Karl Rove's explanation of President Obama's re-election ("The President's 'Grand Bet' Pays Off," op-ed, Nov. 8) obfuscates the real failure of the Republican campaign machine.

About 2.5 million fewer people voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 than voted for the unimpressive Sen. John McCain in 2008. Despite President Obama's unpalatable (if not failed) presidency, and record campaign fundraising on Mr. Romney's behalf, the Republican machine utterly failed to match the previous turnout, votes that could easily have been enough to defeat Mr. Obama.

Fingers may be pointed at shifting demographics, Mitt Romney's gaffes and the president's scorched-earth tactics, but it's quite possible that the (well-paid) GOP campaign "pros" were simply not up to the task.

Steve Milloy

Potomac, Md.

In contrast to the president, the "grand bet" by Paul Ryan did not pay off. The Republican Party's popularity likely reached a cyclical peak in early November 2010, as evidenced by that year's election result. Emboldened by the electorate's rebuke of the Democrats' partisan tactics used to enact ObamaCare, later that month Rep. Ryan led his House colleagues to vote against the Simpson-Bowles budget plan, due to its omission of Medicare-related reform. This was a classic example of making the perfect the enemy of the good.

It would be a true blessing for our country if Simpson-Bowles could become an instrument of compromise in addressing the impending fiscal cliff. That Congress had the opportunity two years ago but failed to follow such a sensible path helps explain its low approval ratings, and the Republicans' role lends credence to the view that they are obstructionists.

Ric Dillon

St. Petersburg, Fla.

You lost, Karl. Get over it.

Jeff Paquin

Seal Beach, Calif.