Exciting 2012 Election Conference at OSU

Conference

The Confirming U.S. Presidential Election of 2012

Friday, October 11 – Saturday, October 12, 2013
Mershon Center for International Security Studies

1501 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43201

Register for the event here

Organizer

Herbert Weisberg, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, The Ohio State University

Overview

This conference will examine the 2012 presidential campaign and election, analyzing factors that affected voting, including the impact of domestic, foreign, and military policy debates.  

The 2012 U.S. presidential election took place against the backdrop of continuing domestic recession along with persistent issues regarding tax rates and deficit reduction. The country was winding down its commitments in wars abroad while still being faced with military threats around the world. Immigration was an important issue for Hispanic voters, as well as for many Americans who opposed amnesty toward illegal immigrants. As in recent elections, social issues including abortion and marriage equality found their way into the campaign. While not debated explicitly, race is always a factor in U.S. elections.

The 2012 election confirmed Obama's 2008 voter coalition of African-Americans, Hispanics, women, gays, and young people, with each of these groups continuing to vote Democratic and with higher than their normal turnout levels. Thus, the 2012 election could be seen as confirming a pro-Democratic realignment of the electorate that had emerged in the 2008 election, which could have long-term implications. 

Program

Friday, October 11

9 - 9:30 a.m. Welcome

9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.  Group Dynamics in the 2012 Election

“How Mormonism Affected Mitt; How Mitt Has Affected Mormonism: Mitt Romney’s Religion and the 2012 Vote” - David Campbell (Notre Dame)

“Racial Group Identity and the 2012 Election”  - Vincent Hutchings and Hakeem Jefferson (Univ. of Michigan)

“Earning and Learning the Latino Vote 2008 to 2012: How the Obama Campaign Tried, Refined, Learned, and Made Big Steps in Cross-Racial Mobilization to Latinos” - Matt Barreto (Univ. of Washington) and Loren Collingwood (UC Riverside)

1 - 3 p.m. Racial Attitudes in the Obama Years

"Racial Attitude Effects on Presidential Voting by Whites, 2008 and 2012" - Herb Weisberg (Ohio State) 

“The Changing Impact of Anti-Black Attitudes on Approval of Barack Obama’s Job Performance and on Voting from 2008 to 2012” - Josh Pasek (Univ. of Michigan); coauthors: Tobias Stark (Stanford/Utrecht), Jon Krosnick (Stanford) & Trevor Tompson (NORC)

“Barack Obama, Racial Attitudes, and the 2012 Election”  - Michael Tesler (Brown University)

3:35 - 5:15 p.m. Implications of the 2012 Election

“Ideology and Polarization in the 2012 Presidential Election” - William Jacoby (Michigan State)

"Racial Attitude Effects on Presidential Voting by Whites, 2008 and 2012" - Herb Weisberg (Ohio State) 

“Barack Obama and the Nationalization of Electoral Politics in 2012” -  Gary Jacobson (University of California, San Diego)

Saturday, October 12

9 - 12:15 p.m. Campaign Factors and Issues

“Political Rumors and the 2012 Election” Adam Berinsky (MIT)

“Obama’s War? Casualties in Afghanistan and the President’s Bid for Reelection” - Christopher Gelpi and Kristine Kay (Ohio State)

“Between Barack and a Hard Place: Valence Voting in the 2012 Presidential Election” - Harold Clarke (Texas - Dallas); coauthors: Paul Whiteley (Essex), Thomas Scotto (Essex), Marianne Stewart (Texas – Dallas), & David Sanders (Essex)

“The Gamble: Choice and Chance in the 2012 Pres. Election, Chap. 7, "The Winning Hand” - Lynn Vavreck (UCLA); coauthor: John Sides (George Washington Univ.)

Participants

Herb Asher, The Ohio State University

Matt Barreto, University of Washington

Paul Beck, The Ohio State University

Adam Berinsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Janet Box-Steffensmeier, The Ohio State University

David Campbell, University of Notre Dame

Harold Clarke, University of Texas – Dallas

Loren Collingwood, University of California - Riverside

Christopher Gelpi, The Ohio State University

Vincent Hutchings, University of Michigan

Gary Jacobson, University of California - San Diego

William Jacoby, Michigan State University

Corrine McConnaughy, The Ohio State University

John Mueller, The Ohio State University

Josh Pasek, University of Michigan

Nathaniel Swigger, The Ohio State University

Michael Tesler, Brown University

Lynn Vavreck, University of California at Los Angeles

Herb Weisberg, The Ohio State University

Ismail White, The Ohio State University