2012 United States presidential debates

Part of the 2012 U.S. presidential election

2012 United States presidential debates

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October 16, 2012
October 22, 2012 | 2016 ->

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Nominee  | Barack Obama | Mitt Romney |
Party  | Democratic | Republican
Home state  | Illinois | Massachusetts

2012 United States vice presidential debate

|  | October 11, 2012 |

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Nominee  | Joe Biden | Paul Ryan |
Party  | Democratic | Republican
Home state  | Delaware | Wisconsin
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The 2012 United States presidential debates were a series of debates held during the 2012 presidential election.

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a bipartisan organization formed in 1987, organized four debates among the major party candidates, sponsored three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. Only Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney met the criteria for inclusion in the debates, and thus were the only two to appear in the debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The CPD-sponsored vice presidential debate took place between their respective vice presidential running mates, Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.[1]

The CPD stipulates three criteria for eligibility: constitutionally eligible, appearance on enough ballots to potentially reach 270 electoral votes, and average at least 15% on five selected national polls.[2] Obama and Romney satisfied all requirements to participate. The moderators for the debates were announced on August 13, 2012.[3][4]

All four debates took place between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EDT.[5] Subsequently, on October 3, both campaigns executed a memorandum of understanding governing technical and administrative details of the debate.[6] The agreement describes the role of the moderator, rules applicable to each debate, staging and seating arrangements, and ticket distribution, and was signed by Robert Bauer and Benjamin Ginsberg, general counsel of the Obama and Romney campaigns, respectively.[6]

Several non-CPD sanctioned debates among third party candidates took place. The first, moderated by Larry King and organized by the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, took place on October 23 between Rocky Anderson, Virgil Goode, Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein.[7] Stein and Johnson were selected using instant-runoff voting for a second Free and Equal debate, which was hosted by RT and took place on November 5.[8][9] Ralph Nader hosted and moderated a debate between Anderson, Stein, Goode, and Johnson on November 4.[10]

## Debate schedule

[edit]

2012 United States presidential election debates

No. | Date & Time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants
Key:
P Participant.  N Non-invitee.  | Democratic | Republican
President
Barack Obama
of Illinois | Governor
Mitt Romney
of Massachusetts
1 | Wednesday October 3, 2012,

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT[11]

| University of Denver | Denver, Colorado | Jim Lehrer of PBS | P | P
2 | Tuesday, October 16, 2012,

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT[11]

| Hofstra University | Hempstead, New York | Candy Crowley of CNN | P | P
3 | Monday, October 22, 2012,

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT[11]

| Lynn University | Boca Raton, Florida | Bob Scheiffer of CBS | P | P
2012 United States vice presidential debate
No. | Date & Time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants
Key:
P Participant.  N Non-invitee.  | Democratic | Republican
Vice President
Joe Biden
of Delaware | Congressman
Paul Ryan
of Wisconsin
VP | Thursday, October 11, 2012,

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT[11]

| Centre College | Danville, Kentucky | Martha Raddatz of ABC | P | P

First presidential debate (domestic policy)

Wednesday, October 3; Magness Arena, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado[1]
Moderator: Jim Lehrer[4] – PBS
Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, Washington Post, LA Times, The New York Times
Fact-checking: FactCheck.org, Washington Post

Vice presidential (domestic and foreign policy)

Thursday, October 11; Norton Center for the Arts, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky[1]
Moderator: Martha Raddatz[4] – ABC
Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, Washington Post
Fact-checking: FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, Washington Post

Second presidential debate (town hall format)

Tuesday, October 16; David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York[1]
Moderator: Candy Crowley[4] – CNN
Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, McClatchy, Washington Post
Fact-checking: Boston.com, FactCheck.org, Politico, PolitiFact.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post

IVN.us online presidential debate (third party)

Thursday, October 18; Google+ hangout
Moderator: Stephen Peace[12] \- IVN.us
Video: YouTube

Third presidential debate (foreign policy)

Monday, October 22; Wold Performing Arts Center, Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida[1]
Moderator: Bob Schieffer[4] – CBS
Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, McClatchy, Washington Post
Fact-checking: Boston.com, FactCheck.org, Politico, PolitiFact.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post

First Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (third party)

Tuesday, October 23; Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinois[13]
Moderator: Larry King[14] – Ora.TV
Video: C-SPAN, Video on YouTube
Fact-checking: The Washington Post

Ralph Nader presidential debate (third party)

Sunday, November 4; Busboys and Poets, Washington, D.C.
Moderator: Ralph Nader[15]
Video: Video on YouTube

## October 3: First presidential debate (University of Denver)

[edit]

First presidential debate

Date(s)| October 3, 2012 (2012-10-03)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| University of Denver
Location| Denver, Colorado
Participants| Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
Moderator(s)| Jim Lehrer of PBS

### Format

[edit]

According to the memorandum of understanding agreed to by both campaigns prior to the debate,[16] and announced to the public prior to the start, both candidates would have no opening statement. There were six 15-minute segments, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving one candidate two minutes, the other candidate two minutes, and approximately 8 minutes and 45 seconds of facilitated discussion between the two candidates, with both candidates receiving approximately equal time. However, due to candidate responses extending beyond the limit, the last few segments were markedly shorter.[17] Both candidates spoke in front of a lectern. Other than applause at the beginning and end of the debate, there was no audience participation.[18]

The segments were on the economy and job creation, the federal deficit, entitlements and differences between the candidates on Social Security, health care and the Affordable Care Act, the role and mission of the federal government of the United States, and governing in a presidential system and dealing with gridlock.[18]

### Reception

[edit]

