Presidency
Blue States in the Box
Since Barack Obama’s first State of the Union Address in 2010, 60 of the 83 guests sitting with the First Lady came from states carried by the President in the previous election.
Read MoreThe 6 Times President Obama Mentioned the Pope
What do Dave Brubeck, Lech Walesa, the Queen of England and Nelson Mandela have in common?
Read MoreAmerica Held Hostage: The Political Rhetoric of Barack Obama
Immigration. Unemployment benefits. Health care. Taxes. Obama has dusted off and stretched the ‘hostage metaphor’ to advance his policy agenda more than any president in history.
Read MoreFOX Still Shunned at Obama Press Conferences
The favorite news outlet of conservatives ranks just ninth in presser questions in Obama’s first term, getting to ask questions at only half the rate of the Big 3 broadcast networks.
Read MoreThe Top Five Smart Politics Reports of 2012
A look back at a few of the most illuminating, odd, and controversial reports published by Smart Politics this year.
Read MoreRecord Book Near Misses in the 2012 Presidential Election
The Romney-Obama contest ranked among the Top 5 most competitive races ever in three states (AK, FL, NC) and the Top 5 least competitive in six (HI, MD, OK, UT, WV, WY).
Read MoreStudy: Governors Have No Pull Helping Presidential Nominees Carry Their State
States have voted more frequently for a presidential nominee of a different party than its sitting governor across 600 contests since 1968; even more so in battleground states.
Read MoreOhio: The Nation’s Battleground Since 1828
Ohio has been the most politically divided state in the country in presidential elections for the last 184 years – boasting the lowest average victory margin and the largest number and percentage of races decided by less than five points.
Read MoreOhio: Gerrymandering 1, Obama Coattails 0
With only four Democratic U.S. Representatives elected from Ohio in 2012, the Buckeye State is sending the smallest number and percentage of allies of a newly-elected president to D.C. in state history.
Read MoreDeath of the Battlegrounds? The 2012 Election in History
The 2012 presidential election is the only cycle since the birth of the two-party system in 1828 to be decided by less than 15 points nationally and yet have less than 10 percent of its contests decided by fewer than five points.
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