Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign#Vice presidential selection

{{US 2012 presidential elections series}}

After the 2008 election, Romney built a strategy for the 2012 presidential campaign and saved PAC money to underwrite salaries and consulting fees for his existing political staff{{Cite news| url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/08/romney_paves_way_for_possible_12_run/ | title=Romney paves way for possible '12 run | author=Phillips, Frank | newspaper=The Boston Globe | date=December 8, 2008}} and to build up a political infrastructure for what might become a $1 billion campaign three years hence. He also had a nationwide network of former staff and supporters eager for him to run again.{{Cite news| url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24316.html | title=Mitt Romney's team awaits 2012 | author=Martin, Jonathan | newspaper=Politico | date=June 29, 2009 | access-date=June 29, 2009}}

He continued to give speeches and raise campaign funds on behalf of fellow Republicans.{{Cite news | url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/06/02/meet-the-new-mitt-romney-same-as-the-old-mitt/ | title=Mitt's Makeover: Channeling Reagan for 2012 Run | author=Cannon, Carl M. | publisher=Politics Daily | date=June 2, 2009 | access-date=April 12, 2011 | archive-date=June 5, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605183914/http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/06/02/meet-the-new-mitt-romney-same-as-the-old-mitt/ | url-status=dead }} Romney declined a lucrative job as head of a hedge fund, and instead began a yearlong self-education on foreign and domestic issues.{{r|barbaro20120830}}

Romney finished first in the CPAC straw poll in 2009{{Cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/28/cpac/index.html | title=Romney picked as 2012 GOP front-runner | publisher=CNN | date=February 28, 2009}} and second in 2010 and 2011,{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/20/ron-paul-wins-presidential-straw-poll-cpac/ |title=Ron Paul Wins Presidential Straw Poll at CPAC |publisher=Fox News |date=February 20, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202142513/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/20/ron-paul-wins-presidential-straw-poll-cpac/ |archive-date=February 2, 2011 }}{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/12/ron-paul-wins-presidential-straw-poll-cpac/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214072138/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/12/ron-paul-wins-presidential-straw-poll-cpac/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 14, 2011 | title=Ron Paul Wins Presidential Straw Poll at CPAC – Again | publisher=Fox News | date=February 12, 2011}} won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll in 2010,{{Cite news|agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mitt-romney-wins-presidential-straw-poll-at-republican-leadership-conference |title=Mitt Romney Wins Presidential Straw Poll at Republican Leadership Conference |publisher=Fox News |date= April 10, 2010}} and won the New Hampshire Straw Poll in 2011.{{cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/romney-wins-new-hampshire-republican-straw-poll/ | title=Romney Wins New Hampshire Republican Straw Poll | publisher=Fox News | date=January 22, 2011}}

Romney released his 2010 tax return in early January 2012, along with a partial 2011 return which he promised to release in whole upon its completion.{{cite news|last1=Holland|first1=Steve|last2=Dixon|first2=Kim|title=Romney returns show low tax rate; questions linger|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-romney-taxes-idUSTRE80N06U20120125|access-date=July 20, 2012|newspaper=Reuters|date=January 25, 2012}}{{cite news|title=Romney booed over tax returns|url=http://nation.foxnews.com/mitt-romney/2012/01/19/romney-booed-over-tax-returns|access-date=July 20, 2012|newspaper=Fox Nation|date=January 19, 2012|archive-date=July 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708090816/http://nation.foxnews.com/mitt-romney/2012/01/19/romney-booed-over-tax-returns|url-status=dead}} During the presidential campaign, he decided not to disclose additional returns citing the matter as a distraction from more important issues.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/us/politics/romney-steadfast-against-release-of-more-tax-returns.html |title=Romney Steadfast in the Face of Growing Calls to Release More Tax Returns|access-date=July 19, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 18, 2012|author=Michael D. Shear|author2=Trip Gabriel}}

Despite his preparations, Romney remained unconvinced on whether to run again. In December 2010 he asked his immediate family to vote on a 2012 campaign. Unlike the unanimous support before the 2008 campaign, this time 10 family members voted against another try; only Romney's wife Ann and one son voted in favor, and Romney told family members that he would not run again. In the spring of 2011, his wife and political allies persuaded him to change his mind, telling Romney that they believed he could fix the economy.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/us/politics/setback-leads-mitt-romney-to-reinvention.html?pagewanted=all | title=Defeat, Introspection, Reinvention, Nomination | work=The New York Times | date=August 30, 2012 | access-date=August 30, 2012 | author=Barbaro, Michael | pages=A1}}

Before a slower start to the presidential campaign by all contenders than four years previous, on April 11, 2011, Mitt Romney announced by means of a video recorded that day at an athletics field at the University of New Hampshire that he had formed an exploratory committee as a first step for a potential run for a Republican presidential campaign, saying, "It is time that we put America back on a course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington."{{cite news | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/romney-forms-presidential-exploratory-committee/ | title=Romney takes first official step towards running for president | publisher=CNN | access-date=April 11, 2011 | date=April 11, 2011 | archive-date=August 14, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814000925/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/romney-forms-presidential-exploratory-committee/ | url-status=dead }}

Romney formally announced his candidacy for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination at an outdoor gathering in Stratham, New Hampshire, on June 2, 2011.Elliott, Philip; Ramer, Holly [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2015210896_apusromney2012.html "Romney opens presidential bid challenging Obama"], Seattle Times. June 2, 2011.[https://www.npr.org/2011/06/02/136897400/romney-announces-bid-for-presidency "Romney Announces Bid For Presidency"], NPR. June 2, 2011.

In his announcement speech, he pledged to make the U.S. economy the main focus of his campaign, saying "My number one job will be to see that America is number one in job creation."[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/06/mitt-romney-presidential-announcement-new-hampshire-/1 "Mitt Romney kicks off 2012 presidential bid"], USA Today, June 2, 2011.

On May 16, 2011, the Romney campaign announced that it had raised $10.25 million "in connection with today's call day fundraiser in Nevada."{{cite web| title = Romney for President Exploratory Committee Raises $10.25 Million for Nevada Call Day| publisher = Romney for President| date = May 16, 2011 | url =http://www.mittromney.com/press/2011/05/romney-president-exploratory-committee-raises-1025-million-nevada-call-day| access-date =July 2, 2011}} This was hailed in the media as "an impressive one day total".{{Cite news| last = Friedersdorf| first = Conor| title = Mitt Romney's $10 Million Day | newspaper = The Atlantic | date = May 17, 2011 | url =https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/05/mitt-romneys-10-million-day/238990/|access-date =July 2, 2011}}{{cite web| last = Legum| first = Judd| title = FACT CHECK: Romney Campaign Did Not Raise $10 Million In One Day | publisher = Think Progress | date = July 1, 2011 | url = http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/07/01/259150/romney-fact-check-10-million/ | access-date =July 2, 2011}} Thereafter, however, the Los Angeles Times reported that "the amount actually represented pledges gathered earlier and tallied that day, not just funds actually taken in by the campaign".{{Cite news |last = Hamburger | first= Tom| title = As filing deadline approaches, presidential campaigns see slow returns|newspaper = Los Angeles Times| date = June 30, 2011 | url =https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-xpm-2011-jun-30-la-pn-fundraising-deadline-20110630-story.html | access-date =July 2, 2011 }} Later, it was discovered that Romney had actually raised $2.403 million on May 16, about a quarter of the claimed amount.{{cite web |url=http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2011/Q2/C00431171/A_DATE_C00431171.html |title=Contributions For Romney For President Inc |publisher=Query.nictusa.com |access-date=September 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920144750/http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2011/Q2/C00431171/A_DATE_C00431171.html |archive-date=September 20, 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |author=Constantinople |url=http://www.metawarroom.com/2011/07/world-exclusive-romney-only-raised-2.html |title=Exclusive: Romney Only Raised $2 Million on Day He Claimed He Raised $10 Million (UPDATED) |publisher=metaWarRoom |date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813184206/http://www.metawarroom.com/2011/07/world-exclusive-romney-only-raised-2.html |archive-date=August 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

File:Mitt Romney at Senate Coney Island Livonia Michigan.JPG in Livonia, Michigan, during a campaign stop, June 9, 2011.]]

For the entire second quarter, the campaign expected to raise only about $20 million, less than the $44 million raised in that period in 2007 but still more than any of the other Republican candidates. By the end of June, Romney's campaign raised $18.5 million, which was $14 million more than U.S. representative Ron Paul, who came 2nd in funding amongst Republican candidates.{{cite web|author=Kathleen Ronayne |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/07/presidential-fundraising-slow-start.html |title=Presidential Fund-Raising for GOP Hopefuls Off to Slower Start Than Four Years Ago |publisher=OpenSecrets |date=July 7, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}

By the end of March 2012, Romney had raised $88 million, far more than his nearest Republican rival, Ron Paul ($36 million).{{cite journal|last=Carmi|first=Evan|author2=Ericson, Matthew |author3=Nolen, David |author4=Quealy, Kevin |author5=Strickland, Michael |author6=White, Jeremy |author7= Willis, Derek |title=The 2012 Money Race: Compare the Candidates|journal=New York Times|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance|access-date=April 22, 2012}} President Barack Obama had raised $197 million, more than twice as much as Romney, and the Obama campaign had nearly 10 times as much cash on hand (over $100 million compared to Romney's $10 million). By the end of April, Romney was far outstripping Obama in large-value campaign contributions from individual donors: most (62%) of Romney's contributions were at the legal limit of $2,500, compared to 16% of Obama's.{{cite news|last=Rezendes|first=Michael|title=President Obama winning the battle for small donors|url=http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-07/metro/32083275_1_small-donors-campaign-finance-institute-obama-fund-raiser|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=June 7, 2012|access-date=August 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816174328/http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-07/metro/32083275_1_small-donors-campaign-finance-institute-obama-fund-raiser|archive-date=August 16, 2012|url-status=dead}} Obama fared better among small-value donors, with almost half (43%) of his donations at $200 or less, compared to only 10% of Romney's.

Romney was also supported by the Super PAC called Restore Our Future. As of the end of February 2012, Restore Our Future had raised over $43 million.{{cite news | first = Nicholas | last = Confessore | title = Obama's Not-So-Hot Date With Wall Street | date = May 2, 2012 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/magazine/obamas-not-so-hot-date-with-wall-street.html | work = The New York Times | access-date = May 3, 2012}}

In an article about 2016 Presidential election fundraiser Mary Pat Bonner, 2012 campaign finance chair Zwick was mentioned in regards "fund-raising fees paid by Mr. Romney's [2012] campaign committees to limited liability companies established by Mr. Zwick: about $34 million, according to campaign disclosure reports".Confessore, Nicholas, [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/us/in-invisible-world-of-political-donor-advisers-a-highly-visible-player.html "The Secret World of a Well-Paid 'Donor Adviser' in Politics"], New York Times, February 5, 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-17.

By April 2012 Romney's financial supporters included Julian Robertson of Tiger Management, Louis Moore Bacon of Moore Capital Management, John Paulson of Paulson & Co., Steven Allen Schwarzman, of The Blackstone Group and Paul Singer of Elliott Management Corporation.{{cite news|last=Celarier|first=Michelle|title=Mitt Romney's hedge fund kingmaker|url=http://fortune.com/2012/03/26/mitt-romneys-hedge-fund-kingmaker/ |date=April 9, 2012|access-date=March 26, 2016 |work=Fortune}}

• Matt Rhoades, Campaign Manager. Rhoades was communications director of Romney's '08 campaign. He also was a deputy communications research director for the Republican National Committee during the 2006 election cycle, and a research director for the 2004 Bush campaign.{{cite web |url=http://www.p2012.org/candidates/romneyorg |title=Romney for President, Inc.- Organization, 2011–12 Primary Edition |publisher=P2012.org |access-date=2013-02-22 |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026011937/http://www.p2012.org/candidates/romneyorg |url-status=dead }}
• Chief of staff to the executive director, Kelli Harrison
• Advisers, Beth Myers, Peter Flaherty and Eric Fehrnstrom
• Strategists, Stuart Stevens and Russell Schriefer, partners and principals at the Stevens & Schriefer Group (SSG). The pair were media consultants on Romney's 2007–08 campaign. They also served as part of the media group on the 2004 George W. Bush presidential campaign, and previously on Bush's 2000 campaign.
• Political director, Rich Beeson. Partner at FLS Direct and previously the RNC director for the 2008 election cycle.
• Communications director Gail Gitcho. Former communications director to Scott Brown and national press secretary for the RNC.
• Digital director Zac Moffatt. Former co-founder and partner of Targeted Victory, a Republican digital strategic consulting firm.
• Lanhee Chen, policy director. Chen was chief domestic policy adviser during Romney's 2008 campaign for president. Visiting scholar at the University of California's Institute of Governmental Studies. Previously deputy campaign manager and policy director on California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner's campaign for governor, 2009–10, and senior counselor to the deputy secretary of Health and Human Services.

Romney's foreign policy special advisors were drawn largely from the previous Republican administration. Of the 24 foreign policy advisors, 17 served in the Bush-Cheney administration.Foreign Policy – [https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/07/12/the_romney_cheney_doctrine The Romney-Cheney Doctrine]

{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}

• Cofer Black, previously director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC) under presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton,Coll, Steve, Ghost Wars (Penguin, 2005 edn), p. 456. and coordinator for counter-terrorism under President George W. Bush. Black currently serves as chairman of Total Intelligence Solutions.
• Christopher Burnham, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Management for the UN Secretary General. Kofi Annan, and Under Secretary of State for Management for Condoleezza Rice during the George W. Bush administration. Connecticut State Treasurer from 1995 to 1997.
• Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security under George W. Bush, co-author of the Patriot Act.
• Eliot Cohen, Counselor to the United States Department of State under Secretary Condoleezza Rice from 2007 to 2009.
• Norm Coleman, United States senator from Minnesota from 2003 to 2009.
• John Danilovich, former US ambassador to Costa Rica and later Brazil; former head of Millennium Challenge Corporation.
• Paula Dobriansky, 3rd Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.
• Eric Edelman, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under George W Bush.
• Michael Hayden, director of NSA and later CIA under George W. Bush.
• Kerry Healey, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts under Romney from 2003 to 2007.
• Kim Holmes, vice president, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, and director, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies.
• Robert Joseph, senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy.
• Robert Kagan, foreign policy commentator at the Brookings Institution.
• John F. Lehman, Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, member of the 9/11 Commission.
• Walid Phares, national terrorism expert
• Pierre-Richard Prosper, United States ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues.
• Mitchell Reiss, president of Washington College.
• Dan Senor, former spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority during Iraq occupation.
• Jim Talent, former U.S. senator from Missouri.
• Vin Weber, former U.S. representative from Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District.
• Richard S. Williamson, 17th assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs.
• Dov Zakheim, foreign policy advisor to George W. Bush.
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, U.S. representative from Florida's 18th Congressional District
• Mario Díaz-Balart, U.S. representative from Florida's 21st Congressional District
• Lincoln Díaz-Balart, former U.S. representative from Florida's 21st Congressional District

{{colend}}

{{Columns-start|num=3}}

Economic policy:

• R. Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, where he is also the Russell Carson Professor of Finance and Economics.
• Gregory Mankiw, professor of economics at Harvard University.
• Jim Talent, former U.S. senator from Missouri.
• Vin Weber, former U.S. congressman from Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District.

Justice advisory:

• Robert Bork, judge of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
• Mary Ann Glendon, professor of law at Harvard University and former United States ambassador to the Holy See.
• Richard E. Wiley, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and founder of Wiley Rein LLP.

Labor policy:

• Peter Schaumber, former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board.
• William Kilberg, partner with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and lead counsel to Boeing in a complaint brought by the National Labor Relations Board challenging Boeing's decision to open a new plant in Charleston, South Carolina.

{{Column}}

Veterans policy:

• Anthony Principi, the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under George W. Bush.
• Jim Nicholson the 5th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under George W. Bush.

Trade policy:

• Carlos Gutierrez, the 35th United States Secretary of Commerce under George W. Bush.
• Rod Hunter, senior vice president of international advocacy for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
• John Herrmann, former member of the National Security Council.

Law enforcement:

• William Barr, Attorney General under George H. W. Bush.
• Michael Mukasey, Attorney General under George W. Bush.
• George J. Terwilliger III, Deputy Attorney General under George H. W. Bush.
• Mark Filip, Deputy Attorney General under George W. Bush.
• Alice S. Fisher, former assistant attorney general under George W. Bush

{{Column}}

Urban policy:

• Rick Baker, former mayor of St. Petersburg, FL.

Health care policy:

• Scott Atlas, the David and Joan Traitel Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
• Tom Barker, partner at Foley Hoag LLP.
• Scott Gottlieb, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
• Paul Howard, director of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Medical Progress.
• Avik Roy, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
• Tevi Troy, Deputy Secretary of the Health & Human Services (HHS) under George W. Bush.

{{Columns-end}}

Mitt Romney was one of many competing for the role of Republican nominee for president.

Romney won the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Straw Poll in February with 38% of the vote. The poll is traditionally considered an important barometer of the sentiments of conservative activists. {{citation needed|date=August 2012}} The New York Times wrote that the Romney campaign was busing in students from along the East Coast to support Romney.{{Cite news|title=Romney's Record as Governor Resumes Central Role in Nomination Fight|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/11/us/politics/romneys-record-as-governor-resumes-central-role-in-nomination-fight.html|date=February 10, 2012|first=Jeff|last=Zeleny|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 24, 2012}} Rick Santorum finished second in the straw poll with 31%.{{Cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1202/12/sotu.01.html |title=Transcript|work=State of the Union with Candy Crowley|publisher=CNN|date=February 12, 2012|access-date=February 24, 2012}} Politico reported that the Romney campaign bought CPAC registration tickets to the conference, while the Santorum campaign did not.{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/02/romney-worked-the-cpac-straw-poll-114267.html|title=Romney worked the CPAC straw poll|date=February 12, 2012|first=Jonathan|last=Martin|work=Politico|access-date=February 24, 2012}}

File:Iowa Republican Presidential Caucuses Election Results by County, 2012.svg

Initially, Romney was declared the winner of the 2012 Iowa Republican caucuses, surpassing rival candidate Rick Santorum by eight votes.{{cite news |last=Zeleny |first=Jeff |title=Romney Wins Iowa Caucus by 8 Votes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/us/politics/santorum-and-romney-fight-to-a-draw.html|access-date=January 4, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times |date= January 3, 2012}} Upon official vote count, Santorum was found to have obtained thirty-four more votes than Romney and was declared the winner. Former Iowa Republican Chairman Richard Schwarm stated, "I think people realize it's a tie."{{cite news |last=Glover |first=Mike |title=Santorum edges Romney in belated Iowa GOP count |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/19/national/a045213S08.DTL&type=politics |access-date=January 19, 2012 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120074701/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2012%2F01%2F19%2Fnational%2Fa045213S08.DTL |archive-date=January 20, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} The day final results were announced, "Governor Romney called Senator Santorum to congratulate him on the Iowa results," said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul.{{cite news |title= BREAKING: Romney calls Santorum |publisher=CNN |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/19/breaking-romney-calls-santorum-concedes-iowa/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119213528/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/19/breaking-romney-calls-santorum-concedes-iowa/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2012 |date=January 19, 2012}}

The weekend ahead of the New Hampshire primary on January 10, Romney participated in two debates, which Reuters said Romney "weathered well". Newt Gingrich attacked Romney with allegations that he had destroyed companies and fired workers while working for Bain Capital.Steve Holland and Jason McLure, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-idUSTRE8081SI20120109 Romney defends business record from Republican rivals] Reuters January 9, 2012 Romney won the New Hampshire primary with 39.3 percent of the vote.{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Paul|title=New Hampshire primary results: What they mean for Mitt Romney and Ron Paul|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-hampshire-primary-results-what-they-mean-for-mitt-romney-and-ron-paul/2012/01/11/gIQAn3WRrP_story.html|access-date=January 11, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 11, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204257504577152781062052486?mod=WSJ_Home_largeHeadline |date=January 10, 2012 |first1=Neil Jr. |last1=King |first2=Patrick |last2=O'Connor}}

The South Carolina Republican primary was scheduled for Saturday, January 21, 2012. Several polls showed Romney having a slight lead over Gingrich in South Carolina.{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/sc/south_carolina_republican_presidential_primary-1590.html |title=Election 2012 – South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary |publisher=RealClearPolitics |access-date=May 27, 2012}} Gingrich continued to criticize Romney for causing job losses, Rick Perry referred to Romney's role at Bain Capital as 'vulture capitalism',[http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/opinion/hogue-romney/index.html What Romney's money says to voters] March 22, 2012[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/us/31iht-currents31.html Real Debate Behind the Media Circus] March 30, 2012 and Sarah Palin stated that Romney needed to prove that Bain actually created 100,000 jobs as Romney has claimed.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/romney-gingrich-tangle-over-ads-in-south-carolina|title=Romney, Gingrich tangle over ads in South Carolina | work=Fox News | date=January 13, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71364.html|title=Sarah Palin:Mitt Romney needs Bain show & tell| website=Politico }} The negative advertising campaign was mainly sponsored by "Winning Our Future", the super PAC that supports Gingrich.Gillum, Jack. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120206165840/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700213748/Big-change-in-12-Big-GOP-money-from-super-PACs.html "Big change in '12: Big GOP money from 'super PACs{{'"}}], Associated Press via deseretnews.com, January 9, 2012. Retrieved 2016-09-28.{{cite news | title = The Republican candidates and their 'super PAC' benefactors | date = January 16, 2012 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-republican-candidates-and-their-super-pac-benefactors/2012/01/16/gIQADasB4P_graphic.html | newspaper = The Washington Post | access-date =January 18, 2012}} During debates in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, Romney came in second place in the primary with 28% of the vote, behind Newt Gingrich with 40% of the vote, but ahead of Rick Santorum (17%) and Ron Paul (13%).{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16669714|title=South Carolina poll: Gingrich triumphs over Romney|work=BBC News|date=January 22, 2012}}

Polls taken immediately after the South Carolina primary showed Newt Gingrich in the lead but polls released a few days later placed Romney in first place.{{cite news|url=http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/new-florida-polls-show-big-swing-to-gingrich/|title=New Florida Polls Show Big Swing to Gingrich|newspaper=New York Times|author=Nate Silver |date=January 23, 2012|author-link=Nate Silver}}Silver, Nate. "[http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/polls-suggest-gingrichs-support-may-have-peaked/ Polls Suggest Gingrich's Support May Have Peaked]", New York Times, January 25, 2012. At least 200,000 Floridians voted via absentee ballots or early voting, a factor thought to favor Romney who aggressively campaigned in Florida in early January.{{cite news|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/01/fl-update-nearly-200000-republicans-have-voted-early-by-mail.html|title=Nearly 200,000 Republicans have voted early, by mail|newspaper=Miami Herald|author=Marc Caputo|date=January 21, 2012}} Romney participated in both of the four-man debates that were held on Monday, January 23 and Thursday, January 26.{{cite web|url=http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2011-2012-primary-debate-schedule/|title=2012 Primary Debate Schedule|access-date=January 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107102352/http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2011-2012-primary-debate-schedule|archive-date=January 7, 2012|url-status=dead}}

Romney released tax returns for 2010 and estimates for 2011.{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/mitt-romney-says-hell-probably-release-multiple-years-of-tax-returns/|title=Mitt Romney Says He'll 'Probably' Release Multiple Years of Tax Returns|publisher=ABC News |author=Emily Friedman|date=January 19, 2012}} He showed income over that period of $42.5 million. His effective tax rate for 2010 was 13.9 percent, and he estimated that it would be 15.4 percent for 2011. About $13 million of his income was in "carried interest" and hence eligible for favorable tax treatment under a provision that Democrats have sought to end. It was also disclosed that Romney had investments in the Cayman Islands and previously had a Swiss bank account until it was closed in 2010.{{cite news| last = Holland| first = Steve|author2=Kim Dixon| title = Romney returns show low tax rate; questions linger| work = Reuters| date = January 24, 2012| url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-romney-taxes-idUSTRE80N06U20120124| access-date =January 27, 2012}}{{cite web| last = Isikoff| first = Michael| author-link = Michael Isikoff| title = Romney revising disclosures for overseas accounts| publisher = MSNBC| date = January 26, 2012 | url = http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/01/26/10244809-romney-revising-disclosures-for-overseas-accounts| access-date =January 27, 2012}}

On January 31 Romney won the 2012 Florida primary with 46% of the vote.{{cite news|title=Romney wins Florida primary prize, Gingrich pledges drawn-out battle|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/romney-wins-florida-primary-prize-gingrich-pledges-drawn-out-battle|publisher=Fox News|access-date=February 1, 2012|date=February 1, 2012}}

The Nevada Republican caucuses were held on Saturday, February 4. Less than 33,000 Republicans took part in the Nevada caucuses, which proportionally awards 28 Republican delegates. Romney won 50% of the caucus-goers, followed by Gingrich at 21%, Paul at 19%, and Santorum at 10%. Romney won 14 delegates, whereas Gingrich, Paul, and Santorum were awarded 6, 5, and 3 delegates respectively.{{cite news|title=Final Nevada results give Mitt Romney half of the vote |url=https://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/02/final-nevada-results-give-mitt-romney-half-the-vote/5ms1ekBt7gr5WdLtuRjK7H/index.html |newspaper=Boston Globe |author=Shira Schoenberg |date=February 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208055048/http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/02/final-nevada-results-give-mitt-romney-half-the-vote/5ms1ekBt7gr5WdLtuRjK7H/index.html |archive-date=February 8, 2012 }}

File:Mitt Romney logo.svg

Rival candidate Rick Santorum surprised observers by winning all the three of the states holding votes on February 7. Romney lost to the former Pennsylvania senator by 5 points in the Colorado caucus, finished third with 17% behind Ron Paul and Santorum in the Minnesota caucuses, and, in a contest that did not actually award any delegates and did not include Newt Gingrich on the ballot, lost the Missouri primary to Santorum by a 30-point margin.Steve Holland (February 8, 2012), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-idUSTRE80Q2AQ20120208 "Three-state sweep revives Santorum's White House hopes"] Reuters

Romney was initially declared the narrow winner of the Maine Caucus, but the results were subject to a recount after several counties were not counted.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-maine-idUSTRE81G1CI20120217 "Maine Republicans to recount votes that gave Romney a win."] Reuters. February 17, 2012. Romney was confirmed to have won following the recount.{{cite web |title=Maine GOP head: Romney still winner after recount of caucuses |url=https://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/17/news/maine-gop-head-romney-still-winner-after-recount-of-caucuses/ |publisher=The Associated Press |access-date=20 September 2020|work=Bangor Daily News|date=February 17, 2012 }}

Michigan and Arizona held their presidential primaries on Tuesday, February 28, and allocated 29 and 30 Republican delegates, respectively.{{cite web|url=http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule/|title=2012 Primary Schedule|publisher=2012 Election Central|access-date=January 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106020757/http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule|archive-date=January 6, 2012|url-status=dead}} CNN moderated a Republican primary debate in Mesa, Arizona on February 22, 2012.{{cite news|url=http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/23/cnns-gop-arizona-debate-was-1-last-night-with-4-7-million-total-viewers-and-1-4-million-in-key-demo-25-54/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606024337/http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/23/cnns-gop-arizona-debate-was-1-last-night-with-4-7-million-total-viewers-and-1-4-million-in-key-demo-25-54/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 6, 2012|title=GOP Candidates to Appear for Final Debate before Super Tuesday|publisher=CNN|date=February 23, 2012}} The Arizona Republican primary is 'winner-take-all'{{cite web|title=Arizona Republican|url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/AZ-R#0228|work=2012 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions|publisher=The Green Papers|access-date=January 25, 2012}} and the Michigan Republican delegate results are allocated proportionately among the candidates by voting district. Romney won the Michigan primary narrowly, and won the Arizona primary by a wide margin.{{cite web |work=thegreenpapers.com |url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/MI-R#0228 |title=Michigan Republican Presidential Nominating Process}}

The state of Washington held their caucuses on Saturday, March 3, with Mitt Romney gaining momentum going into 'Super Tuesday'. Later, Washington held their state GOP convention June 2, 2012 giving Romney at least 34 delegates for the Republican National Convention.{{cite web|url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/WA-R |title=Washington state Republican |publisher=Thegreenpapers.com |access-date=March 9, 2012}}

The largest number of states in the Republican Primary race voted on March 6, 2012, with Romney winning six states (Alaska, Idaho, Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia); Santorum winning three states (North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee); and Gingrich winning Georgia.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/3-gop-hopefuls-each-claim-super-tuesday-wins/ |title=3 GOP hopefuls each claim Super Tuesday wins |publisher=Fox News Network |access-date=March 7, 2012 |date=March 7, 2012}}

{{See also|Republican Party vice presidential candidates, 2012}}

File:2012 Republican Party presidential primaries by county, vote share for Romney.png

After Super Tuesday, Santorum won in Kansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, while Ron Paul won the Virgin Islands Caucus. However, Romney maintained a solid lead with wins in Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands. As a result, Santorum dropped out on April 10. After Romney won the April 24 Delaware primary, Gingrich dropped out on May 2 in a move that was seen as an end to the nomination contest and resulted in the Republican Party declaring Romney the presumptive nominee. While Ron Paul never officially dropped out, he stopped campaigning on May 14.

