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| US elections 2012: final blitz by Obama and Romney brings campaign to a close | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| After hundreds of rallies, thousands of miles flown back and forth across the US by the presidential candidates, and billions of dollars in political advertising, the 2012 election campaign has entered its final 24 hours as voters prepare to deliver their verdict on Tuesday. | After hundreds of rallies, thousands of miles flown back and forth across the US by the presidential candidates, and billions of dollars in political advertising, the 2012 election campaign has entered its final 24 hours as voters prepare to deliver their verdict on Tuesday. |
| At the end of one of the most polarising, relentless and expensive campaigns in recent US political history, the final batch of polls on Monday showed Barack Obama and Mitt Romney basically where they were at the start of the year: stuck in a dead heat. | At the end of one of the most polarising, relentless and expensive campaigns in recent US political history, the final batch of polls on Monday showed Barack Obama and Mitt Romney basically where they were at the start of the year: stuck in a dead heat. |
| Both teams claim to be on course to win, as they completed what should have been their final blitz of the swing states. Obama, accompanied by rock star Bruce Springsteen, took in Wisconsin and two stops in Ohio, where he was joined on stage in Columbus by both Springsteen and rapper Jay-Z. From there, he was heading to Iowa for a late-night final rally in Iowa, where his 2008 run for the White House began. | Both teams claim to be on course to win, as they completed what should have been their final blitz of the swing states. Obama, accompanied by rock star Bruce Springsteen, took in Wisconsin and two stops in Ohio, where he was joined on stage in Columbus by both Springsteen and rapper Jay-Z. From there, he was heading to Iowa for a late-night final rally in Iowa, where his 2008 run for the White House began. |
| Romney's campaigning took him from Florida through Virginia and Ohio, ahead of what should have been his final rally, in Manchester, New Hampshire. | Romney's campaigning took him from Florida through Virginia and Ohio, ahead of what should have been his final rally, in Manchester, New Hampshire. |
| But, in a surprise announcement, his team said he would continue to campaign on election day itself. He will vote near his home in Belmont, Massachusetts, in the morning, before heading for Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | But, in a surprise announcement, his team said he would continue to campaign on election day itself. He will vote near his home in Belmont, Massachusetts, in the morning, before heading for Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. |
| More conventionally, Obama is to stay put in his hometown, Chicago, on Tuesday. He is planning a game of basketball with friends and staff, but is not totally abandoning the campaign trail, with about a dozen television and radio interviews planned. | More conventionally, Obama is to stay put in his hometown, Chicago, on Tuesday. He is planning a game of basketball with friends and staff, but is not totally abandoning the campaign trail, with about a dozen television and radio interviews planned. |
| The president's campaign spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, dismissed as stunts Romney's visit to Pennsylvania, a state that leans Democratic, and Ohio, the state that will almost certainly decide the final result and where Obama also holds a narrow lead. | The president's campaign spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, dismissed as stunts Romney's visit to Pennsylvania, a state that leans Democratic, and Ohio, the state that will almost certainly decide the final result and where Obama also holds a narrow lead. |
| "We know that they've been playing a lot of head-faking games and going to states where they don't have a ground game, they've never led in a poll and we have massive voter registration advantages," Psaki said. | "We know that they've been playing a lot of head-faking games and going to states where they don't have a ground game, they've never led in a poll and we have massive voter registration advantages," Psaki said. |
| "Ohio remains a very difficult nut for them to crack. And we feel we have a superior ground game and a superior campaign in the state and we're confident of victory there." | "Ohio remains a very difficult nut for them to crack. And we feel we have a superior ground game and a superior campaign in the state and we're confident of victory there." |
| The candidates' fates are now in the hands of the voters, but neither campaign is taking any chances. Both teams have put in place lawyers in the swing states in anticipation of messy, inconclusive results, a potential rerun of the "hanging chads" debacle in 2000. Legal challenges have already been launched in Florida and Ohio amid allegations of opportunities for early voting being curtailed and rows over IDs. | The candidates' fates are now in the hands of the voters, but neither campaign is taking any chances. Both teams have put in place lawyers in the swing states in anticipation of messy, inconclusive results, a potential rerun of the "hanging chads" debacle in 2000. Legal challenges have already been launched in Florida and Ohio amid allegations of opportunities for early voting being curtailed and rows over IDs. |
| Psaki said complaints about voting in Florida and Ohio were being monitored. "We're continuing to work on that today. And our plan is always, until the very last moment when the polls close, making sure people who are eligible have the opportunity. And we're confident we'll be able to do that in Florida and in states across the country," she said. | Psaki said complaints about voting in Florida and Ohio were being monitored. "We're continuing to work on that today. And our plan is always, until the very last moment when the polls close, making sure people who are eligible have the opportunity. And we're confident we'll be able to do that in Florida and in states across the country," she said. |
| Both campaigns also continued to flood television and radio networks with ads, buying up as much space as they could on digital media, too. In an effort to reach almost every possible market, Obama and Romney recorded interviews to be shown at half-time in Monday night's football match between the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints. | Both campaigns also continued to flood television and radio networks with ads, buying up as much space as they could on digital media, too. In an effort to reach almost every possible market, Obama and Romney recorded interviews to be shown at half-time in Monday night's football match between the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints. |
| Real Clear Politics, which aggregates all the major polls, puts Obama on 48.5% and Romney on 48.1%. In all of the swing states – where the election will be decided – Obama has a slight edge, although in some the lead is so minuscule it is, in effect, a tie. In the most important swing state, Ohio, Real Clear Politics has Obama on 49.7% to Romney's 46.7%. | Real Clear Politics, which aggregates all the major polls, puts Obama on 48.5% and Romney on 48.1%. In all of the swing states – where the election will be decided – Obama has a slight edge, although in some the lead is so minuscule it is, in effect, a tie. In the most important swing state, Ohio, Real Clear Politics has Obama on 49.7% to Romney's 46.7%. |
| The final Washington Post-ABC News national tracking poll, released on Monday afternoon, had likely voters dividing Obama 50% to Romney 47%, | The final Washington Post-ABC News national tracking poll, released on Monday afternoon, had likely voters dividing Obama 50% to Romney 47%, |
| while Gallup's final pre-election survey of likely voters breaks Romney 49% to Obama 48%. | while Gallup's final pre-election survey of likely voters breaks Romney 49% to Obama 48%. |
| Obama, in his closing argument to a crowd of 20,000 in Madison, Wisconsin, defended his record as president and pleaded for four more years. "You have a choice to make. It is a choice between two different visions for America," the president said. | Obama, in his closing argument to a crowd of 20,000 in Madison, Wisconsin, defended his record as president and pleaded for four more years. "You have a choice to make. It is a choice between two different visions for America," the president said. |
| About 30 million people have already taken advantage of early voting, an estimated 35% of the final vote, up from 30% in 2008. More registered Democrats have turned out than Republicans in all but one of the crucial swing states. | About 30 million people have already taken advantage of early voting, an estimated 35% of the final vote, up from 30% in 2008. More registered Democrats have turned out than Republicans in all but one of the crucial swing states. |
| Obama, normally not given to shows of public emotion, was in a nostalgic mood, knowing that whatever happened it was his last day on the campaign trail. He took with him the original members of his 2008 campaign, beginning the day in two of the swing states, Wisconsin and Ohio, and, in another nostalgic touch, ending in Iowa, where his improbable adventure began in January 2008. | Obama, normally not given to shows of public emotion, was in a nostalgic mood, knowing that whatever happened it was his last day on the campaign trail. He took with him the original members of his 2008 campaign, beginning the day in two of the swing states, Wisconsin and Ohio, and, in another nostalgic touch, ending in Iowa, where his improbable adventure began in January 2008. |
| In Wisconsin, he sympathised with the voters over "way too many TV commercials". He and Romney between them have raised about $2bn (£1.2bn) and much of this has gone on advertising. | In Wisconsin, he sympathised with the voters over "way too many TV commercials". He and Romney between them have raised about $2bn (£1.2bn) and much of this has gone on advertising. |
| Reiterating the same message he has pursued relentlessly over the past few days, Obama said: "In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression." He said 5.5 million new jobs had been created under his tenure, the car industry was back on top, home values rising, dependence on foreign oil down, the production of clean energy up, the war in Iraq over, the war in Afghanistan coming to a close, and Osama bin Laden dead. | Reiterating the same message he has pursued relentlessly over the past few days, Obama said: "In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression." He said 5.5 million new jobs had been created under his tenure, the car industry was back on top, home values rising, dependence on foreign oil down, the production of clean energy up, the war in Iraq over, the war in Afghanistan coming to a close, and Osama bin Laden dead. |
| Earlier, in an interview, he said turnout would be decisive. His campaign team is claiming it has built an historically sophisticated ground operation that will give it the edge in the scramble for 270 electoral college votes. | Earlier, in an interview, he said turnout would be decisive. His campaign team is claiming it has built an historically sophisticated ground operation that will give it the edge in the scramble for 270 electoral college votes. |
| A notice circulated to Obama supporters on the campaign's digital network Dashboard said it had 5,117 staging locations in the battleground states from which the get-out-the-vote drive would be co-ordinated at neighbourhood level. Volunteers have made 126 million phone calls or door knocks to closely targeted households homing in on sporadic and new voters who might otherwise fail to vote. | A notice circulated to Obama supporters on the campaign's digital network Dashboard said it had 5,117 staging locations in the battleground states from which the get-out-the-vote drive would be co-ordinated at neighbourhood level. Volunteers have made 126 million phone calls or door knocks to closely targeted households homing in on sporadic and new voters who might otherwise fail to vote. |
| "This is the difference between the Obama campaign and any other campaign we have ever witnessed," wrote Mitch Stewart, director of the Obama campaign in the battleground states. | "This is the difference between the Obama campaign and any other campaign we have ever witnessed," wrote Mitch Stewart, director of the Obama campaign in the battleground states. |
| Romney, who has to outperform the polls to win, told a rally in Virginia: "One final push is going to get us there. We're only one day away from a fresh start, one day away from the start of a new beginning." | Romney, who has to outperform the polls to win, told a rally in Virginia: "One final push is going to get us there. We're only one day away from a fresh start, one day away from the start of a new beginning." |
| In his last speeches, Romney opted for a message of change, as Obama had done in 2008. Not a natural performer on the stump, his speeches are often ponderous, laden with platitudes and his final message appeared vague. | In his last speeches, Romney opted for a message of change, as Obama had done in 2008. Not a natural performer on the stump, his speeches are often ponderous, laden with platitudes and his final message appeared vague. |
| "Tomorrow we begin a new tomorrow. Tomorrow we begin a better tomorrow," Romney said. "This nation is going to begin to make a change for the better tomorrow. Your work is making a difference, the people of the world are watching, the people of America are watching. We can begin a better tomorrow tomorrow." | "Tomorrow we begin a new tomorrow. Tomorrow we begin a better tomorrow," Romney said. "This nation is going to begin to make a change for the better tomorrow. Your work is making a difference, the people of the world are watching, the people of America are watching. We can begin a better tomorrow tomorrow." |