Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America (54 page)

“This isn’t a year-and-a-half campaign”
:
Richard A. Oppel Jr., “Paul’s ‘Ground Game,’ in Place Since ’08, Gives Him an Edge,”
New York Times,
December 16, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/us/politics/ron-pauls-ground-game-gives-him-an-edge.html?pagewanted=all.

Then came this paragraph
:
“Romney Leads Paul in New Des Moines Register Iowa Poll; Santorum Surges,”
Des Moines Register,
December 31, 2011, http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/12/31/romney-leads-paul-in-new-des-moines-register-iowa-poll-santorum-surging/.

“If he wants to counterbalance”
:
Nicholas Confessore and Eric Lipton, “A Big Check, and Gingrich Gets a Big Lift,”
New York Times,
January 9, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/us/politics/sheldon-adelson-a-billionaire-gives-gingrich-a-big-lift.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

The
New Yorker
’s Steve Coll
:
Steve Coll, “The Truth in ‘King of Bain,’”
New Yorker
blog, January 19, 2012, http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/01/romney-king-of-bain.html?printable=true¤tPage=all.

When a woman in the audience
:
Jim Rutenberg and Ashley Parker, “As Attacks Heat Up, Romney’s Lead Narrows in S.C.,”
New York Times,
January 18, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/us/romneys-lead-narrows-in-south-carolina-as-negative-advertising-heats-up.html?pagewanted=all.

Later, as he rode up the elevator
:
Philip Rucker, “Which Romney Will Show Up After Defeat?,”
Washington Post,
January 21, 2012, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-01-21/politics/35441333_1_mitt-romney-enterprise-and-economic-freedom-guest-laundry-room.

Gingrich, greeted with chants
:
Jim Rutenberg, “Gingrich Wins South Carolina Primary, Upending G.O.P. Race,”
New York Times,
January 21, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/us/politics/south-carolina-republican-primary.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

Politico
’s Reid Epstein
:
Reid J. Epstein, “Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich Is a ‘Failed Leader,’ ‘Disgrace,’” Politico.com, January 22, 2012, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71802.html.

Those comments came
:
“Excerpt from Santorum Interview,”
USA Today,
April 23, 2003, http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-04-23-santorum-excerpt_x.htm.

“We’re giving the Democrats”
:
Joe Hallett and David Eggert, “Front-Runners Busy on Final Day Before Primary,”
Columbus Dispatch,
March 6, 2012, http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/03/06/supershowdown-front-runners-busy-on-final-day.html.

Republican pollster Bill McInturff
:
Mark Murray, “NBC/WSJ Poll: Primary Season Takes ‘Corrosive’ Toll on GOP and Its Candidates, NBCNews.com, March 4, 2012, http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/03/04/10578249-nbcwsj-poll-primary-season-takes-corrosive-toll-on-gop-and-its-candidates?lite.

“The 160 pages and 59 proposals”
:
Editorial, “Mitt Romney’s 59 Economic Flavors,”
Wall Street Journal,
September 7, 2011, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904537404576554692126810066.html.

BOOK THREE: THE CHOICE

The
Economist
magazine
:
“An Intractable Problem Is Getting Worse,”
Economist,
October 1, 2011.

William Frey, one of the nation’s
:
William H. Frey, “The 2010 Census: America on the Cusp,”
Millken Institute Review,
Second Quarter 2012, http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/review/2012_4/47-58MR54.pdf.

Frey sketched out Romney’s challenge
:
William H. Frey, “Why Minorities Will Decide the 2012 Election,” Brookings Institution, May 2012, http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/05/01-race-elections-frey.

Gary Jacobson of the University of California
:
Gary Jacobson, “Barack Obama and the American Public: The First 18 Months,” prepared for the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, September 2010.

In 1976, about a quarter
:
Bill Bishop with Robert Cushing,
The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart
(New York: Houghton Mifflin/Mariner Books, 2009), 10, 305–6.

A Pew Research Center study
:
“Partisan Polarization Surges in Bush, Obama Years: Trends in American Values: 1987–2012,” Pew Research Center, June 4, 2012, http://www.people-press.org/2012/06/04/partisan-polarization-surges-in-bush-obama-years/.