By April 2012, in the absence of viable alternatives to Romney for the Republican nomination, polls showed Romney gaining on Obama's earlier double-digit lead in a hypothetical head-to-head general election contest.{{cite news|last=Memoli|first=Michael A.|title=5 Things the Early Polls Tell Us about the Obama-Romney Matchup|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-what-the-obama-romney-polls-tell-us-about-race-20120418,0,5111572.story|access-date=April 22, 2012|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=April 20, 2012}} However, polls (both nationally and in battleground states like Florida and Ohio) also showed that for most of those who said they would vote for Romney, the primary motivator was hostility toward Obama rather than affirmative support for Romney.{{cite news|last=Koszczuk|first=Jackie|title=Battleground Poll: Obama Leads Romney in Florida, Ohio|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/battleground-poll-obama-leads-romney-in-florida-ohio-20120419|access-date=April 22, 2012|newspaper=National Journal|date=April 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423164928/http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/battleground-poll-obama-leads-romney-in-florida-ohio-20120419|archive-date=April 23, 2012|url-status=dead}} On April 25, 2012, the Republican National Committee (RNC) declared Romney the party's presumptive nominee.Shear, Michael D. (April 25, 2012) [http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/republican-national-committee-backs-romney/ "Republican National Committee Backs Romney"], The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2012 On May 29, Texas held their 2012 Republican primaries, which Romney won. The subsequent accumulation of the state's 155 delegates was enough to secure Romney the party's nomination assuming at least 34 unpledged delegates voted for him, which was very likely. After wins in California and several smaller states on June 5, Romney exceeded 1144 pledged delegates, giving him absolute certainty of the nomination and making the June 26th Utah Primary, the last contest of the cycle, purely symbolic. In July Romney described an Obama recess appointment as "Chicago-style politics at its worst", introducing the meme into the rhetoric of the 2012 campaign{{cite news |work=Chicago Tribune |title=GOP uses association with Chicago against Obama; 'Chicago-style politics' enters lexicon of presidential campaign |date=July 20, 2012 |first1=Bob |last1=Secter |first2=Rick |last2=Pearson |access-date=September 1, 2015 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/07/20/gop-uses-association-with-chicago-against-obama/}}{{cite news |title=Romney's 'Chicago-style' attack |first=Lynn |last=Sweet |author-link=Lynn Sweet |date=July 17, 2012 |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=news/140146F8419EE6D8&rft_id=info:sid/infoweb.newsbank.com&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&svc_dat=NewsBank&req_dat=C23BE832E46446E3AEC1CCAEBDEAF5AE |access-date=September 1, 2015 |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times}}{{cite magazine |title='Chicago-Style Politics at Its Worst'? Fact-Checking Romney's Jab at Obama |first=James |last=Warren |author-link=James Warren (journalist) |date=January 6, 2012 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/01/chicago-style-politics-at-its-worst-fact-checking-romneys-jab-at-obama/250993/ |magazine=Atlantic Monthly |access-date=2014-04-28}}{{cite news |title=Obama Tactic: Jab Congress To Hurt Rivals |last=Cooper |first=Helene |author-link=Helene Cooper |newspaper=New York Times |date=January 6, 2012 |page=A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/us/politics/president-obama-unveils-aggressive-re-election-strategy-against-gop-rivals.html |access-date=September 4, 2015}}{{Undue weight inline|date=September 2015}}

On August 28, 2012, delegates at the Republican National Convention chose Mitt Romney as their presidential nominee against President Barack Obama.{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/republican-delegates-nominate-mitt-romney/ | title=Republican delegates nominate Mitt Romney | publisher=CBS News | date=August 28, 2012 | access-date=August 28, 2012 | author=Caldwell, Leigh Ann}} This formal nomination set up a two-month final race to the elections on November 6.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-idUSBRE87P01H20120828 | title=Republicans nominate Romney at storm-hit convention | work=Reuters | date=August 28, 2012 | access-date=August 28, 2012}}

{{See also|Political positions of Mitt Romney}}

The general election campaign began in earnest on Labor Day, September 3, 2012.{{cite book |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0w7GLv-bP3EC&pg=PA20 |title=The Timeline of Presidential Elections: How Campaigns Do (and Do Not) Matter |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn = 9780226922164|date = August 24, 2012}}

{{Main|Bain Capital}}

Romney's record at Bain Capital and Bain's investments were a prominent issue, with Romney arguing his tenure at Bain demonstrated management and leadership skills that created thousands of jobs. Political opponents have argued that under Romney, some investments at Bain increased investor profits at the expense of middle-class workers who were laid off.{{cite news|title=Both Campaigns Seize on Romney's Years at Bain|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/us/politics/perceptions-of-bain-years-help-and-hinder-romney.html|access-date=July 19, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 24, 2012|author=Ashley Parker}}{{cite news|last=Dwyer|first=Devin|title=Obama ad attacks Romney Bain Capital record|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-ad-attacks-romney-bain-capital-record/|access-date=July 31, 2012|newspaper=ABC News|date=May 14, 2012}} Romney took a leave of absence from Bain Capital in February 1999 to manage the Salt Lake City Olympics. Romney remained named on company documents while reorganization of Bain and according to SEC filings, he continued to be the "sole shareholder, sole director, Chief Executive Officer and President" of Bain for 3 additional years.{{cite web|title=SCHEDULE 13D (Rule 13d-101)|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1054290/000092701601001009/0000927016-01-001009-0001.txt|publisher=Securities and Exchange Commission|access-date=July 14, 2012|author=Bain Capital Fund VI, L.P.|author-link=Bain Capital|date=February 20, 2001|quote=Bain Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Bain Capital"), is the sole managing partner of the BCIP entities. Mr. W. Mitt Romney is the sole shareholder, sole director, chief executive officer and president of Bain Capital and thus is the controlling person of Bain Capital.}} This discrepancy was reported by The Boston Globe in July 2012{{cite news|title=Mitt Romney stayed at Bain 3 years longer than he stated: Firm's 2002 filings identify him as CEO, though he said he left in 1999|url=http://articles.boston.com/2012-07-12/politics/32633322_1_bain-capital-mitt-romney-financial-disclosure|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=July 12, 2012|author=Callum Borchers|author2=Christopher Rowland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713222201/http://articles.boston.com/2012-07-12/politics/32633322_1_bain-capital-mitt-romney-financial-disclosure|archive-date=July 13, 2012|url-status=dead}} and used by Obama{{cite tweet|user=BarackObama|author=Barack Obama|number=223821054710263809|date=13 July 2012|title=Why Mitt Romney's end date at his buyout firm matters}} and his campaign in its ads that Romney was responsible for the activities of Bain Capital during that period, from 1999 to 2002.{{cite news|title=Romney Seeks Obama Apology for Bain Attacks|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/us/politics/romney-demands-apology-from-obama-on-bain-allegations.html|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 13, 2012|first=Michael D. |last=Shear}} According to Bain, Romney played no active role despite his name being on the required filings.{{cite news|title=Mitt Romney's Own 2002 Testimony Undermines Bain Departure Claim|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/mitt-romney-bain-departure_n_1669006.html|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=July 12, 2012|quote=[Statement by Bain] "Mitt Romney left Bain Capital in February 1999 to run the Olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure," the statement reads. "Due to the sudden nature of Mr. Romney's departure, he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999. Accordingly, Romney was reported as having fulfilled legal and financial capacities on SEC filings during this period."|first=Jason|last=Cherkis}}{{cite news|title=Why Romney's Quit Date at Bain Matters|url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/07/why-romneys-quit-date-bain-matters/54489/|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=Atlantic Wire|date=July 12, 2012|author=Elspeth Reeve|archive-date=July 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714233449/http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/07/why-romneys-quit-date-bain-matters/54489/|url-status=dead}} FactCheck.org examined the issue and reported that Romney did leave Bain in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.factcheck.org/2012/07/romneys-bain-years-new-evidence-same-conclusion/ |title=Romney's Bain Years: New Evidence, Same Conclusion |date=July 12, 2012 |publisher=FactCheck.org |access-date=2013-02-22}} A report by Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post {{cite news|title=Mitt Romney and his departure from Bain|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/mitt-romney-and-his-departure-from-bain/2012/07/12/gJQAASzUfW_blog.html|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 12, 2012| last=Kessler |first=Glenn|format=blog by expert}} reported that there is little or no basis for the assertions by an Obama campaign staffer of criminal charges or civil liability with respect to the SEC filings. Romney's campaign cried foul and Romney personally demanded an apology which was refused by the Obama campaign.{{cite news|title=Mitt Romney Defends Bain Record: GOP presidential candidate combats allegations about record at Bain Capital.|url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/mitt-romney-defends-bain-record-abc-interview-16775815|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=ABC News|date=July 13, 2012|format=Video of interview of subject}}{{cite news|title=No Apologies: Obama Campaign Continues Attacks on Romney|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/us/obama-refuses-to-apologize-to-romney.html|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 14, 2012|author=Michael D. Shear}}

In June 2012, former president Bill Clinton said that Romney, in having served as governor and having had a "sterling business career", met the basic qualifications to perform the essential functions of the presidency.Bailey, Holly (June 1, 2012). "[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/bill-clinton-criticizes-obamas-bain-attacks-praises-romneys/story?id=16474493 Bill Clinton criticizes Obama's Bain attacks, praises Romney's 'sterling business career']". ABC News{{cite web |url-status=dead |last=Trinko |first=Katrina |date=June 1, 2012 |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/301510/clinton-romney-had-sterling-business-career-katrina-trinko |title=Clinton: Romney 'Had a Sterling Business Career' |website=National Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231555/http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/301510/clinton-romney-had-sterling-business-career-katrina-trinko |archive-date=Mar 3, 2016 }} Clinton also warned that Romney's economic proposals were "wrong-headed" and that a Romney presidency would be "calamitous" for the country and the world.{{cite news|last=Foster|first=Peter|title=Bill Clinton says Mitt Romney as president would be 'calamitous'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9312370/Bill-Clinton-says-Mitt-Romney-as-president-would-be-calamitous.html|access-date=July 30, 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=June 5, 2012|location=London}}{{cite news|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|title=Bill Clinton: Mitt Romney White House would be 'calamitous'|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77048.html|access-date=July 30, 2012|newspaper=Politico|date=June 5, 2012}}

In July 2012, Romney undertook an international trip as the presumptive nominee of the Republican party, visiting the United Kingdom, Israel, and Poland to meet heads of state, and also to raise funds.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9429703/US-financiers-to-meet-in-London-for-Mitt-Romney-fundraiser.html | title=US financiers to meet in London for Mitt Romney fundraiser | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=July 26, 2012 |last=Dunkley|first=Jamie|access-date= August 7, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-07-26/mitt-romney-to-meet-david-cameron-during-london-visit/ |title=Mitt Romney to meet David Cameron during London visit {{pipe}} ITV News |publisher=Itv.com |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9428295/Mitt-Romney-in-London-as-it-happened.html | title=Mitt Romney in London: as it happened | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=July 26, 2012 |last1=Sanchez |first1=Raf |last2=Irvine|first2=Chris |access-date=August 7, 2012}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/10363621 | title=Romney hails US-Polish ties during visit to Warsaw |newspaper=Associated Press via The Guardian|date=July 31, 2012|access-date=August 7, 2012 |location=London}}

In London, his comments in an NBC interview in which he referred to "disconcerting stories" over security concerns regarding readiness of the London 2012 Olympic Games were widely viewed as undiplomatic by the British press and leading politicians.{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/british-papers-blast-mitt-romney/ | title=British papers blast Mitt Romney | publisher=CBS News | date=July 26, 2012 | access-date=August 1, 2012 | author=Condon, Stephanie}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/26/mitt-romney-olympics-blunder?newsfeed=true | title=Mitt Romney's Olympics blunder stuns No 10 and hands gift to Obama | newspaper=The Guardian | date=July 27, 2012 | access-date=August 1, 2012 | author=Watt, Nicholas, Hélène Mulholland and Owen Gibson | location=London}}{{cite web | url=http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/2012Election/a/Romney-Drops-The-Torch-In-London.htm | title=Romney Drops The Torch In London: Policy Trip Becomes Diplomatic Obstacle | publisher=about.com | date=July 27, 2012 | access-date=August 2, 2012 | author=Jones, Steve | archive-date=November 19, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119043341/http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/2012Election/a/Romney-Drops-The-Torch-In-London.htm | url-status=dead }} British prime minister David Cameron defended the Olympic security preparations: "We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest most active bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere. I visited Naypyidaw recently, in Burma, they've got six-lane highways and no cars on them. This is a busy, bustling city so inevitably you're going to have challenges." While Cameron's aides stated he didn't intend a jibe at Romney or Salt Lake City, the British press seized upon the "middle of nowhere" remark, construing it as an allusion to Utah where Romney had managed the Olympics in 2002.Crawford, Jan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120728020949/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57481093/gaffe-olympics-romney-rankles-brits-cameron-also-offends/ "Gaffe Olympics: Romney rankles Brits, Cameron also offends"], CBS News (July 26, 2012)Stringer, David, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120729025620/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5idDV4wa8hCqS6NsaGDCATGfc_kdw?docId=58f4ae279f7d4a52a8ad3d4f756455f1 "Romney stirs Olympic tiff as European tour begins"], Associated Press (July 26, 2012): "His aides said that was not intended as a jibe at Romney or Salt Lake City."

