Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign

{{Short description|American political campaign}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox election campaign | name = Obama for America | logo = 300px ''2012 Obama–Biden campaign logo'' | logo_size = | logo_alt = | campaign = 2012 Democratic primaries 2012 US presidential election | candidate = '''Barack Obama''' 44th President of the United States ''(2009–2017)'' '''Joe Biden''' 47th vice president of the United States ''(2009–2017)'' | affiliation = Democratic Party | status = Announced: April 4, 2011 Presumptive nominee: April 3, 2012 Official nominee: September 5, 2012 Won election: November 6, 2012 Certification: January 4, 2013 Inaugurated: January 20, 2013 | formed = | announced = | launched = | suspended = | headquarters = 130 East Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601<ref>{{cite web|author=Jeff Zeleny |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obama-2012-campaign-to-start-in-chicago/768537/ |title=Obama 2012 campaign to start in Chicago |work=The Indian Express |date=March 29, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> | key_people = Jim Messina (campaign chairman) David Axelrod (senior strategist) Harper Reed (chief technology officer) Michael Slaby (chief integration and innovation officer) Stephanie Cutter (deputy campaign manager) Brent Colburn (communications director) Matthew Barzun (finance chairman) Ben LaBolt (national press secretary) Rufus Gifford (finance director) | receipts = {{US$|738,503,770}} | fec_date = 2012-12-31<ref name="receipts">{{cite web |url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_12+P80003338 |title=Candidate (P80003338) Summary Reports – 2011–2012 Cycle |publisher=Federal Election Commission |access-date=July 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012125841/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_12+P80003338 |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | slogan = Forward. Middle Class First | themesong = | chant = | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20120907112503/http://www.barackobama.com/ www.barackobama.com] (archived) }} {{US 2012 presidential elections series}} {{Barack Obama series|expanded=Presidential campaigns}} {{Joe Biden series|expanded=Vice presidential campaigns}}

On April 4, 2011, Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, announced his candidacy for re-election as President.<ref>(April 4, 2011) [http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/04/04/Obama-announces-re-election-bid/UPI-95081301905800/?dailybrief "Obama announces re-election bid"], United Press International. Retrieved April 4, 2011.</ref><ref>Condon, Stephanie (April 4, 2011) [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-launches-2012-campaign-with-web-video/ "Obama launches 2012 campaign with web video"], CBS News. Retrieved April 4, 2011.</ref> On September 5, 2012, he again became the nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2012 presidential election. Along with his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden,<ref name="ObamaBiden">{{cite news|url=http://www.wcsh6.com/rss/article/193366/68/Obama-Biden-officially-begin-re-election-campaign|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209024352/http://www.wcsh6.com/rss/article/193366/68/Obama-Biden-officially-begin-re-election-campaign|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 9, 2013|title=Obama, Biden officially begin re-election campaign|last=Christian|first=Ken|date=March 26, 2012|publisher=wcsh6.com|access-date=May 4, 2012}}</ref> Obama was opposed in the general election by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, along with various<ref name="nytimes1">Shear, Michael D. (April 4, 2011) {{cite news|url= http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/obama-launches-re-election-facing-new-political-challenges/?hp |title=Obama Launches Re-Election Facing New Political Challenge|location=United States |work=The New York Times |date= April 4, 2011|access-date=April 4, 2011 |first=Michael D. |last=Shear}}</ref><ref name="guardian1">{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/04/barack-obama-twitter-facebook-election |title=Barack Obama tweets the start to his 2012 re-election campaign |work=The Guardian |date= April 4, 2011|access-date=April 4, 2011 |location=London |first=Richard |last=Adams| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110405002108/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/04/barack-obama-twitter-facebook-election| archive-date= April 5, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> minor candidates from other parties. The election took place on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.

Obama's campaign headquarters was in Chicago and key members of his successful campaign in 2008, such as Jim Messina and David Axelrod, returned to staff it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110404/ap_on_el_ge/us_obama2012 |title=Obama opens bid for new term, no longer outsider – Yahoo!! News |publisher=Yahoo! News |access-date=April 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405201718/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110404/ap_on_el_ge/us_obama2012 |archive-date=April 5, 2011 }}</ref> On the day of the announcement, the campaign released a promotional video showing supporters of Obama organizing for the re-election effort.<ref name="nytimes1"/> As ''The Guardian'' newspaper noted, this was the first American presidential re-election campaign to use Facebook and Twitter for promotion.<ref name="guardian1"/>

