by Balz, Dan
in battleground states, 299, 319, 332; see also specific states
candidates in, 91–92, 106, 120, 130, 159, 181, 187, 199–200; see also specific candidates
and debates, 131–37, 140–41, 149–52, 154–57, 168, 173, 183–84, 227, 351–52
and midterm elections (2010), 100–101, 102–5
Republican Party:
as apocalypse party, 100–105
and budget cuts, 43, 61
and Congress, 38–39, 48–49, 52, 61, 104, 226
conservative base of, 33, 44, 57, 99, 100–101, 102, 114–16, 168, 174–75, 200, 214, 221, 222, 224, 225, 232, 274, 314, 330, 349–50
and debt ceiling, 46–48, 60–61
and demographic shifts, 243–44, 341, 350
and the economy, 72; see also economy
and election results, 332–35, 346, 350
evangelical base in, 110, 224
and Gang of Seven, 211
and general election campaign (2012), 84, 208, 222, 225, 226; see also Romney, Mitt
and George Romney, 29
identity crisis of, 199–200
and immigration issue, 228–31, 243, 346
intraparty differences in, 98, 100, 102, 103, 122, 133, 200, 206, 216, 223, 226
and McCain-Palin ticket (2008), 62, 111, 112, 129, 264
media firms of, 89, 247
and midterm elections (2010), 7, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 112, 119, 180
new rules played under, 49, 93, 100, 176, 180–81, 187, 197, 220
nomination battle in, see Republican nomination contest
opposition to Obama, 3, 4, 12, 38, 41, 42–43, 48–50, 52, 56, 61, 62, 64, 66–70, 72, 94, 102, 104–5, 140, 188–89, 199, 226, 234, 244, 257, 261, 277–78, 349
as out of control, 110
public dissatisfaction with, 8, 226
shrinking the government, 43–44, 173, 245
shutting down the government, 43, 163
and super PACS, 253, 258, 259, 261, 279, 298, 322, 351
and Tea Party, 7, 35, 47–48, 62, 67, 94, 100, 101–5, 112, 127, 180, 199–200
and values, 71, 72, 148, 346, 350
and women’s issues, 297–98
Restore Our Future (ROF), 171, 177, 186, 203, 261
Rhoades, Matt, 175, 285
and debates, 197, 308, 309, 341
on election day, 21, 337, 345
and health care, 95
mapping the race, 89, 91, 95, 96
and running mate selection, 273, 274
and 2012 general election campaign, 234, 257, 259, 260
and 2012 primary campaign, 128, 137–38, 148, 157–58, 169, 170, 179, 197, 198, 207, 210, 214, 221, 223, 228
Rhodes, Ben, 11, 316
Rich, Frank, 36
Rivera, Craig, 161
Rivera, David, 271
Rivera, Geraldo, 161
Roberts, John, 256
Robinson, Craig, 173
Rogers, Ed, 108–9
Rollins, Ed, 111, 136–37, 147
Romney, Ann Davies, 285–86, 337, 338
and campaigning, 16, 20, 23, 89, 216
and cancer, 33
and Christie, 126
convention speech by, 281–82
and debates, 311
and decision to run, 87–88, 90, 96, 340
horse owned by, 272
marriage of Mitt and, 29
Romney, Craig (son), 87
Romney, George (father), 28–29, 216, 343
Romney, Joe (grandson), 20
Romney, Lenore (mother), 30
Romney, Matt (son), 89
Romney, Mitt, 28–33
attack ads against, 57, 246–47, 249–52, 254, 255–56, 259, 262, 280, 297, 322–24, 344
attack ads against Obama by, 98–99, 258, 259, 260, 277–78
“Believe in America” slogan, 98
biographers of, 30
as businessman, 5, 22, 29–30, 57, 58–59, 91, 183, 184, 186–88, 204, 215, 221, 235, 246–47, 249, 258, 289, 294
and campaign financing, 351
changing political views of, 32–33, 57–58, 95–96, 127, 135, 151, 227, 229, 341
concession speech by, 337–38, 345
and conservatism, 33, 99, 174–75, 200, 214, 225, 232, 274, 314, 349–50