In Jerusalem, Romney discussed the possibility of a military strike against Iran with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. He also discussed foreign policy regarding Iran with Israeli opposition Leader Shaul Mofaz.{{cite news|last=Keinon|first=Herb|title=Iran talk dominates Romney agenda in Jerusalem|url=http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=279278|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=July 29, 2012}} Romney said that the U.S. has a "solemn duty" to prevent Iran from harming Israel.{{cite news|last=Hunt|first=Kasie|title=Mitt Romney: United States Has 'Solemn Duty' To Block Nuclear Iran |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/29/mitt-romney-iran-strike-israel_n_1715574.html|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=July 29, 2012}} He made no public promise that he would attack Iran's nuclear facilities if elected, but he reiterated that no option should be off the table in seeking to end Iran's nuclear program, although he hoped that diplomatic measures and economic sanctions would be successful.{{cite news | url=http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=279326 | title=Romney: Deeply moving to be in Jerusalem, Israel's capital | newspaper=The Jerusalem Post | date=July 29, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012 | author1=Lazaroff, Tovah | author2=Keinon, Herb | name-list-style=amp | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730224232/http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=279326 | archive-date=July 30, 2012 | df=mdy-all }} Romney called Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and later said that he would plan to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but would decide the timing of the move in consultation with the government of Israel.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/romneys-pledge-to-move-the-us-embassy-to-jerusalem/2012/07/30/gJQAxVFQLX_blog.html | title=Romney's pledge to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 31, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012 | last=Kessler |first=Glenn}}{{cite news | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/29/romney-says-jerusalem-is-israels-capital-vows-to-move-embassy/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730042936/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/29/romney-says-jerusalem-is-israels-capital-vows-to-move-embassy/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 30, 2012 | title=Romney says Jerusalem is Israel's capital, vows to move embassy | publisher=CNN | date=July 29, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012 | author=Liptak, Kevin}} The Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian organizations denounced Romney's remarks about the political status of Jerusalem, which they hope will become the capital of a future Palestinian state, as well as Romney's refusal to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (he met instead with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad).{{cite news | url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=279421 | title=Palestinian groups slam Romney remark on J'lem | newspaper=The Jerusalem Post | date=July 30, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012 | author=Abu Toameh, Khaled}} Some Palestinian leaders were also offended by remarks Romney made during a fundraiser, when he suggested that cultural differences{{cite news|last=Romney|first=Mitt|title=Culture does matter|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/312830/culture-does-matter-mitt-romney|newspaper=National Review Online|date=July 31, 2012}} and "the hand of providence"{{cite news|last1=Bloomfield|first1=Adrian|last2=Day|first2=Matthew|last3=Swaine|first3=Jon|title=Mitt Romney: Israelis richer than Palestinians because of 'hand of providence'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9439416/Mitt-Romney-Israelis-richer-than-Palestinians-because-of-hand-of-providence.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=July 30, 2012|location=London}}{{cite news|last=Sherwood|first=Harriet|title=Mitt Romney 'providence' comments in Israel outrage Palestinians|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/30/mitt-romney-israel-economic-success|access-date=August 3, 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=July 30, 2012|location=London}} help explain why Israelis are more economically successful than Palestinians, and why similar economic disparities exist between other neighbors, such as the United States and Mexico, or Chile and Ecuador.{{cite news | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/text-romneys-remarks-culture-israel-16899892 | title=Text of Romney's Remarks About Culture and Israel | publisher=ABC News | agency=Associated Press | date=August 1, 2012 | access-date=August 1, 2012 | archive-date=August 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806000731/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/text-romneys-remarks-culture-israel-16899892#.UB8K7NnP1qY }} A senior aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the remarks racist,{{cite web|url-status=dead |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/30/mitt-romney-says-jewish-culture-makes-israelis-more-economically-successful-than-palestinians/ |title=Mitt Romney creates fresh divisions on Israel tour with 'racist' economic remarks |website=National Post |date=July 30, 2012 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129121033/http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/30/mitt-romney-says-jewish-culture-makes-israelis-more-economically-successful-than-palestinians/ |archive-date=29 January 2013 }} as did American political scientist Angelo Falcón, president of the National Institute of Latino Policy.{{cite news|title=Embajada de México rechaza comentarios de Romney|url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/862216.html|access-date=August 2, 2012|newspaper=El Universal|date=August 1, 2012|language=es}} The Embassy of Mexico in the United States also rejected Romney's comments, noting that Mexico currently has a higher economic growth rate and lower inflation than the United States.{{cite news|last=Sabaté|first=Albert|title=Mexican officials react after Romney disses Mexico's economy|url=http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/post/28643687605/mexican-official-rejects-romneys-dis|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121130114713/http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/post/28643687605/mexican-official-rejects-romneys-dis|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2012|newspaper=Univision News|date=August 3, 2012}} Romney later denied that his comments had been directed against "Palestinian culture or the decisions made in their economy."[http://factcheck.org/2012/08/romneys-racist-reference-to-palestinian-culture/ Romney's Racist Reference To Palestinian Culture, FactCheck.org, July 31, 2012]. Retrieved August 1, 2012[https://web.archive.org/web/20120731155636/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57483302-503544/romney-i-did-not-speak-about-palestinian-culture/ CBS News Political Hotsheet]. Retrieved June 1, 2012

In Warsaw, Romney called Poland a model of small government and free enterprise whose example other states should emulate. He praised Poland for rejecting "the false promise of a government-dominated economy" and for seeking to "stimulate innovation, attract investment, expand trade, and live within its means".{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/mitt-romney-poland_n_1723013.html | title=Mitt Romney Praises Poland's 'Economic Liberty' | newspaper=The Huffington Post | agency=Associated Press | date=July 31, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012}} Romney also thanked the Polish people for supporting the U.S. in many conflicts. Romney briefly mentioned Russia, listing the country alongside Syria, Venezuela and Belarus, as examples of countries where "the desire to be free is met with brutal oppression".{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/31/politics/romney-poland-freedom/index.html |title=In Poland, Romney heralds economic freedom |publisher=CNN |date=July 31, 2012 |access-date=2013-02-22}} When American journalists tried to question Romney during a visit to Warsaw's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, his campaign spokesman told journalists: "Kiss my ass. This is a holy site for the Polish people," and told a reporter to "shove it".{{cite news | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19052292| title= Romney wraps up overseas tour amid tensions with media| work=BBC| date=July 31, 2012 | access-date=August 3, 2012 }} The spokesman later apologized for the outburst.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9441636/Mitt-Romney-aide-in-new-kiss-my-ass-gaffe.html | title=Mitt Romney aide in new 'kiss my ass' gaffe | work=The Telegraph | date=July 31, 2012 | access-date=August 2, 2012 | location=London}} In Gdańsk, Solidarność co-founder and former Polish president Lech Walesa endorsed Romney for president,{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-romney-poland-20120801,0,4808405.story | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801113258/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-romney-poland-20120801,0,4808405.story | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 1, 2012 | title=Mitt Romney recovers footing in Poland | newspaper=LA Times | date=July 31, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012 |author1=Reston, Maeve |author2=Mehta, Seema |name-list-style=amp }}{{cite news | url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/romney-lauds-poland-as-an-economic-model/ | title=Romney Lauds Poland as an Economic Model | work=The New York Times | date=July 31, 2012 | access-date=July 31, 2012 | author=Parker, Ashley}} but Solidarność's current leadership distanced itself from the event and criticized Romney as hostile to unions and labor rights.{{cite web| url= https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/poland-romney-endorsed-lech-walesa-16890469| title=In Poland, Romney Gets Endorsed by Lech Walesa| author= Hunt, Kasie (AP)| date=July 31, 2012| work=ABCnews| access-date= August 3, 2012}}

Romney accepted an invitation{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/Events/Mitt-Romney-Addresses-NAACP-Convention-in-Houston/10737432233/ |title=Mitt Romney Addresses NAACP Convention in Houston |publisher=C-SPAN |date=2012-07-11 |access-date=2013-02-22 |archive-date=September 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904043256/http://www.c-span.org/Events/Mitt-Romney-Addresses-NAACP-Convention-in-Houston/10737432233/ |url-status=dead }} to address the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on July 11, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.naacp.org/press/entry/mitt-romney-addresses-103rd-naacp-annual-convention-in-houston |title=Mitt Romney Addresses 103rd NAACP Annual Convention in Houston {{pipe}} Press Room |publisher=NAACP |date=2012-07-11 |access-date=2013-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716041116/http://www.naacp.org/press/entry/mitt-romney-addresses-103rd-naacp-annual-convention-in-houston |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }} On the issue of creating jobs, Romney said, "If our goal is jobs, we have to stop spending over a trillion dollars more than we take in every year. So to do that, I'm going to eliminate every non-essential, expensive program I can find. That includes Obamacare, and I'm going to work to reform and save --" Romney was cut off by prolonged boos from those in attendance.{{cite web|last=O'Brien |first=Michael |url=http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/11/12682894-naacp-crowd-boos-romney-for-vowing-to-repeal-health-reform?lite |title=NAACP crowd boos Romney for vowing to repeal health reform – First Read |publisher=Firstread.nbcnews.com |date=2012-10-24 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57470309-503544/romney-booed-at-naacp/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712001815/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57470309-503544/romney-booed-at-naacp/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |title=Romney booed at NAACP – Political Hotsheet |publisher=CBS News |date=2012-07-11 |access-date=2013-02-22}} Romney later attended a fundraiser in Hamilton, Montana and reflected on the booing he received at the NAACP event, "Remind them of this: if they want more stuff from government, tell them to go vote for the other guy – more free stuff. But don't forget, nothing is really free."{{cite news|last=Brooks |first=Susan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/free-stuff-the-message-from-romneys-naacp-speech/2012/07/12/gJQAFNhGgW_blog.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412084926/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/free-stuff-the-message-from-romneys-naacp-speech/2012/07/12/gJQAFNhGgW_blog.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-04-12 |title="Free stuff"? The message from Romney's NAACP speech – Guest Voices |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2012-07-12 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

File:Paul Ryan with Mitt Romney in Norfolk, Virginia 8-11-12.jpg

According to the book Double Down, Romney's campaign narrowed down his list of potential nominees for vice president to former governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty, United States Senator from Ohio Rob Portman, eventual 2016 presidential candidates Senator Marco Rubio from Florida and Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, and longtime U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.{{cite news|author1=Sean Sullivan |author2=Philip Rucker |name-list-style=amp |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-advisers-considered-replacing-biden-with-clinton-according-to-book/2013/10/31/2f8bbf10-4285-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html |title=Obama's advisers considered replacing Biden with Clinton, according to book |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 31, 2013 |access-date=November 1, 2013}} A vet of each candidate was conducted at a high level of secrecy and dubbed "Project Goldfish". The vetting team, led by experienced Republican operative Beth Myers, gave each member of the short list a fish-themed nickname: "Lakefish" for Minnesotan Pawlenty, "Pescado" for Hispanic Rubio, "Filet-O-Fish" for Ohioan Portman, "Fishconsin" for Janesville native Ryan, and finally "Pufferfish" for the stout Christie.{{Cite book|last=Halperin|first=Mark|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/837144784|title=Double down : game change 2012|publisher=Penguin Press|others=John Heilemann|year=2013|isbn=978-1-59420-440-1|location=New York|chapter=Chap. 17: Project Goldfish|oclc=837144784}}

Having returned from his overseas tour of the United Kingdom, Israel, and Poland, Romney planned a bus tour of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida with his then-yet to be announced running mate.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

On August 10, 2012, it was announced that Romney would introduce his running mate on August 11, 2012, in Norfolk, Virginia, after touring the USS Wisconsin,{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/313677/boston-janesville-robert-costa |title=From Boston to Janesville – By Robert Costa – The Corner – National Review Online |publisher=Nationalreview.com |date=2012-08-10 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news|last=Allen |first=Charlotte |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/breaking-mitt-romney-announcing-vp-pick-at-the-uss-wisconsin/article/2504626 |title=Breaking: Mitt Romney announcing VP pick at the USS Wisconsin |newspaper=The Washington Examiner |date=2012-08-10 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite web|last=Bailey |first=Holly |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/mitt-romney-announce-vp-pick-saturday/story?id=16983347 |title=Mitt Romney to announce his VP pick on Saturday – ABC News |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=2012-08-11 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news|last=Zeleny |first=Jeff |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/romney-to-announce-running-mate-saturday/ |title=Romney to Announce Vice-Presidential Choice Saturday |publisher=Thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com |date=2012-08-10 |access-date=2013-02-22}} leading several news sources to speculate that his choice would be Ryan.{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/08/weekly-standard-its-looking-like-ryan-131712.html?hp=l1 |title=Weekly Standard: It's looking like Ryan |publisher=Politico |date=2012-06-14 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

Shortly after 7 a.m. on August 11, the Romney campaign officially announced Ryan as its choice for vice president through its mobile app titled "Mitt's VP".

This decision made Ryan the major parties' first-ever vice-presidential candidate from Wisconsin.[http://m.host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/ryan-joins-host-of-wisconsin-politicians-in-u-s-limelight/article_6ddb19f4-e41d-11e1-b33d-0019bb2963f4.html Ryan joins host of Wisconsin politicians in U.S. limelight] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121208214614/http://m.host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/ryan-joins-host-of-wisconsin-politicians-in-u-s-limelight/article_6ddb19f4-e41d-11e1-b33d-0019bb2963f4.html |date=December 8, 2012 }} (August 11, 2012), Wisconsin State-Journal.

{{main|You didn't build that}}

{{external media

| float = right

| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzf4yjphgf8#t=33m32s Video of relevant Obama quote]

| video2 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzf4yjphgf8 Full Remarks at Roanoke, VA] ([https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia full transcript]) July 13, 2012.

}}

On July 13, 2012, Obama gave a speech in Roanoke, Virginia, that contained the phrase "you didn't build that":[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia | The White House]. Whitehouse.gov (2012-07-13). Retrieved August 1, 2012.

{{blockquote|There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn't — look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business — you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.}}

Republicans claimed that the statement was indicative of Obama's support for big government.{{cite news|author=Aaron Blake |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/obamas-you-didnt-build-that-problem/2012/07/18/gJQAJxyotW_blog.html |title=Obama's 'You didn't build that' problem |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=July 26, 2012}} The Obama campaign said the statement was taken out of context, while Romney replied that 'the context is worse than the quote'.{{cite news|url= http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/07/24/romney_context_worse_than_039you_didn039t_build_that039_285600.html |title=Context is worse than the quote|work=Real Clear Politics|date=July 24, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jul/26/mitt-romney/putting-mitt-romneys-attacks-you-didnt-build-truth/ |title=Putting Mitt Romney's attacks on 'You didn't build that' to the Truth-O-Meter |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012}} The Republican National Committee released a web ad with the full text of what Obama said titled, "The More Context You Get, The Worse It Sounds."{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/25/romney-obama-dig-in-over-didnt-build-that-furor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725131358/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/25/romney-obama-dig-in-over-didnt-build-that-furor/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 25, 2012 |title=Romney, Obama dig in over 'you didn't build that' furor |publisher=Fox News |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=March 2, 2013}}

The following Monday, July 16, Mitt Romney spoke about the "you didn't build that" statement in a campaign stump speech in Pennsylvania, saying:

{{blockquote|To say that Steve Jobs didn't build Apple, that Henry Ford didn't build Ford Motors, that Papa John didn't build Papa John Pizza ... To say something like that, it's not just foolishness. It's insulting to every entrepreneur, every innovator in America.{{cite news |title=Republicans pouncing on Obama's 'you didn't build that' remark |first=Kathleen |last=Hennessey |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-republicans-pouncing-on-obamas-you-didnt-build-that-remark-20120718,0,4148346.story |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}}}}

The Obama campaign, Factcheck.org, and Politifact disagreed with that characterization, noting that the sentence immediately preceding the "you didn't build it" line referred to roads and bridges and the speech concluded with Obama applauding the hard work of individuals in the creation of their own businesses. Politifact rated Romney's attack as false.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia |title=Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia {{pipe}} The White House |date=2012-07-13 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |access-date=2013-02-22}}

In its analysis, Factcheck.org said:{{cite news |title='You Didn't Build That,' Uncut and Unedited |first=Eugene |last=Kiely |url=http://factcheck.org/2012/07/you-didnt-build-that-uncut-and-unedited/ |newspaper=factcheck.org |date=July 24, 2012 |access-date=2013-07-16}}

{{blockquote|There's no question Obama inartfully phrased those two sentences, but it's clear from the context what the president was talking about. He spoke of government — including government-funded education, infrastructure and research — assisting businesses to make what he called "this unbelievable American system that we have." In summary, he said: "The point is ... that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."}}

Factcheck.org concluded their analysis by acknowledging that Romney provided a more complete account in a July 17 speech. Regarding government infrastructure and support, Romney stated:

{{blockquote|You really couldn't have a business if you didn't have those things. But, you know, we pay for those things. Alright? The taxpayers pay for government. It's not like government just provides those to all of us and we say, "Oh, thank you government for doing those things." No, in fact, we pay for them and we benefit from them and we appreciate the work that they do and the sacrifices that are done by people who work in government. But they did not build this business.}}

The Romney campaign followed with events with small business owners in multiple states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Nevada), along with an attack ad.{{cite news |title=Romney Camp Continues 'You Didn't Build That' Attacks with Swing State Events |author=Sushannah Walshe |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/romney-camp-continues-you-didnt-build-that-attacks-with-swing-state-events/ |newspaper=ABC News |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}} A new part of the Romney campaign website was created{{cite news |title=Romney Doubles Down On "You Didn't Build That" With New Website |url=http://www.talkradionews.com/news/2012/07/26/romney-doubles-down-on-you-didnt-build-that-with-new-website.html |newspaper=Talk Radio News Service |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105054838/http://www.talkradionews.com/news/2012/07/26/romney-doubles-down-on-you-didnt-build-that-with-new-website.html |archive-date=January 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://builtbyus.mittromney.com/ |title=Built By US |publisher=Romney for President, Inc. |access-date=August 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731030951/http://builtbyus.mittromney.com/ |archive-date=July 31, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} and merchandise related to the statement was produced.{{cite news |title=Romney's son plugs 'Built By Us' merchandise jabbing at Obama remark |author= Kevin Bohn |author2=Gregory Wallace |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/28/romneys-son-plugs-built-by-us-merchandise-jabbing-at-obama-remark/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730064500/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/28/romneys-son-plugs-built-by-us-merchandise-jabbing-at-obama-remark/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |newspaper=CNN |date=July 28, 2012 |access-date=August 19, 2012}}

{{main|2012 Republican National Convention}}

The 2012 Republican National Convention was held from August 27–30. It featured appearances by Ann Romney, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Clint Eastwood, and Mitt Romney.