Between early-2011 and June 30, 2012, the Obama campaign and supporters spent approximately $400 million, according to the Federal Election Commission.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Confessore |first1=Nicholas |last2=McGinty |first2=Jo Craven |date=2012-08-05 |title=Record Spending by Obama's Camp Shrinks Coffers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/us/politics/record-spending-by-obamas-camp-shrinks-coffers.html |access-date=2023-02-17 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Obama won his reelection bid by a margin of 51.06 to 47.21%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012presgeresults.pdf |title=Official 2012 Presidential General Election Results |url-status=dead |access-date=March 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140731191620/http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012presgeresults.pdf |archive-date=July 31, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref> This was the first time since 1944, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt won re-election, that a Democratic president had won by a majority of the electoral votes and over 51% of the popular vote twice.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/171178/obama-has-great-big-mandate-and-he-must-use-it# |title=Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate |last=Nichols |first=John |date=November 9, 2012 |work=The Nation |access-date=November 18, 2012}}</ref>

==Early stages== {{See also|Presidency of Barack Obama|Political positions of Barack Obama}}

On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. On April 4, 2011, President Obama officially announced his candidacy for re-election.<ref name="guardian1"/> The announcement was made through an online video titled "It Begins With Us", posted on his campaign website. The President also filled out official forms with the FEC at that time.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/04/barack_obamas_re-election_campaign | newspaper=The Economist | title=Lack of change you can believe in | date=April 4, 2011}}</ref>

President Obama did not face a significant challenge in the Democratic primaries, with no other candidate on the ballot in all but seven states. On April 3, 2012, Obama won the Maryland and District of Columbia primaries, giving him more than the required 2,778 delegates to secure the nomination.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/breaking-obama-clinches-democratic-nomination/ |title=Obama clinches Democratic nomination |publisher=CNN |date=April 3, 2012 |access-date=April 3, 2012 |archive-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404203415/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/breaking-obama-clinches-democratic-nomination/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> On April 30, 2012, the campaign announced that its slogan would be "Forward".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2012-apr-30-la-pn-obama-campaign-video-forward-20120430-story.html |title=Obama campaign video teases new slogan: 'Forward' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 30, 2012 |access-date=May 3, 2012 |author=Memoli, Michael A.}}</ref>

The campaign was based in Chicago in One Prudential Plaza, instead of in Washington, D.C., where all other modern incumbent presidents have had their re-election headquarters.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/news/2011/04/2012-campaign-barrels-through-l-a/ |first=Edwin |last=Folven |title=2012 Campaign Barrels Through L.A. |work=Parke Labrea News/Beverly Press |date=April 27, 2011 |access-date=May 16, 2011 |archive-date=May 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502004302/http://parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/news/2011/04/2012-campaign-barrels-through-l-a/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/us/politics/21obama.html |first=Jeff |last=Zeleny |title=Obama Will Move Political Operations to Chicago |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 20, 2011 |access-date=May 16, 2011}}</ref> The decision to base the campaign outside of Washington was said have been taken so as to ensure grassroots support for re-election.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/obama-campaign-to-be-run-from-chicago/ |first=Jeff |last=Zeleny |title=Obama Campaign Picks Headquarters in Chicago |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 28, 2011 |access-date=May 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110421021807/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/obama-campaign-to-be-run-from-chicago/| archive-date= April 21, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>

== Fundraising == {{main|Fundraising for the 2012 United States presidential election}}

The campaign began accepting online donations on April 4, 2011, the day Obama announced his candidacy. In the first 24 hours after online donations began to be accepted, over 23,000 online donations of $200 or less were made.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/06/obama-re-election-campaign-touts-small-dollar-donations/ |publisher=CNN |date=April 6, 2011 |title=Obama re-election campaign touts small dollar donations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107171819/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/06/obama-re-election-campaign-touts-small-dollar-donations/ |archive-date=January 7, 2012 }}</ref> President Obama headlined his first campaign fundraiser in April 2011 in Chicago. He also headlined fundraisers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York in April 2011.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-heads-to-chicago-for-first-fundraisers-for-his-2012-campaign/ | work=CBS News | first=Mark | last=Knoller | title=Obama heads to Chicago for first fundraisers for his 2012 campaign | date=April 14, 2011}}</ref> On April 29, 2011, it was announced that Matthew Barzun, the United States Ambassador to Sweden, would serve as finance chairman.<ref name="finance chair"/> Many sources claim that the campaign may be the first campaign in US history to raise more than one billion dollars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://protopolitics.com/node/96 |title=Obama wants to raise 1 Billion Dollars for 2012 campaign |publisher=Protopolitics.com |access-date=September 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904051221/http://protopolitics.com/node/96 |archive-date=September 4, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kavanagh |first=Tom |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/13/obamas-2012-campaign-fundraising-could-top-1-billion/ |title=Obama's 2012 Campaign Fundraising Could Top $1 Billion |publisher=Politics Daily |date=December 13, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2011 |archive-date=August 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823135307/http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/13/obamas-2012-campaign-fundraising-could-top-1-billion/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Jeanne Cummings |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/01/team-obamas-2012-cash-challenge-047596 |title=Team Obama's 2012 cash challenge |publisher=Politico |date=January 14, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Steve Peoples |url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_98/obama-billion-204192-1.html |title=GOP Has New 2012 Target: Obama's $1 Billion Campaign |publisher=Roll Call |date=March 17, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> In March 2011, Campaign Chairman Jim Messina asked a group of 450 top donors to raise $350,000.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/us/politics/18democrats.html | work=The New York Times | first=Jeff | last=Zeleny | title=$350,000 Goal Is Set For Re-election Donors | date=March 17, 2011}}</ref> During the second fundraising quarter of 2011 (the first of the campaign), the campaign raised a record amount of $86,000,000.<ref>{{cite news|author=Chase Davis |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/14/obama-california-fundraisin_n_898320.html?ir=Politics&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008 |title=Obama's California Fundraisers: How Much Money Exactly? |work=The Huffington Post |date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> As of May 3, 2012, Obama and his team have held 130 fundraisers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-easily-switches-into-campaign-mode-for-fundraisers/ |title=Frequent Fundraiser: Obama Sets Record |website=ABC News |date=May 3, 2012 |access-date=July 30, 2012 |first1=Devin |last1=Dwyer }}</ref>

