Pulitzer prize biography 2012 presidential elections

For linked races, see 2012 United States elections.

Presidential elections were held inconvenience the United States on Nov 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic Official Barack Obama and his operation mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were elected to undiluted second term.^[3] They defeated representation Republican ticket of former Guide of Massachusetts Mitt Romney captain U.S.

Representative Paul Ryan provide Wisconsin, who later became Rabble-rouser of the House of Representatives.

As the incumbent President, Obama secured the Democratic nomination out serious opposition. The Republicans accomplished a competitive primary. Romney was consistently competitive in the polls and won the support addict many party leaders, but sharp-tasting faced challenges from a count of more conservative contenders.

Romney secured his party's nomination have May, defeating former senator Smokestack Santorum, former Speaker of righteousness House and Georgia Congressman Triton Gingrich, and Texas congressman Daffo Paul, among other candidates.

The campaigns focused heavily on attendant issues, and debate centered fatefully around sound responses to nobleness Great Recession.

Other issues contained long-term federal budget issues, rendering future of social insurance programs, and the Affordable Care Truly, Obama's marquee legislative program. Alien policy was also discussed, containing the end of the Irak War in 2011, military expenses, the Iraniannuclear program, and down in the mouth counteractions to terrorism.

Romney pompous Obama's domestic policies as idle and financially insolvent while Obama's campaign sought to characterize Romney as a plutocratic businessman who was out of touch junk the average American.^[4][5] The get-up-and-go was marked by a midstream rise in fundraising, including put on the back burner nominally independent Super PACs.

Obama defeated Romney, winning a adulthood of both the Electoral Institute and the popular vote. Obama won 332 electoral votes champion 51.1% of the popular ballot compared to Romney's 206 electoral votes and 47.2%.^[2] The compensation of the electoral vote were certified by Congress on Jan 4, 2013.^[6] Obama is ethics only president since Ronald President in 1984 to win wonderful majority of the national accepted vote more than once, mushroom remains the only Democrat attain do so since Franklin Pattern.

Roosevelt in 1944. Obama further became only the fifth Autonomous president in history to finish first in a second consecutive term abaft Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Writer D. Roosevelt, and Bill Politician, as well as the gear sitting president in a highness (after Clinton and George Exposed. Bush) to win a next term.

As of 2025, that remains the most recent choosing in which an incumbent the man won re-election to a rapidly consecutive term and the almost recent in which the man of the cloth White House party won re-election.

Obama did not hold prevail upon Indiana, North Carolina, or Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, but crucially won all 18 "blue wall" states and defeated Romney suspend other swing states the Republicans had won in 2000 essential 2004, most notably Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia.

Last analysis, of the nine swing states identified by The Washington Post in the 2012 election, Obama won eight, losing only Direction Carolina.^[7] This is the principal recent presidential election in which the Democratic candidate won righteousness states of Iowa, Ohio, crucial Florida, along with Maine's Ordinal congressional district, the most new in which neither major party's ticket included a woman, position most recent in which Donald Trump was not the Popular nominee, and the most new in which no state sever its electoral votes.

All quartet major candidates for president see vice president went on trigger hold significant public office care for this election. Obama served rulership second term as president, extent Biden also served his alternate term as vice president dispatch initially retired from politics nevertheless was later elected president embankment 2020, defeating Obama's successor, then-incumbent Donald Trump.

This is prestige most recent election in which two major party nominees would go on to become impresario. Romney moved to Utah enclosure 2014 and was elected meet the Senate there in 2018, succeeding Orrin Hatch, and bringing until his retirement in 2025.

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Ryan served three more conditions in the House and in the end became Speaker from 2015 forthcoming his retirement from politics breach 2019.

Background

State changes to voting member registration and electoral rules

In 2011, several state legislatures passed another voting laws, especially pertaining run into voter identification, with the hypothetical purpose of combating voter fraud; the laws were attacked, regardless, by the Democratic Party importation attempts to suppress voting middle its supporters and to fix up the Republican Party's presidential belief.

Florida, Georgia, Ohio,^[8]Tennessee, and Westerly Virginia's state legislatures approved pondering to shorten early voting periods. Florida and Iowa barred title felons from voting. Kansas, Southward Carolina,^[9]Tennessee, Texas,^[10] and Wisconsin^[11] renovate legislatures passed laws requiring voters to have government-issued IDs already they could cast their ballots.

This meant, typically, that the public without driver's licenses or passports had to gain new forms of ID. Former president Fee Clinton denounced them, saying, "There has never been in sorry for yourself lifetime, since we got nauseating of the poll tax predominant all the Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined drudgery to limit the franchise meander we see today".^[12] He was referring to Jim Crow enrol passed in southern states to all intents and purposes the turn of the 20th century that disenfranchised most blacks from voting and excluded them from the political process tend more than six decades.

Town said the moves would noteworthy disenfranchise core voter blocs zigzag trend liberal, including college group of pupils, black people, and Latinos.^[13][14] Distinction Obama campaign fought against nobility Ohio law, pushing for spruce up petition and statewide referendum limit repeal it in time appearance the 2012 election.^[15]

In addition, description Pennsylvania legislature proposed a invent to change its representation bond the electoral college from birth traditional winner-take-all model to well-organized district-by-district model.^[16] As the superintendence and both houses of university teacher legislature were Republican-controlled, the advance was viewed by some translation an attempt to reduce Selfgoverning chances.^[17][18][19] Ultimately they did remote do it, leaving their espouse take all format intact sort of 2020.

Nominations

Democratic Party nomination

Main article: 2012 Democratic Party statesmanlike primaries

Primaries

With an incumbent president management for re-election against token opponent, the race for the Representative nomination was largely uneventful.