The summer 2012 study
:
Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, “Big Gulf Between Political Parties, Divisions Within,”
Washington Post,
August 18, 2012, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-08-18/politics/35492941_1_democratic-party-fractious-coalitions-gop-coalition.

He urged everyone he knew
:
Michael Luo, “99 Weeks Later, Jobless Have Only Desperation,”
New York Times
, August 2, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/us/03unemployed.html?_r=0.

Ed Rendell, the former governor
:
Zeke Miller, “Is This Obama’s Party?,” Buzzfeed.com, May 22, 2012, http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/is-this-obamas-party.

On June 21, the
Washington Post
:
Tom Hamburger, “Romney’s Bain Capital Invested in Companies That Moved Jobs Overseas,”
Washington Post,
June 21, 2012, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-06-21/politics/35460959_1_american-jobs-private-equity-firm-employment.

In July a
Boston Globe
story
:
Callum Borchers and Christopher Rowland, “Romney Stayed Longer at Bain,”
Boston Globe,
July 12, 2012, http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2012/07/12/government_documents_indicate_mitt_romney_continued_at_bain_after_date_when_he_says_he_left/?page=full.

The next morning, Obama was interviewed
:
“Obama: Romney Not Necessarily Qualified to Think About ‘Economy as a Whole,’” CBSnews.com, July 13, 2012, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505267_162-57471664/obama-romney-not-necessarily-qualified-to-think-about-economy-as-a-whole/.

Romney went on Fox News
:
“Romney Calls ‘Felony’ Remark ‘Beneath the Dignity’ of Presidency, Urges Obama to ‘Rein in’ Team,” FoxNews.com, July 13, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/13/romney-calls-felony-remark-beneath-dignity-presidency-urges-obama-to-rein-in/.

“The political science research”
:
John Sides, “Were Obama’s Early Ads Really the Game Changer?,”
FiveThirtyEight
blog,
New York Times,
December 29, 2012, http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/were-obamas-early-ads-really-the-game-changer/.

Sherry Magner, a pharmacy clerk
:
Philip Rucker, “As Romney, Ryan Campaign Across Wisconsin, ‘Chemistry’ and Talk of a Ticket,” Washington Post, April 4, 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-romney-and-ryan-campaign-across-wisconsin-chemistry-and-talk-of-a-ticket/2012/04/04/gIQAB4sCvS_story_1.html.

The
New York Post,
citing sources
:
Josh Margolin and Beth Defalco, “Christie Chose NJ over Mitt’s VP Role Due to Fears That They’d Lose: Sources,” New York Post, August 27, 2012, http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/christie_had_veeping_doubts_b1gkN5io8CtDgcuiuEgMqL.

In addition, then-representative David Rivera
:
Chris Cillizza, “Could David Rivera Cost Marco Rubio the Vice Presidency?”
Washington Post,
May 1, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/could-david-rivera-keep-marco-rubio-from-the-vice-presidency/2012/05/01/gIQAVYSauT_blog.html.

A
Guardian
writer dubbed
:
Rachel Shabi, “Mitt Romney’s Insult-the-World Tour Excels in Picking on the Palestinians,”
Guardian,
July 31, 2012, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/31/mitt-romney-world-tour-palestinians.

The
Weekly Standard
had put
:
Stephen F. Hayes, “Man with a Plan: How Paul Ryan Became the Intellectual Leader of the Republican Party,”
Weekly Standard
17, no. 42 (July 23, 2012), http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/man-plan_648570.html.

National Review
’s Rich Lowry
:
Rich Lowry, “Don’t Fear Paul Ryan,”
New York Post,
August 9, 2012, http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/don_fear_paul_ryan_ykQKQgfNTms4EZVtXr9FAJ.

He learned that David liked fireworks
:
Larry Bivins, “Vermont Couple Give Romney Testimonial at GOP Convention Tonight,”
Burlington Free Press,
August 30, 2012, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120830/NEWS03/308300029/Vermont-couple-to-give-Romney-testimonial-at-GOP-convention-tonight.

Within minutes of his posting
:
David Corn, “The Story Behind the 47 Percent Video,” MotherJones.com, December 31, 2012, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/story-behind-47-video.