More than 550,000 individuals donated towards the campaign in the second quarter of 2011, which is a much larger number than the 180,000 individuals who donated to Obama's 2008 campaign during the first half of 2007.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-takes-2012-fundraising-lead-with-86m/ | work=CBS News | title=Obama takes 2012 fundraising lead with $86M |date=July 13, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801081740/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-takes-2012-fundraising-lead-with-86m/ |archive-date=Aug 1, 2020 }}</ref> From the beginning of the campaign to December 31, 2011, more than 1.3 million individual donated to the campaign.<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-02-15/presidential-fundraising-Obama-GOP/53106898/1 |title=Obama leads presidential money chase in two-thirds of states |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419113727/http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-02-15/presidential-fundraising-Obama-GOP/53106898/1 |archive-date=April 19, 2012 |website=USA Today |date=February 15, 2012 |access-date=July 30, 2012 |first1=Fredreka |last1=Schouten |first2=Christopher |last2=Schnaars }}</ref> The LGBT community had donated a record amount so far to the campaign.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman |url=https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54539_Page2.html |title=Gay donors fuel President Obama's 2012 campaign |publisher=Politico |date=May 9, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> As of March 31, 2012, the campaign had raised $191.7 million.<ref>[http://www.fec.gov/disclosurep/pnational.do Presidential Campaign Finance]. Fec.gov. Retrieved July 30, 2012.</ref>

On May 10, 2012, Obama attended a fundraiser in the Los Angeles home of actor George Clooney, which raised over $15 million. The fundraiser was initially estimated to raise about $10 million, but after Obama's historic announcement of his support for same-sex marriage, the amount went up significantly. Many believed that the LGBT community and activists would donate historic amounts after the announcement.<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0511/Gay-marriage-Clooney-fundraiser-a-hint-of-coming-Obama-money-boom-video Gay marriage: Clooney fundraiser a hint of coming Obama money boom (+video)]. ''The Christian Science Monitor''. Retrieved July 30, 2012.</ref>

Obama's campaign was also supported by Priorities USA Action, an independent expenditure PAC founded by several former Obama campaign officials, but legally prohibited from coordinating with the candidate or his campaign.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.prioritiesusaaction.org/about|work=Priorities USA Action|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Draper|first=Robert|title=Can the Democrats Catch Up in the Super-PAC Game?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/magazine/can-the-democrats-catch-up-in-the-super-pac-game.html |access-date=July 9, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>Grier, Peter (January 18, 2012). [https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Vox-News/2012/0118/Will-Jon-Stewart-go-to-jail-for-running-Stephen-Colbert-s-super-PAC "Will Jon Stewart go to jail for running Stephen Colbert's super PAC?"]. ''The Christian Science Monitor''.</ref>

== Technology == The engineering investment of the Obama 2012 campaign was unprecedented, under the leadership of CTO Harper Reed.<ref>{{cite web|title=When the Nerds Go Marching In|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/when-the-nerds-go-marching-in/265325/|publisher=The Atlantic|access-date=November 19, 2016 |author=Alexis Madrigal|date=November 16, 2012}}</ref> Reed helped build a team of developers from tech companies like Twitter, Google, Facebook, Craigslist, Quora, Orbitz and Threadless. This approach— hiring technology workers from the tech startups rather than the political realm— was novel.<ref name=hr-wired>{{cite news|last=Madrigal|first=Alexis|title=When the Nerds Go Marching In|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/when-the-nerds-go-marching-in/265325/|newspaper=Wired|access-date=8 December 2013|date=16 November 2012}}</ref> A central component of that work was Project Narwhal, a centralized database of electoral information.<ref name=hr-slate>{{cite news|last=Issenberg|first=Sasha|author-link=Sasha Issenberg|title=Obama's White Whale|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/victory_lab/2012/02/project_narwhal_how_a_top_secret_obama_campaign_program_could_change_the_2012_race_.html|newspaper=Slate|access-date=8 December 2013|date=15 February 2012}}</ref>

Dan Wagner was Chief Analytics Officer, running the 54-person analytics team out of a windowless office known as the 'cave.' His team's predictions were remarkably accurate to the actual election results.<ref name=mit>{{cite news|last=Issenberg|first=Sasha|author-link=Sasha Issenberg|title=How Obama's Team Used Big Data to Rally Voters|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/509026/how-obamas-team-used-big-data-to-rally-voters/|newspaper=MIT Technology Review|access-date=19 November 2016|date=19 December 2012}}</ref>

== Getting out the vote == [[File:20121106 Barack Obama making phone calls.jpg|thumb|right|Obama participating in a phone bank Election Day]]

The Obama campaign was highly effective in getting out the vote, in using technology to identify voters, and in capitalizing on growing segments of the voting population.

President Obama won reelection, not by going after independent voters, but by going after emerging groups in the U.S. population. By race, age and gender, voters made clear that America is made up of many parts, and the Obama team captured more of them, and delivered more of them to the polls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Obama Capitalizes On Emerging Voter Groups|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164582496/obama-capitalizes-on-emerging-voter-groups|publisher=NPR|access-date=November 18, 2012 |author=Renee Montqgne|author2=Cokie Roberts|date=November 7, 2012}}</ref>

==Events leading up to the election==

===Presidential debates=== {{Main|2012 United States presidential debates}}

The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) held four debates for the 2012 US presidential general election, slated for various locations around the United States in October 2012 – three of them involving the major party presidential nominees (later determined to be Democratic President Barack Obama from Illinois and former Republican governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts), and one involving the vice-presidential nominees (Vice President Joe Biden from Delaware and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin).<ref name=formats>Little, Morgan (July 25, 2012) [https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-presidential-debate-formats-announced-feature-town-hall-20120725,0,7862238.story "Presidential debate formats announced, feature town hall"], ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved July 26, 2012.</ref>

===Hurricane Sandy=== {{Main|Hurricane Sandy|Political impact of Hurricane Sandy}}

Hurricane Sandy affected the presidential campaign as well as local and state campaigns in storm-damaged areas, as it hit the New England coast a week before the election. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, one of Mitt Romney's leading supporters, praised President Barack Obama and his reaction to the hurricane and toured storm-damaged areas of his state with the president.<ref>{{cite news|last=Horsey|first=David|title=Chris Christie and Hurricane Sandy give Obama a timely boost|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-chris-christie-boost-20121031,0,1044954.story|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=November 2, 2012 |date=October 31, 2012}}</ref> Obama signed emergency declarations on October 28 for several states expected to be impacted by Sandy, allowing them to request federal aid and make additional preparations in advance of the storm.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/28/sandy-bringing-life-threatening-storm-surge|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028200031/http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/28/sandy-bringing-life-threatening-storm-surge/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 28, 2012|title=It's watch and wait as Hurricane Sandy approaches|publisher=CNN|access-date=October 29, 2012|date=October 28, 2012}}</ref> According to Karl Rove and Bill Clinton, the hurricane and its aftermath ended up helping Obama; the hurricane drew attention away from the campaigns and Obama was able to take a bipartisan position and be "presidential".<ref>{{cite news|last=Camia|first=Catalina|title=Romney: Clinton said Hurricane Sandy helped Obama|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2012/11/15/romney-clinton-election-sandy/1706831/|work=USA Today|access-date=November 30, 2012 |date=November 15, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hurricane Sandy helped Obama politically, Karl Rove says|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/02/hurricane-sandy-helped-obama-politically-karl-rove-says/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=November 30, 2012 |author=Michael Leahy|author2=Sean Sullivan|date=November 2, 2012}}</ref> The event sparked debates and discussions on climate change, which had been ignored by both parties prior to the event.<ref>{{cite news |title=Transcript of President Obama's News Conference |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/us/politics/running-transcript-of-president-obamas-press-conference.html |access-date=November 14, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 14, 2012}}</ref>

== Election and victory ==

On November 6, 2012, Obama was re-elected for his second term as President of the United States. He won 65,915,795 popular votes and 332 electoral votes, with two states fewer than in his 2008 victory. In his victory speech in Chicago, he promised to "sit down with" Mitt Romney to discuss a bipartisan future for the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=President Obama's Victory Speech 2012|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/president-obama-wins-2012-election-victory-speech-17661714|work=ABC News|access-date=November 18, 2012 |date=November 6, 2012}}</ref>

== Structure ==

=== Campaign staff and policy team ===

Many key people from the successful 2008 campaign returned. David Axelrod, who was in charge of Media in 2008 and who worked in the White House as a Senior Advisor to the President from 2009 until 2011, returned to Chicago to work on the campaign as the top communications official.<ref name="huffingtonpost.com">{{cite news|author=Sam Stein |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/05/obama-2012-campaign-press-secretary_n_845252.html |title=Obama 2012 Campaign Names National Press Secretary |work=The Huffington Post |date=April 15, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> Jim Messina, who worked in the White House as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations from 2009 until 2011, moved to Chicago to be campaign manager.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2011/02/obama_2012_team_in_chicago_mes.html | work=Chicago Sun-Times | title=Obama 2012 team in Chicago: Messina scouting HQ, courting donors}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Kevin Spak |url=http://www.newser.com/story/81680/obama-team-already-planning-for-2012.html |title=Obama Team Already Planning for 2012 |publisher=Newser.com |date=February 24, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://billionaires.forbes.com/article/06dFdUi7gu8Ib?q=David+Axelrod |title=The World's Billionaires |work=Forbes |access-date=April 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812113154/http://billionaires.forbes.com/article/06dFdUi7gu8Ib?q=David+Axelrod |archive-date=August 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Matthew Barzun, the United States Ambassador to Sweden, was finance chairman.<ref name="finance chair">{{cite news|author=1310 News|title=Obama taps fundraiser, ambassador to Sweden as 2012 campaign finance chairman|url=http://www.1310news.com/news/world/article/219483--obama-taps-fundraiser-ambassador-to-sweden-as-2012-campaign-finance-chairman|access-date=May 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203933/http://www.1310news.com/news/world/article/219483--obama-taps-fundraiser-ambassador-to-sweden-as-2012-campaign-finance-chairman|archive-date=July 21, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, who worked at the Democratic National Committee as an executive director, was named deputy campaign manager.<ref name="RollCall">Trygstad, Kyle (April 7, 2011) {{cite web|url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_107/-204685-1.html |title=Shop Talk: Obama's 2012 Campaign Team Is Shaping Up |location=United States |publisher=Roll Call |access-date=May 2, 2011}}</ref> The other deputy campaign manager was Julianna Smoot, who was the 2008 finance director and was briefly the White House Social Secretary.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/05/AR2011030502069.html?wprss=rss_politics | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Dan | last=Balz | title=Obama's 2012 reelection team gets moving | date=March 5, 2011}}</ref>

Ben LaBolt was national press secretary. LaBolt worked for Sherrod Brown's 2006 Senate campaign, as Obama's senate press secretary, for the 2008 campaign, as a deputy White House Press Secretary, and for Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel,<ref name="RollCall" /> Katie Hogan and Adam Fetcher, who each worked on the 2008 campaign, was deputy press secretaries.<ref name="huffingtonpost.com" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/119705-interior-spokesman-joins-obama-campaign/ | work=The Hill | first=Ben | last=Geman | title=Interior spokesman joins Obama campaign | date=July 16, 2012}}</ref> Rahm Emanuel was expected to play a role in the campaign. Emanuel was White House Chief of Staff from January 2009 until October 2010 and worked on President Bill Clinton's successful 1992 and 1996 campaigns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Whos-Running-the-Re-Election-Campaign-119185354.html |title=Who's Running Obama's Re-Election Campaign? |publisher=NBC Chicago |date=September 8, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> Rufus Gifford was Finance Director, Elizabeth Lowery was Deputy Finance Director, Jeremy Bird was National Field Director, Marlon Marshall was Deputy National Field Director, Mitch Stewart was battleground state Director, and Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean was Research Director.<ref name="RollCall" /> Katherine Archuleta was named political director.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} James Kvaal served as Policy Director.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=2011-09-27 |title=CUTTER TO CAMPAIGN AT END OF YEAR -- The big Q for Q3: Will Perry out-raise Romney? – Mika: Pressure will lure Christie into race -- Shimmy Stein to Blank Rome |url=https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2011/09/cutter-to-campaign-at-end-of-year-the-big-q-for-q3-will-perry-out-raise-romney-mika-pressure-will-lure-christie-into-race-shimmy-stein-to-blank-rome-003239 |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref>

==== Role of vice president Biden ==== In October 2010, Biden said Obama had asked him to remain as his running mate for the 2012 presidential election,<ref name="nyt1013102">{{cite news|last=Stolberg|first=Sheryl Gay|date=October 12, 2010|title=Vice President Tries to Energize Democrats|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/us/politics/13biden.html|access-date=October 14, 2010|archive-date=October 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028044617/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/us/politics/13biden.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but with Obama's popularity on the decline, White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley conducted some secret polling and focus group research in late 2011 on the idea of replacing Biden on the ticket with Hillary Clinton.<ref name="nyt-dd-replace">{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |date=October 31, 2013 |title=Book Details Obama Aides' Talks About Replacing Biden on 2012 Ticket |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/us/politics/book-details-consideration-of-replacing-biden-on-2012-ticket.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082553/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/us/politics/book-details-consideration-of-replacing-biden-on-2012-ticket.html |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement for Obama,<ref name="nyt-dd-replace" /> and White House officials later said Obama had never entertained the idea.<ref>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Jonathan |date=November 1, 2013 |title=W.H.: Obama never considered dropping Joe Biden |newspaper=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico44/2013/11/wh-obama-never-considered-dropping-joe-biden-176520 |url-status=live |access-date=November 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104143531/http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/11/wh-obama-never-considered-dropping-biden-176520.html |archive-date=November 4, 2013}}</ref> left|thumb|Biden and Obama, July 2012 Biden's May 2012 statement that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriage gained considerable public attention in comparison to Obama's position, which had been described as "evolving".<ref>{{cite news |last=Parsons |first=Christi |date=May 6, 2012 |title=Biden 'comfortable' with equal rights for gays who wed |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-may-06-la-na-biden-gay-marriage-20120507-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526082737/https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-may-06-la-na-biden-gay-marriage-20120507-story.html |archive-date=May 26, 2019}}</ref> Biden made his statement without administration consent, and Obama and his aides were quite irked, since Obama had planned to shift position several months later, in the build-up to the party convention, and since Biden had previously counseled the president to avoid the issue lest key Catholic voters be offended.<ref name="nyt0508122">{{cite news|last=Leibovich|first=Mark|date=May 7, 2012|title=For a Blunt Biden, an Uneasy Supporting Role|page=1|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/us/politics/for-a-blunt-biden-an-uneasy-supporting-role.html|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103081748/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/us/politics/for-a-blunt-biden-an-uneasy-supporting-role.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ap051012">{{cite news |date=May 10, 2012 |title=AP source: Biden apologizes to Obama over comments |publisher=Fox News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/ap-source-biden-apologizes-to-obama-over-comments |url-status=live |access-date=May 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006123920/https://www.foxnews.com/us/ap-source-biden-apologizes-to-obama-over-comments |archive-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref><ref name="pol-ebook">{{cite news |last=Thrush |first=Glenn |date=August 20, 2012 |title=Politico e-book: Obama campaign roiled by conflict |newspaper=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/politico-e-book-obama-campaign-roiled-by-conflict-079867 |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103084846/https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/politico-e-book-obama-campaign-roiled-by-conflict-079867 |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Thursh |first=Glenn |date=August 23, 2012 |title=6 hidden fault lines in President Obama's campaign |newspaper=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/6-hidden-obama-campaign-fault-lines-080028 |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208190849/https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/6-hidden-obama-campaign-fault-lines-080028 |archive-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref> Gay rights advocates seized upon Biden's statement,<ref name="ap051012" /> and within days, Obama announced that he too supported same-sex marriage, an action in part forced by Biden's remarks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Calmes |first1=Jackie |last2=Baker |first2=Peter |date=May 9, 2012 |title=Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510014102/http://www.nytimes.com//2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html |archive-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> Biden apologized to Obama in private for having spoken out,<ref name="pol-ebook" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Pace |first=Julie |date=May 10, 2012 |title=Joe Biden Reportedly Apologized To Obama Over Gay Marriage Comments |work=The Huffington Post |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/joe-biden-gay-marriage-apology_n_1507939.html |url-status=dead |access-date=May 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528233546/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/joe-biden-gay-marriage-apology_n_1507939.html |archive-date=May 28, 2013}}</ref> while Obama acknowledged publicly it had been done from the heart.<ref name="ap051012" /> The incident showed that Biden still struggled at times with message discipline,<ref name="nyt0508122" /> as ''Time'' wrote, "Everyone knows Biden's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness."<ref name="time-mo">{{cite news |last=Scherer |first=Michael |date=June 11, 2012 |title=Mo Joe |pages=26–30 |magazine=Time}}</ref> Relations were also strained between the vice presidential and presidential campaigns when Biden appeared to use his position to bolster fundraising contacts for a possible run for president in 2016, and he ended up being excluded from Obama campaign strategy meetings.<ref name="nyt-dd-replace" />

