Vote 2012

Jan. 2, 2013

Barney Frank: How Smart Is Congress?

Campaigns Get Lower Scores From Americans Grading 2012 Presidential Race
Nov. 16, 2012
Following the 2012 presidential campaign, the Pew Research Center surveyed 1,200 voters to grade the performance of the candidates and the media and to assess public opinion on the outcome. Hari Sreenivasan talks to Pew Research Center's Andy Kohut about the poll results, which show voters were largely pessimistic.
What's Your Election Report Card? Introducing The Pew/NewsHour Quiz
Nov. 16, 2012
Pew Research Center and the NewsHour have teamed up to establish the Election Report Card Quiz.
Final Edition: Vote 2012 College Tour
Nov. 9, 2012
After working with more than 10,000 college students and teachers, we wrap up nine weeks on the road for our special Election 2012 national tour.
Judy's Notebook: America Divided but Looking for Leadership
Nov. 9, 2012
A leader facing the disapproval of almost half the country will have a harder time exerting his authority and arriving at solutions to big problems. But the 2012 Election Day exit polls show there is more support for the President and his policies than it appeared just a few months ago.
Gwen's Take: The Obama Victory - The Good, The Bad and the Potentially Ugly
Nov. 9, 2012
At first I focused on the winner/loser contrast. The emotions were compelling. But as we've begun to digest the exit polling that told us who voted for whom, the anecdotal evidence provided by the election night crowds began to sink in.
Long Lines and Ongoing Vote Counts Among Election Day Problems
Nov. 8, 2012
After the confetti and commotion have cleared, what election troubles remain to be cleaned up? Ray Suarez talks to political writers Marc Caputo of the Miami Herald and Curt Anderson of The Associated Press talk about several hour-long lines at high volume poll stations and precincts that haven't yet finished their vote tallies.
Live Chat: Gwen Ifill Answers Your Questions
Nov. 8, 2012
Two days after the election, join correspondent Gwen Ifill for a live chat, hosted by PBS' Washington Week Thursday at 12 p.
President Obama's Quick Pivot From Campaigning to Governing
Nov. 8, 2012
President Obama's first order of business is his second term will be working with congressional leaders to broker an agreement to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff," which is set to arrive in January with the expiration of all the President George W. Bush-era tax breaks plus more than $1 trillion in automatic spending cuts.
Shields and Brooks on Shifting Demographics, Future 'Grand Bargain'
Nov. 7, 2012
Judy Woodruff talks to NewsHour political analysts Mark Shields and David Brooks for post-Election Day analysis about how changing demographics affected the election, plus how some politicians' ideological purity has obstructed necessary negotiations to fix the debt crisis, as well as the potential for a future 'grand bargain.'
From Fiscal Cliff to Immigration Reform, What Will the Next Four Years Bring?
Nov. 7, 2012
President Obama has a second term to address major issues, including immigration, the fiscal cliff and health care. But with Congress still divided, compromise and cooperation may remain elusive. Gwen Ifill talks to Third Way's John Cowan and The Wall Street Journal's Naftali Bendavid on the reality for the next four years.
Despite Some Upsets by Dems, Party Balance in Congress Relatively Unchanged
Nov. 7, 2012
The election outcome mostly maintains political status quo in Washington, but certain races were significant. Jeffrey Brown talks to Linda Killian of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Rothenberg Political Report's Stu Rothenberg for what this tells us about what voters want from their elected leaders.
How They Did It: Political Tactics That Helped Obama Win a Second Term
Nov. 7, 2012
President Obama secured a second term by building a massive ground game to move voters, and by running negative ads early in the campaign. Judy Woodruff talks to the Washington Post's Philip Rucker, The Wall Street Journal's Carol Lee and Slate's Sasha Issenberg about which tactics worked or failed in the costly 2012 elections.
For President Obama, Little Time to Enjoy Re-election Before Returning to Work
Nov. 7, 2012
President Barack Obama returned to Washington after winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote in the 2012 election, but there was little time to savor the victory in the face of a potential fiscal crisis at the end of the year. Kwame Holman reports on the day after and Gwen Ifill Talks to Ray Suarez from Chicago.
Election Exit Polls Provide Mountain of Data
Nov. 7, 2012
Analysts will spend weeks going through the 2012 results and exit polls pulling out bits and strands of numbers that explain what this state or that county did. Those facts and indicators will be what future campaigns are made of.
Conservatives Could Learn from Reagan, Return to Politics of Ideas
Nov. 7, 2012
With the re-election of President Barack Obama and the rejection of Tea Party darlings like Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, it may be time for Republicans to reinvent American conservatism.
Victory in Hand, Obama Extends Olive Branch
Nov. 7, 2012
Barack Obama was elected to a second term as president Tuesday, reassembling the coalition that lifted him to a historic win four years ago and winning at least six of the key battleground states.
President Barack Obama Wins Second Term, Says 'Best Is Yet to Come'
Nov. 7, 2012
Barack Obama accepts re-election as President of the United States at a rally of his supporters at the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago. President Obama led the 2012 election against Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney after claiming victory in several swing states.
Mitt Romney Concedes Defeat: 'This Election Is Over but Our Principles Endure'
Nov. 7, 2012
Former Gov. Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate, concedes the 2012 election to Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama at a rally of his supporters at the Boston Convention Center in Massachusetts. Romney lost key swing states including Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin and Virginia.
Poll Problems Cropping Up in Spots Around US
Nov. 6, 2012
As polls close, there are already concerns and problems in several U.S. states reported over voter access, including long lines, misinformation, poll monitors being blocked from polling stations.
Voters at Polls in Key Colorado Counties Likely to Sway State Results
Nov. 6, 2012
NewsHour and The Associated Press examine what voters in two critical Colorado counties -- Arapahoe and Jefferson -- have to say about what has influenced their ballot decisions, from disdain of political ads to education and the economy.
Election Night 2012
Nov. 6, 2012
The 2012 presidential campaigns wrapped up their efforts and prepared for the results as voters went to the polls on November 6.
Hey Look! I Voted
Nov. 6, 2012
NewsHour has created an experimental website, LookIVoted.com, that aggregates Instagram photos from voters at the polls into one stream. Check out the voting experience from the point-of-view of voters themselves.
Battleground Dispatches: Election Day Roundup
Nov. 6, 2012
For the last month, the NewsHour worked with public media partners around the country, intensifying our focus on the areas and issues that could determine the election in a series called "Battleground Dispatches." As we wait for the final polls to close, here is a round-up of the stories we brought you.
Presidential Winners and Losers Through History
Nov. 6, 2012
There have been winners and losers in every presidential election. The suspense of Election Day builds as the votes are tallied. Here are some of those presidential candidates at moments when they discover they have won or lost the U.S. presidency.
Candidates Vote, Keep Busy on Election Day
Nov. 6, 2012
Even though it's Election Day and voters have been heading to the polls, it doesn't mean the candidates aren't keeping busy. Here's what some of them are doing today.

Sen.-elect Deb Fischer on Spending, Gun Control and Bipartisanship

Jan. 1, 2013

A cattle rancher by trade, Sen.-elect Deb Fischer, R-Neb., will be sworn into Congress after an election campaign which surprised many within her own party. Judy Woodruff talks to Fischer about how her experience as a state senator has prepared her for the U.S. Senate, the need to address spending and gun control.

Why Barney Frank Took a Cautious Approach to Same-Sex Marriage

Dec. 31, 2012

In New E-Book, a Chronicle of the '34 Days That Decided' the 2012 Election

Dec. 31, 2012

Big Donors Saw Diminishing Returns in Most Expensive Election in History

Nov. 21, 2012

What can we learn from the record-breaking $6 billion spent by candidates, parties and outside groups in the 2012 election? Judy Woodruff talks to Roll Call's Eliza Newlin Carney and Matea Gold of the Los Angeles Times about where all that money came from, who saw the best investment return and the future of campaign spending.