While Romney's overall polling gains from the GOP convention were modest, the convention did improve his "likability" rating, even though he continued to trail Obama in this widely considered "critical" category.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160202002046/http://in.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-poll-idINBRE87U1CJ20120901 "Romney's bounce from convention looks short-lived: Reuters/Ipsos poll"]. Reuters, September 2, 2012. This was followed by a larger bounce in Obama's favor after the Democratic convention.

{{see also|2012 diplomatic missions attacks}}

On September 11, 2012, the U.S. embassy in Cairo, anticipating possible unrest over an anti-Muslim film that had allegedly been produced in the United States, released statements denouncing "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims" and calling respect for religious beliefs of others "a cornerstone of American democracy".{{cite news|last=Vasilogambros|first=Matt|title=Timeline on Egypt and Libya undercuts Romney attack on Obama|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/timeline-on-egypt-and-libya-undercuts-romney-attack-on-obama-20120912|newspaper=National Journal|date=September 12, 2012|access-date=September 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914231549/http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/timeline-on-egypt-and-libya-undercuts-romney-attack-on-obama-20120912|archive-date=September 14, 2012|url-status=dead}} Hours later, U.S. diplomatic missions in Cairo, Egypt and Benghazi, Libya were attacked. After the attack the U.S. embassy in Cairo tweeted, "This morning's condemnation (issued before our protests began) still stands. As does our condemnation of unjustified breach of the Embassy." In her initial remarks to the press, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated, "I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today."{{cite news|title=What they said, before and after the attack in Libya|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/12/us/politics/libya-statements.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 12, 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/197628.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914195504/http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/197628.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-14 |title=Statement on the Attack in Benghazi |publisher=State.gov |date=2012-09-11 |access-date=2013-02-22}} Romney, apparently unaware of the chronology of the events that had unfolded, released a statement saying, "It's disgraceful that the Obama Administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."{{cite news|last=Chowdhry|first=Affan|title=Politicizing the U.S. embassy attack: Missteps, criticism abound|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-election/politicizing-the-us-embassy-attack-missteps-criticisms-abound/article4539399/|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=September 12, 2012|location=Toronto}}

By the following day, it had been confirmed that the U.S. ambassador to Libya had been one of several Americans killed in the Benghazi attack. In a televised press conference and an interview, Romney again asserted that the administration had been wrong to, in his view, sympathize with the attackers and apologize for American values rather than to condemn the attackers' actions.{{cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Parker|first2=Ashley|title=A challenger's criticism is furiously returned|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/us/politics/behind-romneys-decision-to-criticize-obama-on-libya.html?pagewanted=all|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 12, 2012}} Romney's remarks were widely criticized by media sources regarding the course of events and by political commentators for leaving Romney open to the appearance of seeking to gain personal political advantage from a national tragedy.{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=Brooks|last2=Farley|first2=Robert|last3=Kiely|first3=Eugene|title=Romney gets it backward|url=http://factcheck.org/2012/09/romney-gets-it-backward/|newspaper=FactCheck.org|date=September 12, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|title=The Romney campaign's repeated errors on the Cairo embassy statement|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-romney-campaigns-repeated-errors-on-the-cairo-embassy-statement/2012/09/13/978a6be6-fdf0-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_blog.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 13, 2012}} Republicans initially distanced themselves from Romney's comments, but as he came under increasing criticism for the timing and nature of his comments, several conservative politicians defended his remarks.

Romney replaced the traditional GOTV system with the centralized Project Orca. The project failed to mobilize 40,000 volunteers in key states during the election day.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

In his previous campaign, Romney had begun television advertising in March 2007. In the 2012 cycle, however, his first advertisement did not air until November 2011. The 60-second spot, which was broadcast in New Hampshire, was widely criticized for using a quotation from Obama out of context. It included a clip of Obama apparently saying, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." It did not disclose that Obama, speaking in the 2008 campaign, had been quoting an email from an aide to his opponent, John McCain, which concerned McCain's campaign strategy, not Obama's.{{cite news| last = Steinhauser| first = Paul| title = Democrats say new Romney ad distorts Obama's words| publisher = CNN| date = November 22, 2011| url = http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/22/democrats-say-new-romney-ad-distorts-obamas-words/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111122185220/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/22/democrats-say-new-romney-ad-distorts-obamas-words/| url-status = dead| archive-date = November 22, 2011| access-date =December 13, 2012}}

The Romney campaign defended the ad. According to The Boston Globe, "Romney aides even said they were proud of the reaction and suggested that the ad was deliberately misleading to garner attention." Romney campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom stated: "It was all very deliberate. We want to engage him on the subject he wants to avoid, which is his failure to create jobs and get this economy moving again."{{cite news| last = Levenson| first = Michael| title = Deceptive campaign ads hint at year of mudslinging| newspaper = The Boston Globe| pages = A1| date = November 27, 2011| url = http://archive.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/11/27/deceptive_campaign_ads_hint_at_year_of_mudslinging/| access-date = December 14, 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120504115205/http://articles.boston.com/2011-11-27/news/30447848_1_negative-election-season-web-ads-political-ads| archive-date = May 4, 2012| url-status = live}} In an article on the Romney campaign website, communications director Gail Gitcho wrote "Three years ago, candidate Barack Obama mocked his opponent's campaign for saying 'if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose.' Now, President Obama's campaign is desperate not to talk about the economy."

Fact checking organization Politifact gave the Romney campaign a "pants on fire" rating for "distorting Obama's words, which have been taken out of context in a ridiculously misleading way,"{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/nov/22/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-says-obama-said-if-we-keep-talking-abo/ |title=Mitt Romney ad charges Obama said, 'If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose' |publisher=PolitiFact |date=November 22, 2011 |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |access-date=2013-02-22}} while another fact-checking organization, FactCheck.org, declined to assess whether that particular clip in the Romney ad was misleading, and instead said: "We won't quibble with the spot's main message, which is that Obama has failed to fix the economy. That's true enough." According to The New York Times, when the Obama camp put material on television that made "no effort to put any of Mr. Romney's statements into context", the Romney campaign responded by saying that Obama was trying to distract Americans from real issues such as high unemployment.Shear, Michael D., [http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/reminders-of-romneys-comments-from-the-obama-camp/ "Reminders of Romney's Comments, From the Obama Camp"], The New York Times (April 11, 2012).

{{see also| Personal_Responsibility_and_Work_Opportunity_Act#2012_developments |label 1=Welfare waivers}}

In July and August 2012, Romney ran a recurring ad claiming that President Obama wanted to remove the work requirement for welfare recipients. Multiple news outlets and fact checking agencies rated the Romney ad false, Politifact assigning it the rating of "pants on fire".{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0820/Romney-s-attacks-on-Obama-and-welfare-deemed-false-by-fact-checkers |title=Romney's attacks on Obama and welfare deemed false by fact checkers |publisher=CSMonitor.com |date=2012-08-20 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news|last=Bouie |first=Jamelle |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/romney-keeps-lying-about-obama-and-welfare/2012/08/20/1c42b33e-ead2-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_blog.html |title=Why Romney keeps lying about Obama and welfare – The Plum Line |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2012-08-20 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/aug/07/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-says-barack-obamas-plan-abandons-tenet/ |title=Mitt Romney says Barack Obama's plan for welfare reform: "They just send you your check." |publisher=PolitiFact |access-date=2013-02-22}} FactCheck.org stated: "A Mitt Romney TV ad claims the Obama administration has adopted 'a plan to gut welfare reform by dropping work requirements.' The plan does neither of those things." Eugene Kiely, Rina Moss. [http://m.factcheck.org/2012/08/does-obamas-plan-gut-welfare-reform/ "Does Obama's Plan 'Gut Welfare Reform'?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042319/http://m.factcheck.org/2012/08/does-obamas-plan-gut-welfare-reform/ |date=March 4, 2016 }}, FactCheck.org (August 9, 2012). Factcheck.org elaborated that the waivers will not "inherently" gut the work requirements, because a lot will depend upon what kind of waivers states propose; moreover, "the way the administration implemented the new policy has not helped", because of questions about whether Congress ever granted to the president any legal authority to issue the waivers.

{{main|Mitt Romney dog incident}}

In 2007, the Boston Globe reported that, in 1983, Romney transported his pet dog Seamus on the roof of their automobile. Newt Gingrich aired an anti-Romney attack ad that featured the story,{{cite news|url = https://www.latimes.com/la-xpm-2012-jan-12-la-pn-gingrich-goes-to-the-dog-20120112-story.html|title = New anti-Romney ad by Gingrich goes to the dog|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|author = James Oliphant|date = January 12, 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gYTVINMf3aSuPPVgoxokULpMDEIg?docId=b73eedb26c5b4c31870cc6919d2c2e7c |title=Attacks on Romney getting personal |agency=Associated Press |author=Kasie Hunt |date=January 14, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116221904/https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gYTVINMf3aSuPPVgoxokULpMDEIg?docId=b73eedb26c5b4c31870cc6919d2c2e7c |archive-date=January 16, 2012 }} while Rick Santorum stated it was relevant as an issue of character.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/santorum-team-doggedly-resurrects-romneys-seamus-tale/ |title=Santorum team doggedly resurrects Romney's Seamus tale |publisher=ABC News |author=Amy Bingham |date=March 19, 2012}}

Eric Fehrnstrom, a top aide to Romney, was asked by comedian and political commentator John Fugelsang on CNN how their campaigning would change if and when Romney wins the Republican nomination. He answered it would be like an Etch A Sketch to shake-up and start over. Immediately, Santorum and Gingrich took the opportunity to say Romney flip-flops and was not a true conservative. Each held up an Etch A Sketch toy as a visual aid to their audiences. Ron Paul created a short ad saying "this is petty when we have $15 trillion in debt, 12 million unemployed, and USA at war."{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX_rFGHkckA |title=New Ron Paul Ad: Etch A Sketch |website=YouTube |date=March 23, 2012}} Following the incident the Ohio Art Company saw a 30% increase in sales of Etch A Sketches.{{cite news|last=Kavilanz|first=Parija|date=Aug 30, 2012|title=Etch A Sketch cashes in on Romney aide gaffe|work=CNNMoney|url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/08/30/smallbusiness/etch-a-sketch-romney/index.html|access-date=Sep 9, 2012}}

Mitt Romney explained the words of his advisor by saying, "A general election campaign takes on a different profile. The issues I'm running on will be exactly the same. I was a conservative Republican governor, and I'll be running as a conservative Republican nominee."{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/109382-romney-says-etch-a-sketch-comments-misinterpreted-will-run-as-a-conservative/ |title=Romney says Etch A Sketch comments misinterpreted, will run 'as a conservative' |author=Justin Sink |date=March 3, 2012 |publisher=Capitol Hill Publishing Corp}} A poll by Pew Research Center taken in the days after the event found that a majority of voters were unaware that the comment had even been said, with a plurality of those that had heard of it saying that it had no effect on their opinion of Romney.{{cite web |url=http://www.people-press.org/2012/03/27/trayvon-martin-killing-publics-top-news-story/#etchsketch |title=Trayvon Martin Killing Is Public's Top News Story |publisher=Pew Research Center |date=March 27, 2012}}

Many{{who|date=February 2022}} called the 2012 presidential election the first real social media election, and the number of memes it engendered reflects that. Notable contributions included a Bad Lip Reading video, a campaign similar in scope to the campaign for the neologism "santorum" which aimed to create an alternate definition (or homophone) for "romney" that referred to "defecating in terror", and also the binders full of women gaffe. Perhaps most popular was the "Little Face Mitt" meme, which was created on August 22 by humorist Reuben Glaser. It showed a depiction of Romney with his facial features "shrunken" within an ordinary-scale blank outline of his face; the result resembled a Dick Tracy comic-strip villain. Within its first four days it had garnered the attention of Gawker,{{cite web |url=http://gawker.com/5936939/high+res-photos-of-mitt-romney-and-paul-ryan-provide-internet-with-hours-of-photoshopping-fun/ |title=Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Provide Internet with Hours of Photoshopping Fun |publisher=Gawker }} UPROXX,{{cite web |url=http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2012/08/litte-face-mitt-romney/#page/1 |title= Little Face Mitt' Images Capture What Election 2012 Would Be Like If Mitt Romney Had A Tiny Face

|date= August 22, 2012

|publisher=UpRoxx }} CollegeHumor,{{cite web |url=http://www.collegehumor.com/article/6815840/little-face-mitt-romney |title= Little Face Mitt Romney|publisher=collegehumor}} BuzzFeed,{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/whitneyjefferson/mitt-romney-with-a-little-face |title= Mitt Romney With A Little Face|date= August 22, 2012|publisher=BuzzFeed}} PostSecret,{{cite tweet|user=postsecret|author=PostSecret|number=238318411367710721|date=22 August 2012|title=Photoshopped images of Mitt Romney with a little face. (Can an the Obama version be far behind?)}} Mother Jones,{{cite tweet|user=MotherJones|author=Mother Jones|number=238315735603113984|date=22 August 2012|title=New thing of the day: "Unsettling pictures of Mitt Romney with a very tiny face."}} Funny or Die{{cite web |url=http://www.funnyordie.com/slideshows/b4a3845bc1/the-12-best-pictures-of-little-face-mitt |title=The 12 Best Pictures of Little Face Mitt |access-date=2013-07-16}} and MSNBC's Alex Wagner.{{cite tweet|user=alexwagner|author=Alex Wagner|number=238375995936210944|date=22 August 2012|title="Little Face Mitt" on the campaign trail.}} An Obama staffer claimed they were later used as desktop backgrounds on computers in his 2012 reelection headquarters in Chicago.

