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Obama defeated Romney, winning a majority of both the Electoral College and the popular vote. Obama won 332 electoral votes and 51.1% of the popular vote compared to Romney's 206 electoral votes and 47.2%. [2] The results of the electoral vote were certified by Congress on January 4, 2013. [6]
- Illinois
- Democratic
- Barack Obama
- Joe Biden
Obama defeated Romney, winning a majority of both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Obama won 51.1% of the popular vote compared to Romney's 47.2%.
President Barack Obama beat former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential election. (Getty) The 2012 Presidential Election saw President Barack Obama win re-election...
- Overview
- The Campaign
- Background and Context
American voters went to the polls on November 6, 2012, to determine—for the 57th time—their country’s president for the next four years. Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama’s reelection bid was, from the outset, expected to be closely contested as the United States faced a number of challenges, most notably a struggling economy. After tumul...
The American electorate faced two markedly different visions for the future of the country. Romney proposed to cut taxes and governmental regulations in order to reduce the burdens on small businesses and thereby bolster economic growth. He also promised to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care reform legislation put into place by the Obama administration, and to achieve energy independence by facilitating the development of domestic sources of energy, such as offshore oil. Romney’s selection of Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate confirmed his preference for laissez-faire policies.
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Obama, meanwhile, defended his economic record, arguing that his actions in response to the Great Recession (2007–09) and the financial crisis of 2008 had prevented a full-scale depression and laid the foundation for recovery. His plan for greater prosperity emphasized strategic investments in transportation infrastructure, education, and clean energy.
While the economy occupied the centre stage of the campaign, the two candidates also diverged on foreign policy. Obama presented his record—which included the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks—as proof of his success as commander in chief, while Romney argued that the United States had lost momentum in world affairs under Obama’s watch.
Obama faced an uphill battle for reelection because of the country’s continuing economic problems, in particular high unemployment. Nevertheless, the Obama campaign proved to be competitive, and Obama established a small lead in national polls following the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September. Meanwhile, Romney’s continued reluctance to release his tax returns placed him on the defensive. His campaign became embroiled in controversy when Mother Jones, a liberal news magazine, released a video of Romney at a private fund-raising event in May in which he asserted that the 47 percent of Americans who do not pay federal income taxes believe that they are “victims” and believe that “government has a responsibility to care for them.” The Obama campaign seized on those remarks, which became public in mid-September, to bolster its contention that Romney was out of touch with the American middle class.
This section contains links to Britannica articles that provide background on the U.S. presidency.
•Presidency of the United States: Historian Forrest McDonald provides a historical overview of the office, and Britannica’s former Executive Editor Michael Levy details the historical evolution of the selection process.
•First Lady: Betty Caroli, author of First Ladies, describes how the role of first lady has changed since Martha Washington’s time.
•Electoral College: Georgetown University’s Stephen Wayne, author of The Road to the White House, details how the electoral college works and how it came into existence.
•White House: B. Philip Bigler, author of Washington in Focus, looks at the president’s official office and home.
•Electronic Voting: René Peralta, of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland, explores voting technology.
4 days ago · 2012 Electoral College Results. President. Barack Obama [D] Main Opponent. Mitt Romney [R] Electoral Vote. Winner: 332. Main Opponent: 206. Total/Majority: 538/270.
- Winner: 332
- Barack Obama [D]
- Mitt Romney [R]
- Joe Biden (332)
Jun 18, 2019 · This table provides information about the election results between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney Principal Candidates for President and Vice President: Democratic—Barack Obama; Joseph Biden (winner)
The difference between the sum of popular votes for Obama and Romney & the total state votes cast is the vote total for all other minor candidates. Final certified update at 15:15 PST, January 3, 2013.
