2012 Presidential Election

A Month After the Election, Texas Casts Its Electoral Votes

Kelli Ainsworth — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:30:12 +0000

Though the election was called for President Barack Obama over a month ago, members of the Electoral College will officially cast their votes today.

Texas electors will meet to cast the state’s electoral votes this afternoon at the Capitol.Texas has 38 electoral votes – the second highest of any state, behind California – which were won by Mitt Romney.

Each party selects 38 potential electors who promise to vote for that party’s candidate, should they win the state’s popular vote. Because Mitt Romney won Texas, the 38 Republican electors will cast their votes for him today.

Romney to Have Lunch With Obama at the White House

Mark Memmott, NPR — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:28:02 +0000

The 2012 presidential contenders will break bread at the White House on Thursday.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney "will have a private lunch at the White House with President Obama in the Private Dining Room," the White House says in a statement sent to reporters. "It will be the first opportunity they have had to visit since the election.

Online, Texas Secessionists Petition the White House (Updated)

Wells Dunbar, KUT News — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:40:45 +0000

Update: Gov. Rick Perry has weighed in on the online secession petition. The Dallas Morning News has posted a comment from Perry press secretary Catherine Frazier, who says the Governor believes "nothing should be done to change" the union.

Update (Nov. 12, 3:07 p.m.): This afternoon, Texas' petition broke the 25,000 signature requirement needed for the White House to issue a (certainly perfunctory) statement in response.

On Twitter, some users are encouraging Texas to take the rest of the South with it. Meanwhile, others are asking whether a bargain can be struck to keep Austin in the union. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Original Post (Nov. 12, 12:08 p.m.): After any presidential election, you hear chatter from folks threatening to the leave the country since their candidate didn’t get elected. Now, an Arlington man is asking to leave the United States – and take the whole State of Texas with him.

The White House website features a Petition page, where citizens can raise issues with the executive branch. Over the weekend, Arlington resident "Micah H” petitioned the newly re-elected Obama administration to “Peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.”

With Millions Spent, GOP 'Investors' Saw Little Return Election Night

Peter Overby, NPR — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:09:25 +0000

A "return on investment" is a concept better known to Wall Street than to Washington.

Four Days Later, Florida Declares for Obama

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:06:07 +0000

Four days after the polls closed, Florida has announced that President Obama won the state's 29 electoral votes. As the AP writes:

"That gives the president a total of 332 electoral votes to Mitt Romney's 206. Florida officials said Obama had 50 percent of the vote to Romney's 49.1 percent, a margin of about 74,000 votes."

The Florida Secretary of State's Office confirmed Obama's victory Saturday.

In Hindsight, Those Presidential Polls Looked Just Fine

Scott Neuman — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:36:02 +0000

For as much criticism as pollsters endured in the run-up to Election Day, a look back shows many of them hit very close to the bull's-eye for the presidential race — but some did better than others.

Take the venerable Gallup. It had Mitt Romney at 49 percent and President Obama at 48 percent in a poll published Monday, a day before the voting.

Video: Obama Tears Up As He Thanks Campaign Staff

Mark Memmott, NPR — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:13:18 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBK2rfZt32g

Five Truisms About the 2012 Election ... That Weren't True

Linton Weeks, NPR — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:33:18 +0000

The balloons have fallen, the bunting's down, and President Obama has been re-elected.

That means Mitt Romney has been defeated — and with him, many election aspects that we presumed to be true. (You know what they say about presume — it makes a pres out of u and me.)

Maybe it's because we're sailing into a new and uncharted century. Maybe it's because of climate change or polar shift or Mayan calendrical mayhem.

Video: An Awkward Moment, as Karl Rove Objects to Fox's Ohio Call

Eyder Peralta — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:05:19 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJg3z5c93zU

Transcript: President Obama's Victory Speech

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:21:11 +0000

Transcript of President Obama's victory speech in Chicago. Source: Federal News Service

Editor's Note: NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future.

(Cheers, applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: (Chanting.) Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you.

Audio and Transcript: Romney's Concession Speech

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:04:49 +0000

Transcript of Mitt Romney's concession speech in the presidential race in Boston. Source: Federal News Service

(Cheers, applause.)

MITT ROMNEY: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you so very much. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you.

I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory.

OBAMA WINS RE-ELECTION

Liz Halloran, NPR — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 04:38:06 +0000

The euphoria of Barack Obama's supporters on election night four years ago was replaced Tuesday by relief, as the incumbent president won a second term over Republican Mitt Romney in an effort powered more by organization than by ideas.

To retain the White House, Obama managed to overcome the handicap of an economy just finding its footing after a devastating recession, and an unemployment rate higher than it's been under any president seeking re-election since Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression.

And in swing states that now serve as pickers of our presidents, Obama and his tea

Some States Called; Eyes On Crucial Swing States Amid Close Race

Barbara Bradley Hagerty — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 02:43:12 +0000

Americans elected Barack Obama to a second term Tuesday, with the president capturing or on the verge of winning all of the key states that had been at the center of his hard-fought campaign against Republican Mitt Romney.

"Whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you," Obama said early Wednesday at a speech before thousands of supporters in Chicago. "I have learned from you.

Live Blog: Battleground

Editor — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:14:34 +0000

**Refresh this page often for the latest updates.**

A quick head's up on what this is. The Battleground is an aggregation of NPR member stations' content produced during election night. It's curated by the staff at NPR Digital Services, including Eric Athas, Teresa Gorman, Will Snyder, Kim Perry and Erin Teare Martin. The list of participating stations and states is posted at the bottom.

The big story tonight is that Obama has been projected to win a second term as President.

Voting Issues: Long Lines in Florida, Confusion in New Jersey

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 21:03:28 +0000
As the voting day has progressed, we've seen some reports of irregularities.. Throughout the day, we'll be surveying our reporters and other news organizations and keep track of significant irregularities in this post.
So far, the big problem has been long lines. Some voters have had to wait hours in line to cast their ballot in battleground states like Florida and Virginia and those affected by Superstorm Sandy like New York.
We'll start with Florida:
In the Sunshine State some voters have waited up to three hours to cast their ballots.