Political analysts and pollsters analyzed voter turnout and impact in the 2012 election. Dan Glickman posed ten questions, and the panelists then responded. Ron Brownstein in his analysis said the election would be viewed historically as a “milestone,” and that the “single, most telling fact” was that Mitt Romney fared as well as any previous Republican challenger among white voters but still lost. David Wasserman determined that “culture and lifestyle are driving voting, not policy.” Other topics included the shifting demographics of members of the House, young voter and various other demographic trends, and the percentage of eligible voters who cast ballots.
The “fiscal cliff” referred to the impending tax increases and budget cuts at the end of 2012 if Congress could not reach a new budget agreement.