அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தல்: ஒபாமா மீண்டும் அதிபராகிறார்
Posted Date : 08:27 (07/11/2012)Last updated : 11:26 (07/11/2012)
அமெரிக்கா; அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலுக்கான வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கை நடைபெற்றது. ஒபாமா மீண்டும் அமெரிக்க அதிபராகிறார்.
வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கையில் அதிபர் ஒபாமா, ரோம்னி இடையே கடும் போட்டி நிலவியது.
வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கையில் இருவரும் மாறி மாறி முன்னிலை பெற்று வந்தனர். அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலில் வெற்றிபெற 270 வாக்குகள் தேவை.
இறுதியில் ஒபாமா 270 வாக்குகளுக்கும் கூடுதலாக பெற்று வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ளார்.
ஒபாமா நன்றி!
மீண்டும் வெற்றி பெற செய்த வாக்காளர்களுக்கு ஒபாமா டிவிட்டர் இணையதளம் மூலம் நன்றி தெரிவித்துள்ளார்
உலக தலைவர்கள் வாழ்த்து
அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலில் ஒபாமா வெற்றி பெற்றதற்கு உலக தலைவர்கள் பலர் வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
ஒபாமாவுக்கு ரோம்னி வாழ்த்து!
அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற ஒபாமாவுக்கு, அவரை எதிர்த்து போட்டியிட்ட ரோம்னி வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
நாட்டை நல்ல முறையில் ஒபாமா வழிநடத்துவார் என்று நம்புகிறேன் என்று தனது வாழ்த்து செய்தியில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
வாக்குகள் விவரம்:
ஒபாமா - 303
ரோம்னி - 203
அமெரிக்கா:
அதிபர் தேர்தலில் மீண்டும் வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ள பராக் ஒபாமாவுக்கு, அவரை
எதிர்த்துப் போட்டியிட்ட மிட் ரோம்னி வாழ்த்துத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
அமெரிக்க அதிபர் பதவிக்கான தேர்தல் நேற்று நடைபெற்ற நிலையில், இன்று வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கை நடைபெற்றது. இதில், 303 வாக்குகளைப் பெற்று அமெரிக்க அதிபர் பராக் ஒபாமா வெற்றி பெற்றார். அவரை எதிர்த்துப் போட்டியிட்ட மிட் ரோம்னி 202 வாக்குகளைப் பெற்றுள்ளார்.
அமெரிக்காவின் அதிபராக இரண்டாவது முறை தேர்வு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள ஒபாமாவுக்கு, மிட் ரோம்னி தனது வாழ்த்துக்களை தெரிவித்துள்ளார். அதில், நாட்டை நல்ல முறையில் ஒபாமா வழிநடத்துவார் என்று நம்புகிறேன் என்று குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
சி.பி - நம்ம ஊர்ல எப்பவாவது கலைஞரும் , ஜெவும் பரஸ்பரம் இப்படி வாழ்த்து சொல்லி இருப்பாங்களா?
அமெரிக்க
அதிபர் தேர்தலில் பராக் ஒபாமா வெற்றி பெற்று மீண்டும் அதிபரானார். இதனை
தொடர்ந்து உலகம் முழுவதிலும் இருந்து ஒபாமாவிற்கு பாராட்டுக்கள் குவிந்த
வண்ணம் உள்ளன. இந்நிலையில் ரோம்னி தனது தோல்வியை ஓப்புக்கொண்டார். தேர்தல்
முடிவுகள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டதும் ஒபாமாவை தொடர்பு கொண்ட மிட் ரோமினி, அவருக்கு
வாழ்த்துக்களை தெரிவித்து கொண்டார். ஒபாமாவிடம் தனது தோல்வியை ஒப்புக்
கொண்டார்
.
பத்திரிகையாளர்களிடம் ரோம்னி கூறுகையில், மக்கள் தங்கள் தலைவரை தேர்ந்தெடுத்துள்ளார்கள். அவருக்காக நான் பிரார்த்தனை செய்து கொள்கிறேன். என்னுடன் கடுமையாக உழைத்தவர்களுக்கு எனது நன்றியை தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன். அமெரிக்கா எதிர்கொள்ளும் மிகப்பெரிய சவால்களை ஒபாமா சமாளிப்பார் என நம்புகிறேன். அமெரிக்கா மீது கொண்ட அக்கறை காரணமாக நான் தேர்தலில் போட்டியிட்டேன். இந்த நேரத்தில் அரசியல் செய்ய விரும்பவில்லை என கூறினார்.
அதிபர் தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற ஒபாமா, சிகாகோ நகரில் உரையாற்றினார்.
அவர் பேசுகையில் வெற்றி உங்களால் தான் கிடைத்தது. எனது வெற்றி அமெரிக்க மக்களின் வெற்றி. நாம் ஒற்றுமையாக இருந்து நாட்டை முன்னெடுத்துசெல்வோம்.என்னை முன்னேற்றியதற்காகவும் என் மீது நம்பிக்கை வைத்ததற்காகவும் உங்களுக்கு நன்றி தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன். எனது மனைவி இல்லாமல் நான் உயர்ந்திருக்க முடியாது. அமெரிக்காவிற்கு சிறப்பான மாற்றம் வர உள்ளது.நாம் அனைவரும் அமெரிக்க குடும்பங்கள். முன்னேறுவதிலும் வீழ்வதிலும் ஒற்றுமையாக இருப்போம்.கவர்னர் ரோம்னிக்கு எனது பாராட்டுக்களை தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன்.
வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கையில் அதிபர் ஒபாமா, ரோம்னி இடையே கடும் போட்டி நிலவியது.
வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கையில் இருவரும் மாறி மாறி முன்னிலை பெற்று வந்தனர். அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலில் வெற்றிபெற 270 வாக்குகள் தேவை.
இறுதியில் ஒபாமா 270 வாக்குகளுக்கும் கூடுதலாக பெற்று வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ளார்.
ஒபாமா நன்றி!
மீண்டும் வெற்றி பெற செய்த வாக்காளர்களுக்கு ஒபாமா டிவிட்டர் இணையதளம் மூலம் நன்றி தெரிவித்துள்ளார்
உலக தலைவர்கள் வாழ்த்து
அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலில் ஒபாமா வெற்றி பெற்றதற்கு உலக தலைவர்கள் பலர் வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
ஒபாமாவுக்கு ரோம்னி வாழ்த்து!
அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற ஒபாமாவுக்கு, அவரை எதிர்த்து போட்டியிட்ட ரோம்னி வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
நாட்டை நல்ல முறையில் ஒபாமா வழிநடத்துவார் என்று நம்புகிறேன் என்று தனது வாழ்த்து செய்தியில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
வாக்குகள் விவரம்:
ஒபாமா - 303
ரோம்னி - 203
ஒபாமாவுக்கு ரோம்னி வாழ்த்து!
Posted Date : 11:22 (07/11/2012)Last updated : 11:22 (07/11/2012)
அமெரிக்கா:
அதிபர் தேர்தலில் மீண்டும் வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ள பராக் ஒபாமாவுக்கு, அவரை
எதிர்த்துப் போட்டியிட்ட மிட் ரோம்னி வாழ்த்துத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.அமெரிக்க அதிபர் பதவிக்கான தேர்தல் நேற்று நடைபெற்ற நிலையில், இன்று வாக்கு எண்ணிக்கை நடைபெற்றது. இதில், 303 வாக்குகளைப் பெற்று அமெரிக்க அதிபர் பராக் ஒபாமா வெற்றி பெற்றார். அவரை எதிர்த்துப் போட்டியிட்ட மிட் ரோம்னி 202 வாக்குகளைப் பெற்றுள்ளார்.
அமெரிக்காவின் அதிபராக இரண்டாவது முறை தேர்வு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள ஒபாமாவுக்கு, மிட் ரோம்னி தனது வாழ்த்துக்களை தெரிவித்துள்ளார். அதில், நாட்டை நல்ல முறையில் ஒபாமா வழிநடத்துவார் என்று நம்புகிறேன் என்று குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
சி.பி - நம்ம ஊர்ல எப்பவாவது கலைஞரும் , ஜெவும் பரஸ்பரம் இப்படி வாழ்த்து சொல்லி இருப்பாங்களா?
சிகாகோ: அமெரிக்காவிற்கு சிறப்பான மாற்றம் வர உள்ளது என அமெரிக்க அதிபர் பராக் ஒபாமா கூறியுள்ளார்.
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பத்திரிகையாளர்களிடம் ரோம்னி கூறுகையில், மக்கள் தங்கள் தலைவரை தேர்ந்தெடுத்துள்ளார்கள். அவருக்காக நான் பிரார்த்தனை செய்து கொள்கிறேன். என்னுடன் கடுமையாக உழைத்தவர்களுக்கு எனது நன்றியை தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன். அமெரிக்கா எதிர்கொள்ளும் மிகப்பெரிய சவால்களை ஒபாமா சமாளிப்பார் என நம்புகிறேன். அமெரிக்கா மீது கொண்ட அக்கறை காரணமாக நான் தேர்தலில் போட்டியிட்டேன். இந்த நேரத்தில் அரசியல் செய்ய விரும்பவில்லை என கூறினார்.
அதிபர் தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற ஒபாமா, சிகாகோ நகரில் உரையாற்றினார்.
அவர் பேசுகையில் வெற்றி உங்களால் தான் கிடைத்தது. எனது வெற்றி அமெரிக்க மக்களின் வெற்றி. நாம் ஒற்றுமையாக இருந்து நாட்டை முன்னெடுத்துசெல்வோம்.என்னை முன்னேற்றியதற்காகவும் என் மீது நம்பிக்கை வைத்ததற்காகவும் உங்களுக்கு நன்றி தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன். எனது மனைவி இல்லாமல் நான் உயர்ந்திருக்க முடியாது. அமெரிக்காவிற்கு சிறப்பான மாற்றம் வர உள்ளது.நாம் அனைவரும் அமெரிக்க குடும்பங்கள். முன்னேறுவதிலும் வீழ்வதிலும் ஒற்றுமையாக இருப்போம்.கவர்னர் ரோம்னிக்கு எனது பாராட்டுக்களை தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன்.
அவருடன் இணைந்து செயல்பட்டு நாட்டை முன்னேற்றுவது குறித்து ரோம்னியுடன்
ஆலோசனை நடத்த உள்ளேன். ரோம்னியுடன் கருத்து வேறுபாடு இருந்தாலும், ஒரே
எண்ணம் உள்ளது. மற்ற நாடுகளை விட அமெரிக்கா வளமானது. குடியரசு கட்சியுடன்
இணைந்து பணியாற்றி நிதி நெருக்கடியை சமாளிப்போம் இந்த முறை போட்டி கடுமையாக
இருந்தது. அமெரிக்க ராணுவம் சிறந்தது. தேர்தல் பிரசாரத்தில் வலிமையான குழு
ஈடுபட்டது.
அமெரிக்க குழந்தைகள் கடன்கள் இல்லாத எதிர்காலத்தில் வாழ
வேண்டும். பல்வேறு சிரமங்களுக்கு இடையே தான் நாம் உயர
முடியும்.முன்னேற்றப்பாதையை நோக்கி முன்னேறி செல்வோம். இனி வரும்
காலங்களில் நிறைய வேலைவாய்ப்புகள் உருவாக்கப்படும். நடுத்தர
வர்க்கத்தினருக்கு போதிய பாதுகாப்பு வழங்கப்படும் என கூறினார்.
அ
நன்றி - விகடன், இந்தியா டுடே
U.S. President Barack Obama,
who won a second term in office by defeating Republican presidential
nominee Mitt Romney, stands with his family before addressing supporters
during his election night victory rally in Chicago, November 7, 2012.
REUTERS/Jeff Haynes
அ
Four more years," he said minutes after he defeated his Republican rival Mitt Romney in a closely contested poll.
"We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you," said another tweet.
The president sealed his victory in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire and Colorado, four of the nine battleground states where the two rivals and their allies spent nearly $1 billion on dueling television commercials.
Ultimately,
the result of the brawl of an election campaign appeared likely to be
the political status quo. Democrats won two more years of control of the
Senate, and Republicans were on track to do likewise in the House.
Romney was in Massachusetts, his long and grueling bid for the presidency at an unsuccessful end.
The two rivals were close in the popular vote.
Romney had 45.2 million votes, or 49 percent. Obama had 45 million, also 49 percent, with 65 percent of precincts tallied.
But Obama's laser-like focus on battleground states gave him the majority in the electoral vote, where it mattered most. He had 284, or 14 more than needed for victory. Romney had 200.
Yet to be settled were battlegrounds in Florida, Virginia and Nevada.
The election emerged as a choice between two very different visions of government - whether it occupies a major, front-row place in American lives or is in the background as a less-obtrusive facilitator for private enterprise and entrepreneurship.
The
economy was rated the top issue by about 60 percent of voters surveyed
as they left their polling places. But more said former President George
W. Bush bore responsibility for current circumstances than Obama did
after nearly four years in office.
About 4 in 10 said the economy is on the mend, but more than that said it was stagnant or getting worse more than four years after the near-collapse of 2008. The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and a group of television networks.
Democrats got off to a quick start in their bid to renew their Senate majority, capturing seats in Indiana and Massachusetts now in Republican hands.
In
Maine, independent former Gov. Angus King was elected to succeed
retiring GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe. He has not yet said which party he will
side with, but Republicans attacked him in television advertising
during the race, and Democrats rushed to his cause.
Polls were still open in much of the country as the two rivals began claiming the spoils of a brawl of an election in a year in which the struggling economy put a crimp in the middle class dreams of millions.
The president was in Chicago as he awaited the voters' verdict on his four years in office. He told reporters he had a concession speech as well as victory remarks prepared. He congratulated Romney on a spirited campaign. "I know his supporters are just as engaged, just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today" as Obama's own, he added.
Romney reciprocated, congratulating the man who he had campaigned against for more than a year.
Earlier, he raced to Ohio and Pennsylvania for Election Day campaigning and projected confidence as he flew home to Massachusetts. "We fought to the very end, and I think that's why we'll be successful," he said, adding that he had finished writing a speech anticipating victory but nothing if the election went to his rival.
But the mood soured among the Republican high command as the votes came in and Obama ground out a lead in critical states.
Like Obama, Vice President Joe Biden was in Chicago as he waited to find out if he was in line for a second term. Republican running mate Paul Ryan was with Romney in Boston, although he kept one eye on his re-election campaign for a House seat in Wisconsin, just in case.
Voters also chose a new Congress to serve alongside the man who will be inaugurated president in January, Democrats defending their majority in the Senate, and Republicans in the House.
The long campaign's cost soared into the billions, much of it spent on negative ads, some harshly so.
In the presidential race, an estimated one million commercials aired in nine battleground states where the rival camps agreed the election was most likely to be settled - Ohio, New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.
In a months-long general election ad war that cost nearly $1 billion, Romney and Republican groups spent more than $550 million and Obama and his allies $381 million, according to organizations that track advertising.
In Virginia, the polls had been closed for several minutes when Obama's campaign texted a call for volunteers "to make sure everyone who's still in line gets to vote."
In Florida, there were long lines at the hour set for polls to close. Under state law, everyone waiting was entitled to cast a ballot.
According to the exit poll, 53 percent of voters said Obama is more in touch with people like them, compared to 43 percent for Romney.
About 60 percent said taxes should be increased, taking sides on an issue that divided the president and Romney. Obama wants to let taxes rise on upper incomes, while Romney does not.
Other than the battlegrounds, big states were virtually ignored in the final months of the campaign. Romney wrote off New York, Illinois and California, while Obama made no attempt to carry Texas, much of the South or the Rocky Mountain region other than Colorado.
There were 33 Senate seats on the ballot, 23 of them defended by Democrats and the rest by Republicans.
Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, won a Connecticut seat long held by Sen. Joe Lieberman, retiring after a career that included a vice presidential spot on Al Gore's ticket in 2000. It was Republican Linda McMahon's second defeat in two tries, at a personal cost of $92 million.
The GOP needed a gain of three for a majority if Romney won, and four if Obama was re-elected. Neither Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada nor GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was on the ballot, but each had high stakes in the outcome.
All 435 House seats were on the ballot, including five where one lawmaker ran against another as a result of once-a-decade redistricting to take population shifts into account. Democrats needed to pick up 25 seats to gain the majority they lost two years ago.
Depending on the outcome of a few races, it was possible that white men would wind up in a minority in the Democratic caucus for the first time.
Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, raised millions to finance get-out-the-vote operations in states without a robust presidential campaign, New York, Illinois and California among them. His goal was to minimize any losses, or possibly even gain ground, no matter Romney's fate. House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California campaigned aggressively, as well, and faced an uncertain political future if her party failed to win control.
In gubernatorial races, Republicans picked up North Carolina, where Pat McCrory won easily. The incumbent, Democratic Gov. Bev Purdue, did not seek re-election.
In a campaign that traversed contested Republican primaries last winter and spring, a pair of political conventions this summer and three presidential debates, Obama, Romney, Biden and Ryan spoke at hundreds of rallies, were serenaded by Bruce Springstein and Meat Loaf and washed down hamburgers, pizza, barbecue and burrito bowls.
Obama was elected the first black president in 2008, and four years later, Romney became the first Mormon to appear on a general election ballot. Yet one man's race and the other's religion were never major factors in this year's campaign for the White House, a race dominated from the outset by the economy.
Over and over, Obama said that during his term the nation has begun to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression. While he conceded progress has been slow, he accused Romney of offering recycled Republican policies that have helped the wealthy and harmed the middle class in the past and would do so again.
Romney countered that a second Obama term could mean a repeat recession in a country where economic growth has been weak and unemployment is worse now than when the president was inaugurated. A wealthy former businessman, he claimed the knowledge and the skills to put in place policies that would make the economy healthy again.
In a race where the two men disagreed often, one of the principal fault lines was over taxes. Obama campaigned for the renewal of income tax cuts set to expire on Dec. 31 at all income levels except above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.
Romney said no one's taxes should go up in uncertain economic times. In addition, he proposed a 20 percent cut across the board in income tax rates but said he would end or curtail a variety of tax breaks to make sure federal deficits didn't rise.
The differences over taxes, the economy, Medicare, abortion and more were expressed in intensely negative advertising.
Obama launched first, shortly after Romney dispatched his Republican foes in his quest for the party nomination.
One memorable commercial showed Romney singing an off-key rendition of "America The Beautiful." Pictures and signs scrolled by saying that his companies had shipped jobs to Mexico and China, that Massachusetts state jobs had gone to India while he was governor and that he has personal investments in Switzerland, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Romney spent less on advertising than Obama. A collection of outside groups made up the difference, some of them operating under rules that allowed donors to remain anonymous. Most of the ads were of the attack variety. But the Republican National Committee relied on one that had a far softer touch, and seemed aimed at voters who had been drawn to the excitement caused by Obama's first campaign. It referred to a growing national debt and unemployment, then said, "He tried. You tried. It's ok to make a change."
More than 30 million voters cast early ballots in nearly three dozen states, a reflection of the growing appeal of getting a jump on the traditional election day.
"We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you," said another tweet.
The president sealed his victory in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire and Colorado, four of the nine battleground states where the two rivals and their allies spent nearly $1 billion on dueling television commercials.
Romney was in Massachusetts, his long and grueling bid for the presidency at an unsuccessful end.
The two rivals were close in the popular vote.
But Obama's laser-like focus on battleground states gave him the majority in the electoral vote, where it mattered most. He had 284, or 14 more than needed for victory. Romney had 200.
Yet to be settled were battlegrounds in Florida, Virginia and Nevada.
The election emerged as a choice between two very different visions of government - whether it occupies a major, front-row place in American lives or is in the background as a less-obtrusive facilitator for private enterprise and entrepreneurship.
About 4 in 10 said the economy is on the mend, but more than that said it was stagnant or getting worse more than four years after the near-collapse of 2008. The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and a group of television networks.
Democrats got off to a quick start in their bid to renew their Senate majority, capturing seats in Indiana and Massachusetts now in Republican hands.
Polls were still open in much of the country as the two rivals began claiming the spoils of a brawl of an election in a year in which the struggling economy put a crimp in the middle class dreams of millions.
The president was in Chicago as he awaited the voters' verdict on his four years in office. He told reporters he had a concession speech as well as victory remarks prepared. He congratulated Romney on a spirited campaign. "I know his supporters are just as engaged, just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today" as Obama's own, he added.
Romney reciprocated, congratulating the man who he had campaigned against for more than a year.
Earlier, he raced to Ohio and Pennsylvania for Election Day campaigning and projected confidence as he flew home to Massachusetts. "We fought to the very end, and I think that's why we'll be successful," he said, adding that he had finished writing a speech anticipating victory but nothing if the election went to his rival.
But the mood soured among the Republican high command as the votes came in and Obama ground out a lead in critical states.
Like Obama, Vice President Joe Biden was in Chicago as he waited to find out if he was in line for a second term. Republican running mate Paul Ryan was with Romney in Boston, although he kept one eye on his re-election campaign for a House seat in Wisconsin, just in case.
Voters also chose a new Congress to serve alongside the man who will be inaugurated president in January, Democrats defending their majority in the Senate, and Republicans in the House.
The long campaign's cost soared into the billions, much of it spent on negative ads, some harshly so.
In the presidential race, an estimated one million commercials aired in nine battleground states where the rival camps agreed the election was most likely to be settled - Ohio, New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.
In a months-long general election ad war that cost nearly $1 billion, Romney and Republican groups spent more than $550 million and Obama and his allies $381 million, according to organizations that track advertising.
In Virginia, the polls had been closed for several minutes when Obama's campaign texted a call for volunteers "to make sure everyone who's still in line gets to vote."
In Florida, there were long lines at the hour set for polls to close. Under state law, everyone waiting was entitled to cast a ballot.
According to the exit poll, 53 percent of voters said Obama is more in touch with people like them, compared to 43 percent for Romney.
About 60 percent said taxes should be increased, taking sides on an issue that divided the president and Romney. Obama wants to let taxes rise on upper incomes, while Romney does not.
Other than the battlegrounds, big states were virtually ignored in the final months of the campaign. Romney wrote off New York, Illinois and California, while Obama made no attempt to carry Texas, much of the South or the Rocky Mountain region other than Colorado.
There were 33 Senate seats on the ballot, 23 of them defended by Democrats and the rest by Republicans.
Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, won a Connecticut seat long held by Sen. Joe Lieberman, retiring after a career that included a vice presidential spot on Al Gore's ticket in 2000. It was Republican Linda McMahon's second defeat in two tries, at a personal cost of $92 million.
The GOP needed a gain of three for a majority if Romney won, and four if Obama was re-elected. Neither Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada nor GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was on the ballot, but each had high stakes in the outcome.
All 435 House seats were on the ballot, including five where one lawmaker ran against another as a result of once-a-decade redistricting to take population shifts into account. Democrats needed to pick up 25 seats to gain the majority they lost two years ago.
Depending on the outcome of a few races, it was possible that white men would wind up in a minority in the Democratic caucus for the first time.
Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, raised millions to finance get-out-the-vote operations in states without a robust presidential campaign, New York, Illinois and California among them. His goal was to minimize any losses, or possibly even gain ground, no matter Romney's fate. House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California campaigned aggressively, as well, and faced an uncertain political future if her party failed to win control.
In gubernatorial races, Republicans picked up North Carolina, where Pat McCrory won easily. The incumbent, Democratic Gov. Bev Purdue, did not seek re-election.
In a campaign that traversed contested Republican primaries last winter and spring, a pair of political conventions this summer and three presidential debates, Obama, Romney, Biden and Ryan spoke at hundreds of rallies, were serenaded by Bruce Springstein and Meat Loaf and washed down hamburgers, pizza, barbecue and burrito bowls.
Obama was elected the first black president in 2008, and four years later, Romney became the first Mormon to appear on a general election ballot. Yet one man's race and the other's religion were never major factors in this year's campaign for the White House, a race dominated from the outset by the economy.
Over and over, Obama said that during his term the nation has begun to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression. While he conceded progress has been slow, he accused Romney of offering recycled Republican policies that have helped the wealthy and harmed the middle class in the past and would do so again.
Romney countered that a second Obama term could mean a repeat recession in a country where economic growth has been weak and unemployment is worse now than when the president was inaugurated. A wealthy former businessman, he claimed the knowledge and the skills to put in place policies that would make the economy healthy again.
In a race where the two men disagreed often, one of the principal fault lines was over taxes. Obama campaigned for the renewal of income tax cuts set to expire on Dec. 31 at all income levels except above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.
Romney said no one's taxes should go up in uncertain economic times. In addition, he proposed a 20 percent cut across the board in income tax rates but said he would end or curtail a variety of tax breaks to make sure federal deficits didn't rise.
The differences over taxes, the economy, Medicare, abortion and more were expressed in intensely negative advertising.
Obama launched first, shortly after Romney dispatched his Republican foes in his quest for the party nomination.
One memorable commercial showed Romney singing an off-key rendition of "America The Beautiful." Pictures and signs scrolled by saying that his companies had shipped jobs to Mexico and China, that Massachusetts state jobs had gone to India while he was governor and that he has personal investments in Switzerland, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Romney spent less on advertising than Obama. A collection of outside groups made up the difference, some of them operating under rules that allowed donors to remain anonymous. Most of the ads were of the attack variety. But the Republican National Committee relied on one that had a far softer touch, and seemed aimed at voters who had been drawn to the excitement caused by Obama's first campaign. It referred to a growing national debt and unemployment, then said, "He tried. You tried. It's ok to make a change."
More than 30 million voters cast early ballots in nearly three dozen states, a reflection of the growing appeal of getting a jump on the traditional election day.
