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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The Message Machine

Obama Campaign Slams Romney's Jeep Ad

A worker installs carpet into a Jeep Liberty at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Toledo, Ohio, in 2011.

October 30, 2012 Superstorm Sandy has become the main focus of both candidates, but what politicking does remain has Toledo, Ohio, and its Jeep plant at its center. The campaigns are fighting over Mitt Romney's claim that all Jeep jobs are heading to China. Chrysler and the Obama campaign say that's not true.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Friday, October 26, 2012

It's All Politics

Obama May Not Need To Repeat 2008 Support From White Voters To Win

The erosion of President Obama's support among white voters means he must rely even more on nonwhites.

October 26, 2012 President Obama did better with white voters four years ago than most Democratic presidential candidates in recent decades. Polls show he won't repeat that success. But the growth in nonwhite voters the past four years means he has a way to overcome the loss.

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Solve This

In A Shift From 2008 Race, Obama's Hush On Climate

A boat skims through the melting ice in the Ilulissat fiord, on the western coast of Greenland, in 2008. The glacier is the most active in the Northern Hemisphere, producing 10 percent of Greenland's icebergs, or some 20 million tons of ice per day. But experts say the glacier is in bad shape because of climate change.

October 26, 2012 In sharp contrast to his 2008 campaign, President Obama hasn't mentioned climate change on the campaign trail this time around, instead choosing to focus on the economic side of clean energy rather than the climate change side.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

It's All Politics

In Search Of Obama's Second-Term Agenda

President Obama holds a copy of "The New Economic Patriotism: A Plan for Jobs & Middle-Class Security," which outlines some of his agenda for a second term, during a rally in Richmond, Va., on Thursday.

October 26, 2012 The president has been relatively mum during the campaign about what he would do if given a second term. He outlined more specific ideas this week — but he hasn't explained how he would get those ideas through Congress.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

It's All Politics

Obama Campaign Invokes '537' To Get Out The Vote

Broward County canvassing board member Judge Robert Rosenberg examines a disputed ballot Nov. 24, 2000, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

October 24, 2012 An Obama campaign ad airing in swing states referencing the 2000 Florida recount uses memorable images of the days following the election to encourage supporters to vote. It calls 537 "the number of votes that changed the course of American history."

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Friday, October 19, 2012

It's All Politics

Obama Battling To Maintain Women's Vote, Seen As His Key To Victory

The crowd joins Republican Mitt Romney in singing the national anthem at a rally Wednesday in Chesapeake, Va.

October 19, 2012 Four years ago, 56 percent of female voters cast their ballots for Barack Obama. But with a recent poll showing him tied with Mitt Romney among women, Obama has been working anew to sway the demographic seen as key to his hold on the White House. Romney has been working to stop him.

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It's All Politics

Colorado, A Big Win For Obama In 2008, Now A Harder Sell

Supporters turned out for President Obama's first post-debate rally on Oct.4 in Denver. The president is facing a fierce fight for Colorado after winning it by 9 points four years ago.

October 19, 2012 In Colorado, the presidential race is a statistical dead heat. The state went heavily for candidate Barack Obama in 2008 — but the president is now facing fierce headwinds. The race is starting to look more like what's happening nationwide — a struggle to bring out the party base.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

It's All Politics

A Stronger Showing At Hofstra, But Ghost Of Denver Still Haunts Obama

President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney participate in the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on Tuesday.

October 17, 2012 The president's improved performance last night doesn't eradicate the damage from the Oct. 3 debate. Only one chance remains to do so before Election Day, so the pressure that animated the Hofstra debate will be all the greater in Monday's finale in Florida.

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It's All Politics

How Obama Got His Groove Back, And Other Debate Takeaways

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Obama spar over energy policy during the second presidential debate at Hofstra University on Tuesday.

October 17, 2012 Other takeaways from Tuesday's debate: President Obama gets tough while his GOP rival, Mitt Romney, gives no ground; voters are unhappy; candidates can't let go of the past; and the debate on foreign policy is truly teed up.

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Monday, October 15, 2012

It's All Politics

The Not-So-Great Communicator: Is Obama Overrated As A Speaker?

President Obama speaks to supporters last month during a campaign stop in Las Vegas.

October 15, 2012 Since becoming president, Obama's rhetorical triumphs have been just that: moving speeches delivered on ceremonial occasions. When it comes to policy and attempts to move public opinion, the silver-tongued Obama has largely been absent.

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Parallel Lives

Hawaii Prep School Gave Obama Window To Success

Barack Obama in a 1975 photo from the Punahou School yearbook. He and his eighth-grade homeroom classmates pose with a slide projector as part of the yearbook's theme of "Nostalgia."

October 13, 2012 Punahou School occupies a privileged position in Hawaiian society. Barack Obama attended the school on a scholarship starting in the fifth grade. Punahou's lasting gift to Obama was that the elite environment familiarized him with success.

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On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

It's All Politics

'I Was Just Too Polite,' Says Obama, Vowing To Hit Hard At Next Debate

President Obama promised to take it to Mitt Romney in future debates.

October 10, 2012 President Obama told black radio host Tom Joyner that many Democrats might have gotten comfortable, believing an Obama win was inevitable. But inside his campaign, they always thought the race would be close.

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It's All Politics

As Race Tightens, The Electoral Map Still Favors Obama

A boy examines CSPAN's 2012 presidential race electoral map at the American Presidential Experience exhibit last month in Charlotte, N.C.

October 10, 2012 The outcome of the presidential race will come down to swing states, but Obama begins the race to 270 with the comfort of counting on a greater number of all-but-certain electoral votes than Romney has.

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Monday, October 08, 2012

Solve This

Obama's Jobs Plan Focuses On Federal Investment

President Obama speaks during a campaign event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., on Friday.

October 8, 2012 His plan calls for more spending on infrastructure, a tax cut for firms that hire new workers, aid to state and local governments, and a program to rebuild schools. An analyst who has studied it says the infrastructure part makes sense, but the rest is less potent.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Friday, October 05, 2012

It's All Politics

For Obama, 7.8 Could Be Lucky Number

President Obama smiles during a rally Friday at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

October 5, 2012 The latest jobs report was good news for President Obama and not so much for Mitt Romney, whose campaign has been predicated on the argument that a bad economy requires a change in White House occupancy.

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