“Corporations are people” comment, 169
and debates, 18, 217, 301–11, 314–17, 324, 329, 341, 344–46
decision to run, 87–88, 90, 96–97, 339, 340
early years of, 29
on election day, 20–21, 332–35, 337–38, 345–46
and Etch A Sketch comment, 227, 242
as family man, 5, 87–88, 90, 235, 335, 340
as flip-flopper, 33, 57–58, 95, 151, 229
formal announcement of candidacy, 98–99
and 47 percent video, 6, 293–95, 296, 298, 300, 309, 315, 346–48
as front-runner, 90, 92, 93, 99, 106, 110, 120–21, 122, 130, 138, 142, 159, 168, 184, 189, 190, 196, 205, 220, 226
and fund-raising, 208, 234–35, 247, 259–61, 269, 271, 351
and Gingrich, 174, 176, 177, 178, 183–84, 194, 197–201, 203–4, 206, 213, 233–34, 250
as governor of Massachusetts, 31–33, 89, 94, 97, 148, 183, 201, 214, 249, 255, 258, 341
and health care, 31–32, 94–99, 108, 127, 133, 135, 174, 217, 340
and his father, 28–29, 216, 343
and Hurricane Sandy, 331–32, 340
“I like to fire people,” 294
and immigration issue, 228–31
international travel of, 271–72
Kennedy-Romney debates, 33, 288
lack of Republican Party enthusiasm for, 5, 122, 127, 159, 168, 199, 200, 210, 212–13, 235, 297, 298
mapping the race, 87–99
marriage to Ann, 29
media interviews with, 174–75, 339–48
and Mormon religion, 29, 88, 92, 93, 340–41
No Apology, 88, 127, 175
personal qualities of, 22, 23, 29
political persona of, 28, 29, 32–33, 57–58, 90, 97, 98–99, 235, 249
on poverty, 207, 294
public image of, 5, 6, 23, 105, 207, 218, 219, 227, 231–33, 235, 249, 251, 262, 280, 281, 294–95, 298, 309, 314, 324, 333, 335, 345
and Republican convention, 286
and Ryan, 263–64, 276
selecting a running mate, 264–68, 271–72, 273–76
and Senate campaign (1994), 30–31, 94, 171, 177, 183–84, 250
and super PACs, 171–72, 176, 186, 197–98, 203, 221–22, 233, 351
support for Republican Party, 88–89, 169
tax returns of, 189, 190, 194, 197, 200, 202, 249, 250, 258, 266n, 277, 288
and 2008 presidential campaign, 5, 22–23, 33, 90–91, 95, 106, 129, 200
and 2012 nomination contest, 5–6, 8, 132–33, 134–35, 137–38, 140, 143, 148–51, 154, 157, 158, 168–71, 173, 175–79, 182–84, 187–91, 194–96, 197–208, 226–27, 249
and 2012 presidential campaign, 16–18, 19, 21, 51, 57–59, 67, 70, 73, 87–99, 234–35, 247–48, 259–62
vulnerabilities of, 58–59, 184, 199, 200, 208, 213, 220, 227–28, 231, 249
wealth of, 5, 28, 30, 189–90, 202–3, 204, 227, 231, 232, 235, 250, 258, 262, 264, 288, 322, 340, 341, 344, 348
and Winter Olympics (2002), 31, 201, 217, 271
Romney, Tagg (son):
and campaign, 89
and debates, 311, 317
and decision to run, 87–88, 96–97, 340
and election day, 20, 21
Romney team:
campaign strategies of, 90–93, 295–96, 308–9, 315, 323–25, 330
and “Day One” campaign
, 260–61
and debates, 301, 306, 308–9, 310–11, 312–15, 317, 344–46
and decision to run, 88–89
exploratory committee, 92
field operations, 325–26, 335–36, 340
and fund-raising, 89, 120, 279–80, 322, 344
and general election funds, 279, 280
members of, 89
and polarization, 276–78
political action committees (PACs; super PACs), 88–89, 186, 197–98, 233
and polls, 19, 95, 189, 199, 299–300, 312, 329–31, 333, 345
presentation styles tested by, 98–99
research and data, 262
state-by-state plan of, 92–93
and technology, 335–36
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 27, 148, 240
