2012 United States presidential debates

Part of the 2012 U.S. presidential election December 2023 2012 United States presidential debates United States presidential no 2008 United States presidential debates 2008 2016 United States presidential debates 2016 October 3, 2012October 16, 2012October 22, 2012 President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg Barack Obama Democratic Party (United States) Illinois Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore 6 cropped.jpg Massachusetts Republican Party (United States) Mitt Romney yes 2012 United States vice presidential debate presidential no October 11, 2012 Joe Biden official portrait 2013 (cropped) 3.jpg Joe Biden Democratic Party (United States) Delaware Paul Ryan official portrait (cropped 3x4).jpg Paul Ryan Republican Party (United States) Wisconsin The 2012 United States presidential debates were a series of debates held during the 2012 presidential election. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a bipartisan organization formed in 1987, organized four debates among the major party candidates, sponsored three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. Only Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney met the criteria for inclusion in the debates, and thus were the only two to appear in the debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The CPD-sponsored vice presidential debate took place between their respective vice presidential running mates, Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.Little, Morgan (July 25, 2012) "Presidential debate formats announced, feature town hall", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 26, 2012. The CPD stipulates three criteria for eligibility: constitutionally eligible, appearance on enough ballots to potentially reach 270 electoral votes, and average at least 15% on five selected national polls.http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=candidate-selection-process Candidate Selection Criteria Commission on Presidential Debates October 3, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121002234042/http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=candidate-selection-process October 2, 2012 dead Obama and Romney satisfied all requirements to participate. The moderators for the debates were announced on August 13, 2012.Byers, Dylan (August 13, 2012) "Presidential Debate Moderators Announced", Politico. Retrieved August 13, 2012.Blake, Aaron (August 13, 2012) "Presidential debate moderators announced: Crowley is first woman in 20 years", The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2012. All four debates took place between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EDT.http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=format CPD Announces 2012 Debates Format (July 25, 2012) Debates.org October 5, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121004222357/http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=format October 4, 2012 dead Subsequently, on October 3, both campaigns executed a memorandum of understanding governing technical and administrative details of the debate.http://thepage.time.com/2012/10/14/moderator-role-under-scrutiny-before-the-debate/ Time Candy Crowley's Moderator Role Under Scrutiny Before Tuesday Town Hall – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com October 14, 2012 October 17, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319165033/http://thepage.time.com/2012/10/14/moderator-role-under-scrutiny-before-the-debate/ March 19, 2016 dead The agreement describes the role of the moderator, rules applicable to each debate, staging and seating arrangements, and ticket distribution, and was signed by Robert Bauer and Benjamin Ginsberg, general counsel of the Obama and Romney campaigns, respectively. Several non-CPD sanctioned debates among third party candidates took place. The first, moderated by Larry King and organized by the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, took place on October 23 between Rocky Anderson, Virgil Goode, Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein.Sullivan Sean October 23, 2012 Third-party presidential candidates rail against Obama and Romney at debate (VIDEO) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2012/10/23/third-party-presidential-candidates-diverge-on-the-issues-at-debate-but-unite-against-obama-and-romney/ The Washington Post Stein and Johnson were selected using instant-runoff voting for a second Free and Equal debate, which was hosted by RT and took place on November 5.https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/24/another-third-party-debate-in-the-works/ Another third party debate in the works The Washington Post October 24, 2012 October 25, 2012 Hicks Josh November 1, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121101055143/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/24/another-third-party-debate-in-the-works/ dead http://freeandequal.org/updates/free-and-equal-elections-foundation-changes-presidential-debate-to-november-5-due-to-hurricane/ Free and Equal Elections Foundation Changes Presidential Debate to November 5 Due to Hurricane - Free & Equal Freeandequal.org October 28, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121112120534/http://freeandequal.org/updates/free-and-equal-elections-foundation-changes-presidential-debate-to-november-5-due-to-hurricane/ November 12, 2012 dead Ralph Nader hosted and moderated a debate between Anderson, Stein, Goode, and Johnson on November 4.http://nader.org/2012/10/25/ralph-nader-to-host-third-party-presidential-debate-in-d-c-114/ Ralph Nader to Host Third-Party Presidential Debate in D.C. Nov. 4 October 27, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121027235900/http://nader.org/2012/10/25/ralph-nader-to-host-third-party-presidential-debate-in-d-c-114/ October 27, 2012 Debate schedule 2012 United States presidential election debates No. Number Date & Time Host Location Moderator ParticipantsKey:black #90ff90  P  Participant.   black #ff9090  N  Non-invitee.   #FFF Democratic#FFF Republican PresidentBarack Obamaof Illinois GovernorMitt Romneyof Massachusetts 1  Wednesday October 3, 2012, 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDTCPD: 2012 Debates https://www.debates.org/debate-history/2012-debates/ October 3, 2020 debates.org University of Denver Denver, Colorado Jim Lehrer of PBSPP 2  Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT Hofstra University Hempstead, New York Candy Crowley of CNNPP 3  Monday, October 22, 2012, 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida Bob Scheiffer of CBSPP 2012 United States vice presidential debate No. Number Date & Time Host Location Moderator ParticipantsKey:black #90ff90  P  Participant.   black #ff9090  N  Non-invitee.   #FFF Democratic#FFF Republican Vice PresidentJoe Bidenof Delaware CongressmanPaul Ryanof Wisconsin VP  Thursday, October 11, 2012, 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EDT Centre College Danville, Kentucky Martha Raddatz of ABCPP First presidential debate (domestic policy) Wednesday, October 3; Magness Arena, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado Moderator: Jim Lehrer – PBS Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, Washington Post, LA Times, The New York Times Fact-checking: FactCheck.org, Washington Post Vice presidential (domestic and foreign policy) Thursday, October 11; Norton Center for the Arts, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky Moderator: Martha Raddatz – ABC Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube Transcripts: CPD, https://archive.today/20130102115130/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/12/transcript-vice-presidential-debate/?hpt=hp_t1 CNN, NPR w/audio, Washington Post Fact-checking: FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, Washington Post Second presidential debate (town hall format) Tuesday, October 16; David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York Moderator: Candy Crowley – CNN Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, McClatchy, Washington Post Fact-checking: Boston.com, FactCheck.org, Politico, PolitiFact.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post IVN.us online presidential debate (third party) Thursday, October 18; Google+ hangout Moderator: Stephen Peacehttp://ivn.us/ca-election-center/2012/10/11/ivn-us-to-host-first-online-presidential-debate/ IVN.us to Host First Online Presidential Debate - Election Center December 2, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121202200619/http://ivn.us/ca-election-center/2012/10/11/ivn-us-to-host-first-online-presidential-debate/ December 2, 2012 dead - IVN.us Video: YouTube Third presidential debate (foreign policy) Monday, October 22; Wold Performing Arts Center, Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida Moderator: Bob Schieffer – CBS Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, McClatchy, Washington Post Fact-checking: Boston.com, FactCheck.org, Politico, PolitiFact.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post First Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (third party) Tuesday, October 23; Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinoishttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-larry-king-third-party-debate-moderator-20121017,0,5390151.story Los Angeles Times Meredith Blake Larry King to moderate third-party presidential debate October 17, 2012 Moderator: Larry Kinghttp://freeandequal.org/updates/larry-king-to-moderate-third-party-presidential-debate/ Larry King to Moderate Third-Party Presidential Debate - Free & Equal freeandequal.org October 17, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121018174647/http://freeandequal.org/updates/larry-king-to-moderate-third-party-presidential-debate/ October 18, 2012 dead – Ora.TV Video: C-SPAN, e0vE5CTTSFI Fact-checking: The Washington Post Ralph Nader presidential debate (third party) Sunday, November 4; Busboys and Poets, Washington, D.C. Moderator: Ralph Naderhttps://www.politico.com/story/2012/10/ralph-nader-the-moderator-082918?hp=r7 Ralph Nader the moderator - Patrick Gavin Politico.Com October 26, 2012 November 7, 2012 Video: fAJN4jUDuio October 3: First presidential debate (University of Denver) First presidential debate 150 90 minutes 2012 10 03 University of Denver Denver, Colorado Barack ObamaMitt Romney Jim Lehrer of PBS Format According to the memorandum of understanding agreed to by both campaigns prior to the debate,http://thepage.time.com/2012/10/15/the-2012-debates-memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-obama-and-romney-campaigns/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121015221014/http://thepage.time.com/2012/10/15/the-2012-debates-memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-obama-and-romney-campaigns/ dead October 15, 2012 Time Memorandum of Understanding Between the Obama and Romney Campaigns – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com October 15, 2012 and announced to the public prior to the start, both candidates would have no opening statement. There were six 15-minute segments, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving one candidate two minutes, the other candidate two minutes, and approximately 8 minutes and 45 seconds of facilitated discussion between the two candidates, with both candidates receiving approximately equal time. However, due to candidate responses extending beyond the limit, the last few segments were markedly shorter.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/jim-lehrer-defends-debate_n_1943423.html Huffington Post Michael Calderone Debate Moderator Defends Himself October 5, 2012 Both candidates spoke in front of a lectern. Other than applause at the beginning and end of the debate, there was no audience participation.http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/03/politics/debate-transcript/index.html CNN Transcript of Wednesday's presidential debate - CNN.com October 4, 2012 The segments were on the economy and job creation, the federal deficit, entitlements and differences between the candidates on Social Security, health care and the Affordable Care Act, the role and mission of the federal government of the United States, and governing in a presidential system and dealing with gridlock. Reception More than 67 million Americans watched the debate, making it the most widely viewed first presidential debate in 32 years.O'Connell Mikey November 17, 2011 Presidential Debate Hits 32-Year Record in Gross Ratings https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/obama-mitt-romney-presidential-debate-ratings-record-376575/ August 30, 2025 Hollywood Reporter A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 46% thought that Romney had done better, 22% thought Obama had done better, and 32% thought that it was a tie.