Forty-seven percent of the vote is what Mitt Romney garnered against Barack Obama, who won a solid but not overimpressive 50.9 percent of the vote in his re-election as president. Forty-seven percent is also the share of the population whom Romney described as dependent on handouts, and thus lost to his party.

In exit polling, Romney lost big on the fourth question — “Cares about people” — by 81 to 18 percent. These are the numbers that have stunned and astonished movement conservatives. They still can’t believe that, against a big spender and expander of government, their message of limited government didn’t hold sway.