Ann Romney blames media, in part, for Mitt Romney loss

March 4, 2013 -- Ann Romney, the wife of former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said she doesn't solely blame the campaign for her husband's loss to incumbent President Barack Obama.

"I believe it was the media's fault as well, is that he was not giving -- being given a fair shake, that people weren't allowed to really see him for who he was," she said. "I'm happy to blame the media."

The man who hoped to be living in the White House is talking for the first time about his loss and about just how badly he still wants it as he watches Washington from afar.

"I look at what's happening right now, I wish I were there. It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done," he told Fox News.

Romney was also asked about that video taken during the campaign - Romney speaking to donors about the 47 percent.

"And so my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them," he said in the video.

Yes, it was a very unfortunate statement that I made. It's not what I meant. I didn't express myself as I wished I would have. You know, when you speak in private, you don't spend as much time thinking about how something could be twisted and distorted and -- and it could come out wrong and be used. But, you know, I did. And it was very harmful. What I said is not what I believe," Romney said.

Romney revealed what he believes is one of the key reasons he lost.

"The weakness that our campaign had and that I had is we weren't effective in taking my message primarily to minority voters, to Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, other minorities. That was a real weakness," he said.

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 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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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