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-uncommitted-voters-say-romney-wins-debate/ Poll: Uncommitted voters say Romney wins debate CBS News October 5, 2012 A CNN poll found a greater advantage for Romney among debate watchers overall, with 67% believing the former Massachusetts governor had done better, 25% believing that the president had done better, and 8% believing that it was a tie.http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/03/cnn-poll-romney-wins-debate-by-big-margin/?hpt=hp_t2 CNN Poll: Most watchers say Romney debate winner – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs Politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com October 3, 2012 October 5, 2012 October 5, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121005030214/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/03/cnn-poll-romney-wins-debate-by-big-margin/?hpt=hp_t2 dead A Gallup poll found that 72% of the debate watchers believed Romney was the clear winner, 20% believed that Obama had won, and 9% believed it was a tie or had no opinion; the widest margin of victory for any presidential debate in Gallup history.Jones, Jeffrey M. (October 8, 2012) "Romney Narrows Vote Gap After Historic Debate Win", Gallup.com. Time magazines Joe Klein stated, "It was, in fact, one of the most inept performances I've ever seen by a sitting President."Klein Joe Joe Klein September 28, 2012 Obama's Debate Strategy Bombs, Giving Romney a Confidence Boost | Swampland https://swampland.time.com/2012/10/03/the-debate/ October 5, 2012 Time The primary critiques of Obama's performance were that he looked detached; seldom addressed his opponent directly; and was often looking down while Romney was speaking.http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/04/politics/debate-5-things-learned/index.html 5 things we learned from the presidential debate CNN.com October 4, 2012 October 5, 2010 Hamby, Peter Preston, Mark Steinhauser, Paul http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/04/mitt-romney-debate_n_1938052.html Mitt Romney Versus Obama: 4 Key Moments From First Presidential Debate The Huffington Post October 4, 2012 October 5, 2012 Ward Jon Several independent fact checkers noted that a number of factual discrepancies were found in various statements made by both Obama and Romney in the debate.http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-romney-truth-debate-article-1.1174495 Presidential debate fact check: President Obama, Mitt Romney don't tell the whole truth Associated Press New York Daily News October 4, 2012 October 5, 2012https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/fact-checkers-have-fun-with-obama-romney/2012/10/04/c558dd9e-0e1e-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_blog.html Fact-checkers have fun with Obama, Romney The Washington Post October 4, 2012 October 5, 2012 Wemple, Erikhttp://www.morningsun.net/2012-elections/x354108640/Fact-check-The-debate Fact check: The debate FactCheck.org via GateHouse News Service The Morning Sun October 5, 2012 October 5, 2012 The Houston Chronicle reported that its "study of post-debate reports from factcheck.org, politifact.com, CBS, CNN, The Washington Post, and Politico found that both Obama and Romney stretched the facts [in the debate]. But Obama did it a little less."http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2012/10/fact-checkers-say-obama-told-the-truth-more-often-in-denver-debate-by-a-pinocchio-nose/ Fact-checkers say Obama told the truth more often in Denver debate — by a (Pinocchio) nose Houston Chronicle October 5, 2012 October 5, 2012 Moderation The performance of Jim Lehrer as the moderator was widely criticized for frequently allowing the candidates to speak over their time limits.Paul Harris: Jim Lehrer: was TV moderator the debate's big loser? The Guardian, October 4, 2012https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/moderator-jim-lehrer-sharply-criticized-for-performance-in-presidential-debate/2012/10/04/cda55db6-0ddc-11e2-ba6c-07bd866eb71a_story.html Moderator Jim Lehrer sharply criticized for performance in presidential debate Associated Press The Washington Post October 4, 2012 October 5, 2012 June 2021 medicmedichttps://www.politico.com/story/2012/10/lehrer-says-he-was-effective-082076 Exclusive: Jim Lehrer says he was 'effective' as presidential debate moderator Politico October 5, 2012 October 5, 2012 Byers, Dylan He said that he intended to have a looser format and was not trying to restrict the candidates. Fox News wrote, "The only consolation President Barack Obama had for his poor showing during Wednesday's debate was that moderator Jim Lehrer did even worse."Dan Gainor. "Jim Lehrer is biggest loser in Denver debate". Fox News, October 3, 2012. Dan Abrams of ABC News tweeted, "Regardless of who is winning this debate, Jim Lehrer is losing".Russell Goldman. "Jim Lehrer Biggest Loser in Debate?". ABC News, April 10, 2012. Lehrer defended his performance saying, "I've always said this and finally I had a chance to demonstrate it: The moderator should be seen little and heard even less. It is up to the candidates to ask the follow-up questions and challenge one another." Unlike many others, both Romney and Obama made favorable remarks about Lehrer. October 11: Vice presidential debate (Centre College) Vice presidential debate 150 90 minutes 2012 10 11 Centre College Danville, Kentucky Joe BidenPaul Ryan Martha Raddatz of ABC Format The only vice presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan focused on domestic and foreign policy, and was broken down into nine 10-minute segments.