Opinion: Romney Loss Due to Social Issue Stances

After all of the anticipation for the election this year, it is finally over with a victory by Barack Obama over Mitt Romney. This comes as a big blow to the Republican Party, as Romney was unable to win key swing states such as Ohio and Florida. But the loss of swing states was not the reason Mitt Romney lost the election, it was his failure to gain key demographic voting blocks because of his stances on issues.The political climate of the U.S. is very polarized, making for more extreme party views. The Republican Party has chosen to keep its traditional and conservative social views in this current environment, which has led to the demise of the party in this election. The Republican Party must learn to become more liberal socially while keeping its small government and fiscal views intact. This election has shown that America is pushing for more liberal government policy with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, Maine’s acceptance of gay marriage, and the election of the first gay and female senator from the state of Wisconsin. These things are big issues amongst all people. President Obama did a wonderful job of portraying Mitt Romney as someone who was out of touch with America and unfit to lead, especially with young people. Romney’s social stances on gay marriage, abortion and contraception, and with the uncertainty surrounding healthcare, the American people felt uneasy about Romney. Support for the LGBT community has been growing rapidly. Though polls showed the people believed the economy was the most important issue and that Romney would handle the economy better than Obama, the economy is not the only issue people vote on. Social issues have become more important than ever, especially with young people. It’s almost as if Romney ignored what our age group thinks about social issues,Even without social issues, many accused Romney of wanting to tax the rich less and pandering to the elite. Though his policies were the opposite of these accusations, uncertainty about Romney grew amongst middle class and young voters. Romney’s losses in major swing states proves this point. The Republicans must now figure out a way to become more socially liberal and yet continue their fiscally conservative plans. If they fail to change in this politically polarized climate, they could become a minority in Congress for many years to come. Obama’s focus on equality of opportunity for Americans and Romney’s inability to be relatable and socially liberal defined the outcome of this election.