Barack Obama Check out the latest NPR coverage of President Obama's bid for re-election in 2012.

Special Series

Barack Obama

Check out the latest NPR coverage of President Obama's bid for re-election in 2012.

Friday January 27, 2012

Obama Vs. Gingrich? More Reasons GOP Fears The Matchup

Pundits say former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had a mediocre performance in the Jacksonville, Fla., debate on Thursday. Scott Audette/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Scott Audette/Reuters /Landov

Obama Vs. Gingrich? More Reasons GOP Fears The Matchup

January 27, 2012 • Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg projects that President Obama would bury Newt Gingrich in the Electoral College. The president has also gained ground against Mitt Romney.

Wednesday January 25, 2012

Taking His Economic Message On The Road, Obama Touts Factory Jobs In Iowa

President Obama tours Conveyor Engineering and Manufacturing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Taking His Economic Message On The Road, Obama Touts Factory Jobs In Iowa

January 25, 2012 • President Obama kicked off a three-day re-election road tour Wednesday, starting out at a manufacturing plant in Iowa. The president is promoting job growth in the manufacturing industry while defending the government's bailout of the auto industry.

Taking His Economic Message On The Road, Obama Touts Factory Jobs In Iowa

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Obama, At Crossroads, Takes Different Route Than Clinton Chose In '96

In the final State of the Union address of his term, President Obama called for an economy "where everyone gets a fair shot." Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Obama, At Crossroads, Takes Different Route Than Clinton Chose In '96

January 25, 2012 • Faced with a re-election fight, Bill Clinton used his State of the Union address to declare "the era of big government is over." President Obama focused instead on economic fairness, an issue his mother embraced.

Thursday January 19, 2012

Obama's First 2012 TV Ad Defends Energy Record, Dings Koch Bros.

January 19, 2012 • The spot isn't just a defense of the president's energy policy, including loan guarantees to green energy companies like the failed Solyndra. It's also a defense of his ethics.

Friday January 13, 2012

Obama's Most Vocal Black Critics Dial Back Attacks As Election Year Begins

Princeton professor Cornel West (right) and talk show host Tavis Smiley on Oct. 9. Jim Ruymen/UPI /Landov hide caption

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Jim Ruymen/UPI /Landov

Obama's Most Vocal Black Critics Dial Back Attacks As Election Year Begins

January 13, 2012 • Tavis Smiley and Cornel West have made a traveling road show out of their roles criticizing President Obama. As the 2012 campaign begins in earnest, the duo seem to be moderating their tone.

Obama Government-Streamlining Offer Creates GOP Dilemma

January 13, 2012 • Maybe even if it weren't a general-election year, President Obama would still be proposing that Congress give him the power to merge federal agencies to make the government smaller and more efficient. But it is an election year and the president's proposal gives him a way to counter GOP charges that he's a big-government Democrat.

Thursday January 12, 2012

Obama, DNC Exceed 4th Qtr Money Goal But Fear Complacency

January 12, 2012 • Obama's campaign raised a lot of cash in 2011, exceeding its internal goals, according to reports. But it's worried about a rumored $1 billion goal — as in the amount the president intends to raise and spend on his re-election — which the campaign says is a myth.

Tuesday January 3, 2012

As Republicans Caucus, Obama Campaign Buys Premium Iowa Ad Space

January 3, 2012 • President Obama is using Iowa's largest newspaper to get his message across as Republicans compete in the Iowa caucuses, the first-in-the-nation nominating contest.

Monday January 2, 2012

Iowa Democrats Caucus Too; For Obama Team, It's Practice For November

January 2, 2012 • The focus is naturally on the Republican caucuses Tuesday night in Iowa, because the GOP is the party with a battle going on for its presidential nomination. But the Obama campaign is treating the Democratic caucuses as a dry run for the election.

Thursday December 15, 2011

In Iowa, Obama's Campaign Team Rehearses For 2012

President Obama speaks with small-business owners at Rausch's Cafe in Guttenberg, Iowa, during a three-day Midwest bus tour in August. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

In Iowa, Obama's Campaign Team Rehearses For 2012

December 15, 2011 • While all eyes are on the GOP presidential contenders, there's another candidate busy building an organization in Iowa: Barack Obama. Volunteers have opened eight offices across the Hawkeye State, hosted dozens of house parties and logged tens of thousands of telephone calls.

In Iowa, Obama's Campaign Team Rehearses For 2012

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Monday December 12, 2011

Obama On '60 Minutes' Confident He Can Win 'Choice' Election

December 12, 2011 • When "60 Minutes" journalist Steve Kroft in an interview with Obama aired Sunday asserted that Obama was being "judged on your performance," Obama said he was actually being compared against the ideal, a comparison he knows he can't win. He'd rather be compared to the actual flesh and blood Republicans and their agenda.

As U.S. Troops Exit Iraq, Obama Meets With Maliki

On this April 7, 2009, visit to Iraq, President Obama greets U.S. troops at Camp Victory in Baghdad. On Dec. 2, 2011, the base was handed over to the Iraqi government. All U.S. soldiers are to be gone from Iraq by year's end. Charles Dharapak/Associated Press hide caption

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Charles Dharapak/Associated Press

It's All Politics

As U.S. Troops Exit Iraq, Obama Meets With Maliki

December 12, 2011 • The last American troops are coming home from Iraq this month, and President Obama is marking the occasion with a series of events to commemorate the conclusion of the war. On Wednesday at Fort Bragg, N.C., he and the first lady will thank troops for their service.

As U.S. Troops Exit Iraq, Obama Meets With Maliki

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Friday December 2, 2011

It's All Politics

What Does Surprise Jobless Rate Drop Mean For Obama And 2012?

December 2, 2011 • News of a fairly dramatic month-to-month drop in the jobless rate in November, down to 8.6 percent from 9 percent the month before, is guaranteed to trigger a feverish round of speculation as to what it means for the 2012 general election. At first blush, it seems like good news for those Americans getting work and for those hoping to keep their jobs, first and foremost President Obama.

Saturday November 26, 2011

Obama Backers Hope To Rekindle Enthusiasm In Iowa

In October 2008, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. Now, even without a Democratic challenger, President Obama plans aggressive roles in states with early presidential primaries, especially in Iowa and other battleground states. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

Obama Backers Hope To Rekindle Enthusiasm In Iowa

IPR News & Studio One

November 26, 2011 • Iowa voters catapulted the young senator from Illinois to victory in the state's leadoff caucuses four years ago. The president's campaign, which is gearing up in the early states ahead of next year's election, is counting on activists to stick with him in 2012.

Obama Backers Hope To Rekindle Enthusiasm In Iowa

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November 17, 2011 • In a classic case of taking a political opponent's comments out of context, some of the presidents Republican opponents are attacking President Obama for a remark in which he said U.S. policymakers have been "lazy" in recent decades for not creating the best environment to attract foreign direct investment to the U.S.

Friday January 27, 2012

Wednesday January 25, 2012

Taking His Economic Message On The Road, Obama Touts Factory Jobs In Iowa

Thursday January 19, 2012

Friday January 13, 2012

Thursday January 12, 2012

Tuesday January 3, 2012

Monday January 2, 2012

Thursday December 15, 2011

In Iowa, Obama's Campaign Team Rehearses For 2012

Monday December 12, 2011

As U.S. Troops Exit Iraq, Obama Meets With Maliki

Friday December 2, 2011

Saturday November 26, 2011

IPR News & Studio One

Obama Backers Hope To Rekindle Enthusiasm In Iowa

Thursday November 17, 2011