Roosevelt, Theodore, 3, 72
Root, Jay, 156
Rose, Charlie, 50, 257, 285
Rosen, Hillary, 304
Ross, Brian, 191
Rove, Karl, 123, 145, 147, 149, 172, 336
Courage and Consequence, 40
Rubio, Marco, 205, 229–31, 267, 271, 275, 283, 342–43
Rucker, Philip, 30, 174, 195, 264, 273, 298
Russia, arms treaty with, 38, 39
Ryan, Nick, 174
Ryan, Paul, 19, 70, 122, 136
acceptance speech by, 283
and budget cuts, 42–45, 163–64, 175, 270, 276
campaigning, 320, 328
and debate, 313–14
and election day, 20–21, 335, 337
and Medicare plans, 198, 274, 276
“The Path to Prosperity,” 44
as running mate, 263–64, 273–76, 278, 299–300, 319
and shrinking government, 43–44
Sabato, Larry, 205
same-sex marriage, 350
Sanders, Sarah Huckabee, 139
Santelli, Rick, 101
Santorum, Karen, 174, 224
Santorum, Rick, 209–24
and debates, 132, 140, 160, 183, 193, 201, 217–19
family concerns of, 210, 211, 224
and Gang of Seven, 211
It Takes a Family, 211
Red, White and Blue Fund, 222
reelection bid (2006), 212
and Tea Party, 212
and 2008 primary campaign, 91–92
and 2012 primary campaign, 174, 177, 178–79, 183, 184, 187, 195, 209–12, 213–20, 221–22, 224, 232, 343
withdrawal of, 224, 260
Saturday Night Live, 204
Schiavo, Terri, 212
Schieffer, Bob, 316
Schmidt, Eric, 41, 79
Schriefer, Russ, 220, 275
and ad campaigns, 201, 260, 273, 343
and ad media, 89, 247
and convention, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286
Schroeder, Bob, 138
Schultz, Greg, 325
Scozzafava, Dede, 102
Scully, Matthew, 286
SDI (Steel Dynamics of Indiana), 259
SEALs, and bin Laden, 46
Seamus (Romney family dog), 305
Second Amendment, 104
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 267–69
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), 52, 53
Shapiro, Walter, 136
Sharp, John, 144
Sides, John, and Lynn Vavreck, The Gamble, 261–62
Silver, Nate, 73, 338, 352
Simas, David, 52, 313
Simon, Roger, 305–6
Simpson, Alan, 45
60 Minutes, 36, 299
Slaby, Michael, 76
Slate, 64
Smith, Adam, 202
Smith, Erik, 287
Smith, Sylvia, 135
Smoot, Julianna, 254
social media, 40, 78–79, 118, 204, 294, 301–5, 315, 335, 352
Social Security, 148–49, 150–51, 157–58, 229, 341
Solmonese, Joe, 39
Sonmez, Felicia, 320
Soptic, Joe, 246, 277
Sorenson, Kent, 178
Soros, George, 220
South Carolina:
debates in, 132, 160, 187–89, 192–93, 197, 198, 200, 201
Gingrich’s comeback in, 185–86, 187–89, 190–96, 197, 198, 208, 209, 342
Obama campaign in, 75
Republican campaigns in, 41, 93, 176, 185–96, 199, 200, 207, 209, 210
Romney campaign in, 93, 95, 176, 185–87, 197, 198, 200, 207, 221, 224, 342, 343
SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission, 172
Sperling, Gene, 289, 290
Spies, Charles, 172
Springsteen, Bruce, 13, 14, 119
“Stage” (ad), 324
Standard & Poor’s, 61
“Steel” (ad), 246–47, 251, 254, 259
Steinbrenner, George, 121
Stephanopoulos, George, 218
Stevens, Christopher, 296, 308
Stevens, Stuart, 247–49, 273, 285, 295
and ad campaign, 149, 259, 278
and ad media, 89, 247
and debates, 308, 311
and decision to run, 341
on nomination battles, 227
and Romney’s public appearances, 98, 286
and running mate selection, 273
and super PAC, 198
and 2012 campaign, 148–49, 207, 248–49, 343
Stewart, Alice, 137
Stewart, Jon, 145
Stewart, Mitch, 75, 80, 81, 322
Strauss, Bob, 291
Strayhorn, Carole Keeton, 143
Strickland, Ted, 288, 322, 325
Sullivan, Andrew, 303, 306
Sullivan, Ray, 146, 147, 152–53, 156, 192
super PACs, 185, 220
and Gingrich, 171, 172, 186–87, 188, 203, 233, 250
and Obama team, 277
and Romney, 171–72, 176, 186, 197–98, 203, 221–22, 233, 351
Super Tuesday, 221–23
and Romney campaign, 92, 220, 221
and voting patterns, 223–24
Supreme Court, U.S.:
and antisodomy laws, 212
and campaign financing, 172, 351
and health care, 94, 256–57
Tanenhaus, Sam, The Death of Conservatism, 100–101
Tapper, Jake, 141, 170
Targeted Sharing, 78–79
Tea Party:
and Americans for Prosperity, 218
anti-Obama stance of, 102, 103, 136
and Bachmann, 136
birth of, 101
and Boehner, 47
and Cain, 159–60
and Congress, 42, 46, 47, 100, 104
and debates, 131
and debt ceiling, 46, 47
demographics of, 104
and the economy, 45, 72
and Gingrich, 200
and grassroots movement, 103, 105
and midterm elections (2010), 35, 112
and Occupy Wall Street, 70
and Palin, 106, 112, 113
and Paul, 173
and Pawlenty, 127
and Perry, 143, 152
political orthodoxy demanded by, 102, 103
public image of, 101–2
and Republican Party, 7, 35, 47–48, 62, 67, 94, 100, 101–5, 112, 127, 180, 199–200
and running mate selection, 267
and Santorum, 212
ultraconservative stance of, 102, 103, 105
Tennessee:
Romney’s loss in, 224
Santorum’s victory in, 222
Texas:
election results in, 334
primary in, 207, 224
Thaler, Richard, 352
This Week, 141, 218
Thompson, Fred, 93
Thune, John, 89, 91
Title X, 217
Todd, Chuck, 176, 256, 302
Tomasky, Michael, 303
Trump, Donald, 109–10, 139, 207, 220
Tsongas, Paul, 177
Tucson, Arizona, shooting in, 42, 62, 112
Tumulty, Karen, 110, 111, 166
Twitter, 301–5, 315, 335, 352
Tyler, Rick, 164, 165, 172
Tyson, Mike, 39
Undefeated, The (movie), 113
unemployment, 3, 35–36, 189, 239, 240, 322, 340
Utah, midterm elections in (2010), 102
Van Susteren, Greta, 113, 162, 164
Vavreck, Lynn, 261
Ventura, Jesse, 129
Vermont, Republican contest in, 222
VFW convention, Las Vegas, 272
Vietnam War, and presidential politics, 29
Virginia:
as battleground state, 299, 319, 332, 333
election results in, 332, 333, 336
Obama campaign in, 75, 253, 319
polls in, 329, 330
Republican contest in, 222, 224
Romney campaign in, 224, 299, 329
Wagner, Dan, and analytics, 19, 76, 80, 81
Wake Up Wal-Mart, 75
Walker, Robert, 188
Walker, Scott, 319
Wallace, Chris, 150, 151, 160
Wall Street Journal, 48, 96, 97, 112, 232
Warfield, Nelson, 152, 156
Warren, Elizabeth, 71
Washington, D.C., dysfunctional government in, 5, 7, 23–24, 38, 48–49, 50, 56, 61, 62, 64, 69, 72, 239, 244, 349
Washington Post, 72, 103, 227, 245, 255–56
Wasserman, David, 332
Weaver, John, 179–80
Weber, Vin, 134, 195–96
Weeks, David, 153
Wehner, Pete, 152, 286
Welch, Jack, 131
welfare reform, 206–7, 277, 278, 324
Westen, Drew, 62–63
White, Bill, 143
White, Bob, 20
and Bain, 89, 250–51, 256, 259
and debate preparation, 308
and election day, 338
and Romney’s public image, 251
and running mate selection, 273, 274
White, Ginger, 162
White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, 46, 110, 180
Wicks, Buffy, 75
Will, Mari, 156
Williams, Brian, 149, 201, 272
Williams, Juan, 188, 190, 192
Williams & Connolly, 108
Wilson, Scott, 24
Winning Our Future, 185–87
Winston, David, 188
Winter Olympics (2002), 31, 201, 217, 271
