Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America

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Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America Page 54

by Balz, Dan

Mississippi, Santorum’s victory in, 224

  Missouri:

  nomination contest in, 343

  Santorum’s victory in, 209, 210, 222, 343

  Moffatt, Zac, 89, 234, 260

  Mohr, Carol, 318

  Mondale, Walter, 131, 182, 274

  money, importance and power of, 5

  Montana, Obama campaign in, 319

  Moore, Michael, 305

  Morning Joe, 251

  Mother Jones, 70–71, 293, 295

  MoveOn.org, 69

  MSNBC, 65, 256, 306

  Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, 267–68

  Murphy, Mike, 304

  Musser, Phil, 132, 138

  Myers, Beth, 33, 338

  and debates, 308–9

  mapping the race, 89, 90, 91, 96

  and Romney’s public image, 251

  and running mate selection, 264–68, 270–71, 273–74

  Nahigian, Keith, 136, 147

  Nakamura, David, 72

  Narwhal (software), 77

  National Association of Latino Elected Officials, 230–31

  National Journal, 332

  National Review, 204, 206

  National Rifle Association (NRA), 104

  Navy, U.S., SEALs, 46

  NBC, 336

  NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 227

  NBC Nightly News, 203

  Nesbitt, Marty, 11

  Netanyahu, Benjamin, 186, 271

  Nevada:

  as battleground state, 319

  debates in, 154, 160

  election results in, 333–34

  field operations in, 83

  labor unions in, 186

  midterm elections in (2010), 102

  Republican campaign in, 209, 343

  Romney campaign in, 92, 93, 207, 224, 328, 343

  new America:

  demographics, 239, 242–44

  economy, 239–42

  polarization, 239, 244–45

  New Deal, 101, 148

  New Hampshire:

  as battleground state, 59, 319

  debates in, 131, 132–33, 134–35, 136, 137, 138, 140, 154, 183–84

  early primary in, 93

  election results in, 15, 333, 336, 345

  “live free or die” in, 183

  polls in, 330

  Republican campaign in, 175, 176, 179, 182–83, 185, 209

  Romney campaign in, 16, 18, 41, 92, 95, 168, 175–76, 182, 224, 226, 319

  in 2000 campaign, 182

  in 2008 campaign, 12, 90, 92, 182, 183, 311, 319

  Newhouse, Neil:

  and ads, 203, 262, 277

  and polls, 19, 95, 189, 199, 299, 312, 330–31

  and South Carolina, 185, 189, 197

  New Jersey:

  Christie in, see Christie, Chris

  Hurricane Sandy in, 331–32

  and “pay to play” rule, 268–70

  New Mexico, Latino vote in, 319

  New Nationalism, 3, 72

  Newtown, Connecticut, shooting in, 353

  New York:

  Hurricane Sandy in, 331–32

  midterm elections in (2010), 102

  and “pay to play” rule, 268, 269

  second debate in, 314–16

  New York Times, 36, 61, 62, 66, 72

  Nicholson, Marvin, 11, 337

  Nicklaus, Jack, 18

  Nixon, Richard M., 334

  No Child Left Behind, 217

  Noonan, Peggy, 298

  Norquist, Grover, 103

  North Carolina:

  election results in, 332

  Obama campaign (2008) in, 286–87

  Obama campaign (2012) in, 286–87, 319

  Romney campaign (2012) in, 319

  North Dakota:

  Obama campaign in, 319

  Santorum’s victory in, 222

  Obama, Barack:

  advisers of, 36–38, 41–42

  aversion to conflict, 62–63

  biographers of, 23, 24, 25–26, 55

  and birther issue, 109–10

  and the budget, 44–45

  consensus and compromise, 49, 63

  and debates, 131, 188–89, 301–8, 309–10, 311–13, 314–17

  at Democratic convention, 292

  Democrats critical of, 39, 50, 62

  and demographic shift, 243–44

  Dreams from My Father, 24

  and the economy, 3, 35–36, 61, 62, 68–69, 98, 230, 240, 248–49, 254–55

  on election day, 18–19, 20, 332–35, 336–38

  election of, 244

  expectations faced by, 12, 49, 63, 226, 242, 260, 286, 287, 319

  and health care, 25, 36, 47, 55, 62, 94–97, 101, 133, 135, 174, 227, 231, 304

  and Hurricane Sandy, 19, 331–32

  and immigration issue, 230–31

  inauguration (2013) of, 353–54

  keynote address (2004) by, 12, 16, 24, 25, 283

  and leadership issues, 8, 27, 47–50, 56, 61, 62–63, 64, 66–67, 70, 101, 241

  and midterm elections (2010), 35–36

  personal qualities of, 22, 23–25, 36–37, 310

  political persona of, 23–28, 37–38, 49–50, 67

  presidency of, 12, 23, 28, 37, 50, 63, 100–101, 353

  problems inherited by, 8, 49, 98–99, 244, 252, 255, 290, 291, 335

  public image of, 3, 61

  reelection of, 332–35

  Republican opposition to, 3, 4, 12, 38, 41, 42–43, 48–50, 52, 56, 61, 62, 64, 66–70, 72, 94, 102, 104–5, 140, 188–89, 199, 226, 234, 244, 257, 261, 277–78, 349

  as senator, 25

  State of the Union address, 42, 72, 136

  supporters of, 6, 7–8, 55–56, 242, 260, 295

  and Tucson shooting, 42, 62, 112

  and 2008 campaign, 12, 289, 307, 311–12

  and 2012 campaign, 3–4, 11–15, 18–19, 28, 35, 39–42, 70, 73, 339

  victory speech by, 338

  Obama, Michelle, 291, 302, 317

  campaigning, 14, 15

  convention speech by, 287, 288–89, 292

  popularity of, 288

  Obama for America, 318

  Obama reelection team:

  ads run by, 246–47, 249–51, 252–53, 254, 255–56, 258–59, 322–24, 344

  analytics models of, 19, 75, 76, 80–82, 326–27

  attention to detail of, 83–84, 326

  and debates, 301, 303, 306–8, 309–10, 311–13, 314–15, 316

  and election day, 18–19, 336, 337

  ethnography project, 52–54

  field operations, 74–78, 80–84, 234, 253, 318–19, 325–27, 351

  and fund-raising, 253–54

  management practices, 82–84

  neighborhood team leaders (NTLs), 318

  Organizing for America (OFA), 75, 79–82

  and persuasion score, 327

  and polarization, 276–78

  and polls, 52–54, 310

  research and data in, 51–55, 77–79, 82, 249, 262, 326–27

  and social media, 78–79

  state-by-state goals of, 82–83

  and super PACs, 277

  Targeted Sharing, 78–79

  and technology, 74, 75–79, 84, 326, 336

  training operation, 83

  and “up for grabs” voters, 53, 318

  volunteers, 80–82, 318, 325, 327

  and voter outreach, 81–82, 83, 318–19, 326–27, 339, 348

  O’Brien, Soledad, 207

  Occupy Wall Street, 7, 70–71, 72

  O’Connor, Ashley, 251

  O’Donne
ll, Brett, 136, 147, 201

  O’Donnell, Christine, 35, 180

  Ohio:

  auto industry in, 320–21, 323, 324–25, 333

  as battleground state, 12, 59, 275, 299, 318–22, 324, 327, 332

  collective bargaining rights in, 322

  election results in, 332–33, 336, 345

  field operations in, 325–26

  Obama campaign in, 13–14, 253, 318–27

  polls in, 329, 330, 345

  Romney campaign in, 18, 221–23, 224, 299, 319–20, 322–26, 343, 345

  Santorum in, 221–22, 343

  2004 campaign in, 319–20

  voting laws in, 322

  Ohio State University, 321

  Oklahoma:

  Romney’s loss in, 224

  Santorum’s victory in, 222–23

  Olson, Ted, 314

  Olympic Games:

  London (2012), 272–73

  Salt Lake City (2002), 31, 201, 217, 271

  Oparowski, Ted and Pat, 283–84

  Oppel, Richard A., Jr., 173

  ORCA system, 335–36

  O’Reilly, Bill, 161

  Organizing for America (OFA), 75, 79–82, 325, 351n

  Orlando, Florida, debate, 150–51, 157, 160

  Orlean, Susan, 321

  Osawatomie, Kansas, Obama campaign in, 3–4, 72–73

  Owens, Bill, 102

  Palatucci, Bill, 118, 123, 124, 268, 275

  Palin, Piper, 113

  Palin, Sarah, 102, 111–14, 130, 206, 265, 314

  McCain-Palin ticket (2008), 62, 111, 112, 129, 264

  and Tea Party, 106, 112, 113

  and Tucson shooting, 112

  and The Undefeated, 113

  Palin, Todd, 112, 113–14, 206

  Panetta, Leon, 37

  Parker, Ashley, 89, 273, 305

  partisanship, 5, 45, 49, 50, 245, 277–78, 330, 349

  Patrick, Deval, 95, 288

  Paul, Ron:

  as candidate, 91, 138, 140, 141, 178, 179, 183, 184, 220, 225, 343

  and debates, 132, 155, 187, 201

  in Iowa, 173–74, 177, 178, 179, 183

  and libertarianism, 140, 173

  and Tea Party, 173

  Pawlenty, Mary Anderson, 121, 129, 134–35, 141, 265

  Pawlenty, Tim, 46, 91, 102, 120, 121, 127–31

  and Bachmann, 130, 137, 138, 140–41

  Courage to Stand, 130

  and debates, 132–33, 134–35, 138, 140–41, 181

  downward spiral of, 138–41

  as possible running mate, 265, 270, 273, 275

  and Tea Party, 127

  withdrawal of, 141–42, 159

  “pay to play” rule, 267–70

  PBS, 304

  Pelley, Scott, 299

  Pelosi, Nancy, 39

  Pence, Mike, 91

  Pennsylvania:

  election results in, 334

  Republican nomination contest in, 224

  Romney campaign in, 17, 334, 345

  Pentagon, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of, 38–39, 47

  Perdue, Sonny, 133

  Perino, Dana, 304

  Perot, H. Ross, 8

  Perry, Anita, 144, 145, 192

  Perry, Jim, 308

  Perry, Rick, 73, 139

  background of, 143–44

  candidacy of, 70, 143, 145–58, 173, 177, 186, 187, 190, 216, 220, 343

  and debates, 149–52, 154–57, 160–61

  Fed Up!, 145, 148

  and fund-raising, 268

  and immigration, 151, 154, 171, 228–29, 341

  “oops” moment of, 156, 157, 158

  and Tea Party, 143, 152

  withdrawal of, 156–57, 159, 191–92

  Pew Research Center, 245

  Pfeiffer, Dan, 65

  Pickrell, Aaron, 321, 325, 326

  Pitt, Harvey, 268

  Planned Parenthood, 227, 297

  Plouffe, David:

  and debates, 303, 306, 311, 312, 315

  on election day, 19, 336, 337

  research and data, 51, 52, 57, 80, 300

  and 2008 campaign, 39

  and 2012 campaign, 11, 12, 13, 60, 69–70, 71, 252, 254, 262

  Podesta, John, 37

  Poland, Romney’s trip to, 273

  polarization, 3, 5, 8, 42, 48–49, 314

  attack ads, 276–78, 353

  and election results, 349–50

  and new America, 239, 244–45

  red and blue states, 16

  Politico, 65, 149, 155, 156, 161, 164, 197, 305, 323

  Polyansky, David, 136

  populism, 4, 71, 72, 113

  Portman, Rob:

  ad-buying strategy of, 323, 324

  campaigning with Romney, 222

  and debate preparation, 18, 308, 309

  as possible running mate, 266, 271, 273, 275

  presidency:

  and debates, 306, 311, 316–17

  and foreign policy, 316

  incumbents’ reelection to, 73

  isolation of, 38

  leadership needed in, 5, 27, 47, 349

  qualities needed for, 5, 123, 181

  presidential election (1960), 334

  presidential election campaign (1968), and George Romney, 29

  presidential election campaign (1980), and Reagan, 93, 131, 182

  presidential election campaign (1984), and Reagan, 40, 136

  presidential election campaign (1992), and Bill Clinton, 12

  presidential election campaign (2000):

  and campaign financing, 172

  Democrats in, 78

  presidential election campaign (2004):

