archive

September 12, 2012 A group of political scientists counted 40,974 ads on behalf of President Obama versus 17,779 for Mitt Romney during the two weeks of the political conventions.

Summary

September 12, 2012 The death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans at the hands of extremists there quickly became an issue in the 2012 presidential race. Republican Mitt Romney accused the administration of making an "apology for America's values," and of sending "mixed messages to the world."

Summary

September 7, 2012 From claims about deficit reduction and job creation to things Mitt Romney has said about Russia and Detroit, the Democratic ticket twisted a few words here and there, independent watchdogs say.

Summary

• OBAMA: 'Times Have Changed ... So Have I'
• RETELL POLITICS: Obama's Mother Gets Another Look
• TAKEAWAYS: Once Candidate Of Hope, Obama Now Cites Change

September 6, 2012 When talks fell part in July 2011, "I was pretty angry," the president tells Bob Woodward. The Washington Post journalist's latest book is coming out next week.

Summary

September 4, 2012 When Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland answered "no," Republicans jumped on the comment. Vice President Biden weighed in, saying the answer's yes because "bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive." Expect much more to be said.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

September 1, 2012 With polls suggesting a North Carolina race that's tight as a tick, Republicans are seeking to increase their vote across the board, including places where President Obama did well in 2008. On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, an on-the-ground look at the race in the host state.

Summary

August 31, 2012 The GOP's "We Built That" theme, which grew out of a gaffe by President Obama, all but took over the Tampa convention. Republicans say this line of attack, legitimate or not, highlights what they say is Obama's true attitude toward business. And they believe they can win by convincing the public that the president doesn't understand where jobs come from.

Summary

August 30, 2012 In a picture, the words Rep. Paul Ryan used in accepting the Republican Party's vice presidential nomination show he had a lot to say about President Obama. He wasn't applauding the president's performance.

Summary

August 25, 2012 President Obama and Mitt Romney are both vying for the traditionally red state of North Carolina. While some Republicans see no way Obama can win, two political strategists with long careers in the state, one a Republican, the other a Democrat, say Obama has a very good chance of repeating his 2008 upset in the state.

Summary

August 24, 2012 Earlier this month, it was President Obama getting a dig in about Mitt Romney having once put his dog in a crate on top of a car. Today it was Romney making a reference to the "birther" conspiracy.

Summary

August 22, 2012 The race remains tight with President Obama holding an edge so small that it's still within the margin of error, two new surveys show.

Summary

August 20, 2012 Rep. Todd Akin's rape comment gave Democrats new fodder for their argument that Republicans are out of step on women's issues. In addition to endangering Akin's Senate bid amid GOP calls for him to step aside, it gave Democrats a new way to attack the GOP's White House ticket.

Summary

August 17, 2012 The Romney campaign quickly rejected the Obama campaign's call to release five years of tax returns. But the move keeps the GOP presidential candidate on the defensive.

Summary

August 13, 2012 President Obama and GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan were in Iowa, where they told supporters that the general election would give voters a stark choice between two visions of the nation's future. With Mitt Romney in Florida and Joe Biden in North Carolina, all four candidates worked to energize supporters in key swing states.

Summary