New York Times
columnist
:
David Brooks, “Thurston Howell Romney,”
New York Times,
September 17, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/brooks-thurston-howell-romney.html.

Wall Street Journal
columnist
:
Peggy Noonan, “Time for an Intervention,”
Wall Street Journal
, September 18, 2012, http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2012/09/18/time-for-an-intervention/.

Romney taped an interview
:
“Romney: My Campaign Doesn’t Need a Turnaround,” transcript, CBSnews.com, September 21, 2012, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57518137/romney-my-campaign-doesnt-need-a-turnaround/.

A cartoon by Rob Rogers
:
Rob Rogers, “Electoral Map,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
October 23, 2012, http://blogs.post-gazette.com/opinion/rob-rogers-cartoons/35850-electoral-map.

The writer Susan Orlean
:
Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, eds.,
State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America
(New York: Ecco, 2008), 360.

An analysis by the Bliss Institute
:
“Basic Information on Ohio Politics #2: The ‘Five Ohios,’” Bliss Institute, University of Akron, undated, http://www.uakron.edu/bliss/research/biop-2-the-five-ohios.dot.

Taylor Havens told a
Denver Post
videographer
:
The quote is taken from a video prepared by the
Denver Post
. To view video, go to: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_21839256/romney-ryan-rally-at-red-rocks.

An analysis of Ohio voting statistics
:
Brent Larkin, “Surge of Black Voters Wasn’t Romney’s Undoing,”
Cleveland Plain Dealer,
March 9, 2013, http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/03/surge_of_black_votes_wasnt_rom.html.

The historical average had been
:
Bill Bishop, “Finding the ‘Flippers’ in 2012 Vote,” DailyYonder.com, January 1, 2013, http://www.dailyyonder.com/finding-flippers-2012-vote/2012/12/26/5560.

Alan Abramowitz, a political scientist
:
Alan Abramowitz, “The Emerging Democratic Presidential Majority: Lessons of Obama’s Victory,” prepared for the Southern Political Science Association Meeting, January 2013.

And then they waited
:
Glenn Thrush and Jonathan Martin,
The End of the Line,
Politico.com e-book (New York: Random House, 2012), 7.

EPILOGUE: INTO THE FUTURE

America was still divided
:
Alan Abramowitz, “The Emerging Democratic Presidential Majority: Lessons of Obama’s Victory,” prepared for the Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting, January 2013.

Conservatives dominated the Republican Party
:
William Galston, “The 2012 Election: What Happened, What Changed, What It Means,” Brookings Institution, January 4, 2013, http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/01/04-presidential-election-galston.

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.

ABC News, 183, 191, 193, 227, 267

abortion, 30, 32–33, 135, 297

Abramowitz, Alan, 334, 349

Adelson, Sheldon, 185–86, 273

Affordable Care Act, 25, 231, 256–57;
see also
Obama, Barack, and health care

African Americans:

and civil rights, 354

and election results, 333, 336

and Obama presidency, 63, 287

and polls, 345

and race issues, 108, 188–89

Alabama, Santorum victory in, 224

Alaska, Republican primary in, 222

Alexander, Lamar, 50

Alfalfa Club, 339

Alinsky, Saul, 195

Allbaugh, Joe M., 152–54, 156

Allred, Gloria, 162

American Crossroads, 172, 261

American dream, 14, 54

American Dream Movement, 69

Americans for Prosperity, 103, 159, 218, 261

Americans for Tax Reform, 103

American Solutions, 172, 186, 201

American Spectator,
206

Ampad, 254

Anderson, Curt, 152, 156

Angle, Sharron, 35

Annenberg Public Policy Center, 240

Arizona:

debates in, 217–18

Republican campaign in, 213, 215, 216, 217–18, 220, 222

Romney’s victory in, 224

Arpaio, Joe, 177

auto industry:

bailout of, 47, 62, 101, 320–21, 323, 324, 333

in Michigan, 215–16

in Ohio, 320–21, 323, 324–25, 333

Axelrod, David, 11, 46, 249

and debates, 306, 307, 309–10, 311–12, 315

and Democratic convention, 290, 291

on election day, 18–19, 337, 338

and Republicans, 49, 66

research and data, 51, 54–55

and 2004 campaign, 40

and 2012 campaign, 12, 13, 22, 23, 24, 41, 57, 58, 67, 181, 252–53, 330

Ayers, Nick, 132, 133–34, 135, 137, 139, 141

Bachmann, Michele, 65, 146, 201

candidacy of, 113, 130, 135–37, 138, 139–41, 147, 173, 174, 177–78, 220

and debates, 135, 136–37, 140–41, 150n, 171, 181

and health care, 135–36

and Tea Party, 136

Baiano, Lucas, 130

Baier, Bret, 150, 187, 189

Bain & Company, 29

Bain Capital:

and Ampad, 254

and Chinese factory, 294

competitive business practices of, 58, 186, 322

as focus in debates, 183, 187–88

as focus of political attacks, 183, 186–88, 195, 234, 255, 261

and “King of Bain” documentary, 186–87

photo of Romney and partners, 59

Romney as partner in, 30, 31, 58, 89, 201

Romney’s departure from, 257–58

and Romney’s wealth, 30, 59, 186

and “Steel” ad, 246–47, 251, 254, 259

TV commercials about, 30, 246–47, 249–51, 322, 344

Bannon, Stephen K., 113

Barbour, Austin, 308

Barbour, Haley, 107–9

and Christie, 120, 121

decision not to run, 109, 136, 159

as lobbyist, 107, 108

as possible candidate, 89–90, 92, 106, 107–8, 114, 121, 130, 200

and racial issues, 108

Baucus, Max, 39

Bauer, Robert, 109, 257, 306

Beck, Glenn, 103

Beeson, Rich, 21, 209, 215, 223, 326, 330, 335–36, 345

Benenson, Joel, 19, 52–54, 287, 306

Benghazi, Libya, violence in, 296, 308, 315–16

Bennett, William, 44, 164

Bentsen, Lloyd, 131

Bernanke, Ben, 147

Bialek, Sharon, 162

Biden, Joe, 28, 290, 320

and bin Laden, 46

and debate, 313–14

and debt ceiling negotiations, 46

and polarization, 276

and tax deal, 38

Big Bird, 304

Binder, David, 54–55

bin Laden, Osama, killing of, 46, 66

Bird, Jeremy, 75, 80, 82, 83, 325, 327

Bishop, Bill,
The Big Sort,
244, 334

Blake, Aaron, 79

Bliss Institute, 321

Blitzer, Wolf, 177, 204–5

Block, Mark, 159–60

Bloomberg News, 324

Blow, Charles M., 302

Boca Raton, Florida, Romney campaign in, 5–6

Boehner, John, 38

and debt ceiling, 47–48, 60, 61, 62

and Gang of Seven, 211

and jobs bill, 69

and Obama speech to Congress, 65–66, 68, 69

and Scozzafava, 102

and Tea Party, 47

Booker, Cory, 251, 252, 301

Boston Globe,
257

Bowles, Erskine, 45

Brabender, John, 177, 179, 210, 212, 213, 217

Branstad, Terry, 169

Brauchli, Marcus, 255–56

Broder, David, 115

Brokaw, Tom, 203

Brookings Institution, 350

Brooks, Albert, 304

Brooks, David, 47, 62, 298

Brown, Scott, 60, 80, 88

Brownstein, Ronald, 350

Buck, Ken, 35

Bullock, Bob, 144

Burka, Paul, 148

Burkett, Becky, 172

Burns, Jeff, 264

Bush, Barbara, 124

Bush, George H. W., 30, 39, 89, 118, 272

Bush, George W., 148, 248, 272

as adviser, 115, 123–24, 311

and campaign finance, 351

and the economy, 335

election of (2000), 103, 118, 123, 143, 182, 185

and immigration issue, 228, 342

and midterm elections (2006), 100

No Child Left Behind, 217

and polarization, 244, 245

presidency of, 3, 106

reelection campaign of, 40, 41, 78, 84, 123, 175, 300, 320, 323

reelection of, 144, 244, 248

and tax cuts, 38, 216, 349

as Texas governor, 144

Bush, Jeb, 17, 106, 340, 341

Bush administration, George H. W., 108

Bush administration, George W., 37, 100, 114, 133, 152, 172, 215, 231, 271, 336

BuzzFeed, 251, 304

Cain, Herman, 220

and debates, 132, 140, 155, 160–61

in media interviews, 161, 162

and
Politico
report, 155, 161

as possible candidate, 91, 138, 152, 159–60, 173, 343

rise and fall of, 159–63, 167

and tax reform plan (9–9–9), 160–61, 232

and Tea Party, 159–60

withdrawal from race, 162–63

California:

election results in, 334

Proposition 187 in, 231

Cameron, David, 272

Canfield, William, 268

Cantor, Eric, 46, 47, 61, 136

Carney, David, 145–46, 147, 150, 153–54, 155, 156, 165

Carney, Jay, 65

Carter, James (grandson), 294

Carter, Jimmy, 39, 294

Carter, Wanda, 318

Castellanos, Alex, 112

Castro, Julian, 288

CBS This Morning,
257, 285

Chaffetz, Jason, 203

Chen, Lanhee, 95, 229, 230, 232–33, 272, 308

Cheney, Dick, 149

Childs, Edith, 14

Christie, Andrew, 122

Christie, Chris:

and debates, 311

and his father, 125–26

and Hurricane Sandy, 13, 19, 331

keynote address by, 276, 282–83

and leadership, 47

as New Jersey governor, 119, 125–26, 268–70, 283

and “pay to play” rule, 267–70, 271

possible candidacy of, 106, 118–26, 130, 159, 200

as possible running mate, 265–66, 267, 269–70, 271, 273, 275–76

Romney endorsed by, 126

Christie, Mary Pat, 119, 122, 123, 124, 266

Chrysler, 324–25

Citizens Councils, 108

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission,
172, 351

Civil Rights Act (1964), 108

Clinton, Bill:

biographers of, 23

and campaigning, 12–15, 24, 40, 57–58, 182, 252, 302, 315

and Congress, 38

convention speech by, 287, 289–92

and government shutdown, 43

legacy of, 337

and midterm elections (1994), 35, 37, 42

political persona of, 27, 28, 254

presidency of, 163

reelection campaign of, 40, 227

Republican opposition to, 223

and welfare reform, 206–7, 277

Clinton, Hillary Rodham:

and bin Laden, 46

and debates, 131

and health care, 94

and Iraq War, 93

as secretary of state, 289, 308

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

Clinton administration, 37

Clooney, George, 285

Club for Growth, 103

CNN, 131, 135, 193, 227

Coakley, Martha, 80

Cobb, Joe, 246

Colbert, Stephen, 187

Cole, Tom, 104

Coll, Steve, 187

Colorado:

Denver debate, 301–13, 352

election results in, 332, 333, 336

midterm elections in (2010), 102

Obama campaign in, 7, 13

as pivotal region, 7, 319

polls in, 330

Republican campaign in, 328–31

Santorum’s win in, 209, 210, 222, 343

Comella, Maria, 122

Conant, Alex, 133, 138

Conda, Cesar, 342

Confessore, Nicholas, 89

Congress, U.S.:

and budget cuts, 44–45

and debt ceiling, 46–48, 60–61

and election results, 334, 349

executive orders circumventing, 230

and health care, 94

lame-duck session of, 38–39

and leadership issues, 61

and midterm elections (2010), 100–101, 102–5

Obama’s speech on the economy to, 65–67, 68–69

Republican opposition to Obama in, 42–43, 48–49, 52, 56, 61, 66, 94, 102

taxing power of, 256

Tea Party members of, 42, 46, 47, 100, 104

Connecticut, Hurricane Sandy in, 331–32

Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), 114–16, 214

Contract with America, 30

Cook Political Report,
332

Cooper, Anderson, 161

Cooper, Helene, 110

Corn, David, 293–94, 304

Corzine, Jon, 119

Coulter, Ann, 206

Craig, Sara, 169

Crawford, Tim, 113

Crossroads GPS, 261

Crowe, Russell, 40

Crowley, Candy, 315, 316

Cuban American vote, 333

Curry, Ann, 191

Cutter, Stephanie, 250, 257, 300, 303

Daley, Bill, 41–42, 45, 48, 65–66

Daley, Richard M., 42

Daniels, Cheri, 115, 116–17

Daniels, Mitch, 89, 92, 106, 114–17, 130, 159, 200

Daschle, Tom, 37

Dashboard (software), 77–78

Davis, Fred, 179, 181

Davis, Tom, 104

Dawson, Katon, 165

Dawson, Mike, 333

Dawson, Sam, 165

Dean, Howard, 75, 220, 351

Delaware, midterm elections in (2010), 102

DeLay, Tom, 206

Delisi, Deirdre, 146, 155, 156

DeMint, Jim, 103

Democratic National Committee, 57, 75, 79, 80

Democratic National Convention (2004), 12, 279, 280, 283

Democratic National Convention (2008), 287

Democratic National Convention (2012), 286–92, 295–96

Bill Clinton’s speech, 287, 289–92

Michelle Obama’s speech, 287, 288–89, 292

Obama’s acceptance speech, 292

Democratic Party:

and budget fight, 44–45

campaign contributions to, 251

and Congress, 38–39

critics of Obama in, 39, 50, 62

and election results, 332–35, 350–51

liberal bloc in, 350

and middle class, 291

and midterm elections (2010), 35–36, 60

new voters sought by, 41

nomination process (2004), 220

Obama-Hillary primaries (2008), 12, 289, 307, 311–12

Obama’s lack of ties to, 24, 49–50

Obama supporters in, 69

and Occupy Wall Street, 71

split in, 144

and women’s issues, 297–98

Denver, debate in, 301–13, 352

Des Moines:

debates in, 170–71

Obama campaign in, 11, 14–15

research and data in, 51–52

Romney campaign in, 16–17

Des Moines Register,
138, 178, 191

Detroit Economic Club, 218

Dickerson, John, 64

Dillon, Jennifer O’Malley, 75, 76–77, 79, 80–82, 83, 326

District of Columbia, Republican contest in, 224

Dole, Bob, 108, 159, 205–7

Dowd, Matthew, 37

Draper, Robert,
Do Not Ask What Good We Do,
49

Dream Act, 229–30, 342–43

Dream and Achieve Act, 342–43

Drudge Report,
175, 191

Dubuque Telegraph Herald,
64

DuHaime, Mike, 122

Dukakis, Michael, 131, 144

Dunn, Anita, 71, 306

Dunn, Karen, 306

Durenberger, David, 128

Earnest, Mike, 254

Eastwood, Clint, 284–86

economy:

budget cuts, 42–45

as campaign issue, 3, 5, 7, 8, 41, 51–52, 58, 70, 91, 96, 98–99, 114, 173, 189, 218, 232, 248–49, 252, 261, 264, 295, 314, 319, 320–22, 334–35, 340

debt ceiling, 43, 45–48, 49, 50, 56, 60–61, 62, 64, 66, 69, 73, 125, 240, 346

financial regulatory reform, 62

fiscal cliff, 349, 353

government credit rating, 50, 61

government default, 60

Great Depression, 12, 62, 240, 290

and greed, 72

housing crisis, 204, 239

income inequality, 3–4, 70–71

jobs issue, 240, 248, 255, 291, 325

jobs outsourced, 255–56, 257, 258, 278, 322, 323, 325, 344

jobs package, 68, 69

and leadership issues, 62, 63

and middle class, 3–4, 52, 71, 72, 249, 252, 291, 303, 335, 347

in the new America, 239–42

Obama’s speeches on, 3–4, 44–45, 65–67, 68–69, 72–73

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

recovery, 62, 63

Republican responses to, 72

research and data on, 52–54, 55–56

stimulus package (2009), 36, 101, 239–40

taxes, 38, 44, 60, 68, 69, 148, 160–61, 216, 218, 232–33, 303–4, 349

unemployment, 3, 35–36, 189, 239, 240, 322, 340

welfare reform, 206–7, 277, 278, 324

Edwards, John, 75, 148

Egypt, protests in, 296

Emanuel, Rahm, 41, 47, 288

Empower America, 44