At the end of its four-month tenure, Little Face Mitt had also been covered in The Huffington Post,{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/29/7-sites-you-should-be-wasting-time-on_n_1840661.html |title=7 Sites You Should Be Wasting Time On Right Now (PICTURES) |work=The Huffington Post | first=Christine |last=Friar |date=August 29, 2012}} Complex magazine,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/art-design/2012/10/the-25-funniest-election-memes-so-far/little-face-mitt |title=The 25 Funniest Election Memes (So Far) |magazine=Complex }} Mashable,{{cite web |url=http://mashable.com/2012/12/06/political-memes/ |title=The 10 Best Political Memes of 2012 |date=December 6, 2012 |publisher=Mashable}} Boing Boing{{cite web |url=http://boingboing.net/2012/08/22/little-face-mitt.html |title= Little face Mitt |date= August 23, 2012 |publisher=BoingBoing}} and many local print publications and online news websites. Glaser was also interviewed by the Washington Examiner,{{cite web |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/little-face-mitt-enjoys-online-success/article/2510705|title= 'Little Face Mitt' enjoys online success |work=Washington Examiner|date= October 14, 2012 }} The New York Times, The Daily Dot,{{cite web |url=http://www.dailydot.com/politics/mitt-romney-little-face/|title= Mitt Romney gets the shrunken head treatment |work=The Daily Dot |date= August 27, 2012 }} The Young Turks{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRt1gJyasNA |publisher=The Young Turks |title='Little Face Mitt' – What Does The Viral Hit Mean? |date=October 28, 2012 |access-date=2013-07-16}} and in articles from as far away as France{{cite web |url=http://www.staragora.com/news/un-humoriste-americain-transforme-la-tete-de-mitt-romney/453570 |publisher=Staragora |language=fr |title=Un humoriste américain transforme la tête de Mitt Romney ! |access-date=2013-07-16}} and Germany.{{cite web |url=http://blog.echo-online.de/echtzeit/klicken/kleingesicht-mitt-romney/ |publisher=Echo Blog |language=de |title=Kleingesicht Mitt Romney |access-date=2013-07-16}} The International Business Times{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/latest-political-meme-littlefacemitt-goes-viral-it-best-out-there-photos-754634/ |title=Latest Political Meme LittleFaceMitt Goes Viral, But Is It The Best Out There? [PHOTOS] |work=International Business Times |date=August 22, 2012 }} credited Little Face Mitt and its images as being one of the best political memes ever and described its notoriety as a "foray into the internet's lexicon" for Mitt Romney, and as "immortality".

{{see also|United States presidential election#Financial disclosures|label 1=Public release by presidential candidates}}

Due to pressure from political rivals during the Republican primary campaign, Romney released an incomplete 2010 tax return{{cite news|first1=Zach|last1=Carter|first2=Ryan|last2=Grim |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/mitt-romney-taxes-2010_n_1683084.html |title=Mitt Romney Taxes For 2010 Not Fully Disclosed |newspaper=The Huffington Post |date=July 19, 2012 |access-date=March 2, 2013}} in early January 2012, along with an estimate of the 2011 return. During the presidential campaign, he declined to disclose additional returns citing the matter as a distraction from more important issues, despite calls to do so by Democrats and several notable Republicans.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/us/politics/romney-steadfast-against-release-of-more-tax-returns.html |title=Romney Steadfast in the Face of Growing Calls to Release More Tax Returns|access-date=July 19, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 18, 2012|author=Michael D. Shear|author2=Trip Gabriel|quote=In the political environment that exists today, the opposition research of the Obama campaign is looking for anything they can use to distract from the failure of the president to reignite our economy, And I'm simply not enthusiastic about giving them hundreds or thousands of more pages to pick through, distort and lie about.}}

Republicans who urged Romney to release his tax returns include former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour, Michael Steele and Bill Kristol. George Will said "The cost of not releasing the returns are clear. Therefore, he must have calculated that there are higher costs in releasing them." Republican strategist Matthew Dowd said, "There's obviously something there, because if there was nothing there, he would say, 'Have at it.' So there's obviously something there that compromises what he said in the past about something."[http://www.ksl.com/?nid=757&sid=21747848 Opinion: Read my lips, 'No more tax returns'], Meghan Holbrook, KSL.com Utah, August 17, 2012.[https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/george-will-matthew-dowd-blast-romney-for-not-releasing-tax-returns/ George Will, Matthew Dowd Blast Romney For Not Releasing Tax Returns], George Stephanopoulos, ABC News, July 15, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.

In response to claims made to the contrary, Romney said that he never paid less than 13% in taxes over the past 10 years.{{cite news | title = Mitt Romney seeks to end debate on his tax rate | date = August 16, 2012 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19291802 | work = BBC News | access-date = August 27, 2012}}

Romney stated in a Parade magazine interview that he didn't want to release his tax returns because he would like to keep his tithing to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints private,[http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54744938-90/romney-says-church-tithing.html.csp Romney says his Mormon tithing shouldn't be public] Thomas Burr, The Salt Lake Tribune, August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012. though he has publicly released his tithing percentages for 2010 (7%) and 2011 (12%).{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0124/Mitt-Romney-taxes-show-very-high-charitable-giving-tied-to-Mormon-church |title=Mitt Romney taxes show 'very high' charitable giving tied to Mormon church |publisher=CSMonitor.com |date=2012-01-24 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

For their 2011 tax returns, the Romneys paid nearly $2 million in taxes on an income of $13.7 million for an effective tax rate of 14.1%. They gave almost $4 million to charity, but only claimed $2.25 million in deductions in order to maintain his campaign pledge to pay at least 13% of his income in federal taxes.Raum, Tom. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120925014412/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gf6IH3zumo3d9Bk9CggPlYduCaSQ?docId=badf3a82b16042b8920dbedf0821e073 "Romney gives Dem support for tax deductions claim."] AP, September 22, 2012.{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/the_rumble/2012/09/romneys-taxes-cant-calm-the-democrats |title=Romney's taxes can't calm the Democrats |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=2012-09-22 |access-date=2013-02-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109084304/http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/the_rumble/2012/09/romneys-taxes-cant-calm-the-democrats |archive-date=November 9, 2012 }} The summary prepared by PwC stated the Romney's effective tax rate paid had averaged 20.2% from 1990 to 2009.{{cite news | title = Mitt Romney paid 14.1% in tax in 2011| date = September 21, 2012 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19682947| work = BBC News | access-date = September 22, 2012}}

MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell showed an edited video clip of Romney at a rally in Pennsylvania. In the edited version, Romney says how amazing ordering a sandwich with a touch screen device at a Wawa convenience store is. Andrea Mitchell claimed that his apparent enthusiasm belied that he might be out of touch with many Americans who would eat at a restaurant like Wawa's very regularly. Controversy arose when it was revealed that the clip was edited to remove the portion which showed Romney relating the story of an optometrist he met, who had faced an extensive amount of paperwork from the post office to change his address. Romney was commenting on his efficient experience at Wawa's to highlight his belief that the private sector is often more efficient than government, a point that was not evident without the full context of his remarks.{{cite news| url=http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/06/19/msnbc-busted-for-editing-romney-comments-out-of-context-backtracks-sorta-video/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620101240/http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/06/19/msnbc-busted-for-editing-romney-comments-out-of-context-backtracks-sorta-video/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-06-20 | work=The San Francisco Chronicle | title=MSNBC busted for editing Romney comments out of context, backtracks. Sorta. (VIDEO) | date=2012-06-19}}{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/msnbcs-poor-attempt-down-romney-creative-editing-160300998.html;_ylt=A2KJNF9RoeJPtFYA84DQtDMD |title=MSNBC's Poor Attempt to Take Down Romney by Creative Editing - Yahoo! News |access-date=2017-01-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623053810/http://news.yahoo.com/msnbcs-poor-attempt-down-romney-creative-editing-160300998.html |archive-date=June 23, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}

On September 17, excerpts from a video recorded on hidden camera were published by Mother Jones showing Romney speaking at a private $50,000-a-plate fundraiser held at hedge fund manager Marc Leder's mansion in Boca Raton, Florida.{{cite web|url=http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_s_palm_beach_county/boca_raton/mitt-romney-47-percent-video-boca-raton-mogul-mark-leder-at-center-of-mitt-romney-video-flap|title=Mitt Romney 47 percent video: Boca Raton mogul Mark Leder at center of Mitt Romney video flap|last=Man|first=Anthony|date=2012-09-19|publisher=Wptv.com|access-date=2013-02-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923163523/http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_s_palm_beach_county/boca_raton/mitt-romney-47-percent-video-boca-raton-mogul-mark-leder-at-center-of-mitt-romney-video-flap|archive-date=September 23, 2012|url-status=dead}} The magazine learned of the video from James Earl Carter IV, a Democratic opposition researcher (and a grandson of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter), who found the video online and got the videographer in touch with a writer at the magazine.{{cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/21/carter-obama-thanked-my-grandson-for-47-tape/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224002355/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/21/carter-obama-thanked-my-grandson-for-47-tape/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 24, 2013|title=Obama thanked Carter's grandson, who found '47%' tape|date=February 21, 2013|work=Political Ticker (blog)|publisher=CNN|quote=James Carter, an opposition researcher, said he found the video online and got the person responsible for the tape in touch with a writer for the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones. Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer if the person who filmed the video was a guest or a waiter at the event, Carter said, 'It wasn't one of the people who had paid $50,000 to be there. But I'm not going to say anything more than that.'|access-date=2013-02-22}} On March 13, 2013, on MSNBC's The Ed Show, Scott Prouty, a bartender at the event, revealed himself as the videographer.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/13/scott-prouty-reveals-himself-as-man-who-shot-47-percent-video/|title=Scott Prouty reveals himself as man who shot '47 percent' video|date=March 13, 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 14, 2013|author=Weiner, Rachel}}{{ external media

| float = right

| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU9V6eOFO38&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_786897 "Mitt Romney on Obama Voters", Mother Jones].

}}

{{See also|Lucky duckies}}

{{Anchor|47 percent gaffe}}

In the video, recorded May 17, Romney responded to a question about his campaign strategy, saying:

{{blockquote|There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That's an entitlement. The government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. And I mean the president starts off with 48, 49... he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. So he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich.... My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. What I have to do is convince the 5–10% in the center that are independents, that are thoughtful, that look at voting one way or the other depending upon in some cases emotion, whether they like the guy or not.{{cite journal|first=David |last=Corn |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/romney-secret-video-marc-leder-sex-parties |title=Romney "47 Percent" Fundraiser Host: Hedge Fund Manager Who Likes Sex Parties |journal=Mother Jones |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news| url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/romney-faults-those-dependent-on-government/ | title=Romney Calls 47% of Voters Dependent in Leaked Video| newspaper=New York Times | date=September 17, 2012 | access-date=September 18, 2012 |author1=Michael D Shear |author2=Michael Barbaro |name-list-style=amp }}{{cite news|last=Associated Press|title=What Romney told donors at fundraiser in private remarks caught on hidden camera|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-romney-told-donors-at-fundraiser-in-private-remarks-caught-on-hidden-camera/2012/09/18/36c8d866-01c3-11e2-bbf0-e33b4ee2f0e8_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 18, 2012}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}}}

In a press conference convened the night of the video's publication, Romney told reporters that while his "off the cuff" remarks could have been more eloquently stated, he had been conveying an important message: that his proposals to lower the Federal Income Tax would not be as persuasive to those who are not paying that particular tax. "The president believes in what I've described as a government-centered society, where government plays a larger and larger role, provides for more and more of the needs of individuals. And I happen to believe instead in a free enterprise, free individual society where people pursuing their dreams are able to employ one another, build enterprises, build the strongest economy in the world."{{cite news|last=Mehta|first=Seema|title=Romney defends 'off the cuff' remarks on Obama backers as victims|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-mitt-romney-victims-remarks-20120917,0,5600535.story|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 17, 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Hunt|first1=Kasie|last2=Peoples|first2=Steve|title=Romney: 'Nearly half believe they are victims'|url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Romney-Nearly-half-believe-they-are-victims-3870412.php|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=September 17, 2012}} Several weeks later, Romney commented, "I was completely wrong".{{cite web |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008024625/http://video.msnbc.msn.com/martin-bashir/49306871 |archive-date=Oct 8, 2012 |url=http://video.msnbc.msn.com/martin-bashir/49306871 |title=Romney admits: 'I was completely wrong' on 47% comments |website=MSNBC |date=October 5, 2012 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |first= Martin |last=Bashir }}

Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan called the Romney campaign "incompetent"{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2012/09/18/time-for-an-intervention/ |title=Time for an Intervention |publisher=Blogs.wsj.com |date=2012-09-18 |access-date=2013-02-22}} and "a rolling calamity",{{cite news|last=Noonan|first=Peggy|title=The Romney campaign needs a new CEO|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444165804578008702719456198|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=September 21, 2012}} and argued that the Romney campaign "needs a new CEO". Columnist David Brooks wrote "[Romney is] running a depressingly inept presidential campaign. Mr. Romney, your entitlement reform ideas are essential, but when will the incompetence stop?"{{cite news|last=Brooks|first=David|title=Thurston Howell Romney|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/brooks-thurston-howell-romney.html?ref=davidbrooks|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 18, 2012}} Conservative writer Bill Kristol initially described Romney's remarks as "arrogant and stupid" (a comment he later said "might have been a tad harsh"{{cite news|last=Wallace|first=Chris|author-link = Chris Wallace|url=http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/09/23/gibbs-defends-administrations-response-libya-attack-gov-walker-romney-needs-show-fire-bel?page=4|title = Gibbs defends administration's response to Libya attack; Gov. Walker: Romney needs to show 'fire in the belly'|newspaper=Fox News Sunday|date=September 23, 2012}}), but ultimately stood by Romney, saying, "It remains important for the country that Romney wins in November (unless he chooses to step down and we get the Ryan-Rubio ticket we deserve!)."{{cite news|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/note-romney-s-arrogant-and-stupid-remarks_652548.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209204618/http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/note-romney-s-arrogant-and-stupid-remarks_652548.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |title=A Note on Romney's Arrogant and Stupid Remarks |newspaper=The Weekly Standard |date=2012-09-18 |access-date=2013-02-22}} Several Republicans campaigning for seats in the 2012 election disputed or criticized Romney's remarks, including Senate candidates Linda McMahon (CT), George Allen (VA), Sen. Dean Heller (NV), Sen. Scott Brown (MA), and Gov. Susana Martinez (NM).{{cite news|last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-george-allen-romney-47-percent-20120920,0,2155715.story |title=Republican George Allen distances himself from Romney's '47%' |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=2012-09-20 |access-date=2013-02-22}} Some conservative Republicans, such as Erick Erickson and Rush Limbaugh, defended Romney's 47% remark.Condon, Stephanie (September 18, 2012).[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/conservatives-defend-romneys-47-percent-remark/ Conservatives defend Romney's "47 percent" remark]. CBS News.{{cite news|last=Cirilli|first=Kevin|title=Rush Limbaugh: Mitt Romney's 'golden opportunity'|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81343.html |newspaper=Politico |date=September 18, 2012}}