The Obama campaign nevertheless valued Biden as a retail-level politician who could connect with disaffected blue-collar workers and rural residents, and he had a heavy schedule of appearances in swing states as the reelection campaign began in earnest in spring 2012.<ref name="time-be-joe">{{cite news |last=Von Drehle |first=David |author-link=David Von Drehle |date=September 10, 2012 |title=Let There Be Joe |pages=41–43 |magazine=Time |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2123322,00.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109162947/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2123322,00.html |archive-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref name="time-mo" /> An August 2012 remark before a mixed-race audience that Republican proposals to relax Wall Street regulations would "put y'all back in chains" led to a similar analysis of Biden's face-to-face campaigning abilities versus his tendency to go off track.<ref name="time-be-joe" /><ref name="lat-offt">{{cite news |last=Memoli |first=Michael A. |date=August 17, 2012 |title=Biden's unscripted moments keep campaign on its toes |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-aug-17-la-na-biden-20120817-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082611/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-aug-17-la-na-biden-20120817-story.html |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |date=August 16, 2012 |title=Mission Impossible: Managing Joe Biden |newspaper=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/mission-impossible-managing-biden-079776 |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103084811/https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/mission-impossible-managing-biden-079776 |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> ''Time'' magazine wrote that Biden often went too far and "Along with the familiar Washington mix of neediness and overconfidence, Biden's brain is wired for more than the usual amount of goofiness."<ref name="time-be-joe" />

Biden was nominated for a second term as vice president at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September.<ref>{{cite news |last=Siegel |first=Elyse |date=September 6, 2012 |title=Beau Biden Speech Kicks Of Motion To Nominate Father Joe Biden For Vice President |work=Huffington Post |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beau-biden-speech-read-th_n_1862997 |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082621/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beau-biden-speech-read-th_n_1862997 |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> Debating his Republican counterpart, Representative Paul Ryan, in the vice-presidential debate on October 11 he made a spirited and emotional defense of the Obama administration's record and energetically attacked the Republican ticket.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Michael |date=October 11, 2012 |title=Biden plays aggressor in debate as Ryan makes GOP case |work=NBC News |url=http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/11/14376267-biden-plays-aggressor-in-debate-as-ryan-argues-gop-case |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928140933/http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/11/14376267-biden-plays-aggressor-in-debate-as-ryan-argues-gop-case |archive-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 12, 2012 |title=Sparks fly as Biden, Ryan face off in feisty vice presidential debate |publisher=Fox News |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sparks-fly-as-biden-ryan-face-off-in-feisty-vice-presidential-debate |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082631/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sparks-fly-as-biden-ryan-face-off-in-feisty-vice-presidential-debate |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref>

===Campaign co-chairs=== In February 2012, Obama for America (OFA) announced its list of campaign co-chairs:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120222151832/http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/02/obama-campaign-announces-cochairs-115161.html Obama campaign announces co-chairs]. ''Politico''. Retrieved July 30, 2012.</ref> {{div col}} #Lynnette Acosta – OFA volunteer leader from Florida #Marc Benioff – CEO of Salesforce.com #Michael Bennet – US Senator from Colorado #Julian Castro – Mayor of San Antonio #Lincoln Chafee – Governor and former US Senator from Rhode Island #Ann Cherry – Retired teacher and OFA volunteer leader from North Carolina #Judy Chu – US Representative from the 32nd District of California #Emanuel Cleaver – US Representative from the 5th District of Missouri #Bill Daley – Former White House Chief of Staff to President Obama, former United States Secretary of Commerce #Maria Elena Durazo – Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL–CIO #Dick Durbin – US Senator from Illinois #Rahm Emanuel – Mayor of Chicago #Russ Feingold– Former US Senator from Wisconsin #Charles A. Gonzalez – US Representative from the 20th District of Texas #Loretta Harper – High School Counselor and OFA volunteer leader from Nevada #Kamala Harris – Attorney General of California #Sai Iyer – Student at Virginia Commonwealth University and OFA volunteer leader from Virginia #Caroline Kennedy – Author, President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation #Eva Longoria – Actress #Felesia Martin – OFA volunteer leader from Wisconsin #Vashti Murphy McKenzie – African Methodist Episcopal bishop #Tom Miller – Iowa Attorney General #Kalpen Modi – Actor, former White House Associate Director for the Office of Public Engagement #John Nathman – Retired United States Navy Admiral #Deval Patrick – Governor of Massachusetts #Federico Peña – Former United States Secretary of Transportation and United States Secretary of Energy #Elaine Price – Retired Ohio resident and OFA volunteer leader from Ohio #Penny Pritzker – founder and CEO of PSP Capital Partners #John Register – US Army Veteran and Paralympian #Jan Schakowsky – US representative from the 9th District of Illinois #Jeanne Shaheen – US Senator from New Hampshire #Joe Solmonese – qqPresident of the Human Rights Campaign #Alan Solow – Partner at DLA Piper LLP and past chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations #Ted Strickland – former governor of Ohio #Antonio Villaraigosa – Mayor of Los Angeles {{div col end}}

