THE RACE: Candidates stay busy ahead of vote tally

November 6, 2012 @ 10:16 am


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Associated Press

(AP) - After many months of grueling campaigning, the waiting stage of the presidential sweepstakes is near as both parties worked furiously to boost turnout and get supporters to the polls.

But learning whether President Barack Obama or challenger Mitt Romney would cross that magic 270 electoral-vote finish line wasn't an easy wait for either side. Both portray the race as tantalizingly close.

An admittedly restless Romney and running mate Rep. Paul Ryan squeezed in some last-minute Election Day campaigning, Obama did interviews and played basketball, Vice President Joe Biden teased about a future political career and Ryan was able to vote for himself_ twice.

Romney and Ryan voted in Massachusetts and Wisconsin, respectively, then engaged in some quick campaigning. Both went to Cleveland and Romney was stumping solo in Pittsburgh and Ryan going alone to Richmond, Va.

"I can't imagine an election being won or lost by, let's say, a few hundred votes and you spent your day sitting around," Romney told Richmond radio station WRVA.

Not to be outdone in critical swing-state Ohio, Biden also snuck in a Cleveland stop on his way to Chicago to link up with Obama.

The Obamas, who voted last month, will await returns in Chicago. But the president first did radio and satellite TV interviews, visited a campaign office to call voters and was playing pick-up basketball with friends and staffers.

"No time for naps," said White House senior adviser David Plouffe.

Biden voted in Delaware. Asked by reporters if it was the last time he expected to vote for himself, Biden grinned and said: "No, I don't think so." Biden hasn't said if he will run for president in 2016, but hasn't closed the door either.

Ryan had an opportunity the others didn't. He's also seeking re-election to the House, so his name appeared on the ballot twice.

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Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum. For more AP political coverage, look for the 2012 Presidential Race in AP Mobile's Big Stories section. Also follow https://twitter.com/APcampaign and AP journalists covering the campaign: https://twitter.com/AP/ap-campaign-2012


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (52)


  • Add A Comment

  • CH wrote...
    Mitt Romney will look to McCain for a running mate . . . .
    April 17, 2012 10:17 am
    what do you call a female republican clown?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    can't have it both ways
    April 30, 2012 11:29 am
    No political brownie points for gas prices dropping if you can't take the responsibility for them rising. Either the office of the President can tweak prices, or he can't.So which is it??
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Kata
    May 1, 2012 10:36 am
    What do you think?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    I think..
    May 4, 2012 10:04 am
    Realistically speaking he could nudge them downward a little in the short term by promising a more ample supply. It might flutter a bit on positive news. The same could be said for negative reactions such as shutting down drilling or dropping oil company incentives might plant the seed that oil is about to become more expensive. The same as when any dictator in the Middle East sneezes.

    The only way he could change it significantly and slightly more permanently would be to effect how we're taxed on top of the actual price of oil similar to how they do it in Europe. And I don't see him doing that because the people who would take it in the shorts the most would be the lower and middle class. That is, he'd never be re-elected.

    Idealistically, while he'd like to see America *ahem* gently nudged into giving up its horrible oil burning ways - it's simply not going to happen. This country is too large to be traversed by bike and the last time I looked there are still no electric semi-trucks and we still very much need to move goods. Again, lower & middle class Americans who cannot afford to "go green" would go broke.

    So I guess my answer is, it's complicated. Far more complicated than any purely partisan argument will get.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    Cbrew?
    May 1, 2012 11:23 am
    Your joking of course about 800,000 jobs per month. obama will never create 800,000 net jobs if he had 20 years. For an independant you sure quote the DNC a lot. Better check your facts. Don't forget who was in charge of fannie mae, freddie mac, and the banking oversight Bushes last few years. Can you say the taxacrats?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Obama
    May 2, 2012 1:12 pm
    Couldn't manage a Burger King. He is absolutely CLUELESS! Liars never figure and FIGURES NEVER LIE. BTW -Anybody aware of the FACT that Obama's poster boy for his Class Warfare agenda, Warren Buffet's company Berkshire Hathaway owes $1BILLION in BACK TAXES???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    HLC - you're stupid
    August 9, 2012 10:05 am
    You need to learn how to read. I didn't say he created 800,000 Jobs i said 800,000 against what his predecessor was doing you know, GWB... losing 700,000 jobs per month before Obama took over, and the numbers showed 100,000 created that month.. so net gain of 800,000... you're too stupid for words.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    05-07-2012 THE RACE: French race may be bad omen...
    May 7, 2012 10:12 am
    No worries, media will take care of their pet president. The French election of the socialist is just an example of why we must not take the path of dependence and servitude to government. The model fails, fails, fails. It may work in small communities but in any major nation state socialism and top down command and control economies have always produced poverty and degradation for the mass of people in the longer run. The rulers live high, high on the hog though.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mudslngr1 wrote...
    What cbrew
    May 7, 2012 12:47 pm
    believes to be "facts", are what most of the libs believe. They are spoon fed artificial, and obumer "new math" numbers, which, they then believe whole heartedly. Its going to be fun to see what they have to say when obumer looses by a landslide:)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    mudsingr1 - Makes sense... an idiot like you would believe that
    August 9, 2012 10:07 am
    Just dismiss everything because you're too stupid to think for yourself. Bush was losing 700,000 a month... we've seen a gain of over 100,000 a month... so i was saying it's an 800,000 difference... sorry that "New Math" ... addition and subtraction... are above your intellect, but what should i expect from a fool that supports the GOP.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • vashonmatt wrote...
    I would hardly call a $2 billion dollar blunder a goof.
    May 14, 2012 9:31 am
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    What a surprise from the Dims and Owebama...
    May 21, 2012 12:36 pm
    ...tax & spend. What a radical new idea. I got news for the left; WE ARE BROKE.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Integrator wrote...
    And I've got news for you HPD 5-0
    August 9, 2012 9:28 am
    WE ARE BROKE BECAUSE OF TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS. If that's Romney's big plan, to continue policies that a 30+ year experiment shows is good for very few and bad for everyone else, then no way will he get my vote. We're last in education, health care (unless you count spending, then we're first, but I prefer to measure results) and worker wage compared to CEO wage among modern nations. Trickle up economics is broken, we all get pissed on as a result. The only difference between republicans and democrats that make under $200,000/yr is that the dems realize they're getting pissed on, the teapubs are too busy with made up problems, like someone trying to take their guns (nobody is) or their religion (you can keep that too).
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Just wait until Romney is the official nominee.
    May 22, 2012 11:21 am
    Then he will have many more votes. Then it will be President Mitt Romney.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CldWtrSrf wrote...
    So excited for Romney?
    May 30, 2012 12:49 pm
    Might as well vote Obama in again. He is exactly the same. Hated guns before he became a "Lifetime Member of the NRA", tons of other flip flops. Oh, Bain Capitol has donated more $ to Obama than to Mittens. They are owned by the same people, compare both of their top 5 donors. So, just like all the moron democrats that should love Bush because Obama is EXACTLY the same, you and your so called "conservative" buddies should LOVE Obama because Mittens is EXACTLY like him. Tools.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The Dear Leader and the price of gas.
    May 22, 2012 11:26 am
    As Romney s election draws near, the regime will attempt to lower the price of gas. But it will be a worthless attempt because this ObamaEconomy will be no better than it is today. Most likely worse!

    Too bad Parrots but it's four and out for your beloved Dear Leader and this regime!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    Now there is an endorsement
    June 5, 2012 12:37 pm
    Just ask Monica, No I dont inhale, well it just depends on what is-- is. Just hang in there you lefties, or hang on to that anchor, squeeze tighter, as the depth gets deeper. Sooner or later you will have to take you first breath, but dont inhale ???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }