can make an issue out of the Libyian embassy hit that might switch enough votes. Even Obama’s supporters are grumbling about being fooled on a 9/11 anniversary hit.
Boxturtle (Oddly, it seems like Brown (Senate) is attracting more GOP attacks than Obama)
In 1972, the Democrats picked up 2 Senate seats and lost only 12 House seats despite the debacle at the top of the ticket.
All the big players stayed out of the electionbecause it’s an uphill battle to win against an incumbent President.
Uh Obama is Black and the economy sucks the only way 2016 becomes a shoe in for GOPers is if the economy does not get better.
Granted unless Obama goes Left and start creating jobs and regulating banks I agree that will happen.
But the GOP does not seem to be thinking about what else will happen.
A new Left third party with much more grass roots support and a GOP base tired of Corporate GOP losers.
The Fundies will want a true believer and Ron’s People will have Ron’s son to vote for next time.
I don’t think they have thought this through Mitt losses the Corporate Wing of the GOP loses all Cred they can win an election.
My hope is what you hope only I want third party voters to show up to make a statement.
Seconded!
edit…NOT working out so good
It doesn’t help any that their grassroots are completely uninspired. Other than media advertising, the Rmoney canpaign has nothing to work with.
Four years ago, I was visited at least a half dozen times by poll walkers soliciting my vote for McBush. It would have been more, but wet, muddy huskies scare off well dressed walkers. :-)
Boxturtle (Dogs are strictly non-partisan, they’ll mudify ANYBODY. They’d even like mitt!)
But can Mitt do a campaign ending gaffe something that puts him below 30%?
A gaffe that serious would result in people in white coats pulling him off the stage. It’s pretty hard to poll less than 35 percent in a presidential election with only two major candidates. James Cox (D) got 34.1 percent in 1920, but Eugene Debs and several other third-party candidates got a total of 5.6 percent. Still, that was quite an ass-kicking he got, especially considering how heavily Democratic the South was back then.
Yeah, but in 2016 there just might be someone the Dem base would be willing to work for. Obama killed any primary challenge this time (lucky for him), but he won’t be in the next mix.
The Dem base demonstrated a willingness to pound pavement for someone like what we hoped Obama woould be.
Boxturtle (If I had known, I’d have pounded FOR Hillary. Couldn’t be any worse)
The Superpacs are getting more money than Rmoney anyway. And it’s generally smart money. When you see THEIR spending drop, it’s over.
If Mitt wants to keep getting GOP super pac money he needs to lead in the polls in Ohio or any combination of states that equals Ohio’s votes.
I expect after the second debate if Mitt can’t turn things around and get those votes then its over.
Mitt’s only redeeming quality is that he isn’t Newt.
“…can be very discouraging to donors.”
Sadly, since CU, all it takes is some Lone Wingnut Billionaire, and even the most hopeless campaign can survive as a vanity project, still funded at levels we would have considered lavish in pre-CU times.
If Mitten’s debated himself he would lose. Debates won’t aid Rmoney.
Four years ago, I was visited at least a half dozen times by poll walkers soliciting my vote for McBush. It would have been more, but wet, muddy huskies scare off well dressed walkers. :-)
How many people have visited you for Mitt? This will tell us how much ground game Mitt has and how much grass roots support.
A GOPer is a GOPer if your GOPers are uninspired then chances are GOPers everywhere are uninspired unless their is some regional variable like a Horrible local GOP leader or local issue turning off volunteers.
A gaffe that serious would result in people in white coats pulling him off the stage. It’s pretty hard to poll less than 35 percent in a presidential election with only two major candidates.
Agreed this would be almost impossible but I believe Mitt might do it. Stress pushes people and Mitt very well may believe that only by unleashing the true Mitt not the one the campaign wants to show to voters can he win the election.
Mitt is losing to a Black Man with record unemployment no President has ever been reelected with unemployment so high.
Mitt I am sure is feeling stress and a need to take a strong direction politically.
No matter what his campaign handlers think.
Barring a major screwup from either side, Ohio will remain too close to call. I think.
The debates won’t help him. Obama will eat him alive. But I don’t think they’ll hurt him much. Most of his support comes from the fact that he’s NOT Obama and the debates won’t change that.
Boxturtle (In fairness, most of Obama’s support comes from the fact that he’s NOT Rmoney)
I have had not one walker for either campaign as of today. The only phone calls I’ve received with a human on the other end have been for Brown. But Mitt’s robots have nearly talked my answering maching to death. Very few Obama robots calling me, unless his robots are smart enough to recognize a machine and hang up.
And I don’t accept calls from blocked numbers, so I can’t say how many calls aren’t even getting to me.
Boxturtle (And it’s so dry, the walkers don’t have muddy huskies as an excuse this year)
So it’s not just me??????
I agree. I don;t recall such a mismanaged campaign ina long time. OTOH, as manyt pundits have said, “Romney’s problem is his Romneyism.”
Not one Walker but in the past you had several? Ok this is very interesting if we can get information in other areas that shows this is a trend then the GOP’s ground game is gone.
Probably because the GOP base does not like Mitt.
In other words the GOP base is liking Mitt less than they liked John McCain!
If only our side was not feeling the same about Obama we would be winning even more than we are now.
Actually, colleagues of Mittens have said exactly that. He is great with raising money – and that is why he was recruited to help with the Olympics – not to run the thing, just to get money to get it out of the hole. The same thing with Bain. When he left, they worried about his ability to attract investors – not about his ability to run the company, which he didn’t do much of. He had people for that job. And they are running the company now quite well without him.
He is a money raiser – but that’s the extent of his ability. He is not an organizer, a manager, a thinker about problems, a systems analyzer, or any of the things that make a good executive.
I’m not seeing a ground game for EITHER campaign. Perhaps I should say “yet”, since the last election most of the walkers showed up the Sunday right before the election. Maybe I’ll see more as time passes.
But the local Dems sure don’t have the volunteers they had four years ago. GOPer neighbor says he sees the same thing on his side, too. And locally, there’s a lot more effort for Brown than for Obama.
Boxturtle (I see clinical depression on both sides)
You are 100% right. The very few undecided voters will likely break for Obama after the debates. But that’s probably only 2-3% of the electorate.
You can say that again. I think more and more people are learning that both sides work for the 1% and nobody works for us. That’ll thrown one into a deep, deep, deep depression. So many people were “buying” the “Hope and Change” from Obama and we got little if any of either.
Democrats, and Obama in particular, have been using the slogan “We suck less” now for ten months. And, to their benefit, it’s true. Sure a helluva mess when we have to vote for the lesser of two evils. That’s why I have two Dos Equis for lunch. Note I saud “for” lunch, not “with” lunch.
Stay thursty my friends.
But the local Dems sure don’t have the volunteers they had four years ago. GOPer neighbor says he sees the same thing on his side, too. And locally, there’s a lot more effort for Brown than for Obama.
Boxturtle (I see clinical depression on both sides)
Crap good point I don’t see us having much more than Mitt does as far as ground game.
Lots of comments about the upcoming Presidential “debates.” Recall:
“The League [of Women Voters] has no intention of becoming an accessory to the HOODWINKING of the American public.”
http://www.lwv.org/press-releases/league-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud
“The debates are part of the unconscionable fraud that our political campaigns have become… They should be charged with sabotaging the electoral process.” – Walter Cronkite
They’re rehearsed appearances.” – George H. W. Bush
“… an orchestrated news conference.” – Dan Rather
Obama & Romney have agreed to not discuss free health care, free education, living wages, secure retirement, a clean environment and global warming.
What? Romney can't win? It's time for "liberals" to not fear a coming Romnepocalypse and vote 3rd party against the Man-who-was-never-there.
That speaks loudly of the person who selected those people and hired them.
Now who was the hiring manger responsible…….
Would the league sponsor third party candidates who have a signifcant amount of State ballot approval? It would be interesting to see Jill Stein and Gary Johnson debate. They might get better ratings than the D or R Bullshit show.
p.s. anyone else noticing how many Jill Stein supporters live chatting on the OWS Timcast. I know she is only polling at 2% but I’m encouraged.
You have been on that lunch diet for a while; I bet your liver can’t wait for this election cycle to end. Good thing they don’t require a breathalizer at the polling place with your I.D. :0
Is that a trick question??????? /s
Not true.
I’ve lost 7 pounds of the ten my doctor ordered me to lose.
Betcha didn’t know that, in Texas, on election day, bars are closed and you can’t buy liquor, beer or wine either until after the polls close.
That’s why you stock up the day before. FYI, ironically until about 20 years ago we didn’t have a law against drinking and driving.
What I love about this thread is the Wheeere’s Romney element? Do his folks really miss that this lack of excitement/love may be about him?
Just a thought….