supporter, engaged in a public spat with the candidate's aides over his praise for Obama's handling of superstorm Sandy. Christie, who delivered the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in August, blasted "know- nothing" campaign staffers as the source of reports of tension between him and Romney over his appearance with Obama during a presidential visit to survey the damage from the storm. Other party activists pointed to Senate seats Republicans had expected to win that were lost after inflammatory comments by Tea Party-backed nominees. In Missouri, Republican candidate Todd Akin was defeated after saying in an Aug. 19 television interview that "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy. In Indiana, candidate Richard Mourdock lost after saying in a debate with Democratic opponent Joe Donnelly that pregnancy caused by rape is something "God intended" and doesn't justify abortion. Tom Davis, a former Virginia congressman who once led House Republicans' national campaign effort, said the struggle over the party's direction will play out over the next three years mostly in nomination battles on the state and national levels. Romney was "the strongest candidate we had" in the field of presidential contenders, though his background as a private- equity executive was "made to order for Obama's populist campaign," Davis said. The party now must face demographic changes in the nation as the portion of minority voters grows and the rising generation of younger voters moves away from the Republican party, Davis said. According to exit polls, the electorate was 72 per cent