Viguerie: GOP ‘Lives in Terror’ of Obama

Conservative direct-marketing icon Richard Viguerie tells Newsmax that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will win because Republicans “live in fear” of what four more years of an Obama administration might bring.

One reason for Romney’s strength, he says: Social conservatives are rallying around him in a way they never did for former GOP standard-bearers John McCain and Bob Dole.

“Republicans are living in fear literally for their country if Obama is re-elected,” Viguerie tells Newsmax. “Democrats want to re-elect him, but they don’t live in fear of Romney. But Republicans live in fear of Obama. So I think polls are misjudging almost certainly the intensity of the Republican voter turnout.”

National polls suggest the election is dead even, while state-level polls suggest Obama is slightly favored in the Electoral College vote that will ultimately decide the winner.

“I think the odds favor a strong Romney victory,” Viguerie tells Newsmax in an exclusive interview. “The strong turnouts today indicate there could be a lot of energy. We’ve all seen that energy. Fear is the most powerful of all motivating forces out there, far more so than a positive motivation.

Republicans fear this man. They just live in terror of Obama. And that’s going to get 10 percent or whatever more Republicans out than Democrats. And that could amount to a million, a million and a half extra votes for Republicans right there.”

One reason for Romney’s strength, Viguerie says: Social conservatives have come to embrace him.

“They want Romney,” he says. “I feel that way. I really feel I’m not having to hold my nose, close my eyes, and cross my fingers. I’m voting for Romney enthusiastically -- which was not the case for a Bob Dole or a John McCain.”
A movement conservative, Viguerie tells Newsmax that Romney’s campaign was seriously slowed by Hurricane Sandy. But he is predicting Romney will still defeat Obama by about 5 points.

Viguerie predicts Romney will capture both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which would translate into a historic defeat for Democrats.

He also tells Newsmax that Republicans will capture U.S. senate seats currently held by Democrats in Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, Virginia, and Nebraska – and possibly others.