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Sunday

Being 'Better Off' May Not Be Enough To Win Colo.

President Obama speaks during a campaign event at University of Colorado Boulder Sept. 2. He and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, will have their first debate at the University of Denver on Wednesday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Being 'Better Off' May Not Be Enough To Win Colo.

KUNC

Certain sectors of the state's economy are more robust than they were four years ago, but that doesn't mean everyone's happy with the recovery. The state is sharply divided about the role of government in the economy, an issue that will be at the forefront of the upcoming presidential debate there.

Being 'Better Off' May Not Be Enough To Win Colo.

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Saturday

Ohio County A Historic Predictor Of State's Vote

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney both campaigned in the battleground state of Ohio this week. AP hide caption

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AP

Presidential Race

Ohio County A Historic Predictor Of State's Vote

President Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney barnstormed Ohio this week. And both candidates also held rallies in or near Wood County, which has picked the winner in all but one presidential election since 1960.

Ohio County A Historic Predictor Of State's Vote

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What Winning The 'Catholic Vote' Means Today

Archbishop John J. Myers stands outside Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J. The archbishop has urged followers to assess the presidential candidates for their views on abortion and gay marriage. Mel Evans/AP hide caption

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Mel Evans/AP

What Winning The 'Catholic Vote' Means Today

Catholics used to reliably side with Democrats, in large part because of the labor union movement. But after a century of integration, the group started to look like the rest of the American constituency. But out of this population, two new voting blocs have emerged — with more reliable preferences.

What Winning The 'Catholic Vote' Means Today

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Utah's Democratic Congressman Faces A GOP Anomaly

Mia Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, addresses the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 28. She's running for Congress against incumbent Democrat Jim Matheson. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

House & Senate Races

Utah's Democratic Congressman Faces A GOP Anomaly

KUER

Incumbent Jim Matheson is the state's only Democratic congressman and faces a tough battle for a seventh term. His rival is Mia Love, who if elected would become the first black Republican female member of Congress.

Utah's Democratic Congressman Faces A GOP Anomaly

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Friday

In Ohio, Obama and Romney Duel Over Trade With China

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing this Wednesday in Bedford Heights, Ohio. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

It's All Politics

In Ohio, Obama and Romney Duel Over Trade With China

Romney and Obama are waging an ad war in the swing state of Ohio over Chinese trade. Part of the reason is that Ohio's manufacturing industry — especially for autos — is firing on all cylinders.

In Presidential Ads, A Shared Strategy For Connection

President Obama and Mitt Romney campaign in August: Obama in Leesburg, Va.; Romney in Waukesha, Wis. AP hide caption

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AP

The Message Machine

In Presidential Ads, A Shared Strategy For Connection

In new ads from President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, the candidates talk directly to the camera. Obama is also putting out longer television spots. Why the change of style?

In Presidential Ads, A Shared Strategy For Connection

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In Blue-Leaning Connecticut, Tight Senate Race Has Democrat On Offense

Linda McMahon (center) visits a senior center in Naugatuck, Conn., this month. Jessica Hill/AP hide caption

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Jessica Hill/AP

It's All Politics

In Blue-Leaning Connecticut, Tight Senate Race Has Democrat On Offense

Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, in her second attempt at becoming Connecticut's first female senator, is close in the polls. If McMahon defeats Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy, she'd also become the state's first GOP senator in decades.

In Blue-Leaning Connecticut, Tight Senate Race Has Democrat On Offense

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Secrets Of Winning The Presidential Debates

Then-Sen. Barack Obama gets makeup applied at a presidential candidate forum in Lake Forest, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2008. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

Elections

Secrets Of Winning The Presidential Debates

For President Obama and Mitt Romney, voter reaction to their first debate may be less about what they say and more about how they say it (and how they look, sound and gesture). That's what experts in body language, fashion, even makeup said when asked for their unsolicited advice to the candidates.

It's All Politics, Sept. 27, 2012
Tony Dejak/AP

'It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup

It's All Politics, Sept. 27, 2012

Less than six weeks to go and President Obama seems to have opened up a lead in key battleground states. Mitt Romney's best hope could be in the debates, which begin next week. Also to no one's surprise — and Sen. Claire McCaskill's delight — Todd Akin stays in the Missouri Senate race.

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Obama, Romney Mine For Swing Voters In Ohio

Coal miners listened as GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney spoke during a rally last month in Beallsville, Ohio. Both Romney and President Obama have made the state a focal point of their campaigns. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

National

Obama, Romney Mine For Swing Voters In Ohio

Undecided voters in Ohio got a lot of attention this week from President Obama and GOP rival Mitt Romney. Coal may be the key to many swing voters in the Buckeye State, which remains a top coal producer.

Obama, Romney Mine For Swing Voters In Ohio

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National

With Senate Control At Stake, Key Wis. Race Tightens

The seat that Republican former Gov. Tommy Thompson and Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin are vying for is one of many that Democrats are defending in November. Early polls showed Thompson might easily flip the seat for the GOP, but he's now trailing.

With Senate Control At Stake, Key Wis. Race Tightens

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Thursday

Iowa Voters Who Are — Literally — Done With The Election

Iowans vote Thursday at the Polk County Auditor's Office in Des Moines. Voters lined up before the doors opened at 8 a.m. to cast ballots. At least 200 people had arrived within the first hour. Sarah McCammon/Iowa Public Radio hide caption

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Sarah McCammon/Iowa Public Radio

It's All Politics

Iowa Voters Who Are — Literally — Done With The Election

IPR News & Studio One

Iowa is the first swing state to open polling sites. Democrats have requested the overwhelming majority of absentee ballots in Iowa. But Republicans have an 18,000-person lead in voter registration.