Most memorable & forgettable moments of the 2012 campaign

Politics

From Big Bird to Benghazi the 2012 Presidential campaign tackled everything from the absurd to the most vital issues of the day.

Opponents seized upon a Romney advisor's poorly worded quote on the general election: "Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch-A-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up & restart all of over again. "Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich displays an etch-a-sketch during a Tea Party Presidential forum and straw poll hosted by the LSU College Republicans Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Dodson Auditorium on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, La.

The 'auto bailout' becomes a political hot potato; Republicans condemn government money being used to save a corporation & Democrats remind auto workers of Romney's 'Let Detroit Go Bankrupt' stance. A Sept. 16, 2008 file photo shows General Motors Renaissance Center headquarters building in Detroit. President-elect Obama, when he met with President Bush at the White House on Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, urged Bush to support aid for struggling automakers and Democrats in Congress have begun drafting legislation that would give General Motors, Ford and Chrysler access to $25 billion. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya/file)

Obama's birth certificate & the release of the long-form version continued to play a large role as 'birthers' argued the document was a fake & the President was actually born in Kenya.

Herman Cain's meteoric rise & fall in the GOP primaries; Cain's campaign was eventually sunk by complaints of sexual harassment by several women.

Supreme Court upholds Obama health care law; Romney vows to repeal it if elected. Obamacare supporters celebrate as they respond to the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Health Act June 28, 2012 in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

During a campaign speech, Obama awkwardly refers to societal interdependence, & royally upsets small business owners; "If you've got a business, you didn't build that; somebody else made that happen,"

During a private fundraiser, Romney refers to the '47%' of Americans who depend on government aid; "I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

The attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya & the murder of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens turned the focus of the race from the economy to foreign policy.

'Binders full of women' became an Internet sensation after Romney used the term to describe his search for eligible women advisors during the 2nd presidential debate. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stands on stage with the Oak Ridge Boys as he campaigns at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Marion, Ohio, on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.

VP Joe Biden's numerous smiles & exaggerated gestures during the Vice Presidential debate were mocked by Republicans.

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Opponents seized upon a Romney advisor's poorly worded quote on the general election: "Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch-A-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up & restart all of over again. "Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich displays an etch-a-sketch during a Tea Party Presidential forum and straw poll hosted by the LSU College Republicans Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Dodson Auditorium on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, La.

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