  Bush’s campaign, 40, 41, 78, 84, 123, 175, 300, 320, 323

  Kerry’s campaign, 12, 24, 220, 250, 280, 283, 300, 319–20

  Obama’s Democratic keynote address in, 12, 16, 24, 25, 283

  presidential election campaign (2008):

  after-election reports, 75–76, 82, 101, 332

  campaign financing in, 351

  fund-raising in, 41, 89, 91

  Hillary-Obama primaries, 12, 289, 307, 311–12

  lessons learned from, 90–91, 92, 137, 141, 168, 233, 254, 264

  McCain-Palin in, 62, 111, 112, 129, 264

  new voters in, 41

  Obama’s candidacy in, 7, 14, 25, 62, 70, 79, 295

  optimism expressed in, 3, 48, 49, 50, 51

  Romney’s candidacy in, 5, 22–23, 33, 90–91, 95, 106, 129, 200

  and social networking, 40

  and technology, 40, 55, 77

  television ads in, 91

  presidential election campaign (2012):

  attack ads in, 276–78, 352–53

  basic questions in, 8, 96

  Bill Clinton’s participation in, 12–15, 24, 40, 57–58, 182, 252, 315

  campaign financing in, 173, 351; see also super PACs

  as collision between philosophies, 3, 247

  debates in, 131–37, 220, 301–17, 351–52

  demographics shifting in, 7, 41, 53, 54, 239, 242–44, 333, 350

  economy as issue in, 3, 5, 7, 8, 43–44, 51–52, 232–33, 239–42

  and election, 332–35

  epilogue, 349–54

  fund-raising for, 6, 41, 172, 220, 253–54

  as grassroots based, 40, 41, 82, 104–5, 253, 289, 351

  and Obama, see Obama, Barack; Obama reelection team

  and polarization, 8, 16, 239, 244–45, 276–78

  polls in, 57, 352

  populist themes of, 4, 71, 72, 113

  research and data in, 51–55, 77–79,
82, 249, 262, 326–27

  and Romney, see Romney, Mitt; Romney team

  rule changes in, 220, 233, 267–68, 351

  social media in, 78–79, 118, 204, 294, 301–5, 315, 335, 352

  swing voters in, 58, 73, 327

  technology in, 40, 51, 74, 75–79, 84, 326, 336

  toxic nature of, 276–78

  undecided voters, 83, 253, 314, 327, 353

  voter anger in, 8

  voters in exit polls, 223–24, 332–35

  voter turnout in, 332, 333

  presidential campaigns:

  ad spending in, 203, 221–22, 255–56, 259, 260–61, 279–80

  campaign finance laws, 261, 268, 280, 351

  debates in, 131–37, 220

  electoral votes needed in, 75, 320, 332

  field operations in, 74–76

  importance and power of money in, 5

  Internet fund-raising in, 220

  invasive nature of, 88

  moments of adversity in, 138, 308

  “October surprise” in, 331

  personality issues in, 96, 132, 253

  and social media, 220

  straw polls in, 137–38, 139, 141, 170

  super PACs in, 185, 220

  third-party candidates in, 8

  and voting patterns, 244

  Priorities USA, 254, 277, 324

  Project Vote, 75

  Prophet Muhammad, video about, 296

  Psaki, Jen, 11

  Quayle, Dan, 131

  Ramos, Mike, 11

  Rattner, Steve, 251

  Reagan, Nancy, 124–25

  Reagan, Ronald, 69, 166, 272

  and the economy, 35, 240

  election of, 243, 263

  legacy of, 206

  and 1980 campaign, 93, 131, 182

  and 1984 campaign, 40, 136

  Romney’s admiration for, 30, 31

  Reagan administration, 37, 102, 107, 114, 177, 180

  Reagan Democrats, 350

  Reagan Library, 149, 150

  Reagan Revolution, 100–101

  recession, 12, 63, 72, 239, 242, 290

  Recher, Jason, 111

  Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado, 328–29

  Reed, Bruce, 290

  Reed, Harper, 76, 77, 78, 79

  Reed, Scott, 108, 109

  Reid, Harry, 39, 277

  Rendell, Ed, 251, 252

  Republican National Committee, 234, 260

  Republican National Convention (2004), 280

  Republican National Convention (2012), 208, 234, 279–86, 295

  Anne Romney’s address, 281–82

  Christie’s keynote address, 276, 282–83

  Eastwood’s empty chair in, 284–86

  final night, 283–86

  opening night, 281–82

  Romney’s acceptance speech, 286

  Ryan’s acceptance speech, 283

  timing of, 280–81

  Republican nomination contest, 84, 106, 117, 127, 221–25, 226–27, 232, 351–53

 

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