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