News-18 Jan 13: OBAMA WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF AMERICA FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE TERM OF 4 YEARS

OBAMA WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF AMERICA FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE TERM OF 4 YEARS

US President Barack Obama on November 6, 2012 won a second term and immediately promised to unify a country bitterly divided along political lines, exacerbated by a hard fought campaign.

He won 303 of the 538 electoral votes to Republican Mitt Romney's 206. His victory was much less spectacular in popular votes. The Republican Party retained control of the House of Representatives in parallel  congressional elections and US President Barack Obama with his Democrats held on to the Senate.

In his victory speech at campaign headquarters in Chicago the President wasted little time acknowledging that he needed to build bridges to bipartisan consensus, if he had any hope of pressing on with reforms in his second term, including in contested areas such as comprehensive immigration reform and stimulus type policies for economic growth and job creation.

While Mr. Obama's dramatic win will stall any further efforts to repeal his landmark healthcare reform package at the national level, he may well need to quickly reach  out to House Speaker John Boehner and his colleagues to urgently find a solution to the fiscal cliff that the U.S. economy is set to go over if deficit-reduction measures are not put in place in good time.

With a long list of heavy lift to do items on the medium-term agenda for the 45th President of the U.S., Mr. Obama is however likely to take a few moments to savour his victory and deliberate on the highly divided state of the union before the new year begins.

RECORD BREAKING POLL

$712 million spent by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on their campaign.

$260 million spent by Romney

 

Reasons behind Obama’s win 

Rainbow Coalition—Obama's team ensured his coalition of young voters, Hispanics and African Americans, as well as the educated white middle-class, showed up for him like in 2008.

93% Afro-Americans, 69% Hispanics and 70% Jewish voters supported Obama.
           

Economy—Improved steadily over the year. Historically, voters have given a  second term to Presidents who oversee modest growth in a poll year.
Over the past few months, the unemployment rate dipped below the psychological barrier of 8%.

 

Romney's Bain—Obama ads branded Mitt Romney, co-founder of Bain Capital, as a corporate vulture who bought and sold firms for his own profit.
           

Bin Laden Boost—Killing of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden bolstered the President's image

Clean Bill of Help—Ex-President Bill Clinton, remembered for leading an era of economic prosperity, often made the case for Obama better than the Prez himsel

Campaign Team—Positioned Obama as a populist warrior for the American middle classes.

Whether I earned your vote or Not, I have Listened to you. I have learned from you. You've Made me a better President      —Barack Obama ,