Barack Obama won the 2012 election, becoming the last Democrat president to serve two consecutive terms. However, his second term was marked by the rise of Donald Trump, who went on to become the Republican president, ousting the Democrats from power after eight years of Obama.

Many Americans loved the first African American president, with some even urging him to run again for a third term in 2016. But US presidents cannot have more than two terms, and Obama went on to campaign for the subsequent Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden, who was his vice president.

Watch: US Presidential Elections: Harris Rallies With Obama, Celebrities In Georgia

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In 2012, Obama was seeking a second term in the wake of the global financial crisis that started in late 2007 with the collapse of some major American banks, insurance firms and other financial institutions.

As the Great Reccession continued for the common people, the rich continued to become richer, which led to the Occupy Wall Street movement just a few months before the election.

Obama's Republcan rival was Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.

The key issues in the 2012 election cycle&nbsp;were the recovery of the American economy, the landmark yet contentious healthcare reforms of Obama, and his foreign policy.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-president-barack-obama-and-singer-bruce-springsteen-pitch-for-kamala-harris-771734">Also read: Former president Barack Obama and singer Bruce Springsteen pitch for Kamala Harris</a> 
 
Obama had passed the massive medical care reform called the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. He also spent much of his first term stabilising the economy after the financial crisis of 2007-08 left behind by his Republican predecessor George W Bush.

Unemployment, which was above 8 per cent as of 2012 remained a key issue during the 2012 election, as the working class was still feeling the pinch from the financial crisis.

This made many question the economic policies of Obama in his first term.

Romney seized on this opportunity to attack Obama.

Hightlighting his private sector experience - he was the co-founder of investment firm Bain Capital - Ronmey argued that he can fix the economy.

With the campaign slogan 'Believe in America,'&nbsp;Romney focused on claiming that debt increased and job growth was slow during Obama's first term.

Obama's campaign, with the slogan 'Forward', mobilised supporters on the progress made during his presidency on women's rights, immigration reform and healthcare. He even took a pro-LGBTQ stance closer to election date.&nbsp;

But on the healthcare front, Obama was often cornered by Romney, who advocated repeal of the Affordable Care Act.&nbsp;

They sparred on these issues at debates, with Obama appearing to be on the backfoot in the first one. But he recovered and improved his performance in later debates.

Well into the last days of campaign, Obama appeared to be on a weak position but his emotional and rousing speeches and Demcratic party's massive ground-level surge campaign managed to convince most voters to give him four more years.&nbsp;

The 2012 election also cemented the role of technology, which was already used in the previous one. Data analytics was used as effectively by Obama campaign as grassroot voter mobilisation.

Romeny somehow did not have the same arsenal when it came to using technology, particularly social media outreach to young voters.

There was also an increase in early voting, which is believed to have helped Obama.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/and-hes-talking-about-illegals-biden-slams-musk-over-illegal-worker-claims-tesla-ceo-hits-back-771298">Also read: 'And he's talking about illegals': Biden slams Musk over 'illegal worker' claims; Tesla CEO hits back</a>

The election, held on 6 November 2012, saw better participation from minorities and youngsters, which also was to Obama's advantage.

Eventually, Obama won re-election by getting 332 electoral college votes as against 206 for Romney, and 51 per cent of the popular vote as against 47 per cent for the Republican.

But the election was, in many ways, a predictor of the fact that American electorate was getting slowly divided. If you look at the results map in this story, it is clear that red states and blue states were practically split through the middle of the nation. Obama won the more populous and coastal states where miniorities and immigrants live in large numbers. Romney won much of the north, middle America and conservative south, often described as the Bible Belt.

Obama did extremly well with youth, Latinos and Blacks, whereas white voters appear to have preferred Romney. In the second term of Obama, that division only worsened, including protests after police killings of Black people.

The emergence of migrant communities as voting blocs became an issue for many in the white majority, who gravitated towards a more rightwing approach opposing immigration, a sentiment captured and amplified by Donald Trump.

(With inputs from agencies)

Barack Obama won the 2012 election, becoming the last Democrat president to serve two consecutive terms. However, his second term was marked by the rise of Donald Trump, who went on to become the Republican president, ousting the Democrats from power after eight years of Obama.

Barack Obama won the 2012 election, becoming the last Democrat president to serve two consecutive terms. However, his second term was marked by the rise of Donald Trump, who went on to become the Republican president, ousting the Democrats from power after eight years of Obama. Many Americans loved the first African American president, with some even urging him to run again for a third term in 2016. But US presidents cannot have more than two terms, and Obama went on to campaign for the subsequent Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden, who was his vice president. Watch: US Presidential Elections: Harris Rallies With Obama, Celebrities In Georgia × In 2012, Obama was seeking a second term in the wake of the global financial crisis that started in late 2007 with the collapse of some major American banks, insurance firms and other financial institutions. As the Great Reccession continued for the common people, the rich continued to become richer, which led to the Occupy Wall Street movement just a few months before the election. Obama's Republcan rival was Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. The key issues in the 2012 election cycle were the recovery of the American economy, the landmark yet contentious healthcare reforms of Obama, and his foreign policy. Also read: Former president Barack Obama and singer Bruce Springsteen pitch for Kamala Harris Obama had passed the massive medical care reform called the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. He also spent much of his first term stabilising the economy after the financial crisis of 2007-08 left behind by his Republican predecessor George W Bush. Unemployment, which was above 8 per cent as of 2012 remained a key issue during the 2012 election, as the working class was still feeling the pinch from the financial crisis. This made many question the economic policies of Obama in his first term. Romney seized on this opportunity to attack Obama. Hightlighting his private sector experience - he was the co-founder of investment firm Bain Capital - Ronmey argued that he can fix the economy. With the campaign slogan 'Believe in America,' Romney focused on claiming that debt increased and job growth was slow during Obama's first term. Obama's campaign, with the slogan 'Forward', mobilised supporters on the progress made during his presidency on women's rights, immigration reform and healthcare. He even took a pro-LGBTQ stance closer to election date. But on the healthcare front, Obama was often cornered by Romney, who advocated repeal of the Affordable Care Act. They sparred on these issues at debates, with Obama appearing to be on the backfoot in the first one. But he recovered and improved his performance in later debates. Well into the last days of campaign, Obama appeared to be on a weak position but his emotional and rousing speeches and Demcratic party's massive ground-level surge campaign managed to convince most voters to give him four more years. The 2012 election also cemented the role of technology, which was already used in the previous one. Data analytics was used as effectively by Obama campaign as grassroot voter mobilisation. Romeny somehow did not have the same arsenal when it came to using technology, particularly social media outreach to young voters. There was also an increase in early voting, which is believed to have helped Obama. Also read: 'And he's talking about illegals': Biden slams Musk over 'illegal worker' claims; Tesla CEO hits back The election, held on 6 November 2012, saw better participation from minorities and youngsters, which also was to Obama's advantage. Eventually, Obama won re-election by getting 332 electoral college votes as against 206 for Romney, and 51 per cent of the popular vote as against 47 per cent for the Republican. But the election was, in many ways, a predictor of the fact that American electorate was getting slowly divided. If you look at the results map in this story, it is clear that red states and blue states were practically split through the middle of the nation. Obama won the more populous and coastal states where miniorities and immigrants live in large numbers. Romney won much of the north, middle America and conservative south, often described as the Bible Belt. Obama did extremly well with youth, Latinos and Blacks, whereas white voters appear to have preferred Romney. In the second term of Obama, that division only worsened, including protests after police killings of Black people. The emergence of migrant communities as voting blocs became an issue for many in the white majority, who gravitated towards a more rightwing approach opposing immigration, a sentiment captured and amplified by Donald Trump. (With inputs from agencies)

US elections: Did Obama re-election lead to rise of Trump? Remembering Obama vs Romney in 2012

A potential threat exists to the time-honoured tradition of US presidential debates.

Republican National Committee (RNC) has threatened to boycott debates unless the organisation that organises them changes its rules.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has sponsored US presidential and vice-presidential debates for the past three decades.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-capitol-riot-who-are-oath-keepers-founder-of-far-right-group-charged-with-seditious-conspiracy-444576" hreflang="en">US Capitol riot: Who are Oath Keepers? Founder of far-right group charged with seditious conspiracy</a>

For nearly a decade, Republicans have complained that its processes favour the Democrats. RNC chair Ronna McDaniel wrote the CPD on Thursday, accusing it of "stonewalling the meaningful reforms necessary to restore its credibility with the Republican Party as a fair and nonpartisan actor."

Absent the reforms, "the RNC will take every step to ensure that future Republican presidential nominees are given that opportunity (to debate) elsewhere," McDaniel said.

"Accordingly, the RNC will initiate the process of amending the Rules of the Republican Party at our upcoming Winter Meeting to prohibit future Republican nominees from participating in CPD-sponsored debates," she said.

In her letter to the CPD, McDaniel complained that the first debate in 2020 between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden took place after early voting had already begun.&nbsp;

After some states changed their election rules due to the Coronavirus pandemic and expanded both absentee and early voting in 2020, more than 1 million ballots were cast before the first presidential debate on September&nbsp;29.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/disappointed-us-supreme-court-blocks-bidens-vaccine-mandate-for-businesses-444557">'Disappointed': US Supreme Court blocks Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses</a>

She asserts that the commission made "unilateral changes to previously agreed-upon debate formats and conditions" and selected a moderator "who had once worked for the Democrat nominee."

Additionally, she said a majority of the board members had been disparaging Trump, the Republican nominee.

In a statement to The New York Times, the CPD said that the organisation "deals directly with candidates for President and Vice President who qualify for participation."

"The CPD's plans for 2024 will be based on fairness, neutrality and a firm commitment to help the American public learn about the candidates and the issues."

Watch |&nbsp;US: President Joe Biden fails to unite democrats as voting reforms bill hits the roadblock

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Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the RNC's decision at the daily press briefing.

Psaki said the president believes the debates "play a role in allowing the American people to hear from the candidates and where they stand."

"So I think it's a question best posed to the RNC and what they're so afraid of," she said.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has been sponsoring the US presidential debates since the 1988 election.

(With inputs from agencies)

A potential threat exists to the time-honoured tradition of US presidential debates. Republican National Committee (RNC) has threatened to boycott debates unless the organisation that organises them changes its rules.

A potential threat exists to the time-honoured tradition of US presidential debates. Republican National Committee (RNC) has threatened to boycott debates unless the organisation that organises them changes its rules. The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has sponsored US presidential and vice-presidential debates for the past three decades. Also read | US Capitol riot: Who are Oath Keepers? Founder of far-right group charged with seditious conspiracy For nearly a decade, Republicans have complained that its processes favour the Democrats. RNC chair Ronna McDaniel wrote the CPD on Thursday, accusing it of "stonewalling the meaningful reforms necessary to restore its credibility with the Republican Party as a fair and nonpartisan actor." Absent the reforms, "the RNC will take every step to ensure that future Republican presidential nominees are given that opportunity (to debate) elsewhere," McDaniel said. "Accordingly, the RNC will initiate the process of amending the Rules of the Republican Party at our upcoming Winter Meeting to prohibit future Republican nominees from participating in CPD-sponsored debates," she said. In her letter to the CPD, McDaniel complained that the first debate in 2020 between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden took place after early voting had already begun. After some states changed their election rules due to the Coronavirus pandemic and expanded both absentee and early voting in 2020, more than 1 million ballots were cast before the first presidential debate on September 29. Also read | 'Disappointed': US Supreme Court blocks Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses She asserts that the commission made "unilateral changes to previously agreed-upon debate formats and conditions" and selected a moderator "who had once worked for the Democrat nominee." Additionally, she said a majority of the board members had been disparaging Trump, the Republican nominee. In a statement to The New York Times, the CPD said that the organisation "deals directly with candidates for President and Vice President who qualify for participation." "The CPD's plans for 2024 will be based on fairness, neutrality and a firm commitment to help the American public learn about the candidates and the issues." Watch | US: President Joe Biden fails to unite democrats as voting reforms bill hits the roadblock Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the RNC's decision at the daily press briefing. Psaki said the president believes the debates "play a role in allowing the American people to hear from the candidates and where they stand." "So I think it's a question best posed to the RNC and what they're so afraid of," she said. The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has been sponsoring the US presidential debates since the 1988 election. (With inputs from agencies)

A tradition at risk: Demanding changes in CPD rules, Republicans threaten to boycott US presidential debates

The Trump campaign declares war on Commission of Presidential Debates over modification of rules for upcoming Presidential Debate 2020. Donald Trump declares himself winner of 1st debate. White House backs Trump over different moderator & candidate. Will the President adhere to new rules?

US Election 2020: The ultra-aggressive cross talk fallout

In less than 10 hours from now, the biggest event in the election calendar will take place with the US presidential debates set to kick off.

US President Donald Trump will come face-to-face with Democratic nominee and former vice-president Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio. There will be six segments of approximately 15 minutes each and the moderator will open each segment with a question.

Trump and Biden will have two minutes each to respond. They will also be allowed to rebut each other.

The six segments include Trump and Biden's records, the Supreme Court, Wuhan virus pandemic, US economy, race and violence in US cities and the integrity of the US presidential elections. The segments may change in case of a big news development.

Fox News host Chris Wallace will be the moderator of the first presidential debate. Wallace has said that he won't fact-check Trump or Biden given the president's love for alternative facts it will be interesting to see if Biden spends his time fact-checking the president or whether he will use it to put forward his argument.

Another thing to look out for will be the impact of Trump's tax report. Reports claim that the US president has not been paying his taxes for years.

The presidential debates are an old tradition in the US and have been happening for decades.

A Google search will tell you that the first televised presidential debate was held in 1960 between Democratic nominee John F. Kennedy and Republican vice president Richard Nixon. However, the first televised debate was held four years earlier in 1956 as Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson challenged incumbent Republican president Dwight Eisenhower but the men did not appear for debates, their representatives did!

Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt represented the Democrats, she was taken on by Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith. So technically, the first televised "presidential" debate featured two women. What happened over the next four years was very interesting as the candidates were new to television camera, Kennedy knew how to use the camera to engage his voters. He looked straight into the lens, Nixon, on the other hand, kept looking from one side to another as he addressed the reporters in the studio instead of addressing the voters.

So, Kennedy ended up looking confident and Nixon seemed disinterested. It did not help that Nixon also looked shifty and sweaty, the vice president was recovering from a hospital visit and had reportedly refused to wear make-up to the debate. The result was Nixon looked very sick on-air and went on to lose the election. The debates went on to become a case study on the importance of body language - television dos and don ts and the role of charisma in the US elections.

However, there's no proof that these debates influence election results. Former President Barack Obama did not have a great debate season against Mitt Romney in 2012, but Obama sealed his re-election anyway as personal insults dominated Hillary Clinton and Trump's 2016 debates, Clinton spoke about Trump's sexually aggressive remarks on women but that did not stop Trump from winning the election.

This year's debates mark the 60th anniversary of the Kennedy-Nixon debates but 2020 is a little different, courtesy the Wuhan virus. A large portion of the US electorate is voting early either in-person or in mail. Many of them would have voted before the third debate. So, if at all, the debates have the potential of swinging votes, the first and the second one will be the game-changers.

In less than 10 hours from now, the biggest event in the election calendar will take place with the US presidential debates set to kick off. US President Donald Trump will come face-to-face with Democratic nominee and former vice-president Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio.

In less than 10 hours from now, the biggest event in the election calendar will take place with the US presidential debates set to kick off. US President Donald Trump will come face-to-face with Democratic nominee and former vice-president Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio. There will be six segments of approximately 15 minutes each and the moderator will open each segment with a question. Trump and Biden will have two minutes each to respond. They will also be allowed to rebut each other. The six segments include Trump and Biden's records, the Supreme Court, Wuhan virus pandemic, US economy, race and violence in US cities and the integrity of the US presidential elections. The segments may change in case of a big news development. Fox News host Chris Wallace will be the moderator of the first presidential debate. Wallace has said that he won't fact-check Trump or Biden given the president's love for alternative facts it will be interesting to see if Biden spends his time fact-checking the president or whether he will use it to put forward his argument. Another thing to look out for will be the impact of Trump's tax report. Reports claim that the US president has not been paying his taxes for years. The presidential debates are an old tradition in the US and have been happening for decades. A Google search will tell you that the first televised presidential debate was held in 1960 between Democratic nominee John F. Kennedy and Republican vice president Richard Nixon. However, the first televised debate was held four years earlier in 1956 as Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson challenged incumbent Republican president Dwight Eisenhower but the men did not appear for debates, their representatives did! Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt represented the Democrats, she was taken on by Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith. So technically, the first televised "presidential" debate featured two women. What happened over the next four years was very interesting as the candidates were new to television camera, Kennedy knew how to use the camera to engage his voters. He looked straight into the lens, Nixon, on the other hand, kept looking from one side to another as he addressed the reporters in the studio instead of addressing the voters. So, Kennedy ended up looking confident and Nixon seemed disinterested. It did not help that Nixon also looked shifty and sweaty, the vice president was recovering from a hospital visit and had reportedly refused to wear make-up to the debate. The result was Nixon looked very sick on-air and went on to lose the election. The debates went on to become a case study on the importance of body language - television dos and don ts and the role of charisma in the US elections. However, there's no proof that these debates influence election results. Former President Barack Obama did not have a great debate season against Mitt Romney in 2012, but Obama sealed his re-election anyway as personal insults dominated Hillary Clinton and Trump's 2016 debates, Clinton spoke about Trump's sexually aggressive remarks on women but that did not stop Trump from winning the election. This year's debates mark the 60th anniversary of the Kennedy-Nixon debates but 2020 is a little different, courtesy the Wuhan virus. A large portion of the US electorate is voting early either in-person or in mail. Many of them would have voted before the third debate. So, if at all, the debates have the potential of swinging votes, the first and the second one will be the game-changers.

Trump-Biden first TV debate may prove to be a gamechanger in US elections

The US Presidential debate is just 2 days away. President Donald Trump and Former Vice-President Joe Biden are going to take a common floor. Maybe they can learn from some of the historic debate moments that shaped US politics.

Most memorable moments of US Presidential debates