=== Other initiatives === * '''Truth Team''' – growing out of the ''AttackWatch'' initiative (launched in September 2011) and ''Fight the Smears'' (launched for the 2008 campaign), organized as a "rapid response team" to both counter instances of anti-Obama rhetoric and promote Obama's record with web video and infographics. * '''GottaRegister''' – site encouraging voter registration. * '''GottaVote''' – site providing materials to prepare voters to vote on primary days and Election Day. * '''Romney Economics''' – critical attack on Mitt Romney's record as CEO of Bain Capital and as governor of Massachusetts.

== Public perception == {{Main|Presidency of Barack Obama#Approval ratings and opinion}}

=== Opinion polling === {{Main|Nationwide opinion polling for the 2012 United States presidential election|Statewide opinion polling for the 2012 United States presidential election}}

In a March 2011 Pew poll, Obama held an advantage of 47% to 37%, similar to the lead that former president George W. Bush held over an unnamed Democrat in 2003 and larger than the lead former president Bill Clinton held over an unnamed Republican in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|author=Publications |url=http://people-press.org/2011/03/23/obama-tests-well-at-start-of-reelection-run/ |title=Obama Tests Well at Start of Reelection Run | Pew Research Center for the People and the Press |publisher=People-press.org |date=March 23, 2011 |access-date=April 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/behind-the-numbers/post/2012-the-general-election-and-gop-primaries/2011/03/23/ABNlnfJB_blog.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=March 23, 2011 | title=2012: Obama runs ahead in generic Pew poll | first=Peyton M. | last=Craighill}}</ref> An August 2011 Rasmussen poll found that in a hypothetical race between President Obama and a generic Republican, 48% backed the generic Republican and 40% backed the President.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2012/election_2012_presidential_election/generic_presidential_ballot/election_2012_generic_presidential_ballot |title=Election 2012: Generic Presidential Ballot |publisher=Rasmussenreports.com |date=September 6, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref>

In February 2012, Obama held a sizable lead over both Mitt Romney (53–43) and Rick Santorum (53–42) nationally.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/02/battleground-poll-as-gop-race-takes-toll-obama-inches-up-073308 | work=Politico | date=February 27, 2012 | title=2012: Battleground Poll: GOP president's race takes toll, Obama inches up}}</ref> By the end of March 2012, Obama's lead over Romney had narrowed to approximately 2.4% (46.6–44.2) nationally.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_romney_vs_obama-1171.html | work=Real Clear Politics RCP Average (3/24 – 4/13) | date=April 13, 2012 | title=General Election: Romney v Obama}}</ref> An August 2012 CNN/ORC poll found that Obama led Romney 52% to 45%.<ref>{{cite news|title=CNN Poll: Obama Leads Romney 52–45%|url=http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/08/09/cnn-poll-obama-leads-romney-52-45/|access-date=August 10, 2012 |newspaper=CBS Miami|date=August 9, 2012}}</ref> A Fox News poll conducted nearly the same time placed the two candidates 49% to 40%, with Obama in the lead.<ref>{{cite news|last=Blanton|first=Dana|title=Fox News poll: Obama's lead grows as Romney's support slips|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/09/fox-news-poll-obama-lead-grows-as-romney-support-slips/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809222117/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/09/fox-news-poll-obama-lead-grows-as-romney-support-slips/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 9, 2012|access-date=August 10, 2012 |publisher=Fox News Channel|date=August 9, 2012}}</ref>

=== Endorsements === {{Main|List of Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign endorsements}}

== References == {{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading== *{{Cite book|first1=John|last1=Heilemann|author-link=John Heilemann|first2=Mark|last2=Halperin|author-link2=Mark Halperin|title=Double Down: Game Change 2012|publisher=Penguin Press|location=New York|year=2013|isbn=978-1594204401|title-link=Double Down: Game Change 2012}}

== External links == * [http://www.4president.org/speeches/2012/barackobama2012conventionacceptance.htm Barack Obama acceptance speech] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120907112503/http://www.barackobama.com/ Obama for America], official campaign site {{small|(Archived)}} * {{CongLinks | congbio=o000167 | votesmart=9490 | fec=S4IL00180 | congress= }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barack Obama Presidential Campaign, 2012}} * Category:Barack Obama Presidential campaign, 2012 Obama, Barack Category:African-American presidential campaigns