More than 67 million Americans watched the debate, making it the most widely viewed first presidential debate in 32 years.[19] A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 46% thought that Romney had done better, 22% thought Obama had done better, and 32% thought that it was a tie.[20] A CNN poll found a greater advantage for Romney among debate watchers overall, with 67% believing the former Massachusetts governor had done better, 25% believing that the president had done better, and 8% believing that it was a tie.[21] A Gallup poll found that 72% of the debate watchers believed Romney was the clear winner, 20% believed that Obama had won, and 9% believed it was a tie or had no opinion; the widest margin of victory for any presidential debate in Gallup history.[22] Time Magazine's Joe Klein stated, "It was, in fact, one of the most inept performances I've ever seen by a sitting President."[23]

The primary critiques of Obama's performance were that he looked detached; seldom addressed his opponent directly; and was often looking down while Romney was speaking.[24][25]

Several independent fact checkers noted that a number of factual discrepancies were found in various statements made by both Obama and Romney in the debate.[26][27][28] The Houston Chronicle reported that its "study of post-debate reports from factcheck.org, politifact.com, CBS, CNN, The Washington Post, and Politico found that both Obama and Romney stretched the facts [in the debate]. But Obama did it a little less."[29]

### Moderation

[edit]

The performance of Jim Lehrer as the moderator was widely criticized for frequently allowing the candidates to speak over their time limits.[30][31][32] He said that he intended to have a looser format and was not trying to restrict the candidates.

Fox News wrote, "The only consolation President Barack Obama had for his poor showing during Wednesday's debate was that moderator Jim Lehrer did even worse."[33] Dan Abrams of ABC News tweeted, "Regardless of who is winning this debate, Jim Lehrer is losing".[34]

Lehrer defended his performance saying, "I've always said this and finally I had a chance to demonstrate it: The moderator should be seen little and heard even less. It is up to the candidates to ask the follow-up questions and challenge one another." Unlike many others, both Romney and Obama made favorable remarks about Lehrer.[32]

## October 11: Vice presidential debate (Centre College)

[edit]

Vice presidential debate

Date(s)| October 11, 2012 (2012-10-11)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| Centre College
Location| Danville, Kentucky
Participants| Joe Biden
Paul Ryan
Moderator(s)| Martha Raddatz of ABC

### Format

[edit]

The only vice presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan focused on domestic and foreign policy, and was broken down into nine 10-minute segments.[35] The foreign policy segments included questions on the attack on the American consulate in Libya, Iran, the civil war in Syria, and Afghanistan. The domestic policy segments included questions on health care, abortion, the national debt, Social Security, Medicare, and taxes.

### Reception

[edit]

A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 50% of those viewers thought Biden did better, 31% thought Ryan did better, and 19% thought they tied.[36] A Reuters poll indicated Biden the superior candidate, 42% to 35% with 23% undecided or believing they tied.[37] A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 48% of viewers believed Ryan had done better, 44% believed Biden had done better, and 8% believed they tied or had no opinion; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about eight percentage points more Republican than the general population.[38] Nate Silver's analysis of polling after the debate led to his concluding that, though both debaters performed adequately, Biden's performance helped to slow the momentum of the Romney campaign following the first presidential debate.[39]

The debate was watched by over 51 million people, making it the third most-watched vice presidential debate, behind that of 1984 (57 million) and 2008 (70 million).[40]

### Moderation

[edit]

Raddatz was generally praised for her moderation during this debate.[41][42]

## October 16: Second presidential debate (Hofstra University)

[edit]

Second presidential debate

Date(s)| October 16, 2012 (2012-10-16)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| Hofstra University
Location| Hempstead, New York
Participants| Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
Moderator(s)| Candy Crowley of CNN

The second presidential debate took place on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at New York's Hofstra University, and was moderated by Candy Crowley of CNN. The debate followed a town hall format, with a group of noncommitted voters asking questions to the candidates, after which the moderator would ask follow-up questions.

The second debate dealt primarily with domestic affairs, but, unlike the first debate, did include some segues into foreign policy. Topics discussed included taxes, unemployment, job creation, the national debt, energy and energy independence, women's rights, both legal and illegal immigration, and the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

### Format

[edit]

The Gallup Organization selected 82 undecided voters from the New York area to attend the debate. According to the rules set out by the Commission on Presidential Debates and codified in a memorandum of understanding between both candidates, each candidate received two minutes to answer the question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal. The candidates often engaged each other during the rebuttal period, and Crowley also followed up with candidates.[43][44]

Although moderator Crowley had intended to allow 15 voters to ask their questions, due to the length of candidate responses, 11 voters had time to ask questions of the candidates.[45] Obama was asked 5 questions, and Romney was asked 6 questions. The questions were:

* To Romney, from a college student concerned about not being able to support himself after graduation
* To Obama, on the role of the Secretary of Energy in reducing gasoline prices
* To Romney, on his tax rate reduction plan and the potential of restricting or eliminating deductions and credits as a result
* To Obama, on inequalities between men and women in the workplace, specifically women earning less than men for the same work
* To Romney, on the differences between him and former president George W. Bush
* To Obama, on what he has done or accomplished to earn the questioner's vote in 2012
* To Romney, on his plans for immigrants without permanent residency in the United States
* To Obama, on who denied enhanced security prior to the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi
* To Obama, on his accomplishments in reducing availability of assault weapons
* To Romney, on outsourcing and his plans on obtaining and retaining jobs in the United States
* To Romney, on the biggest misperceptions about him[46][47]

### Reception

[edit]

A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 46% of respondents believed that Obama had done better, 39% believed that Romney had done better, and 11% had no opinion or believed they tied; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about eight percentage points more Republican than the general population, similar to the vice presidential debate.[48] A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 37% believed Obama was superior in the second debate, 30% said that Romney was superior, and 33% called the debate a tie. 55% of the voters CBS polled said that Obama gave direct answers, while 49% said this about Romney.[49]

The consensus among liberals as well as some conservatives was that Obama's showing in the second debate was considerably stronger in comparison with his performance in the first debate.[50] Analysts characterized him as more assertive and "tough" in the second debate.[51][52][53] Romney was perceived to have not done as well as his previous performance, missing several opportunities to rebut Obama.[54] In answer to a question about equal pay for women, Romney said that as Governor of Massachusetts, he had solicited "binders full of women" qualified to serve in his administration. His comment became an Internet meme and was parodied with pages on social networking sites.[55][56][57] It was also adopted as a political attack line on Romney's attitude towards women issues.[58][59] Women's groups, such as MassGAP, responded that they had approached Romney with suggestions for qualified candidates to have him commit to including more women. MassGAP stated they had done the same for his opponent.[60][61][62][63][64][65] Commentators criticized him for appearing edgy, tense and irritable, off his game, and interrupting too much.

Polls conducted by CBS, CNN, and Reuters/Ipsos found a plurality felt Obama had done better than Romney,[66][67][68] and a slight majority felt the same in a Gallup poll.[69]

### Please proceed, governor

[edit]

The discussion of the 2012 Benghazi attack produced an exchange known for the phrase Please proceed, governor, later described by Frank Rich as hilarious,[70] and covered by Jon Stewart at The Daily Show.[71]

The candidates disagreed as to whether Obama declared the Libyan consular attack as terrorism the day after the event or, as Romney claimed, erroneously said it was a protest caused by an anti-Muslim video for two weeks before identifying it as a terrorist attack.

The end of that exchange was a comment by moderator Candy Crowley where she affirmed the facts of Obama's statement, referring to a transcript of his speech.[72] Crowley said in part, during the debate, "He did call it an act of terror."[73] In his Rose Garden closing remarks, the President had said in part, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation."[74]

## October 22: Third presidential debate (Lynn University)

[edit]

Third presidential debate

Date(s)| October 22, 2012 (2012-10-22)
Duration| 90 minutes
Venue| Lynn University
Location| Boca Raton, Florida
Participants| Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
Moderator(s)| Bob Schieffer of CBS

The third and final presidential debate took place on Monday, October 22, 2012, at Florida's Lynn University, and was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS. Topics discussed included the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Iran's nuclear program, the Arab Spring, especially the Syrian civil war, relations with Israel, relations with Pakistan, the War on Terror, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq, the size and scope of the U.S. military, and relations and trade with China, as well as the rise of that nation. Governor Romney also briefly broached the subject of the ongoing insurgency in Mali. Although the debate was supposed to strictly concern only foreign policy, the candidates did manage to fit a few domestic policy issues, such as job creation, the federal deficit, and education into the discussion.

### Format

[edit]

The format of this debate was identical to that of the first debate. There were six 15-minute segments, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving each candidate two minutes to respond, before allowing the candidates to discuss the topics.[75]

### Reception

[edit]

A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 53% believed that Obama won, 23% believed that Romney won, and 24% called the debate a tie.[76] A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 48% of respondents called Obama the winner, 40% called Romney the winner, and 12% had no opinion or thought they tied; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about five percentage points more Republican than the general population.[77][78]

### Moderation

[edit]

Schieffer's moderation, which was perceived as confident but affable, received praise.[79][80]

## Protests over excluded candidates

[edit]

Main article: Commission on Presidential Debates § Criticism

### Lawsuit

[edit]

Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein sued the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee, alleging that the commission's failure to extend them an invitation to the debates violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and the First Amendment.[81][82] Johnson and Stein's suit was dismissed by the federal courts; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in 2017 that the two candidates lacked a valid legal claim or a cognizable injury.[82][83]

### Arrest of Green Party candidates outside second debate and lawsuit

[edit]

On October 16, 2012, Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein and vice-presidential nominee Cheri Honkala were arrested for disorderly conduct while trying to take part in the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.[84][85][86] The two women claim they were taken to a warehouse, and strapped for eight hours to chairs with plastic wrist restraints before being released.[87]

### Withdrawal of sponsors

[edit]

Three of the debate sponsors dropped out ahead of the first presidential debate due to the exclusion of major third-party candidates. These companies were BBH New York, YWCA USA[88] and Philips Electronics.[89]

## Third party debates

[edit]

Several third-party debates were held in 2012.

Third-party debates, 2012

N° | Date | Host  | Location | Moderator(s)  | Participants
P Participant.  N Non-invitee.  A Absent invitee.  | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Green | Constitution | Justice
President
Barack Obama
of Illinois | Former Governor
Mitt Romney
of Massachusetts | Former Governor
Gary Johnson
of New Mexico | Dr. Jill Stein
of Massachusetts | Former Congressman
Virgil Goode
of Virginia | Former Mayor
Rocky Anderson
of Utah
D1 | October 18, 2012  | Google+ Hangout  | Online | Stephen Peace of IVN.us  | N | N | P | P | N | N
D2 | October 23, 2012  | Hilton Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | Larry King of Ora.TV
Free and Equal Elections Foundation (sponsor) | A | A | P | P | P | P
D3 | November 4, 2012  | Busboys and Poets | Washington, D.C. | Ralph Nader
(Moderator & Sponsor) | N | N | P | P | P | P
D4 | November 5, 2012  | RT America | Washington, D.C. | Thom Hartmann of RT
Free and Equal Elections Foundation (sponsor) | N | N | P | P | N | N

### October 18: IVN.us online presidential debate

[edit]

IVN.us hosted an online presidential debate on October 18, 2012. It featured two third-party candidates, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein.