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531028/fireworks-fly-at-vice-presidential-debate/ https://archive.today/20130118204816/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531028/fireworks-fly-at-vice-presidential-debate/ dead January 18, 2013 CBS News Fireworks fly at vice presidential debate - CBS News October 12, 2012 The foreign policy segments included questions on the attack on the American consulate in Libya, Iran, the civil war in Syria, and Afghanistan. The domestic policy segments included questions on health care, abortion, the national debt, Social Security, Medicare, and taxes. Reception A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 50% of those viewers thought Biden did better, 31% thought Ryan did better, and 19% thought they tied.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531059/poll-biden-takes-debate-over-ryan-uncommitted-voters-say/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121012063854/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531059/poll-biden-takes-debate-over-ryan-uncommitted-voters-say/ dead October 12, 2012 CBS News Poll: Biden takes debate over Ryan, uncommitted voters say - CBS News December 14, 2012 A Reuters poll indicated Biden the superior candidate, 42% to 35% with 23% undecided or believing they tied.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-debate-poll-idUSBRE89B1AK20121012 Reuters Biden had the edge in VP debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll October 12, 2012 A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 48% of viewers believed Ryan had done better, 44% believed Biden had done better, and 8% believed they tied or had no opinion; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about eight percentage points more Republican than the general population.http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/pollingcenter/polls/3262 CNN POLL: CNN Poll: Who won the VP debate? Nate Silver's analysis of polling after the debate led to his concluding that, though both debaters performed adequately, Biden's performance helped to slow the momentum of the Romney campaign following the first presidential debate.Nate Silver, "In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold", 538 Blog, The New York Times, October 12, 2012, accessed October 13, 2012 The debate was watched by over 51 million people, making it the third most-watched vice presidential debate, behind that of 1984 (57 million) and 2008 (70 million)."VP debate ratings can’t match Biden-Palin from 2008", The Washington Post, October 12, 2012 Moderation Raddatz was generally praised for her moderation during this debate.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/martha-raddatz-debate-moderating_n_1959993.html Martha Raddatz Debate Moderating Draws Praise: 'Killing It,' 'Way Better' Than Lehrer Huffingtonpost.com October 11, 2012 November 7, 2012https://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/12/politics/debate-raddatz/index.html Who won Thursday's debate? Martha Raddatz - CNN.com CNN October 12, 2012 November 7, 2012 Sarah Palin, the former Alaska Governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, criticized her for being too "tough" on Paul Ryan.Palin: Raddatz let Biden run wild https://www.politico.com/story/2012/10/palin-raddatz-let-biden-run-wild-082331 POLITICO 2012-10-12 2025-11-27 en Glueck Katie October 16: Second presidential debate (Hofstra University) Second presidential debate Hofstra Debate 2012.jpg 150 90 minutes 2012 10 16 Hofstra University Hempstead, New York Barack ObamaMitt Romney Candy Crowley of CNN The second presidential debate took place on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at New York's Hofstra University, and was moderated by Candy Crowley of CNN. The debate followed a town hall format, with a group of noncommitted voters asking questions to the candidates, after which the moderator would ask follow-up questions. The second debate dealt primarily with domestic affairs, but, unlike the first debate, did include some segues into foreign policy. Topics discussed included taxes, unemployment, job creation, the national debt, energy and energy independence, women's rights, both legal and illegal immigration, and the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Format The Gallup Organization selected 82 undecided voters from the New York area to attend the debate. According to the rules set out by the Commission on Presidential Debates and codified in a memorandum of understanding between both candidates, each candidate received two minutes to answer the question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal. The candidates often engaged each other during the rebuttal period, and Crowley also followed up with candidates.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/candy-crowley-mitt-romney-debate_n_1972236.html Huffington Post Jack Mirkinson WATCH: Mitt Romney Barrels Over Candy Crowley October 16, 2012http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/candy-crowley-debate-followups_n_1971402.html Huffington Post Jack Mirkinson Candy Crowley's Potential Debate Follow-Ups Take On A Life Of Their Own October 16, 2012 Although moderator Crowley had intended to allow 15 voters to ask their questions, due to the length of candidate responses, 11 voters had time to ask questions of the candidates.Voters get their turn to ask the debate questions Tampa Bay Times. October 17, 2012. Obama was asked 5 questions, and Romney was asked 6 questions. The questions were: To Romney, from a college student concerned about not being able to support himself after graduation To Obama, on the role of the Secretary of Energy in reducing gasoline prices To Romney, on his tax rate reduction plan and the potential of restricting or eliminating deductions and credits as a result To Obama, on inequalities between men and women in the workplace, specifically women earning less than men for the same work To Romney, on the differences between him and former president George W. Bush To Obama, on what he has done or accomplished to earn the questioner's vote in 2012 To Romney, on his plans for immigrants without permanent residency in the United States To Obama, on who denied enhanced security prior to the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi To Obama, on his accomplishments in reducing availability of assault weapons To Romney, on outsourcing and his plans on obtaining and retaining jobs in the United States To Romney, on the biggest misperceptions about himhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/16/obama-romney-second-debate-live London The Guardian Richard Adams US presidential debates 2012, US elections 2012 (News), Mitt Romney (News), Barack Obama (News), US politics, CNN, Republicans (US), Democrats, US news, World news October 16, 2012http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/16/171713/complete-transcript-of-the-presidential.html Complete transcript of the presidential debate mcclatchydc.com October 17, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121017233226/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/16/171713/complete-transcript-of-the-presidential.html October 17, 2012 dead Reception A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 46% of respondents believed that Obama had done better, 39% believed that Romney had done better, and 11% had no opinion or believed they tied; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about eight percentage points more Republican than the general population, similar to the vice presidential debate.Polling Center: CNN Poll: Who won the second presidential debate? - Elections & Politics from CNN.com https://web.archive.org/web/20121017192932/http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/pollingcenter/polls/3274 October 17, 2012 A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 37% believed Obama was superior in the second debate, 30% said that Romney was superior, and 33% called the debate a tie. 55% of the voters CBS polled said that Obama gave direct answers, while 49% said this about Romney.Dutton Sarah De Pinto Jennifer Salvanto Anthony Backus Fred Boerma Lindsey October 16, 2012 Poll:Obama edges Romney in second debate https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-obama-edges-romney-in-second-debate/ October 16, 2012 CBS News The consensus among liberals as well as some conservatives was that Obama's showing in the second debate was considerably stronger in comparison with his performance in the first debate.Cirilli Kevin October 16, 2012 Debate results: Liberals relieved by Obama's performance https://www.politico.com/story/2012/10/left-relieved-by-obama-performance-082506 October 16, 2012 Politico Analysts characterized him as more assertive and "tough" in the second debate.Energized by debate, Obama knocks Romney on women's issues https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-obama-idUSBRE89G1HD20121017 Reuters October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012Mark Z. Barabak Obama is back in the fight http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-debate-analysis-20121017,0,7207939.story Los Angeles Times October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012Brian Montopoli Analysis: Tougher Obama rebounds in second debate https://www.cbsnews.com/news/analysis-tougher-obama-rebounds-in-second-debate/ CBS News October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012 Romney was perceived to have not done as well as his previous performance, missing several opportunities to rebut Obama.Rebecca Sinderbrand Analysis: Romney whiffs on some easy pitches http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/politics/debate-analysis/index.html CNN October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012 In answer to a question about equal pay for women, Romney said that as Governor of Massachusetts, he had solicited "binders full of women" qualified to serve in his administration. His comment became an Internet meme and was parodied with pages on social networking sites.Peralta Eyder Presidential Debate Spins 'Binders Full Of Women' Meme, Fact Checks https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/17/163071667/presidential-debate-spins-binders-full-of-women-meme NPR October 17, 2012'Binders Full of Women' Spawns Three-Ring Circus on Web https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/10/17/presidential-debate-spawns-binders-full-of-women-meme/ Wall Street Journal October 18, 2012 Barbara ChaiPhillip Abby https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/internet-takes-off-with-mitt-romneys-binders-full-of-women/ Internet Takes Off With Mitt Romney's 'Binders Full of Women' ABC News October 16, 2012 October 21, 2012 It was also adopted as a political attack line on Romney's attitude towards women issues.https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/binder-full-of-women-comment-spills-onto-campaign-trail/2012/10/18/39bfbab8-1928-11e2-b97b-3ae53cdeaf69_story.html Romney's 'Binder full of women' comment spills onto campaign trail The Washington Post October 15, 2012 October 19, 2012 Tom HamburgerCatalina Camia Paul Ryan defends Romney on 'binders' comment https://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2012/10/17/romney-binders-women/1638611/ USA Today October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012 Women's groups, such as MassGAP, responded that they had approached Romney with suggestions for qualified candidates to have him commit to including more women. MassGAP stated they had done the same for his opponent.Doug Gross Social world thumbs through 'binders full of women' http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/tech/social-media/binders-women-romney-social/ CNN October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012Liz Marlantes 'Binders full of women': a revealing remark from Romney, or a sideshow? https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2012/1017/Binders-full-of-women-a-revealing-remark-from-Romney-or-a-sideshow The Christian Science Monitor October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012Phillip Abby D. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/romney-challenged-binder-full-women-managers/story?id=17501797#.UIA7qEKYVMI Romney Challenged on How He Got the Binder Full of Women Managers ABC News October 17, 2012 October 22, 2012Mind The Binder http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/talkingpolitics/archive/2012/10/16/mind-the-binder.aspx October 16, 2012 The PhoenixViser Matt How Mitt Romney had 'whole binders of women' for staff positions as governor http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/10/17/binders-full-women-mitt-romney-claim-not-entirely-accurate/jrKRRGSIPqjvuKX8dgq6gL/story.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121019222350/http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/10/17/binders-full-women-mitt-romney-claim-not-entirely-accurate/jrKRRGSIPqjvuKX8dgq6gL/story.html dead October 19, 2012 Boston Globe blog October 17, 2012MassGAP Statement on Presidential Debate https://web.archive.org/web/20121019205347/http://www.mwpc.org/news/featured.php October 19, 2012 . Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. Commentators criticized him for appearing edgy, tense and irritable, off his game, and interrupting too much. Polls conducted by CBS, CNN, and Reuters/Ipsos found a plurality felt Obama had done better than Romney,Alexander Burns CBS snap poll: Obama edges Romney in second debate https://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/10/cbs-snap-poll-obama-edges-romney-in-second-debate-138705 Politico October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012Tom Cohen Obama gets the edge over Romney in a bruising debate http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/16/politics/debate-mainbar/index.html CNN October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012Voters say Obama beat Romney in second debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-poll-ipsos-idUSBRE89G1JV20121017 Reuters October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012 and a slight majority felt the same in a Gallup poll.Emily Schultheis Gallup: Obama won the second debate https://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/10/gallup-obama-won-the-second-debate-139028 Politico October 19, 2012 October 20, 2012 Please proceed, governor Please proceed, governor The discussion of the 2012 Benghazi attack produced an exchange known for the phrase Please proceed, governor, later described by Frank Rich as hilarious, http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/10/frank-rich-obama-the-alpha-dog.html Frank Rich on the National Circus: Obama the Alpha Dog New York October 17, 2012 March 27, 2013 and covered by Jon Stewart at The Daily Show. http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/10/jon-stewart-how-obama-allowed-romney-proceed-wall/58082/ The Atlantic Wire Jon Stewart on How Obama Allowed Romney to Proceed into a Wall October 18, 2012 March 27, 2013 The candidates disagreed as to whether Obama declared the Libyan consular attack as terrorism the day after the event or, as Romney claimed, erroneously said it was a protest caused by an anti-Muslim video for two weeks before identifying it as a terrorist attack. The end of that exchange was a comment by moderator Candy Crowley where she affirmed the facts of Obama's statement, referring to a transcript of his speech."Candy Crowley: I didn’t backtrack on Libya in debate" https://web.archive.org/web/20160916052652/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/17/candy-crowley-i-didnt-backtrack-on-libya-in-debate/ September 16, 2016 , Blog, The Washington Post, October 17, 2012 Crowley said in part, during the debate, "He did call it an act of terror."https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/us/politics/transcript-of-the-second-presidential-debate-in-hempstead-ny.html Transcript of the Second Presidential Debate in Hempstead, N.Y. The New York Times October 16, 2012 November 7, 2012 In his Rose Garden closing remarks, the President had said in part, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation."Full Transcript of Obama's Rose Garden Speech After Sept. 11 Benghazi Attack - October 16 12 10:31 EDT - ForexTV.com https://web.archive.org/web/20121019191955/http://www.forextv.com/forex-news-story/full-transcript-of-obama-s-rose-garden-speech-after-sept-11-benghazi-attack October 19, 2012 October 22: Third presidential debate (Lynn University) Third presidential debate 150 90 minutes 2012 10 22 Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida Barack ObamaMitt Romney Bob Schieffer of CBS The third and final presidential debate took place on Monday, October 22, 2012, at Florida's Lynn University, and was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS. Topics discussed included the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Iran's nuclear program, the Arab Spring, especially the Syrian civil war, relations with Israel, relations with Pakistan, the war on terror, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq, the size and scope of the U.S. military, and relations and trade with China, as well as the rise of that nation. Governor Romney also briefly broached the subject of the ongoing insurgency in Mali. Although the debate was supposed to strictly concern only foreign policy, the candidates did manage to fit a few domestic policy issues, such as job creation, the federal deficit, and education into the discussion. Format The format of this debate was identical to that of the first debate. There were six 15-minute segments, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving each candidate two minutes to respond, before allowing the candidates to discuss the topics.20 September 2012 2012 presidential debate schedule: Dates, moderators, topics and formats https://www.politico.com/story/2012/09/2012-presidential-debate-schedule-dates-moderators-topics-and-formats-081467 4 June 2024 Politico Reception A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 53% believed that Obama won, 23% believed that Romney won, and 24% called the debate a tie.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-decisive-win-for-obama-in-final-debate/ Poll: Decisive win for Obama in final debate CBS News October 22, 2012 November 7, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121107052528/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57537795/poll-decisive-win-for-obama-in-final-debate/ live A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 48% of respondents called Obama the winner, 40% called Romney the winner, and 12% had no opinion or thought they tied; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about five percentage points more Republican than the general population.http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/pollingcenter/polls/3287 Polling Center: Who won the final debate? - Elections & Politics from CNN.com November 7, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121107215245/http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/pollingcenter/polls/3287 dead http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/22/cnn-poll-who-won-the-debate/ CNN Poll: Nearly half of debate watchers say Obama won showdown – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs Politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com October 23, 2012 November 7, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121107215138/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/22/cnn-poll-who-won-the-debate/ dead Moderation Schieffer's moderation, which was perceived as confident but affable, received praise.https://www.politico.com/story/2012/10/no-debate-schieffer-got-it-just-right-082737 No debate: Bob Schieffer got it just right - Dylan Byers Politico.Com October 23, 2012 November 7, 2012https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2012/10/22/bianco-review-of-bob-schieffer-debate/1650803/ Bob Schieffer stays cool amid debate's heat Usatoday.com October 22, 2012 November 7, 2012 Robert Bianco Protests over excluded candidates Commission on Presidential Debates#Complaints from third parties Lawsuit Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein sued the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee, alleging that the commission's failure to extend them an invitation to the debates violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and the First Amendment.Morgan Little, Lawsuit highlights difficulty of third-party involvement in debates, Los Angeles Times (September 27, 2012).Megan R. Wilson, Court: Excluding outside parties from presidential debates does not violate First Amendment, The Hill (August 29, 2017). Johnson and Stein's suit was dismissed by the federal courts; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in 2017 that the two candidates lacked a valid legal claim or a cognizable injury.Johnson v. Commission on Presidential Debates, 869 F.3d 976 (D.C. Cir. 2017). Arrest of Green Party candidates outside second debate and lawsuit On October 16, 2012, Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein and vice-presidential nominee Cheri Honkala were arrested for disorderly conduct while trying to take part in the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/hofstra-debate-jill-stein-arrested-green-party_n_1971960.html Jill Stein Arrested Before Hofstra Debate Huffington Post October 16, 2012 October 16, 2012 Joanna Zelmanhttp://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2012/oct/18/green-partys-stein-missing-voices-presidential-debates/ Green Party's Stein Talks Arrest, Presidential Debates WNYC October 18, 2012 October 19, 2012 https://archive.today/20130416073957/http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2012/oct/18/green-partys-stein-missing-voices-presidential-debates/ April 16, 2013 dead Goodman Amy October 18, 2012 Green party candidate Jill Stein's arrest highlights presidential debate stitch-up https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/18/jill-stein-arrest-green-party-presidential-debate The Guardian London The two women claim they were taken to a warehouse, and strapped for eight hours to chairs with plastic wrist restraints before being released.http://www.democracynow.org/2012/10/17/green_partys_jill_stein_cheri_honkala Green Party Candidates Arrested, Shackled to Chairs For 8 Hours After Trying to Enter Hofstra Debate Democracy Now! October 17, 2012 Withdrawal of sponsors Three of the debate sponsors dropped out ahead of the first presidential debate due to the exclusion of major third-party candidates. These companies were BBH New York, YWCA USAhttp://reason.com/24-7/2012/09/28/ywca-drops-debate-sponsorship-over-exclu/ YWCA Drops Debate Sponsorship Over Exclusion of Third-Party Candidates Reason September 28, 2012 September 30, 2012 and Philips Electronics.https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/09/philips-pulls-presidential-debate-sponsorship-137053 Philips pulls presidential debate sponsorship Politico September 30, 2012 September 30, 2012 Third party debates Several third-party debates were held in 2012. Third-party debates, 2012 N° Date Host Location Moderator(s) Participantsblack #90ff90  P  Participant.   black #ff9090  N  Non-invitee.   black #ffffdd  A  Absent invitee.   #FFF Democratic#FFF Republican#0f2346 Libertarian#FFF Green#FFF Constitution#0f2346 Justice PresidentBarack Obamaof Illinois Former GovernorMitt Romneyof Massachusetts Former GovernorGary Johnsonof New Mexico Dr. Jill Steinof Massachusetts Former CongressmanVirgil Goodeof Virginia Former MayorRocky Andersonof UtahD1October 18, 2012 Google+ Hangout Online Stephen Peace of IVN.usNNPPNND2October 23, 2012 Hilton Chicago Chicago, Illinois Larry King of Ora.TVFree and Equal Elections Foundation (sponsor)AAPPPPD3November 4, 2012 Busboys and Poets Washington, D.C. Ralph Nader(Moderator & Sponsor)NNPPPP D4 November 5, 2012 RT America Washington, D.C. Thom Hartmann of RTFree and Equal Elections Foundation (sponsor)N N P P N N October 18: IVN.us online presidential debate IVN.us hosted an online presidential debate on October 18, 2012. It featured two third-party candidates, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. October 23: First Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (Hilton Chicago) The Free and Equal Elections Foundation organized a debate featuring third-party candidates Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, Virgil Goode and Rocky Anderson, which was held in Chicago at 9:00pm EDT on October 23, 2012. Veteran broadcaster Larry King of Ora.TV served as moderator for the debate,https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/10/larry-king-hosts-third-party-faceoff-139285 Larry King hosts third-party faceoff Politico October 23, 2012 October 23, 2012 Byers, Dylan which was streamed live online.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/larry-king-to-moderate-third-party-debate/ Larry King to moderate third-party debate cbsnews.com October 17, 2012 http://freeandequal.org/ Watch Our United We Stand Live Now from Reed Arena! #FreeandEqual #UnitedWeStand #TexasAM May 20, 2014 freeandequal.org It was also streamed live by Ora.TV on YouTubeWolford Josh October 22, 2012 Watch the Third Party Candidates Debate Live on YouTube http://www.webpronews.com/watch-the-third-party-candidates-debate-live-on-youtube-2012-10 November 7, 2012 WebProNews and was broadcast live by C-SPAN, Link TV,http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/10/23/3rd-party-presidential-nominees-to-debate/UPI-81511350977400/ 3rd-party presidential nominees to debate UPI.com October 23, 2012 October 23, 2012 Russia Today and Al Jazeera English. Format Each candidate was given an opportunity to make a two-minute opening statement. Then, six questions were asked to each of the four candidates and the candidates were given one minute to answer. However, the moderator accidentally started with the first question instead of allowing the candidates to do the opening statement. The opening statements had to follow their answers to the first question.Friedman Brad Untethered 'Third Party' Presidential Debate Provides Glimpse at Genuine Democracy http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9665 November 7, 2012 The Brad Blog The questions were: The candidates' thoughts on the top-two primary system How the candidates would tackle the war on drugs How the candidates would handle military spending and foreign policy Their opinions on section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 The stance of the candidates on issues relating to the economy The constitutional amendment they would offer if they knew it would pass Reception The Free and Equal Elections Foundation conducted a post-debate poll to determine which candidates would progress to their second debate. The poll found 55% of viewers thought Johnson had done the best, 31% thought Stein had done the best, 8% had felt Anderson had done the best, and 6% had felt Goode had done the best.http://freeandequal.org/updates/winners-of-october-23-presidential-debate/ Winners of October 23rd Presidential Debate Have Been Announced - Free & Equal Freeandequal.org October 20, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121112120541/http://freeandequal.org/updates/winners-of-october-23-presidential-debate/ November 12, 2012 dead The second round of the instant run-off vote showed that the top two candidates were still Johnson and Stein; these candidates were allowed to progress to the second debate. Moderation The moderator Larry King received some criticism for his mishap at the beginning of the debate. Some commentators thought this showed the debate's irrelevance.http://now.msn.com/larry-king-third-party-candidate-debate-moderator-almost-forgets-opening-statements Larry King, third-party candidate debate moderator, almost forgets opening statements Now.msn.com October 24, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121027030522/http://now.msn.com/larry-king-third-party-candidate-debate-moderator-almost-forgets-opening-statements October 27, 2012 dead November 4: Ralph Nader presidential debate (Busboys and Poets) Ralph Nader hosted and moderated a debate that took place on November 4, 2012, at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.http://nader.org/2012/11/01/ralph-nader-to-host-third-party-presidential-debate-in-d-c-114/ Ralph Nader to Host Third-Party Presidential Debate in D.C. Nov. 4 | The Nader PageThe Nader Page Nader.org November 1, 2012 November 7, 2012 Gary Johnson, Virgil Goode, Rocky Anderson and Jill Stein participated.https://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2012/11/05/nader-stein-johnson-debate-third-party/1682643/ Nader's third-party debate raises alternate issues USA Today November 5, 2012 November 6, 2012 Singer, Paul November 5: Second Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (RT America studio) After the previous Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate, a second debate was announced,http://freeandequal.org/updates/rt-presents-final-us-presidential-debate/ Free and Equal Hosts Final US Presidential Debate - Free & Equal Freeandequal.org October 26, 2012 November 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121112120538/http://freeandequal.org/updates/rt-presents-final-us-presidential-debate/ November 12, 2012 dead this time focusing on foreign policy. The debate was hosted by RT at the RT America Studio in Washington, D.C., and took place on November 5, 2012, between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. It was initially to be held on October 30, 2012, but was delayed due to Hurricane Sandy. The candidates that participated were those that won the instant-runoff vote after the previous debate—Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. See also Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign 2012 United States presidential election The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium References 30em External links http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2012-2 Commission on Presidential Debates Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2012 General Election October 31, 2011 November 3, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20130115020037/http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2012-2 January 15, 2013 dead http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2012-2 Commission on Presidential Debates 2012 Candidate Selection Criteria October 20, 2011 November 3, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20130115020037/http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2012-2 January 15, 2013 dead Coverage at The Washington Post University of Denver debate official site Centre College debate official site Hofstra University debate official site Lynn University debate official site Category:2012 in American television Category:Simulcasts 2012