PolitiFact has rated the 47% remark as factually true, assuming Romney was referring to the federal income tax—the reasons being that many Americans were so poor as to be exempt from it, and others qualified for enough breaks and other exemptions that their tax liability amounted to zero.{{cite web|last1=Moorhead|first1=Molly|title=Mitt Romney says 47 percent of Americans pay no income tax|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/sep/18/mitt-romney/romney-says-47-percent-americans-pay-no-income-tax/|website=PolitiFact|publisher=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2 August 2017|date=18 September 2012}}

During the vice presidential debate, after Joe Biden criticized Romney's comments, Ryan responded, "With respect to that quote, I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don't come out of your mouth the right way", referring to Biden's reputation for gaffes.{{cite web |last=Strauss |first=Daniel |url=https://thehill.com/video/campaign/261605-ryan-biden-knows-sometimes-words-dont-come-out-the-right-way/ |title=Ryan pokes fun at Biden's gaffes while defending Romney – The Hill's Video |publisher=Thehill.com |date=2012-10-11 |access-date=2013-02-22 |archive-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119054650/http://thehill.com/video/campaign/261605-ryan-biden-knows-sometimes-words-dont-come-out-the-right-way |url-status=live }} President Obama stated in an interview with David Letterman, "My expectation is if you want to be president, you've got to work for everybody, not just for some".{{cite news |title=Obama: Mitt Romney wrong to call Americans 'victims' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19644448 |work=BBC News |date=September 19, 2012 |access-date=September 20, 2012}}Gavrov, Sergei (October 5, 2012) [http://finam.fm/read/2080/ Mitt Romney has repented of his statements. Finam FM]

Several commentators noted that 47% was also Romney's share of the popular vote (rounded to the nearest percentage point),{{cite web|url=http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/11/29/election-tally-update-romney-gets-his-47/ |title=Election tally update: Romney gets his 47% |publisher=MSNBC |date=November 29, 2012 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/26/romneys-final-share-of-the-vote-you-guessed-it-47-percent/ |title=Romney's final share of the vote? You guessed it: 47 percent |work= Washingtonpost.com |date=2012-11-26 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/irony-alert-mitt-romneys-final-vote-tally-nears-101000083--election.html |title=Irony alert: Mitt Romney's final vote tally nears 47 percent – Yahoo! News |work=Yahoo! News|date=November 21, 2012 |access-date=2013-02-22}}{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/11/mitt-romney-47-percent-popular-vote/59327/ |title=Mitt Romney Finally Captures 47% of America – Politics |publisher=The Atlantic Wire |date=2012-11-26 |access-date=2013-02-22}} a result some considered ironic.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/giovannirodriguez/2012/11/22/will-romney-get-his-47-on-thanksgiving-day-the-final-votes-come-in/ |title=Will Romney Get His 47 on Thanksgiving Day? (As The Final Votes Come In) |magazine=Forbes |date=2012-04-18 |access-date=2013-02-22 |first=Giovanni |last=Rodriguez}} Obama had led 50%–48% on election night, but the results edged toward 51%–47% as counting continued over the following weeks.

Despite downplaying the original remarks during the campaign, Romney stated soon after the election that President Obama won the election by promising "gifts" to key Democratic voters such as the black and Hispanic communities.{{cite news|title=Romney says Obama won election with promise of 'gifts' for key groups, Jindal disagrees|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/romney-says-obama-won-election-with-promise-of-gifts-for-key-groups-jindal-disagrees|publisher=Fox News|access-date=March 14, 2013|date=November 15, 2012}}

The video also showed Romney expressing doubt over whether the Palestinians were fully invested in working toward the success of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/at-controversial-fundraiser-romney-says-middle-east-peace-is-difficult/ | title=At controversial fundraiser, Romney says Middle East peace is difficult | work=CBS News | date=September 18, 2012 | access-date=September 20, 2012 | author=Chaggaris, Steve}} He said the Palestinians are "committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel".{{cite news|first=Mark|last= Mardell |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19637631 |title=Mitt Romney secret video reveals views on Middle East |work=BBC News |date=2012-09-18 |access-date=2013-02-22}} In response, Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat said "only those who want to maintain the Israeli occupation will claim the Palestinians are not interested in peace."{{cite news|first=Mark | last= Mardell |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19644448 |title=Obama: Mitt Romney wrong to call Americans 'victims' |work =BBC News |date=September 19, 2012 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

Another part of the video shows Romney saying:

{{Blockquote|text=If I were Iran, if I were Iran—a crazed fanatic, I'd say let's get a little fissile material to Hezbollah, have them carry it to Chicago or some other place, and then if anything goes wrong, or America starts acting up, we'll just say, "Guess what? Unless you stand down, why, we're going to let off a dirty bomb." I mean this is where we have—where America could be held up and blackmailed by Iran, by the mullahs, by crazy people. So we really don't have any option but to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.{{cite web|url=http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/09/20/romney-roots-for-foreign-policy-crisis/ |title=Opinion: Romney Roots For Foreign Policy Crisis « CBS Chicago |date=September 20, 2012 |publisher=Chicago.cbslocal.com |access-date=2013-02-22}} }}

Analysts noted that a dirty bomb requires only radioactive materials, not fissile materials like those from a nuclear weapons program.{{cite magazine|author=David Corn |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/romney-secret-video-israeli-palestinian-middle-east-peace |title=SECRET VIDEO: On Israel, Romney Trashes Two-State Solution |magazine=Mother Jones |date=2012-09-18 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

Statements by Romney and his campaign have been called false by automakers Chrysler and General Motors (GM).

During the final weeks of the campaign, the Romney campaign began to promote the idea that as a result of the Obama Administration's bailout of the automotive industry, U.S.-based auto manufacturing jobs would be outsourced to China.{{cite news|last=Kiely|first=Richard|title=Romney distorts facts on Jeep, auto bailout|url=http://factcheck.org/2012/10/romney-distorts-facts-on-jeep-auto-bailout/|publisher=FactCheck.org|date=October 31, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Greenberg|first=John|title=Mitt Romney says Obama's Chrysler deal undermined U.S. workers|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/30/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-obama-chrysler-sold-italians-china-ame/|newspaper=Politifact.com (Tampa Bay Times)|date=October 30, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|title=4 Pinocchio's for Mitt Romney's misleading ad on Chrysler and China|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/4-pinocchios-for-mitt-romneys-misleading-ad-on-chrysler-and-china/2012/10/29/2a153a04-21d7-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 30, 2012}} Bloomberg News had reported on October 21 that Fiat, the majority owner of Chrysler (the maker of Jeeps), was considering restarting production lines in China that had been idle since 2009. The article quoted Fiat/Chrysler's chief operating officer for Asia as saying that Jeep production sites would be added to China rather than shifted from current production sites in North America.{{cite news|last=Trudell|first=Craig|title=Fiat says Jeep output may return to China as demand rises|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2012-10-21/fiat-says-china-may-build-all-jeep-models-as-suv-demand-climbs.html|access-date=October 22, 2012|newspaper=Bloomberg}}

On October 25, Romney said at a rally in the key battleground state of Ohio, "I saw a story today that one of the great manufacturers in this state Jeep — now owned by the Italians — is thinking of moving all production to China." Within hours, Chrysler responded, saying in part:{{cite web |url=http://blog.chryslerllc.com/blog.do?id=1932&p=entry |title=Chrysler Blog – Jeep in China |publisher=Blog.chryslerllc.com |access-date=2013-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103103707/http://blog.chryslerllc.com/blog.do?id=1932&p=entry |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

{{blockquote|Despite clear and accurate reporting, the take has given birth to a number of stories making readers believe that Chrysler plans to shift all Jeep production to China from North America, and therefore idle assembly lines and U.S. workforce. It is a leap that would be difficult even for professional circus acrobats.

Let's set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China.(emphasis in original)}}

Two days later, on October 27, Romney began airing a television ad in Ohio that said, "Obama took GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy, and sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China." Media observers noted that the campaign had taken the highly unusual step of releasing the ad without announcing the release to the press. Chrysler's CEO Sergio Marchionne responded, saying that the claim that production of Jeeps would be transferred from the U.S. to China, leaving U.S. factories idle, was completely false. He also said that not only would Jeep production lines remain in operation in the U.S. but Chrysler would be investing $500 million to expand production at the Toledo, Ohio Jeep plant.

In spite of the denials by the auto manufacturer, the Romney campaign subsequently began airing a new radio ad in Ohio that repeated the false claim that Jeep would be cutting Ohio jobs in order to expand into China.{{cite news|last=Mehta|first=Seema|title=GM and Chrysler rebut Romney auto bailout claims|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-gm-chrysler-rebut-romney-20121030,0,3345922.story|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 30, 2012}} The radio ad also said that the other auto manufacturer that had received government assistance during the auto manufacturer crisis, GM, was moving 15,000 American jobs to China.

A GM representative denounced the Romney ad, saying, "We've clearly entered some parallel universe during these last few days.... No amount of campaign politics at its cynical worst will diminish our record of creating jobs in the U.S. and repatriating profits back to this country."{{cite news|last1=Bomey|first1=Nathan|last2=Snavely|first2=Brnet|title=GM calls latest Romney auto ad 'politics at its cynical worst'|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20121030/BUSINESS01/121030036/Romney-implies-GM-used-U-S-aid-to-create-jobs-in-China|date=October 30, 2012}}

In December, Politifact described Romney's Jeep comments as their "Lie of the Year" for 2012.Holan, Angie Drobnic, [http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2012/dec/12/lie-year-2012-Romney-Jeeps-China/ "Lie of the Year: the Romney campaign's ad on Jeeps made in China"], politifact.com, December 12th, 2012.

As of 2018, the Ohio automobile factory at the center of the dispute, Toledo Complex, remains open and employs more workers than it did in 2009. Nonetheless, Chrysler has moved some of its production elsewhere; its Jeep Cherokee line was moved into Belvidere, Illinois and Changsha, China. The Changsha factory has begun production on 8 lines of Jeep-branded vehicles, partly as a response to rising demand from China's market.{{Cite web|url=http://www.carscoops.com/2015/07/jeep-cherokee-will-be-built-in-china.html|title = Jeep Cherokee Will be Built in China This Year, Two New Models to Follow|date = July 19, 2015}}{{Cite web|url=http://europe.autonews.com/article/20160419/ANE/160419872/fiat-chrysler-begins-jeep-renegade-production-in-china|title = Fiat Chrysler begins Jeep Renegade production in China|date = April 19, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.marketplace.org/2018/11/13/nearly-decade-after-auto-bailout-some-industry-towns-are-thriving-and-others-still/|title = How auto industry towns are faring a decade after the bailout|date = November 13, 2018}}

{{See also|United States presidential election debates, 2012}}

Romney had his first general election debate against Obama on October 3 in Denver, Colorado on domestic topics.[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/presidential-debate-transcript-denver-colo-oct/story?id=17390260&page=6 "Presidential Debate Transcript: Denver, Colo."] ABC News, October 3, 2012. Snap polls shortly after the debate by CNN and others found that many people believe Romney did significantly better than Obama in the first debate, sometimes referred to the change in pace of the election.[http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/10/03/top12.pdf turner.com/cnn], 2012/images/10/03. Subsequent public opinion polls showed the debate had eliminated most of the gains in the polls that Obama had made over Romney after the two parties' national conventions.{{cite news|last=Associated Press|title=Obama says he had 'a bad night' in first debate; Romney pledges not to raise taxes on anyone|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 9, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Silver|first=Nate|title=Oct. 9: Romney erases Obama's convention bounce in forecast|url=http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/oct-9-romney-erases-obamas-convention-bounce-in-forecast/|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 9, 2012}}

On October 11, Romney's running mate Paul Ryan debated Vice President Joe Biden, in the only vice presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle. Topics covered included the stimulus, the abortion debate, and foreign policy.

The second presidential debate was a Townhall on October 16. The debate was noted for its heated exchanges,{{cite web|url=http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/10/16/scott-pelley-most-rancorous-presidential-debate-ever/ |title=Scott Pelley: 'Most Rancorous Presidential Debate Ever' |publisher=Washington.cbslocal.com |date=2012-10-16 |access-date=2013-02-22}} and had targeted discussions of Libya, immigration, and pay equity for women.{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/article/3719651 |title=Obama, Romney answer audience's questions in town hall debate |last=Peoples |first= Steve, and David Espo | publisher=newsok.com|date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=October 18, 2012 }} During the second debate, Romney was perceived to have struggled compared to his previous performance.{{cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Sinderbrand |title=Analysis: Romney whiffs on some easy pitches |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/politics/debate-analysis/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=October 17, 2012}} Polls conducted by CBS, CNN, and Reuters/Ipsos found a plurality of voters who believed Obama had done better.{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Burns |title=CBS snap poll: Obama edges Romney in second debate |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/10/cbs-snap-poll-obama-edges-romney-in-second-debate-138705.html |newspaper=Politico |date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=October 17, 2012}}{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Cohen |title=Obama gets the edge over Romney in a bruising debate |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/16/politics/debate-mainbar/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=October 17, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Voters say Obama beat Romney in second debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-poll-ipsos-idUSBRE89G1JV20121017 |work=Reuters |date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=October 17, 2012}} During the debates Romney said that he would charge China with currency manipulation. China responded that it would show "gradual progress and voluntarily reform China's exchange rate regime".{{cite web|first=John |last=Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/china/2012/china-121017-rianovosti01.htm |title=China Denies Currency Manipulation Claims |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date=2012-10-17 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

The third and final debate between Romney and Obama was held two weeks before election day, on October 23 in Boca Raton, Florida. The topics discussed included a variety of foreign affairs and domestic policy issues.{{cite news|last=Welch|first=William M.|title=Obama, Romney go on attack in final debate|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/10/22/debate-obama-romney-foreign-policy/1650331/|newspaper=USA Today|date=October 22, 2012}} According to The Guardian, Romney "appeared unsure at times and occasionally stumbled over his lines as if struggling to remember his briefing notes".{{cite news|last=MacAskill|first=Ewan|title=Obama and Romney clash over foreign policy in final presidential debate|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/23/third-presidential-debate-obama-wins|newspaper=The Guardian|date=October 23, 2012}} Many viewers also noted that Romney was perspiring,{{cite news|last=Noveck|first=Jocelyn|title=Debate impressions: A reversal in body language?|url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/10/23/debate-impressions-reversal-body-language/1pba7KmCqoJUOgFgHjWQrN/story.html|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=October 23, 2012|agency=Associated Press}} which reminded some Twitter users of Richard Nixon's 1960 presidential debate.{{cite news|last=Dunham|first=Richard|title=And the winner is ... Live analysis of the foreign policy debate|url=http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2012/10/and-the-winner-is-%E2%80%A6-live-analysis-of-the-foreign-policy-debate/#8016101=0|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|date=October 22, 2012}} Instant polls by Public Policy Polling, CNN, and CBS showed that more viewers felt Obama had won the debate than felt that Romney had.

{{main|ORCA (computer system)}}

An attempt to apply security through obscurity to protect Romney's voting day smartphone based project ORCA ran aground when the system crashed under the full load of coordinating a nationwide election day effort.{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/romney/2012/11/10/orca-mitt-romney-high-tech-get-out-the-vote-program-crashed-election-day/gflS8VkzDcJcXCrHoV0nsI/story.html |title=ORCA, Mitt Romney's high-tech get-out-the-vote program, crashed on Election Day |publisher=Boston.com |date=2012-11-09 |access-date=2013-02-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408182009/http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/romney/2012/11/10/orca-mitt-romney-high-tech-get-out-the-vote-program-crashed-election-day/gflS8VkzDcJcXCrHoV0nsI/story.html |archive-date=April 8, 2013 }} Another disadvantage of the ORCA system was that unlike Obama's Narwhal, ORCA only counted known voters and so predicted a Romney sweep, even as Obama's volunteers were bringing in voters that the Romney campaign had not expected.{{cite web |last=Farber |first=Dan |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57547183-38/why-romneys-orca-killer-app-beached-on-election-day/ |title=Why Romney's Orca killer app beached on Election Day |website=CNET |date=2012-11-09 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

{{United States presidential transitions series}}

A presidential transition was contingently planned from Obama to Romney in accordance with the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010, made extensive pre-election plans for a potential transition, the Romney campaign called the "Romney Readiness Project"{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike and Jonathan Allen |date=October 25, 2012 |title=How Mitt Romney would govern |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82854.html |access-date=January 23, 2013 |newspaper=Politico}}{{cite news |date=November 19, 2012 |title=Inside the 'Romney Readiness Project,' the ambitious plans for an unrealized administration |url=http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/19/15264192-inside-the-romney-readiness-project-the-ambitious-plans-for-an-unrealized-administration?lite |access-date=January 23, 2013 |newspaper=NBC News}}{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Charles |date=May 29, 2013 |title=Romney Readiness Team Reunites to Review Lessons Learned |url=http://www.govexec.com/management/2013/05/romney-readiness-team-reunites-review-lessons-learned/63917/ |accessdate=May 13, 2016 |work=Government Executive}} should he be elected president. Former governor of Utah Mike Leavitt was selected in June 2012 by Romney to lead the planning for the project, which included a "200-day plan" outlining the legislative agenda of the first 200 days of a Romney administration. Leavitt, along with Beth Myers and Bob White, had formed a list of ten candidates for each Cabinet position to aid Romney in making appointments to those positions. The operation included task forces for transitioning specific areas of the federal government.

Known internally as "The Readiness Project", transition planning began in April 2012, several months before the 2012 Republican National Convention.{{cite news |last1=Keane |first1=Angela |date=May 6, 2016 |title=Trump Campaign Upends the Science of Presidential Transition |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-05-06/trump-s-campaign-upends-the-science-of-presidential-transition |accessdate=May 13, 2016 |publisher=Bloomberg Politics}} Led by Chairman Mike Leavitt and Executive Director Chris Liddell, it consisted of a skeleton staff of four until August, when additional employees were retained. The staff eventually grew to almost 300 people.{{cite magazine |last1=Steinmetz |first1=Katy |date=November 15, 2012 |title=Planning a Presidency That Never Was: Inside the Romney Transition Team |url=https://swampland.time.com/2012/11/15/planning-a-presidency-that-never-was-inside-the-romney-transition-team/ |access-date=May 13, 2016 |magazine=Time}}{{cite magazine |last1=Hayden |first1=Eric |date=November 8, 2012 |title=Mitt Romney's Transition Website: Where 'President-Elect' Romney Lives On |url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/08/mitt-romneys-transition-website-where-president-elect-romney/ |access-date=January 22, 2016 |magazine=Time}}{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |author-link=Ashley Parker (journalist) |date=August 16, 2012 |title=Campaigning Aside, Team Plans a Romney Presidency |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/17/us/politics/mitt-romneys-transition-team-is-hard-at-work.html |accessdate=January 22, 2016 |work=The New York Times}} Other senior executives within the project included Robert Zoellick and Al Hubbard.{{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Anna |date=September 24, 2012 |title=Mitt transition efforts intensifying |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2012/09/mitt-transition-efforts-intensifying-081600?o=1 |accessdate=January 22, 2016 |work=Politico}}

Activities undertaken by the Readiness Project included preparing policy briefings for civil servants at federal agencies, which would be delivered by "parachute teams" following the election; creating a list of candidates to fill the several hundred political appointments made by the president; coordinating with the Obama administration for the transfer of occupancy of presidential residences, including the White House and the Number One Observatory Circle; liaising with the United States Armed Forces for the assumption of National Command Authority and launch control of nuclear weapons; and developing a post-election communications plan, which reportedly included a 1,000-word victory speech Romney would deliver.{{cite news |last1=Fund |first1=John |author-link=John Fund |date=January 13, 2013 |title=What was Romney Planning? |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/338182/what-was-romney-planning-john-fund |accessdate=January 22, 2016 |work=National Review}} These included "landing" teams to be deployed to governmental agencies two weeks post-election and "beachhead" teams to guide the transition following Romney's would-be inauguration on January 20. The transition planning effort was divided into four segments, two of which were executed: the "readiness phase", which lasted from June until the 2012 Republican National Convention and the "planning phase", which lasted from the convention until election day. Two additional phases were planned, but were not executed owing to Romney's loss: the "transition phase" and the "hand-off phase", both of which would have occurred post-election and would have culminated in the transition team's plan for the first 200 days following Romney's would-be inauguration as president.{{cite news |last=Fund |first=John |date=January 21, 2013 |title=What Was Romney Planning? |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/338182/what-was-romney-planning-john-fund |access-date=January 23, 2013 |newspaper=National Review Online}}

In accordance with the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010, the project was provided with office space by the General Services Administration (GSA) beginning in September 2012, two months prior to the election. The offices of the Readiness Project were shuttered and completely cleared within three days following Romney's defeat. Total spending by the Readiness Project between its inception and dissolution was $8.9 million, with those costs paid by the U.S. government.

The Romney team was reported as having shaken off the fear of appearing presumptuous, a fear that hampered the Obama team and hindered them from making adequate transition preparations.{{cite news |last1=Berman |first1=Russell |date=April 22, 2016 |title=The Most Important Takeover of Any Organization in History |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/improving-the-presidential-transition-2016/477528/ |accessdate=May 29, 2016 |work=The Atlantic}}

In contrast with the Obama presidential transition, Leavitt communicated directly with White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew, and the two coordinated a plan, putting members of the transition team in charge of various government departments in direct communication with members of the Obama administration. Leavitt described his new style of transition team as "essentially a federal government in miniature".

On November 7, 2012, the evening of the election, the Readiness Project's transition website, declaring Romney's victory, was accidentally pushed live, but was quickly taken down again. Its catchphrases were "Smaller, Simpler, Smarter" over "Believe in America". Blogger Taegan Goddard took screenshots{{cite web |author=Taegan Goddard |date=November 7, 2012 |title=Hagel Says Sequester Would Freeze Promotions |url=http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/11/07/romneys_transition_site.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108021452/http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/11/07/romneys_transition_site.html |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |access-date=2013-07-16 |df=mdy-all}} of the site while it was live, showing pages linked from the front page headed "The President-Elect" (with details about "The Inauguration"), "Believe in America", "Newsroom", and "Join the Administration". The site was built by a Utah-based web development company, SolutionStream, whose owner confirmed that the site had been prepared for Romney.Stableford, Dylan, [https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-transition-192214963--election.html "Romney 'transition' website briefly appears online"], Yahoo! News, November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012{{cite news |last1=Eaton |first1=Kit |date=November 8, 2012 |title=If Mitt Romney Had Won, Is This What His Website Would've Looked Like? |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3002828/if-mitt-romney-had-won-what-his-website-wouldve-looked |accessdate=January 22, 2016 |work=Fast Company}}

In May 2013, the organization formerly responsible for the Romney transition preparation, "R2P", published a 138-page report detailing the preparations for a potential Romney administration, entitled Romney Readiness Project 2012: Retrospectives and Lessons Learned.{{cite news |last1=Hicken |first1=Jackie |date=May 29, 2013 |title=Blueprint outlines work former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, others did to prepare for President Romney |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765630884/Blueprint-outlines-work-former-Utah-Gov-Mike-Leavitt-others-did-to-prepare-for-President-Romney.html?pg=all |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530192508/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765630884/Blueprint-outlines-work-former-Utah-Gov-Mike-Leavitt-others-did-to-prepare-for-President-Romney.html?pg=all |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |access-date=January 22, 2016 |work=Deseret News}}{{cite news |last1=Hicken |first1=Jackie |date=May 29, 2013 |title=Blueprint outlines work former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, others did to prepare for President Romney |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765630884/Blueprint-outlines-work-former-Utah-Gov-Mike-Leavitt-others-did-to-prepare-for-President-Romney.html?pg=all |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530192508/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765630884/Blueprint-outlines-work-former-Utah-Gov-Mike-Leavitt-others-did-to-prepare-for-President-Romney.html?pg=all |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |accessdate=January 22, 2016 |work=Deseret News}} In the report, specific aspects of the transition were described, including post-election, pre-inauguration "corporate-style" management seminars for appointees/nominees and a restructuring of the Executive Office of the President to satisfy Romney's preferences, along with a PowerPoint presentation prepared to brief a President-elect Romney in the days immediately following the election.{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Zeke |date=2 June 2013 |title=Mitt Romney Inc.: The White House That Never Was |url=https://swampland.time.com/2013/06/02/mitt-romney-inc-the-white-house-that-never-was/ |access-date=25 June 2013 |newspaper=Time}} In the foreword, Romney wrote, "My campaign was not successful but our Readiness Project team was."

The Edward "Ted" Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015 was named in Leavitt's honor and also in honor of the head of the Obama transition team. The organization said, "The new law creates a federal overseer for the presidential transition and requires each agency to name a person to manage the process."

Leavitt agreed to work on the planning for Donald Trump's presidential transition, even though he had not endorsed Trump.{{cite news |last1=Canham |first1=Mike |date=May 20, 2016 |title=Former Gov. Mike Leavitt advising Donald Trump's transition team |url=http://www.sltrib.com/news/3914426-155/former-gov-mike-leavitt-advising-donald |accessdate=May 22, 2016 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune}} According to The Washington Post, Leavitt is regarded as an "evangelist for how to run an effective presidential transition".{{cite news |last1=Rein |first1=Lisa |date=May 20, 2016 |title=As he begins transition planning, Trump turns to unlikely source: Romney-world |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/20/as-he-begins-transition-planning-trump-turns-to-unlikely-source-romney-world/ |accessdate=May 22, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Leavitt stated that he was lending the Trump team his "unique experience" because "[c]ountries are vulnerable during transitions and I see this as a very—almost obligation—to contribute to the country. This is a very serious thing."{{cite news |last1=Faulders |first1=Katherine |date=May 20, 2016 |title=Donald Trump Camp Enlists Former Romney Aide Mike Leavitt in Transition Talks |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-camp-enlists-romney-aide-mike-leavitt/story?id=39257726 |accessdate=May 26, 2016 |publisher=ABC News}}

Romney "seems preoccupied with the futures of members of his campaign staff" and is working on a "system to organize the 400 résumés of those staff members whose paychecks will run out in 21 days."{{cite news |author=MICHAEL BARBARO |date=November 8, 2012 |title=For Romney, All His Career Options Are Still Open. Except One |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/us/politics/for-romney-all-his-career-options-are-still-open-except-one.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=2013-07-16 |work=The New York Times}} The Romney campaign has arranged for "severance pay through the end of November" for some members of his campaign staff.

In interviews after the election, Romney said of his loss, "The president's campaign, if you will, focused on giving targeted groups a big gift. He made a big effort on small things."{{cite news|url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/11/15/mitt-romney-says-obama-won-by-giving-gifts-to-immigrant-voters/#ixzz2CKAHh0A3 |title=Mitt Romney Says Obama Won by Giving 'Gifts' to Latino Voters |publisher=Fox News Latino |date=2012-11-15 |access-date=2013-02-22}}

Robert Draper in the New York Times Magazine summarized interviews with technology savvy young Republicans to conclude that the Romney campaign's inability to understand and use modern technology caused Romney to lose a winnable election. "Criticism begins with the candidate—a self described data-driven chief executive who put his trust in alarmingly off-the-mark internal polls." In contrast, the Obama campaign repeatedly and exhaustively polled and directed the actual expressed day-to-day shifting opinions of the electorate through such technological mediums as Reddit, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. "Romney's senior strategist, Stuart Stevens, may well be remembered by historians . . . as the last guy to run a presidential campaign who never tweeted" to get out the vote and to elicit real-time electorate feelings from all ethnic groups, all gender persuasions, and from rich and poor.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/magazine/can-the-republicans-be-saved-from-obsolescence.html?ref=magazine |title=Can the Republicans Be Saved From Obsolescence? |publisher=The New York Times Sunday Magazine, page MM24 |date=2013-02-17 |access-date=2013-03-22 |first=Robert |last=Draper}}

{{portal|2010s|Conservatism|Politics|United States}}

• Independent Voter Research
• Political positions of Mitt Romney
• George Romney 1968 presidential campaign
• Mitt Romney 2008 presidential campaign
• List of Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign endorsements
• Nationwide opinion polling for the 2012 United States presidential election
• Endorsements in the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries
• 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries
• 2012 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection
• 2012 Republican National Convention
• 2012 United States presidential election
• Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign
• Results of the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Cite book|first1=John|last1=Heilemann|author-link=John Heilemann|first2=Mark|last2=Halperin|author-link2=Mark Halperin|title=Double Down: Game Change 2012|publisher=Penguin Press|location=New York|year=2013|isbn=978-1594204401|title-link=Double Down: Game Change 2012}}

{{div col}}

• [http://mittromney.com/ Mitt Romney 2012] official campaign website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110616232457/http://www.4president.org/speeches/2012/mittromney2012announcement.htm Mitt Romney announcement speech]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20131022034622/http://www.4president.org/speeches/2012/mittromney2012conventionacceptance.htm Mitt Romney acceptance speech]
• {{cite web |url=http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/polls?mod=wsj_elections_2012_nav#cand=Romney&race=2®ion=US&src=rcpo |title=Republican Primary 17-poll average |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422124830/http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/polls?mod=wsj_elections_2012_nav#cand=Romney&race=2®ion=US&src=rcpo |archive-date=April 22, 2012 |work=The Wall Street Journal |url-status=dead}}
• {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart= | fec=P80003353 | congress= }}

| title = Building a Better Mitt Romney-Bot

| author = Robert Draper

| date = November 30, 2011

| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/magazine/mitt-romney-bot.html

| work = The New York Times

}}

{{div col end}}

{{2012 United States presidential election}}

{{Republican presidential campaigns}}

{{Unsuccessful major party pres candidates}}

{{Mitt Romney}}

{{Paul Ryan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign, 2012}}

Category:Mitt Romney

Category:Paul Ryan

Romney, Mitt

Romney, Mitt 2012 presidential campaign