To insure an even better outcome to the 2012, we must go back to 1994, when the District of Columbia was replaced by the new state of Washington DC. In 2002, Puerto Rico joined the union. 2004 provided another important year in the devlpment of the 2012 election outcome. John Kerry went negative on Howard Dean in the Iowa campaign. Many disgusted caucus goers moved to John Edwards and started him on the road to the nomination. Edwads did not have to face the swiftboats for truth controvery. Unlike Kerry, Edwards could effectively campaign against NAFTA, since he was not there to vote for it. Edwards was also more credible opponent of gay marriage since he was likewise absent during the vote on DOMA. Bush won by a popular vote margin of less than !%. The increased Democratic vote meant that Democrats won the close Senate contests in South Dakota and Kentucky. Although he won neither state, homestate pride increased the Democratic totals in North and South Carolina. Democrats won the Sentate contests in both states.
That same year Pennslyvania Democrats won that state's Senate election after Arlen Specter's remark that President Bush should appoint pro Choice federal judges led to his defeat in the Republican primary. Oklahomia Democratic Senate won that year's election after he choose not disclose that his Repuplican opponent had performed an abortion. When the abortion was leaked to the press the day before the election, Republican Tom Coburn did not have time to defend himself with the explanation that the abortion saved the mother's life. Republicans suffered another set back that year when Lousiana Republican Senate nominee David Vitter was arrested in a raid on a Shrieveport brothel.
In 2005, emboldended by 55 - 49 Democratic majority Ted Kennedy successsfully negoitated a health care copromise. The Affordable Care Bill did not survive a Republican filibuster. The long drawn out drame allowed the measure to develop an intense following among the Democratic base.
After Democrats won control of the House and a 61 - 43 filibuster proof margin in the Senate in the 2006, the bill passed congress but died following President Bush's veto. President Obama signature would follow in March 2009. The intense loyalty of the Democratic base to the health care measure and the increased hispanic turnout following passage of the Dream Act helped boost Democratic turnout in the 2010 election. Democrats won the close Senate elections in Illinois and Pennslyvania and held the Republicans to a narrow 227 to 214 margin in the house.
Another important even happened in 2010. Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul lost. Ron Paul entered the 2012 campaign without concern for his son's political future. He successfully won that year's Libertarian nomination.
While this 16 years of history helped improve the 2012 election's outcome, the pivotal event came in spring 2012. President Barack Obama showed more respect for the religious freedom of Catholic colleges and hospitals when drafting his contraception mandate. Rick Santorium went on to win the Michigan primary dealing a severe blow to the Romney campaign. Santorium went on to win Ohio, Pennslyvania and sweep the May primaries. Romney rebounded in June with his victories in California and New Jersey. Neither candidate won a majority of the delaagates. Santorium would win the nomination after securing the endorsement of Newt Gingrich. In a controversial move the former Pennslyvania Senator named the ex House Speaker as his running mate.
Although absent from the primary campaign,the birth control enetered the fall campaign. Santorium's address to an Opus Dai gathrinh went viral on the internet. The question on his opposition to birth control during the first debate distracted from the president's lackluster performance.