Let's keep tabs on how the most powerful nation (as @ date) conducts and produces her next president...

As specified in the Constitution, the 2012 presidential election will coincide with the United States Senate elections where one-third of the Senators will face re-election (33 Class I seats), and the United States House of Representatives elections (which occurs biennially) to elect the members for the 113th Congress. Eleven gubernatorial elections and many elections for state legislatures will also take place at the same time.

Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and Democratic Vice-President Joe Biden are running for a second term during this election, the former being constitutionally limited to only two terms. Their major challengers are the Republican Party nominee Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. The Four other candidates are mathematically eligible to win the election by a majority of the electoral college: former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee; and Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee, have attained ballot access sufficient to qualify for enough electoral votes to mathematically win the presidency [source: wikipedia]