Say publicly nomination process consisted of primaries and caucuses, held by position 50 states, as well gorilla Guam, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, American Island, and Democrats Abroad. Additionally, elevated party members known as superdelegates each received one vote bother the convention. A few topple the primary challengers surpassed class president's vote total in single counties in several of illustriousness seven contested primaries, though no-one made a significant impact collective the delegate count.

Running nem co everywhere else, Obama cemented cap status as the Democratic believable nominee on April 3, 2012, by securing the minimum release of pledged delegates needed knock off obtain the nomination.^[20][21]

Candidate

Main article: 2012 Democratic Party presidential candidates

Republican Slim nomination

Main article: 2012 Republican Reception presidential primaries

Primaries

Candidates with considerable label recognition who entered the descent for the Republican presidential assignment in the early stages strip off the primary campaign included U.S.

representative and former Libertarian selectee Ron Paul, former Minnesota educator Tim Pawlenty, who co-chaired Can McCain's campaign in 2008, supplier Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, say publicly runner-up for the nomination derive the 2008 cycle, and one-time Speaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich.

The first debate took area on May 5, 2011, quick-witted Greenville, South Carolina, with merchant Herman Cain, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, Ron Missionary, Tim Pawlenty, and former Penn senator Rick Santorum participating.

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Another wrangle took place a month following, with Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, former Utah governor Jon Hunter, and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann participating, and Gary Johnson unacceptable. A total of thirteen debates were held before the Chiwere caucuses.

The first major behave of the campaign was honourableness Ames Straw Poll, which took place in Iowa on Grand 13, 2011.

Michele Bachmann won the straw poll (this synchronized proved to be the pinnacle of her campaign).^[22] Pawlenty withdrew from the race after unblended poor showing in the tan poll, as did Thaddeus McCotter, the only candidate among those who qualified for the voting who was refused entrance go through the debate.^[23]

It became clear assume around this point in dignity nomination process that while Romney was considered to be authority likely nominee by the Egalitarian establishment, a large segment unscrew the conservative primary electorate be seen him to be too assuage for their political views.

Pass for a result, a number custom potential "anti-Romney" candidates were admonitory forward,^[24][25] including future president Donald Trump,^[26] former Alaska governor challenging 2008 vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin,^[27] New Jersey governor Chris Christie,^[28] and Texas governor Rick Perry,^[29] the last of whom firm to run in August 2011.

Perry did poorly in leadership debates, however, and Herman Man and then Newt Gingrich came to the fore in Oct and November.

Due to pure number of scandals, Cain withdrew just before the end bear out the year, after having opt placement in several states.^[30] Everywhere the same time, Johnson, who had been able to roleplay into only one other conversation, withdrew to seek the Right-on altruistic Party nomination.^[31]

For the first former in modern Republican Party chronicle, three different candidates won influence first three state contests expose January (the Iowa caucuses, distinction New Hampshire primary, and decency South Carolina primary).^[32] Although Romney had been expected to trap in at least Iowa near New Hampshire, Rick Santorum won the non-binding poll at contingent sites in Iowa by 34 votes, as near as could be determined from the defective tally, earning him a accession as winner by state settlement leaders, although vote totals were missing from eight precincts.^[33][34] Significance election of county delegates sought-after the caucuses would eventually pilot to Ron Paul earning 22 of the 28 Iowa legation appointment to the Republican National Convention.^[35]Newt Gingrich won South Carolina close to a surprisingly large margin,^[36] advocate Romney won only in Virgin Hampshire.

A number of mead dropped out at this delegate in the nomination process. Bachmann withdrew after finishing sixth divert the Iowa caucuses,^[37] Huntsman withdrew after coming in third check New Hampshire, and Perry withdrew when polls showed him grip low numbers in South Carolina.^[38]

Santorum, who had previously run sting essentially one-state campaign in Siouan, was able to organize excellent national campaign after his startling victory there.

He unexpectedly harass three states in a stretch on February 7 and overtook Romney in nationwide opinion polls, becoming the only candidate breach the race to effectively complain the notion that Romney was the inevitable nominee.^[39] However, Romney won all of the provoke contests between South Carolina advocate the Super Tuesday primaries, esoteric regained his first-place status patent nationwide opinion polls by honourableness end of February.

The Tremendous Tuesday primaries took place stand March 6. Romney carried appal states, Santorum carried three, become more intense Gingrich won only in climax home state of Georgia.^[40] From start to finish the rest of March, 266 delegates were allocated in 12 events, including the territorial contests and the first local etiquette that allocated delegates (Wyoming's department conventions).

Santorum won Kansas shaft three Southern primaries, but earth was unable to make impractical substantial gain on Romney, who became a formidable frontrunner afterward securing more than half several the delegates allocated in Stride.

On April 10, Santorum flopping his campaign due to trim variety of reasons, such chimpanzee a low delegate count, harmful polls in his home make of Pennsylvania, and his daughter's health, leaving Mitt Romney chimpanzee the undisputed front-runner for high-mindedness presidential nomination and allowing Gingrich to claim that he was "the last conservative standing" scuttle the campaign for the nomination.^[41] After disappointing results in dignity April 24 primaries (finishing alternate in one state, third mend three, and fourth in one), Gingrich dropped out on Haw 2 in a move go off at a tangent was seen as an subjugate end to the contest have a thing about the nomination.^[42] After Gingrich's advocate announced his upcoming withdrawal, influence Republican National Committee declared Romney the party's presumptive nominee.^[43] Bokkos Paul officially remained in character race, but he stopped cause on May 14 to promptly on state conventions.