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

March 3, 2013 @ 6:46 am


FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2012, file photo, Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves to supporters at an election night rally in Boston, where he conceded the race to President Barack Obama. Romney has emerged from nearly four months in seclusion for an interview with Fox News. He’s also scheduled to deliver his first postelection speech this month at Washington’s Conservative Political Action Conference. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) | 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    I know what he's going to do in his second term for the most part and you know absolutely that you have no idea what Romney is going to do in office,
    October 29, 2012 12:22 pm
    Well cbrew I know one thing. It won't be Obama after next week. How are your Dear Leaders re immac chances today? Ha ha!

    You don't make those calls from your stupid computer chair sitting safely in your house. These commanders make the calls on the ground...

    No I don't! And neither do you! I expect a President (Not a yellow stain Coward for a Dear Leader!) to keep our nation and our people safe and my nation strong. This is inexcusable even for your Dear Leader, known to hate the military, to sit back and tell the military to not intervein in a military operation.

    Each and every day more details on this Benghazi massacre are reported to the public and it further hurts your Dear Leaders failing re immac chances!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    It's Me Ha ha! so you charge that
    October 29, 2012 1:17 pm
    Obama was the one making the calls on whether or not to send a QRF team into Benghazi during the attack? Not the commanders on the ground, Not our Generals not our Commanders, it was all run by the whitehouse staff? Seriously? Do you even know how our Government works let alone our military? Even if the administration was monitoring events it doesn't mean they were making the calls you blowhard no-nothing republidrone. Oh and by the way dip#hit i was in the Army and I was an NCO so yes i have a bit better vantage point than you do about military operations. You have no idea what was going on on the ground, If the commander did not feel it made sense to risk 15-20 guys getting killed because he didn't know what force he was facing then i'm not going to question him, it's not my call and it's not your facking call either. You're a coward and you have no right questioning these men, it's not your life on the line you judgemental freak. Oh and as far as the election goes, you might be getting the propaganda spin from your Faux news but the rest of us get poll numbers from legitimate sources and Obama still has the lead in most swing states, he's going to win this election and i can't wait to tell you how stupid you are on November 6th.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Reframe the debate?
    October 30, 2012 6:41 pm
    It never was about abortion or autos! It's about jobs they need to support themselves and their kids so they don't have to bum a ride to an abortion clinic.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Back peddling
    October 30, 2012 7:27 pm
    Coming to the middle on abortion, finally admitting that the auto bailout worked. The facts are there for everyone to read. The stimulus to re-energize the country after the horrific bush years has worked. The Democrats have fixed most of the republican mistakes of the horrible 8 years of their failed administration. We need to keep up the momentum and let Obama continue the good work he has done to energize our economy before the republicans ruin it again with more wars and stupid policy decisions. Please vote for Obama on Nov. 6th.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    Voters will decide
    October 30, 2012 9:12 pm
    Not Hollywood posers,washed-up and lame singers and the media.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    D brew
    October 30, 2012 9:16 pm
    Keystone pipeline,solyndra,fast and furious and 16T we owe, I know that you and your ilk could justify it all, by playing the race card,blaming Bush and congress is wearing thin! Nice try!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    C'mon Man
    November 2, 2012 1:26 pm
    I just love how you're so stupid, and i mean stupid... like dumber than a box of rocks stupid... that you put every problem that the United States has on 1 specific politician who took office 4 years ago. Yeh the debt wasn't there when Obama took office right? Uh, wrong moron, the debt was there along with a budget deficit and an economy in free fall, it took extreme measures to save the the economy from further collapse and yes that cost government spending, you're so stupid C'mon man, you seriously don't deserve to vote and I sincerely hope you're typing from a jail cell and can't vote anyways because you're just flat stupid and i don't think you deserve to vote. If you can't remember past 4 years ago, and if you really think that the economy and all of America's problems reset at the end of a presidency, well you're just too stupid to exist.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The Left wing Parrots will blame Bush
    October 31, 2012 11:02 am
    for the Dear Leaders SHELLACKING PART DEUX when Mr. Romney is sworn in as President!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    The only real change
    October 31, 2012 6:48 pm
    romney will do in the next four years is to change diapers on the 325 grandchildren he will have. That's what he is best suited for.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Does Obama understand business? I don't know!
    November 1, 2012 10:17 am
    Just look at the last four years. Does that tell you Parrots anything? Doubtful!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    It's me! Ha ha! - He's not running a business
    November 2, 2012 1:28 pm
    He's running a country and there is an enourmous difference. I have a friend who runs a fantasy football league, does that validate him as a candidate for president? You're so stupid i hope you haven't procreated because you having offspring is seriously a crime against humanity.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    11-01-2012 Romney claims 0bama doesn't...
    November 1, 2012 2:25 pm
    understand business. This is a classic leftist bias headline. A more proper headline would say "Romney points out the obvious, 0bama completely fails to understand even the most basic elements of business or markets. (of course that is way too long for a headline)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    @hnuh
    November 2, 2012 10:29 am
    You write "This is a classic leftist bias headline." except that "MYNorthwest" is owned & operated by the LDS.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    ooh the threat of a Government lockout!
    November 2, 2012 7:51 am
    great, cause Boehner and McConnell will be up for election next. It will be fun to hear them defend doing nothing

    Did anyone see the bi partisan tax study? You know why you didn't see it? Because it tells the truth about the Bush tax cuts and how harmful they are to our society, unless you are rich of course.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }