Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America (55 page)

Epstein, Reid, 197

Erekat, Saeb, 273

Erickson, Erick, 214

Fabrizio, Tony, 152

Facebook, 40, 78–79, 352

Fagen, Sara, 132

Falwell, Jerry, 201

Family Leader, 169

Fannie Mae, 171, 201, 204

Favreau, Jon, 11, 306

Federal Election Commission (FEC), 172, 234

Fehrnstrom, Eric, 89, 96, 230, 273, 285

and attack ads, 260–61

and Bain, 250, 251, 261

and debates, 149, 308

and health care, 256–57

and Romney’s image, 227, 295

Ferguson, Andrew, 108

Ferguson, Jim “Fergie,” 248

Ferraro, Geraldine, 274

Finlayson, Pam, 284

Flaherty, Peter, 89, 273, 308

Florida:

as battleground state, 17, 59, 280, 299, 319, 325, 332, 333

debates in, 194, 198, 200–202, 204–5, 316–17

election results in, 332, 333, 336

field operations in, 83, 325

Hispanic vote in, 333, 341

hurricane season in, 280–81

and immigration, 229–30, 342

midterm elections in (2010), 102

polls in, 329, 330

Republican campaign in, 194, 196, 197–208, 209, 210, 221, 343

Republican Party P5 conference in, 150

Republican scandal in, 271

Romney campaign in, 17–18, 92, 93, 198–99, 201–8, 214, 221, 224, 299–300, 328, 347

Fluke, Sandra, 297

Forti, Carl, 172

Fox News, 110, 140, 150, 161, 257, 300, 336–37

Fox News Sunday,
135

Franklin, Danny, 53

Freddie Mac, 171, 197, 198, 201, 204

Frey, William, 242–43

Frum, David, 303

Gage, Katie Packer, 17, 215, 218

Gallup polls, 329, 330

Galston, William, 350

Gangel, Jamie, 119

Gang of Seven, 211

Gardner, Amy, 136

Garin, Geoff, 289, 324

Gaspard, Patrick, 57

Gates, Robert, 46

gay and lesbian rights, 38, 350, 354

Gaylord, Joe, 207

Geithner, Timothy, 28

General Motors (GM), 325

George Washington University, Obama’s speech at, 44–45

Georgia:

Gingrich’s victory in, 222

Romney’s loss in, 224

Gephardt, Richard, 144, 220

Gerber, Alan, 81

Gergen, David, 37

Gibbs, Robert:

and debates, 312

on election day, 337

and 2012 campaign, 11, 13, 41, 66

Gidley, Hogan, 217

Giffords, Gabrielle, 42

Gillespie, Ed, 231, 258, 274, 295, 299, 308

Gingrich, Callista, 164, 165, 191

Gingrich, Marianne, 191, 192

Gingrich, Newt:

comeback of, 163–67, 169, 185–96, 200, 351

and Contract with America, 30

and debates, 140, 161, 166, 167, 170–71, 183–84, 187–89, 192–93, 197, 201, 204–5, 351

ethics violations by, 203

and government shutdown, 163

as House Speaker, 100, 163, 193, 197, 198, 203, 207, 211

and immigration, 171, 205, 228, 229, 341

as lobbyist, 171, 197, 198, 201

moon colony proposal of, 204, 206

and nomination contest, 145, 169, 173, 174, 176, 177, 178, 185–96, 197–201, 203–8, 210–11, 212–13, 219, 220, 222, 232, 250

and Obama, 49, 188–89, 200

Perry’s endorsement of, 191–92

personal traits of, 163, 167, 193

as possible candidate, 91, 138, 163–64, 166–67, 173, 343

and Romney, 233–34, 250, 174, 176, 177, 178l, 183–84, 194, 197–201, 203–4, 206, 213

and South Carolina, 185–86, 187–89, 190–96, 197, 198, 208, 209, 342

and split Republican Party, 102, 200, 205–7, 216

and super PACs, 171, 172, 186–87, 188, 203, 233, 250

team walkout, 165, 166, 172

and Tea Party, 200

vulnerabilities of, 163, 199–200, 204

withdrawal of, 224–25, 260

Ginsberg, Ben, 132

Gitcho, Gail, 199, 234, 255–56

Giuliani, Rudy, 33, 123, 145, 229

Glassner, Mike, 113

Goeas, Ed, 136

Goff, Teddy, 76, 79

Goldberg, Jeffrey, 302

Goldman Sachs, 268

Goldwater, Barry, 29, 101, 166

Goolsbee, Austan, 45

Gordon, J. D., 161

Gore, Al, 144, 336

Gorka, Rick, 273

government:

consumer confidence in, 61, 64

corporation power vs., 3

credit rating of, 50, 61

default of, 60

and entitlement, 6, 44, 69, 96, 188, 241–42, 354

and fiscal cliff, 349, 353

flawed system of, 240–41

funding, 43

national debt, 101, 114

regulations of, 64

roles of, 3, 25, 102

separation of church and state, 218–19

shrinking, 43–44, 173, 245

shutting down, 43, 163

size and scope of, 101, 349–50

skepticism toward, 101, 245

spending by, 36, 43, 44, 60, 68, 101, 278, 349

Grant, Ulysses S., 107

Great Depression, 12, 62, 240, 290

Green, Al, 14

Green, Don, 81

Greenfield, Jeff, 304

Gregory, David, 164, 183, 305

Grisolano, Larry, 52, 56, 72, 252, 255

GST Steel, 246–47, 277

Haley, Nikki, 176

Halperin, Mark, 111, 189

Hamburger, Tom, 255

Hamilton, Alexander, 27

Hammond, R. C., 203

Hannity, Sean, 103, 116

Hansen, Linda, 159

Harkin, Tom, 15
n

Harris, John, 149

Harrison, Kelli, 89

Hart, Gary, 131, 182

Hart, Peter, 227, 240–42, 297–98, 353

Harvard University, Institute of Politics, 228

Harwood, John, 155

Havens, Taylor, 328

Hayes, Stephen, 274

Healey, Kerry, 309

Heilemann, John, 111

Hemingway, Mark, 305

Heritage Foundation, 94

Hewitt, Hugh, 304

Hightower, Jim, 144

Hoffman, Doug, 102

Hofstra University, second debate at, 314–16

Huckabee, Mike, 146

and immigration, 341

as possible candidate, 110–11, 136, 200

and 2008 campaign, 33, 92, 93, 106, 110, 130, 182, 183, 202, 233

Huffington Post,
294

Hu Jintao, 179

Human Rights Campaign, 39

Hunt, Al, 132

Huntsman, Jon, Jr., 31
n
, 140, 179–82, 183, 184, 186, 187

Hurricane Isaac, 280–81

Hurricane Katrina, 280

Hurricane Sandy, 13, 19, 331–32, 340

Husted, Jon, 322

Hutchison, Kay Bailey, 143

Ickes, Harold, 289

Idaho, Republican primary in, 222

Illinois:

Obama’s bus tour in, 64–65

Romney’s victory in, 224

immigration law:

and California Proposition 187, 231

and demographics, 242–43

and Dream Act, 229–30, 342–43

and Gingrich, 171, 205, 228, 229, 341

and in-state tuition, 151, 171, 228, 341

and Perry, 151, 154, 171, 228–29, 341

and Romney campaign, 151, 154, 157, 202, 205, 228–31, 341–43

and self-deportation, 202, 228, 229, 342

income inequality, 3–4, 70–71

Indiana, 319, 332

Ingraham, Laura, 116, 302

Innocenzi, Jim, 152

Internet:

campaign online, 77

fund-raising via, 220, 352

Iowa:

as battleground state, 319

debates in, 170–71, 173

early caucus in, 93, 127, 128, 178–79, 192, 223, 224

election results in, 333, 336

and ethanol subsidies, 134

evangelical voters in, 224

Obama campaign in, 11, 14–15, 63–64, 75, 254

Paul campaign in, 173–74, 177, 178, 179, 183

Pawlenty campaign in, 127, 128, 134, 138–41

Perry campaign in, 146–47

Republican campaign in, 41, 168, 172–79, 185

research and data in, 51–52

Romney campaign in, 16–17, 92–93, 168–71, 176–79

Santorum campaign in, 174, 177, 178–79

straw poll in, 137–38, 139, 141, 147, 169–70, 178

in 2008 campaign, 90, 92, 106, 175

see also
Des Moines

Iowa State Fair, 113, 147, 169, 178

Iraq War, 93, 100

Israel, Romney’s trip to, 273

Issenberg, Sasha,
The Victory Lab,
80

Jackson, Barry, 65

Jackson, Garrett, 16–17, 18, 21, 337

Jackson, Jesse, 144

Jacobs, Jennifer, 138

Jacobson, Gary, 244

James, Sharpe, 118

Jarrett, Valerie, 11, 336–37

Jarvis-Shean, Elizabeth, 57

Jay-Z, 13

Jeeps, production of, 324–25

Jennings, Scott, 323, 325, 333

Jindal, Bobby, 268

Johnson, Boris, 272–73

Johnson, Gary, 132

Johnson, Lyndon B., 40, 56, 108

Johnson, Rob, 145–46, 165

Kahn, Nikki, 15

Kaiser Family Foundation, 103, 245

Kansas:

campaign in, 3, 72–73

Santorum’s victory in, 224

Kantar Media, 258, 320, 322

Kasich, John, 18, 322

Kasten, Bob, 44

Kaufman, Ron, 21, 89, 92, 169, 273, 308, 338

Kean, Thomas, 118

Kelly, Megyn, 150, 336

Kemp, Jack, 44

Kennedy, Edward M.:

and health care, 32, 94

Kennedy-Romney debates, 33, 288

Obama endorsed by, 289

Senate race (1994), 30–31, 94, 171, 177, 184, 250

Senate seat to be filled, 80, 88

tribute to, 288

Kennedy, John F., 218, 334

Kentucky:

midterm elections in (2010), 102

vice presidential debate in, 313–14

Kerry, John:

and campaign financing, 351

and debate preparation, 306–7, 316

and social issues, 32

in 2004 campaign, 12, 24, 220, 250, 280, 283, 300, 319–20

Kid Rock, 16

King, John, 135, 192, 197

King, Rev. Martin Luther, Jr., 62

Kissinger, Henry A., 121–22, 123

Klain, Ron, 306, 312

Kloppenberg, James T.,
Reading Obama,
25–26

Knox, Olivier, 306

Koch, David, 122–23

Koch brothers, 103, 218

Kochel, Dave, 168, 169, 199

Krauthammer, Charles, 161

Kristol, Bill, 305

Kroft, Steve, 36

Kudlow, Lawrence, 131

Labaki, Shirley, 222

LaBolt, Ben, 276

Landler, Mark, 64

Langone, Ken, 122–23, 124

LaPierre, Wayne, 104

La Raza Unida, 288

Late Night with David Letterman,
156

Laudner, Chuck, 174

Leavitt, Mike, 17

Leder, Marc, 5

Lehman Brothers, 61, 314

Lehrer, Jim, 301, 302, 304, 305

Lerner, Jon, 133

Letterman, David, 156

Lew, Jack, 303, 306

libertarianism, 173, 183

Libya, U.S. embassy attacked in, 296, 308, 315–16

Limbaugh, Rush, 103, 116, 164, 234, 297

Lincoln, Abraham, 26–27

Lizza, Ryan, 94

“lobbyists,” coining of term, 107

LOLGOP (Twitter account), 303

London:

Olympic Games in, 272–73

Romney’s trip to, 272–73

Loughner, Jared Lee, 42

Louisiana, Santorum’s victory in, 224

Love, Reggie, 11

Lowry, Rich, 274

Lubbers, Mark, 115

Lugar, Richard, 114

Luo, Michael, 248

McAuliffe, Terry and Dorothy, 290, 292

McCain, John:

courage of, 308

and debates, 307, 308, 314

McCain-Palin ticket (2008), 62, 111, 112, 129, 264

and 2000 campaign, 168, 185

and 2008 nomination contest, 23, 33, 93, 182, 184, 202

and 2008 presidential election, 23, 90, 168, 179, 228, 240, 248, 271, 334

and 2012 Romney campaign, 182

McConnell, John, 286

McConnell, Mitch, 38, 39, 69

McDonald, Matt, 256

McDonnell, Robert, 119, 268

McHugh, John, 102

McInturff, Bill, 61, 227

Mack, Connie, 203

Mack, John, 122

Mack, Mary Bono, 203

Madden, Kevin, 285, 294, 310

Magner, Sherry, 263

Maher, Bill, 305

Maine, Romney campaign in, 343

Malkin, Michelle, 302

Mangold, Nick, 222

Maraniss, David, 23

Marchionne, Sergio, 325

Marcus, Ruth, 33

Margolis, Jim, 255, 287

Marriott, Bill, 339

Marshall Tucker Band, 18

Martin, Jonathan, 212

Martinez, Mel, 106

Maryland, Republican primary in, 224

Massachusetts:

Brown’s election in, 60, 80, 88

health care in, 31–32, 60, 93–99, 108, 127, 133, 135, 174, 217, 340

Republican primary in, 222, 224

Romney as governor of, 31–33, 89, 94, 97, 148, 183, 201, 214, 249, 255, 258, 341

Romney as resident of, 88, 174, 226, 319

media:

amplification effect in, 251–52

cable, 62, 210

changing, 221

conservative talk radio, 66, 103, 110, 116

and conventions, 286, 287–88, 290, 291

and debates, 65–67, 131–32, 134–35, 150, 301–5, 315, 351–52

earned media tactics, 199

and election day, 338

and 47 percent video, 6, 293–95

green room culture, 223, 252

negative stories in, 192–93, 221, 223, 258

and Occupy Wall Street, 70

op-ed pages, 61–63

and performance vs. substance, 302–4, 305–6, 307, 310, 313, 347, 352

and polls, 329–31

Republican firms, 89, 247

and Republican primaries, 210, 221, 330

Romney campaign’s relationship with, 256, 260, 325

and selection of running mate, 267

spin alley, 305, 306, 311

television ads, 91, 93, 207, 216, 222, 231, 246–47, 249–53, 259–62, 277, 320, 322–25, 344, 352–53

Medicare/Medicaid, 354

in attack ads, 278

and health care legislation, 97, 278

Part D, 201

restructuring, 43, 44, 45, 175, 274, 276

Meet the Press,
57, 183, 251

Mehlman, Ken, 37, 123, 129

Mellnik, Ted, 334

Messina, Jim, 39–41

and ads, 59, 78, 252–54

and debates, 301

on election day, 18–19, 336, 337