### October 23: First Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (Hilton Chicago)

[edit]

The Free and Equal Elections Foundation organized a debate featuring third-party candidates Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, Virgil Goode and Rocky Anderson, which was held in Chicago at 9:00pm EDT on October 23, 2012.[7] Veteran broadcaster Larry King of Ora.TV served as moderator for the debate,[90] which was streamed live online.[91][92] It was also streamed live by Ora.TV on YouTube[93] and was broadcast live by C-SPAN,[90] Link TV,[94] Russia Today[94] and Al Jazeera English.[94]

#### Format

[edit]

Each candidate was given an opportunity to make a two-minute opening statement. Then, six questions were asked to each of the four candidates and the candidates were given one minute to answer. However, the moderator accidentally started with the first question instead of allowing the candidates to do the opening statement. The opening statements had to follow their answers to the first question.[95] The questions were:

* The candidates' thoughts on the top-two primary system
* How the candidates would tackle the War on Drugs
* How the candidates would handle military spending and foreign policy
* Their opinions on section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
* The stance of the candidates on issues relating to the economy
* The constitutional amendment they would offer if they knew it would pass

#### Reception

[edit]

The Free and Equal Elections Foundation conducted a post-debate poll to determine which candidates would progress to their second debate. The poll found 55% of viewers thought Johnson had done the best, 31% thought Stein had done the best, 8% had felt Anderson had done the best, and 6% had felt Goode had done the best.[96] The second round of the instant run-off vote showed that the top two candidates were still Johnson and Stein; these candidates were allowed to progress to the second debate.[96]

#### Moderation

[edit]

The moderator Larry King received some criticism for his mishap at the beginning of the debate. Some commentators thought this showed the debate's irrelevance.[97]

### November 4: Ralph Nader presidential debate (Busboys and Poets)

[edit]

Ralph Nader hosted and moderated a debate that took place on November 4, 2012, at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.[98] Gary Johnson, Virgil Goode, Rocky Anderson and Jill Stein participated.[99]

### November 5: Second Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (RT America studio)

[edit]

After the previous Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate, a second debate was announced,[100] this time focusing on foreign policy. The debate was hosted by RT at the RT America Studio in Washington, D.C., and took place on November 5, 2012, between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. It was initially to be held on October 30, 2012, but was delayed due to Hurricane Sandy.[9] The candidates that participated were those that won the instant-runoff vote after the previous debate – Gary Johnson and Jill Stein.

## See also

[edit]

* Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign
* Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign
* 2012 United States presidential election
* The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Little, Morgan (July 25, 2012) "Presidential debate formats announced, feature town hall", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
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3. ^ Byers, Dylan (August 13, 2012) "Presidential Debate Moderators Announced", Politico. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
4. ^ a b c d e Blake, Aaron (August 13, 2012) "Presidential debate moderators announced: Crowley is first woman in 20 years", The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
5. ^ "CPD Announces 2012 Debates Format (July 25, 2012)". Debates.org. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
6. ^ a b "Candy Crowley's Moderator Role Under Scrutiny Before Tuesday Town Hall – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com". Time. October 14, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
7. ^ a b Sullivan, Sean (October 23, 2012). "Third-party presidential candidates rail against Obama and Romney at debate (VIDEO)". Washington Post.
8. ^ Hicks, Josh (October 24, 2012). "Another third party debate in the works". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
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11. ^ a b c d "CPD: 2012 Debates". www.debates.org. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
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13. ^ Blake, Meredith (October 17, 2012). "Larry King to moderate third-party presidential debate". Los Angeles Times.
14. ^ "Larry King to Moderate Third-Party Presidential Debate - Free & Equal". freeandequal.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
15. ^ "Ralph Nader the moderator - Patrick Gavin". Politico.Com. October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
16. ^ "Memorandum of Understanding Between the Obama and Romney Campaigns – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com". Time. October 15, 2012. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012.
17. ^ Calderone, Michael (October 5, 2012). "Debate Moderator Defends Himself". Huffington Post.
18. ^ a b "Transcript of Wednesday's presidential debate - CNN.com". CNN. October 4, 2012.
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22. ^ Jones, Jeffrey M. (October 8, 2012) "Romney Narrows Vote Gap After Historic Debate Win", Gallup.com.
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25. ^ Ward, Jon (October 4, 2012). "Mitt Romney Versus Obama: 4 Key Moments From First Presidential Debate". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
26. ^ "Presidential debate fact check: President Obama, Mitt Romney don't tell the whole truth". New York Daily News. Associated Press. October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
27. ^ Wemple, Erik (October 4, 2012). "Fact-checkers have fun with Obama, Romney". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
28. ^ "Fact check: The debate". The Morning Sun. FactCheck.org via GateHouse News Service. October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
29. ^ "Fact-checkers say Obama told the truth more often in Denver debate — by a (Pinocchio) nose". Houston Chronicle. October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
30. ^ Paul Harris: Jim Lehrer: was TV moderator the debate's big loser? The Guardian, October 4, 2012
31. ^ "Moderator Jim Lehrer sharply criticized for performance in presidential debate". The Washington Post. Associated Press. October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.[dead link‍]
32. ^ a b Byers, Dylan (October 5, 2012). "Exclusive: Jim Lehrer says he was 'effective' as presidential debate moderator". Politico. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
33. ^ Dan Gainor. "Jim Lehrer is biggest loser in Denver debate". Fox News, October 3, 2012.
34. ^ Russell Goldman. "Jim Lehrer Biggest Loser in Debate?". ABC News, April 10, 2012.
35. ^ "Fireworks fly at vice presidential debate - CBS News". CBS News. October 12, 2012. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013.
36. ^ "Poll: Biden takes debate over Ryan, uncommitted voters say - CBS News". CBS News. December 14, 2012. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012.
37. ^ "Biden had the edge in VP debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll". Reuters. October 12, 2012.
38. ^ "POLL: CNN Poll: Who won the VP debate?". CNN.
39. ^ Nate Silver, "In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold", 538 Blog, The New York Times, October 12, 2012, accessed October 13, 2012
40. ^ "VP debate ratings can’t match Biden-Palin from 2008", The Washington Post, October 12, 2012
41. ^ "Martha Raddatz Debate Moderating Draws Praise: 'Killing It,' 'Way Better' Than Lehrer". Huffingtonpost.com. October 11, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
42. ^ "Who won Thursday's debate? Martha Raddatz - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. October 12, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
43. ^ Mirkinson, Jack (October 16, 2012). "WATCH: Mitt Romney Barrels Over Candy Crowley". Huffington Post.
44. ^ Mirkinson, Jack (October 16, 2012). "Candy Crowley's Potential Debate Follow-Ups Take On A Life Of Their Own". Huffington Post.
45. ^ Voters get their turn to ask the debate questions Tampa Bay Times. October 17, 2012.
46. ^ Adams, Richard (October 16, 2012). "US presidential debates 2012, US elections 2012 (News), Mitt Romney (News), Barack Obama (News), US politics, CNN, Republicans (US), Democrats, US news, World news". The Guardian. London.
47. ^ "Complete transcript of the presidential debate". mcclatchydc.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
48. ^ Polling Center: CNN Poll: Who won the second presidential debate? - Elections & Politics from CNN.com Archived October 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
49. ^ Sarah Dutton; Jennifer De Pinto; Anthony Salvanto; Fred Backus; Lindsey Boerma (October 16, 2012). "Poll:Obama edges Romney in second debate". CBS News. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
50. ^ Kevin Cirilli (October 16, 2012). "Debate results: Liberals relieved by Obama's performance". Politico. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
51. ^ "Energized by debate, Obama knocks Romney on women's issues". Reuters. October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
52. ^ Barabak, Mark Z. (October 17, 2012). "Obama is back in the fight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
53. ^ Montopoli, Brian (October 17, 2012). "Analysis: Tougher Obama rebounds in second debate". CBS News. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
54. ^ Sinderbrand, Rebecca (October 17, 2012). "Analysis: Romney whiffs on some easy pitches". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
55. ^ Peralta, Eyder. "Presidential Debate Spins 'Binders Full Of Women' Meme, Fact Checks". NPR. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
56. ^ Chai, Barbara. "'Binders Full of Women' Spawns Three-Ring Circus on Web". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
57. ^ Phillip, Abby (October 16, 2012). "Internet Takes Off With Mitt Romney's 'Binders Full of Women'". ABC News. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
58. ^ Hamburger, Tom (October 15, 2012). "Romney's 'Binder full of women' comment spills onto campaign trail". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
59. ^ Camia, Catalina (October 17, 2012). "Paul Ryan defends Romney on 'binders' comment". USA Today. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
60. ^ Gross, Doug (October 17, 2012). "Social world thumbs through 'binders full of women'". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
61. ^ Marlantes, Liz (October 17, 2012). "'Binders full of women': a revealing remark from Romney, or a sideshow?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
62. ^ Phillip, Abby D. (October 17, 2012). "Romney Challenged on How He Got the Binder Full of Women Managers". ABC News. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
63. ^ "Mind The Binder". The Phoenix. October 16, 2012.
64. ^ Viser, Matt (October 17, 2012). "How Mitt Romney had 'whole binders of women' for staff positions as governor". Boston Globe blog.
65. ^ MassGAP Statement on Presidential Debate Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus.
66. ^ Burns, Alexander (October 17, 2012). "CBS snap poll: Obama edges Romney in second debate". Politico. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
67. ^ Cohen, Tom (October 17, 2012). "Obama gets the edge over Romney in a bruising debate". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
68. ^ "Voters say Obama beat Romney in second debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll". Reuters. October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
69. ^ Schultheis, Emily (October 19, 2012). "Gallup: Obama won the second debate". Politico. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
70. ^ "Frank Rich on the National Circus: Obama the Alpha Dog". New York. October 17, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
71. ^ "Jon Stewart on How Obama Allowed Romney to Proceed into a Wall". The Atlantic Wire. October 18, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
72. ^ "Candy Crowley: I didn’t backtrack on Libya in debate" Archived September 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Blog, The Washington Post, October 17, 2012
73. ^ "Transcript of the Second Presidential Debate in Hempstead, N.Y." The New York Times. October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
74. ^ Full Transcript of Obama's Rose Garden Speech After Sept. 11 Benghazi Attack - October 16 12 10:31 EDT - ForexTV.com Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
75. ^ "2012 presidential debate schedule: Dates, moderators, topics and formats". Politico. September 20, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
76. ^ "Poll: Decisive win for Obama in final debate". CBS News. October 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
77. ^ "Polling Center: Who won the final debate? - Elections & Politics from". CNN.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
78. ^ "CNN Poll: Nearly half of debate watchers say Obama won showdown – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs". Politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
79. ^ "No debate: Bob Schieffer got it just right - Dylan Byers". Politico.Com. October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
80. ^ Bianco, Robert (October 22, 2012). "Bob Schieffer stays cool amid debate's heat". Usatoday.com. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
81. ^ Morgan Little, Lawsuit highlights difficulty of third-party involvement in debates, Los Angeles Times (September 27, 2012).
82. ^ a b Megan R. Wilson, Court: Excluding outside parties from presidential debates does not violate First Amendment, The Hill (August 29, 2017).
83. ^ Johnson v. Commission on Presidential Debates, 869 F.3d 976 (D.C. Cir. 2017).
84. ^ Zelman, Joanna (October 16, 2012). "Jill Stein Arrested Before Hofstra Debate". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
85. ^ "Green Party's Stein Talks Arrest, Presidential Debates". WNYC. October 18, 2012. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
86. ^ Amy Goodman (October 18, 2012). "Green party candidate Jill Stein's arrest highlights presidential debate stitch-up". The Guardian. London.
87. ^ "Green Party Candidates Arrested, Shackled to Chairs For 8 Hours After Trying to Enter Hofstra Debate". Democracy Now!. October 17, 2012.
88. ^ "YWCA Drops Debate Sponsorship Over Exclusion of Third-Party Candidates". Reason. September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
89. ^ "Philips pulls presidential debate sponsorship". Politico. September 30, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
90. ^ a b Byers, Dylan (October 23, 2012). "Larry King hosts third-party faceoff". Politico. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
91. ^ "Larry King to moderate third-party debate". cbsnews.com. October 17, 2012.
92. ^ "Watch Our United We Stand Live Now from Reed Arena! #FreeandEqual #UnitedWeStand #TexasAM". freeandequal.org. May 20, 2014.
93. ^ Josh Wolford (October 22, 2012). "Watch the Third Party Candidates Debate Live on YouTube". WebProNews. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
94. ^ a b c "3rd-party presidential nominees to debate". UPI.com. October 23, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
95. ^ Brad Friedman. "Untethered 'Third Party' Presidential Debate Provides Glimpse at Genuine Democracy". The Brad Blog. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
96. ^ a b "Winners of October 23rd Presidential Debate Have Been Announced - Free & Equal". Freeandequal.org. October 20, 2012. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
97. ^ "Larry King, third-party candidate debate moderator, almost forgets opening statements". Now.msn.com. October 24, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
98. ^ "Ralph Nader to Host Third-Party Presidential Debate in D.C. Nov. 4 | The Nader PageThe Nader Page". Nader.org. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
99. ^ Singer, Paul (November 5, 2012). "Nader's third-party debate raises alternate issues". USA Today. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
100. ^ "Free and Equal Hosts Final US Presidential Debate - Free & Equal". Freeandequal.org. October 26, 2012. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2012 General Election, Commission on Presidential Debates, October 31, 2011, archived from the original on January 15, 2013, retrieved November 3, 2011
* 2012 Candidate Selection Criteria, Commission on Presidential Debates, October 20, 2011, archived from the original on January 15, 2013, retrieved November 3, 2011
* Coverage at The Washington Post
* University of Denver debate official site
* Centre College debate official site
* Hofstra University debate official site
* Lynn University debate official site

* v
* t
* e

United States presidential debates

General election debates|

* 1960
* 1976
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Primary election debates|

| Republican|

* 2004
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|

Democratic|

* 2004
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Other parties|

* Libertarian
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* 2016

Related debates and forums|

* 1948
* Dewey–Stassen debate
* 2008
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* Science Debate 2008
* Visible Vote '08: A Presidential Forum
* 2012
* The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium

Organizations|

* Citizens' Debate Commission
* Commission on Presidential Debates
* Free & Equal Elections Foundation
* League of Women Voters

Phrases|

* "There you go again"
* "Where's the beef?"
* "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy"
* "Binders full of women"
* "Nasty woman"
* "They're eating the cats"

* v
* t
* e

(← 2008) 2012 United States presidential election (2016 →)

* Fundraising
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Democratic Party|

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Candidates|

* Incumbent nominee: Barack Obama
* campaign
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* positions

Challengers
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Republican Party|

* Convention
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Candidates|

* Nominee: Mitt Romney
* campaign
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* VP nominee: Paul Ryan
* positions

Other candidates
Michele Bachmann

campaign
Herman Cain

campaign
positions
Mark Callahan
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campaign
positions
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John Davis
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campaign
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campaign
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campaign
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campaign
positions
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campaign
Rick Perry

campaign
positions
Buddy Roemer

campaign
Rick Santorum

campaign

Libertarian Party|

* Convention

Candidates|

* Nominee: Gary Johnson
* campaign
* VP nominee: Jim Gray

Other candidates
Carl Person
Sam Sloan

Green Party|

* Convention
* Primaries

Candidates|

* Nominee: Jill Stein
* campaign
* VP nominee: Cheri Honkala

* Other candidates: Stewart Alexander
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Other third-party and independent candidates

American Independent Party|

* Nominee: Tom Hoefling
* Other candidates: Wiley Drake
* Virgil Goode
* campaign
* Edward C. Noonan
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American Third Position Party|

* Nominee: Merlin Miller
* VP nominee: Virginia Abernethy

Constitution Party|

* Convention
* Nominee: Virgil Goode
* campaign
* VP nominee: Jim Clymer
* Other candidates: Laurie Roth
* Robby Wells

Freedom Socialist Party|

* Nominee: Stephen Durham

Grassroots Party|

Nominee
Jim Carlson

Justice Party|

* Nominee: Rocky Anderson
* VP nominee: Luis J. Rodriguez

Socialism and Liberation|

* Nominee: Peta Lindsay

Peace and Freedom Party|

* Nominee: Roseanne Barr
* VP nominee: Cindy Sheehan
* Other candidates: Stewart Alexander
* Rocky Anderson
* Peta Lindsay

Prohibition Party|

* Nominee: Jack Fellure
* Other candidates: James Hedges

Reform Party|

* Nominee: Andre Barnett
* Other candidates: Laurence Kotlikoff
* Buddy Roemer
* campaign
* Robby Wells

Socialist Equality Party|

Nominee
Jerry White

Socialist Workers Party|

* Nominee: James Harris

Socialist Party|

* Nominee: Stewart Alexander
* campaign
* VP nominee: Alejandro Mendoza

Independents and others|

Objectivist Party
Tom Stevens
Independents
Lee Abramson
Randy Blythe
Jeff Boss
Robert Burck
Terry Jones
Joe Schriner
Michael Bloomberg

attempt to draft

* Other 2012 elections:
* House
* Senate
* Gubernatorial

* v
* t
* e

Barack Obama

* 44th President of the United States (2009–2017)
* U.S. Senator from Illinois (2005–2008)
* Illinois Senator from the 13th district (1997–2004)

| Life and
politics|

* Early life and career
* Illinois Senate career
* 2004 Democratic National Convention
* U.S. Senate career
* Political positions
* Administration foreign policy
* Cannabis
* Mass surveillance
* Social
* Space
* 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
* West Wing Week

|

Presidency
(timeline)|

* Transition
* 2009 inauguration
* 2013 inauguration
* First 100 days
* Timeline
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* January 2017
* Foreign policy
* Middle East
* War in Afghanistan
* Iraq withdrawal
* Killing of Osama bin Laden
* Benghazi attack
* Return to Iraq
* War in Syria
* Iran nuclear deal
* Pivot to Asia
* Cuban thaw
* Obama Doctrine
* Europe
* Economic policy
* Affordable Care Act
* American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
* Dodd–Frank Act
* Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
* Energy/Environmental
* Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act
* Marine policy
* New Energy for America
* Regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act
* Clean Power Plan
* Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014
* Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
* New START
* MAP-21st Century Act
* FAST Act
* Pardons
* Presidential trips
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016–17
* international
* Judicial appointments
* Supreme Court
* Sotomayor
* Kagan
* Garland
* controversies
* Cabinet
* Presidential Library and Center
* Executive actions
* Executive orders
* Memoranda
* Proclamations
* Trump transition
* Plantation Estate

Books|

* Dreams from My Father (1995)
* The Audacity of Hope (2006)
* Of Thee I Sing (2010)
* A Promised Land (2020)

Speeches|

* "The Audacity of Hope" (2004)
* "Yes We Can" (2008)
* "A More Perfect Union" (2008)
* "Change Has Come to America" (2008)
* "A New Birth of Freedom" (2009)
* Joint session of Congress (2009)
* "A New Beginning" (2009)
* Joint session of Congress (health care reform) (2009)
* State of the Union Address
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* Tucson memorial speech (2011)
* Joint session of Congress (jobs) (2011)
* "You didn't build that" (2012)
* Selma 50th anniversary (2015)
* Farewell address (2017)

Elections|

| Illinois|

* State Senate
* 1996
* 1998
* 2002
* U.S. House of Representatives
* 2000

|

U.S. Senate|

* 2004

Presidential|

* 2008 campaign
* endorsements
* GOP/conservative support
* staff members
* primaries
* primary campaign
* running mate selection
* convention
* debates
* election
* 2012 campaign
* endorsements
* primaries
* convention
* debates
* election

Family|

* Michelle Obama (wife)
* Ann Dunham (mother)
* Barack Obama Sr. (father)
* Lolo Soetoro (stepfather)
* Maya Soetoro-Ng (maternal half-sister)
* Stanley Armour Dunham (maternal grandfather)
* Madelyn Dunham (maternal grandmother)
* Auma Obama (paternal half-sister)
* Malik Obama (paternal half-brother)
* Marian Robinson (mother-in-law)
* Craig Robinson (brother-in-law)
* Bo (family dog)
* Sunny (family dog)

* v
* t
* e

Public image

News and
political events|

* Oprah Winfrey's endorsement
* Citizenship conspiracy theories
* litigation
* Religion conspiracy theories
* Bill Ayers controversy
* Jeremiah Wright controversy
* Republican and conservative support (2008)
* Assassination threats
* 2008 Denver
* 2008 Tennessee
* First inauguration invitations
* Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
* Citizen's Briefing Book
* Tea Party protests
* New Energy for America
* Gates–Crowley Rose Garden meeting
* Firing of Shirley Sherrod
* Impeachment efforts
* Tan suit controversy

Books about|

* Bibliography
* Obama: From Promise to Power
* Barack Obama: Der schwarze Kennedy
* Redemption Song
* The Case Against Barack Obama
* The Obama Nation
* Culture of Corruption
* Catastrophe
* Barack and Michelle
* The Speech
* The Obama Story
* Between Barack and a Hard Place
* Game Change
* Obama Zombies
* Conservative Victory
* The Bridge
* The Obama Diaries
* The Obama Syndrome
* The Obama Identity
* O: A Presidential Novel
* Where's the Birth Certificate?
* Obama's Last Stand
* Barack Obama: The Story
* Game Change 2012
* Buyer's Remorse
* Rising Star
* Shade
* The World as It Is

Music|

* Obama Girl
* "I Got a Crush... on Obama"
* "Barack the Magic Negro"
* will.i.am
* "Yes We Can"
* "The President Sang Amazing Grace"
* "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama"
* "Sí Se Puede Cambiar"
* "My President"
* "Deadheads for Obama"
* "Air and Simple Gifts"
* Change Is Now
* Hope! – Das Obama Musical
* "Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney"
* Barack's Dubs
* "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"

Film, TV,
and stage|

* By the People: The Election of Barack Obama (2009)
* Change (2010)
* Obama Anak Menteng (2010)
* 2016: Obama's America (2012)
* The Road We've Traveled (2012)
* Southside with You (2016)
* Hillary and Clinton (2016)
* Barry (2016)
* America's Great Divide (2020)
* We the People (2021)
* Renegades: Born in the USA (2021)
* Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (2021)
* The First Lady (2022)
* Picturing the Obamas (2022)

Other media|

* Social media use
* Artists for Obama
* "Hope" poster
* "Joker" poster
* Hair Like Mine
* Situation Room
* Iman Crosson
* The Forgotten Man (2010 painting)
* President Barack Obama (2018 portrait)
* Obama logo
* In comics
* Barack Obama's summer playlist

Related|

* Barack Obama Day (Illinois)
* Obama Day (Kenya)
* Awards and honors
* Namesakes
* Higher Ground Productions
* "One Last Time (44 Remix)"
* Sunlight before signing

* ← George W. Bush
* Donald Trump →

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Joe Biden

* 46th President of the United States (2021–present)
* 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017)
* U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009)

Early career|

* Early life
* U.S. Senate career
* Vice presidency
* Obama transition
* Task forces
* Gun Violence
* Protect Students from Sexual Assault
* First Trump transition
* Classified Information Procedures Act
* Counterterrorism Act
* Violence Against Women Act
* Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act

Presidency|

| Appointments|

* Cabinet
* Agriculture
* Commerce
* Defense
* Education
* Energy
* Executive Office appointments
* HHS
* Homeland Security
* HUD
* Interior
* Justice
* U.S. attorneys
* Labor
* State
* ambassadors
* Transportation
* Treasury
* Veterans Affairs
* Judicial appointments
* Jackson
* Supreme Court candidates

|

Legislation|

| 2021|

* American Rescue Plan Act
* Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act
* Consolidated Appropriations Act
* Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* RENACER Act
* Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

|

2022|

* Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
* CHIPS and Science Act

Consolidated Appropriations Act
* Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act
* Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act
* No TikTok on Government Devices Act
* Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
* State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act
* Emmett Till Antilynching Act
* Inflation Reduction Act
* Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act
* PACT Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* Postal Service Reform Act
* Respect for Marriage Act
* Speak Out Act
* Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act

2023|

* COVID-19 Origin Act
* Fiscal Responsibility Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* DCA agreement between Finland and the US

2024|

* ADVANCE Act
* Consolidated Appropriations Act
* National Defense Authorization Act
* National Security Act
* Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act

2025|

* Social Security Fairness Act

Policies|

* Cannabis
* COVID-19
* COVID-19 Advisory Board
* White House COVID-19 Response Team
* Economic
* Biden v. Nebraska
* Build Back Better Plan
* Electoral and ethical
* Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court
* Summit for Democracy
* Environmental
* 2021 Leaders Summit on Climate
* Executive Order 13990
* Foreign
* 2021 Russia–United States summit
* 2023 Chinese balloon incident
* AUKUS
* Camp David Principles
* Afghanistan withdrawal
* killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri
* War in Ukraine
* 2022 visit by Volodymyr Zelenskyy
* 2023 visit to Ukraine
* War in Israel
* accusation of genocide complicity
* Russian prisoner exchange
* Immigration
* Social
* Space

Timeline|

* Transition
* Inauguration
* security
* protests
* First 100 days
* 2021
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* 2022
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* 2023
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* 2024
* Q1
* Q2
* Q3
* Q4
* January 2025
* Second Trump transition

* Classified documents incident
* Efforts to impeach
* House Oversight Committee investigation
* inquiry
* Executive actions
* proclamations
* Opinion polling
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* Presidential trips
* international
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024–2025
* Death and state funeral of Jimmy Carter

Elections|

| U.S. Senate|

* 1972
* 1978
* 1984
* 1990
* 1996
* 2002
* 2008

|

Vice presidential|

* 2008 campaign
* selection
* convention
* debate
* election
* transition
* 2012 campaign
* convention
* debate
* election

Presidential|

* 1988 campaign
* primaries
* 2008 campaign
* primaries
* debates
* 2020 campaign
* basement campaign
* endorsements
* celebrity
* organizations
* Congress
* state and territorial officials
* municipal officials
* primaries
* endorsements
* debates
* Unity Task Forces
* running mate selection
* convention
* debates
* election
* protests
* 2024 campaign
* withdrawal
* Democratic opposition
* primaries
* endorsements
* protest vote movements
* debate

Family|

* Edward Francis Blewitt (great-grandfather)
* Neilia Hunter Biden (first wife)
* Jill Biden (second wife)
* James Biden (brother)
* Valerie Biden Owens (sister)
* Beau Biden (son)
* Hunter Biden (son)
* Ashley Biden (daughter)
* Howard Krein (son-in-law)
* Hallie Olivere Biden (daughter-in-law)
* Kathleen Buhle (former daughter-in-law)
* Melissa Cohen Biden (daughter-in-law)
* Naomi Biden (granddaughter)
* Dogs
* Champ
* Major
* Commander
* Cat
* Willow

Writings|

* Promises to Keep
* Promise Me, Dad
* Tomorrow Will Be Different (foreword)

Speeches|

* Inaugural address (2021)
* Joint session of Congress (2021)
* State of the Union Address
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* Warsaw speech (2022)
* Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech (2022)
* Farewell address (2025)

Media
depictions|

* Confirmation
* The Choice 2020
* "Intro to Political Science"
* My Son Hunter
* "One Last Ride"
* The Onion's "Diamond Joe"
* Our Cartoon President
* Saturday Night Live parodies
* Spitting Image

Related|

* Age and health concerns
* Awards
* Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot
* Biden Foundation
* Biden Presidential Library
* Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory
* Buy a shotgun
* Eponyms
* Hunter Biden laptop controversy
* I Did That!
* Joever
* Let's Go Brandon
* Public image
* Sexual assault allegation
* Situation Room
* Sleepy Joe
* Trump–Ukraine scandal

* ← Donald Trump
* Donald Trump →

* ← Dick Cheney
* Mike Pence →

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Mitt Romney

* U.S. Senator from Utah (2019–2025)
* 70th Governor of Massachusetts (2003–2007)

Politics|

* 1994 senatorial election
* 2002 gubernatorial election
* Governor of Massachusetts
* health care reform
* 2008 presidential campaign
* 2012 presidential campaign
* vice presidential candidate selection
* 2012 Republican National Convention
* 2012 U.S. presidential election
* "Binders full of women"
* "Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney"
* Mitt
* 2016 anti-Trump speech
* 2018 senatorial election
* Political positions
* Electoral history
* Public image

Business|

* Bain & Company
* Bain Capital

Olympics|

* Salt Lake Organizing Committee

Bibliography|

* Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games
* No Apology: The Case for American Greatness

Family|

* Ann Romney (spouse)
* Tagg Romney (eldest son)
* George W. Romney (father)
* Lenore Romney (mother)
* Gaskell Romney (grandfather)
* Harold A. Lafount (grandfather)
* Miles Park Romney (great-grandfather)
* Milton Romney (cousin)
* Ronna Romney McDaniel (niece)

* Category
* Conservatism portal

* v
* t
* e

Paul Ryan

* 54th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2015–2019)
* Leader of the House Republicans (2015–2019)
* U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 1st district (1999–2019)

Politics|

* Electoral history
* Political positions
* The Path to Prosperity
* A Better Way

Elections|

| U.S. House|

* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014
* 2016

|

Vice presidential|

* 2012 campaign
* selection
* convention
* debate
* election

Speaker|

* October 2015
* 2017

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[No.]: Number