The 2012 election cycle has finally reached its end. The debates, the attack ads, the swing state drama, the super-PACs and the four-hour polling lines were all leading up to the moment when we cast our ballots on November 6th. When the dust settled, Obama emerged victorious and will remain Commander in Chief for four more years. Not only that - the Democrats have once again taken the majority in the Senate, which ensures that the social and economic policies Obama put in place are safe - for now. Today, we rehash the presidential election and state propositions and look forward at what's next in politics.
Election 2012: a nail-biter to the end
It seemed like this day would never come, but the 2012 election cycle has finally reached its end. The debates, the attack ads, the swing state drama, the super-PACs and the four-hour polling lines, all leading up to the moment when we cast our ballots on November 6th .
This presidential campaign has proven to be the closest race in memory – and the longest and most expensive ever, with incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney together spending over $2 billion to win your vote. Last night’s election-watch was a state-by-state nailbiter, as first blue, then red, then blue dominated the nation’s map. But when the dust settled, Obama emerged victorious and will remain Commander in Chief for four more years. Not only that - the Democrats have once again taken the majority in the Senate, which ensures that the social and economic policies Obama put in place are safe - for now.
What will be the legacy of the next Obama administration? How will Obama address challenges like climate change, the war in Afghanistan, the European debt crisis? Will we be driving over the fiscal cliff, or will that crisis be averted? And what’s next for the GOP?
Guests
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; former senior Obama advisor in 2008, who now runs the Los Angeles office for the Dewey Square Group
Lynn Vavreck, Professor of Political Science, UCLA; co-author of the newly released e-book The Gamble: Choice & Chance in the 2012 Election
Rick Hasen, Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science at University of California Irvine School of Law and author of The Voting Wars: From Florida 2000 to the Next Election Meltdown (Yale University Press, August 2012). Check out Rick Hasen's Election Law Blog.
Kitty Felde, KPCC’s Washington D.C. correspondent
California voters say yes to raising sales tax, no to ending death penalty
While California didn’t figure into the presidential vote as much as Ohio did, we still had an array of important state and local ballot measures to sort through. Voters in California approved Proposition 30, Governor Jerry Brown’s initiative to raise sales and income taxes to help balance the state budget, but rejected its rival, Proposition 38, sponsored by Molly Munger.
Other measures that went down in flames include Props 32, which was aimed at preventing the political influence of unions and 37, the labeling of genetically engineered foods initiative. The highly contested Prop 34, which would have replaced the death penalty with life without parole, was defeated by almost 6 points. Success stories? Voters revised the toughest three-strikes law in the country by approving Prop 36.
In L.A. County, a bill requiring adult film stars to wear condoms passed 56% to 44%. Democrats in California have also picked up a supermajority in both houses of the state legislature, an unexpected outcome that gives the party an upper hand over state Republicans.
Which propositions were most important to you? What do you think yesterday’s results mean for the state? With the success of Proposition 30, will we finally see an end to California’s budget woes?
Guests:
Julie Small, KPCC’s Sacramento Reporter
Tom Del Beccaro, Chairman of the California Republican Party
Dave Low, head of California School Employees Association (CSEA)
Jackie Lacey, Incoming District Attorney for Los Angeles County
Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney for Orange County
Gil Garcetti, Yes on 34 campaign; former District Attorney of Los Angeles
Grant Lundberg, co-chair Yes on 37 California Right to Know campaign; third generation family farmer and CEO of Lundberg Family Farms
Diane Duke, executive director, Free Speech Coalition
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the Third District