Romney: Heart told him he'd win, until he saw Fla.

March 3, 2013 @ 6:46 am


| Zoom

WASHINGTON (AP) - Mitt Romney says his heart said he was going to win the presidency, but when early results came in on election night, he knew it was not to be.

The GOP nominee tells "Fox News Sunday" that he knew his campaign was in trouble when exit polls suggested a close race in Florida. Romney thought he'd win the state solidly.

Obama ended up taking Florida and won the election by a wide margin in the electoral vote.

Romney says there was "a slow recognition" at that time that President Barack Obama would win _ and the race soon was over when Obama carried Ohio.

Romney says the loss hit hard and was emotional. Ann Romney says she cried.

The former Massachusetts governor acknowledges mistakes in the campaign and flaws in his candidacy.

But he jokes that he did better in his second run for the White House than he did the first time around _ when he lost the 2008 nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain.

He says he won't get a third crack at it.

Romney says his campaign didn't do a good job connecting with minority voters, and that Republicans must do a better job in appealing to African-Americans and Hispanics.

He says his campaign underestimated the appeal of Obama's new health care law to low-income voters.

But he knows that because he lost the race, it's hard to tell the GOP to listen now to what he has to say about how to improve the party's message.

The Romneys are living in Southern California now and he's kept a low profile since the election. He says "you move on" from the disappointment and that "I don't spend my life looking back."

Ann Romney says that after the election she was approached by TV's "Dancing with the Stars," but declined to join the cast.

She says she'll be turning 64 soon and "I'm not really as flexible as I should be."

The interview was taped Thursday and aired Sunday.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
More Politics
Top Stories

  • Snowy Passes
    Escape cold Seattle; go skiing at Crystal Mountain

  • Dirty Wars
    Director Jeremy Scahill says Obama hasn't been fighting a clean war

  • Dollars Per Student
    Washington spending per student is below the national average
MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (72)


  • Add A Comment

  • CH wrote...
    On immigration, taxes and women's issues, Mitt Romney is abandoning his "severely conservative" talk of the Republican primary season and moving sharply to the political center as he looks to sway on-the-fence voters in the campaign's final three weeks .
    October 17, 2012 2:54 pm
    Will the real Romney please stand up. http://youtu.be/jBJGyefTGdw
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    At least Romney is making an attempt to work these voters.
    October 17, 2012 4:04 pm
    Obama won't move an inch toward center. Doesn't matter the Dear Leader is a One term Proposition.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpitantso wrote...
    Ha Ha not a attempt
    October 17, 2012 9:07 pm
    HE"S FLIP-FLOPPING AGAIN
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Your Dear Leader should attempt to look like he is flip flopping.
    October 18, 2012 11:05 am
    Perhaps that may get a bounce in the polls!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    It's me ha ha!
    October 29, 2012 7:51 am
    Are you serious? Now you're proud of Romney's flip flopping? Do you even know who your candidate is or what he stands for? man you're stupid, so are the rest of you moron republicans, just voting for some piece of crap that will promise you whatever, lie to you for votes, and you're just okay with that as long as he beats Obama right? You morons don't even know who you're electing... that's what happens with the GOP, too stupid to even properly question their own candidate.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    the only ones he has failed is the republicancs . . . .
    October 19, 2012 7:07 pm
    He has upright the ship.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    I am voting for Romney
    October 19, 2012 8:36 pm
    Voted for Obama last time

    looking back-- I made a mistake going to correct it this vote

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Romney won't say anything. He has a five point plan with zero details . . . .
    October 21, 2012 5:47 pm
    can you republicans vote for the Flip Flopper with a straight face?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    romney CAN'T talk with Iran
    October 21, 2012 6:47 pm
    Because he doesn't have a clue what to talk about! He has NO experience with any foreign govt. except with China, where they know him by name since he sent many jobs there. They call him "rich American idiot that gives us work" Let's take care of him when he's here visiting and then go back to calling him names when he's gone. But, you never know, romney might get along well with that inbred leader they have in Iran, look at him closely, he is not right, his eyes are too close together, he claims he is sent by Allah to fix the middle east, his country does not trust him, but maybe he and romney are on the same page?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    Mitt
    October 21, 2012 10:11 pm
    Your opponent said the same thing. What would you say to a movement who is bent on destroying a Nation?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    Gas prices, food prices and transportation cost's
    October 23, 2012 9:05 pm
    When O took over, my price of gas was around two bucks, my double fiber bread was three, my cage free chicken eggs were about three, and my cheese block was 5 bucks, I know it is Bush's fault, and I am a racist because i supported Hillary in 08, and Herman Cain in earl 2012.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    C'mon Man - It isn't Bush's fault but it is Obama's?
    October 29, 2012 11:46 am
    Bush is blameless for leading our country into the worst recession it's ever had, but Obama is to blame because your Cheese and Gas prices are up right now? Give me a break, the reason your prices are up is because skeezy businessmen like Romney are price gouging. The worlds gas prices went through the roof because of prospectors on the market, it shot gas prices through the roof and food prices and many other items went up as a result of shipping costs. Even when gas prices have dropped though food prices didn't go back to where they were... why? Because greedy Facking businessmen realized that people were willing to buy their crap at higher prices, so why ever drop them back down? That's what's killing this country, we've allowed corporations to rule and take so much power from the small and regional businesses that there ISN'T competition anymore. There are Trusts in place between corporations and they don't compete at all, this is what happens when you get Republicans in power for long term, they're VERY pro corporate. They remove regulations and create trusts... back in the day we broke up trusts and prevented the US Consumer from getting fracked by big businesses, but we can't do that anymore, Republidrones won't have it. Any regulation at all is considered communism by the morons on the right... so we just keep taking it from the big businesses, meanwhile mr. Bush's recession drove most of the small businesses under or forced them to sell out... Less competition... higher prices... But don't worry, i'm sure if the skeezy anti-American businessman wins the election he'll make sure and fix all of that.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }