presidential election

What Obama's Second Term Will Mean for Your Personal Economy

Barack Obama has been re-elected as the president of the United States. A nail-bitingly close election, with the economy consistently being named as the top issue, has been decided. Here are a few things to keep in mind for the days to come.

Election Day Roadmap: Watching the Results En Route to 270

Here's your hour-by-hour election night guide: when the polls close in the key swing states, and how the results will unfold. Word to the wise: Beware of early exit polls. They got it wrong in both 2000 and 2004, so be patient and wait for the actual votes to be counted.

Romney or Obama: Whose Win Would Ignite an Economic Boom?

According to our exclusive (but unscientific) poll two-thirds of respondents felt one candidate would be better for the country economically. But does history back up their opinions about which party's presidents bring growth and which bring stagnation? You may be surprised.

President Romney? Gamblers Say Don't Bet on It

We've heard from poll after poll in recent months predicting who would win the presidential race: Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. But poll respondents don't have anything to lose when they give their opinions. Gamblers betting on the outcome do, and they give overwhelming odds to one candidate.

Campaign Donations: The Donors You Know, and Those You Don't

Two years ago, nobody knew anything about Foster Friess, Sheldon Adelson or Frank VanDerSloot. Today, these deep-pocketed money men are household names. But while super PAC supermen are exciting, they're hardly the only folks giving to political campaigns, and you can find out about the less-known names too.

Sandy Reminds Us What Election Is About: 2 Very Different Visions

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is doing much of the heavy lifting in the clean up and relief efforts from Hurricane Sandy. But FEMA's also on the front lines for Republican budget cuts. Which puts a key question of next week's election into sharp focus: What kind of federal government does America want?

Election Home Stretch: 5 Things to Watch for Before Nov. 6

With less than a week to go before Election Day, there are usually a few clear indicators that one candidate has momentum, some idea of how the remaining undecided voters are going to break. It was obvious in 2008. Between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012, that's just not the case.

The Obama Romney Debate: Who Won, and What That Means

Let's not sugarcoat it, President Obama won Monday's debate decisively -- at least on the topic of the evening, foreign policy. That's good news for Obama and bad news for Romney. But there's good news for Romney too.

Unemployment Rates Fall in 7 Swing States

Unemployment rates fell or held steady last month in nine key swing states at the center of this year's presidential election. Rates dropped in Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada and North Carolina. They were unchanged in New Hampshire and Virginia.

Economists Reluctantly Pick Romney

A bare majority of economists surveyed by CNNMoney think Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would be better for the economy than President Obama. But on the whole, the economists weren't very enthusiastic about either of them.

George Soros Bails Out the Democrats with $2 Million

Just when everyone thought that Soros was focusing on philanthropy and ignoring Democratic calls for cash because of a perceived snub, "The Man Who Broke The Bank of England" is back in action, rescuing the Democrats from an October in which they're severely outgunned financially.

Pop Quiz: Who Are the 47%, and What Do They Really Pay in Taxes?

Mitt Romney's criticism of the 47% of Americans who don't pay federal income tax has re-energized the debate over who pays into our system, and who reaps its rewards. But the answers to those questions are trickier than you might guess. Think you know how the tax system really works? Take a peek at our quiz.