CFR.org - U.S. Election 2012

The Candidates and the Economy

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:14:28 -0400

The economy will likely be the most contested issue of the 2012 presidential campaign, with Republican candidates determined to demonstrate that President Obama's economic policies failed and that less government, not more, is needed to stimulate growth and create jobs.

NYT: Is There a Romney Doctrine?

David E. Sanger — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:17:57 -0400

Dozens of subtle position papers flow through Mitt Romney's policy shop, but they seem to have little influence on his hawkish-sounding and content-thin pronouncements, writes David E. Sanger for the New York Times.

How India Sees the U.S. Presidential Race

C. Raja Mohan, and Bernard Gwertzman — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:28:31 -0400

With the U.S.-India relationship in solid shape, India will be watching the U.S. presidential race for how the outcome will affect policies on China, Pakistan, and other issues crucial to Delhi.

Marco Rubio’s Foreign Policy

Julia E. Sweig — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:10:13 -0400

Julia E. Sweig discusses U.S. senator Marco Rubio's foreign policy positions and their significance if he is chosen as Republican Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate.

Obama's Speech on Jobs and Congress' "To-Do" List, May 2012

Barack Obama — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:52:55 -0400

President Obama gave this speech on employment and Congress' 'To-Do' list on May 8, 2012 in Albany, New York.

Romney's Speech on "A New Course for America", May 2012

Mitt Romney — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:31:36 -0400

Republican presidental candidate Mitt Romney gave these remarks on 'A New Course for America' on May 8, 2012 at Lansing Community College in Michigan.

The Battle for Mitt Romney's Mind

Leslie H. Gelb — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:03:45 -0400

Leslie H. Gelb says Mitt Romney's foreign policy strategy is an attempt to blend all Republican viewpoints.

Obama's Speech in Richmond, Virginia, May 2012

Barack Obama — Sat, 05 May 2012 09:56:22 -0400

President Obama gave this campaign speech on May 5, 2012 in Richmond, Virginia.

Obama's Speech in Columbus, Ohio, May 2012

Barack Obama — Sat, 05 May 2012 09:51:34 -0400

President Obama gave this speech, the first of his official 2012 campaign speeches, in Columbus, Ohio on May 5, 2012.

Chatham House: US Election Note: China Policy after 2012

Xenia Dormandy — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:05:11 -0400

This Chatham House paper lays out the likely China policy of either a second-term Barack Obama administration or an incoming Mitt Romney administration, and the international implications of these two alternatives.

Romney's Op-Ed: "Ohio Challenge to President Obama", May 2012

Mitt Romney — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:25:17 -0400

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney published this letter to President Obama regarding unemployment in Ohio and beyond in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on May 4, 2012.

Brookings: Keeping on Offense

Benjamin Wittes, and Daniel L. Byman — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:36:13 -0400

The next president should keep after al-Qaeda but mend relations with Congress on terrorism, reports this Brookings Institution campaign briefing.

NYT: Warrior in Chief

Peter Lampert Bergen — Tue, 01 May 2012 09:44:21 -0400

From both the right and left, there has been a dramatic disconnect between President Obama's record and the public perception of his leadership: despite his demonstrated willingness to use force, neither side regards him as the warrior president he is, writes Peter L. Bergen.

Forget Euro Woes—Brace for Taxmageddon

Sebastian Mallaby — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:33:19 -0400

Sebastian Mallaby explains how post-election gridlock could either send the U.S. economy over the edge of a "fiscal cliff" into recession or lead it down a risky road of more debt and downgrades.

Video Brief: Civil Liberties

Matthew C. Waxman — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:31:14 -0400

Civil liberties will present the winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential elections with challenges related to counterterrorism powers and practices, as well as challenges related to privacy rights, says CFR's Matthew C. Waxman.

Biden's Speech on Foreign Policy, April 2012

Joseph R. Biden Jr. — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:09:57 -0400

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden gave these remarks on foreign policy in New York on April 26, 2012.

China's View of U.S. Presidential Politics

Jia Qingguo, and Bernard Gwertzman — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:26:06 -0400

The Chinese leadership is following the U.S. presidential campaign very closely, says Jia Qingguo, a leading American studies scholar, but he notes that a new president is not expected to significantly change U.S. policy toward China.

Surviving "Taxmageddon" Without Maiming Economy

Peter R. Orszag — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:04:13 -0400

Peter Orszag works through various approaches U.S. policymakers could take to head off fiscal catastrophe as a storm of tax increases, spending cuts, and a debt ceiling standoff looms at the end of the year.

Romney's Speech in New Hampshire, April 2012

Mitt Romney — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:23:41 -0400

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave these remarks in New Hampshire on April 24, 2012, the night of the Republican primaries in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware.

Daily Beast: Can Foreign Policy Reflect America’s Waning Power?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:57:08 -0400

Gone are the days when the United States led major powers in the decisions that ruled the planet, writes Ian Bremmer at the Daily Beast. Could Obama or Romney make the most of our new reduced role in international affairs?

CNN: Romney Offers Politics, Not a Plan, on Afghanistan

Blake Hounshell — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:33:06 -0400

Blake Hounshell writes that despite Romney's denunciations of Obama's Afghanistan strategy, he would pursue the same course of action. The U.S.-Afghanistan policy will not change with the election.

Bloomberg: Romney's Vague and Frustrating Views on Afghanistan

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:18:11 -0400

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney finds himself in a policy conundrum on Afghanistan issues: His views are at times identical to Obama's, and at other times contradictory, write the editors of Bloomberg View.

CNN: Ten Big Questions for Obama, Romney on Asia

Patrick M. Cronin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:48:04 -0400

Patrick Cronin says that Asian security issues have barely been discussed in the U.S. presidential campaign. How can a diminished U.S. military meet challenges in the region?

Bloomberg: Mitt Romney's Failed Definition of Success

Michael Kinsley — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:43:16 -0400

Michael Kinsley suggests that we can't discount luck, as well as other factors, from the definition of success; this is something that Mitt Romney should keep in mind, instead of defending himself by saying America resents success.

AP: Romney's Foreign Policy Pronouncements Return to Hawkish Stances

Associated Press — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:46:32 -0400

Mitt Romney wants the United States to get much tougher with Iran and to end what a top adviser calls President Barack Obama's "Mother, may I?" consensus-seeking foreign policy.

RCP: Romney Still Lagging in Foreign Policy Strategy

Erin McPike — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:28:13 -0400

Mitt Romney's criticism of Obama's foreign policy only demonstrates his own incompetence and lack of credentials, argues Erin McPike in tracking the candidate's foreign policy history.

CRS: An Overview of Tax Provisions Expiring in 2012

Margot L. Crandall-Hollick — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:36:09 -0400

In this Congressional Research Service report, public finance analyst Margot L. Crandall-Hollick provides an overview of the expiring tax provisions as well as a discussion of the policy debates surrounding them.

NYMag: The War War

John Heilemann — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:27:44 -0400

According to the Romney campaign, the president has declared hostilities against just about everything Americans hold dear--and the Obamas are firing back, writes John Heilemann in New York magazine.

WP: Events Do Not Wait as Obama Plays a Delay Defense

Jackson Diehl — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:05:22 -0400

Obama's recent foreign policy has focused on asking for space to delay or stop history until after the 2012 elections. But Jackson Diehl points out that the problem with making space is that it tends to get filled by others.

Washington Whispers About Who Will Be Next Secretary of State

Leslie H. Gelb — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:46:24 -0400

Leslie H. Gelb discusses who might replace Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. secretary of state.