Political communications consultant Chris Sautter '78 published an article on Howey Politics Indiana on lessons, winners, and losers from the 2012 election.

Sautter says, "Elections matter: The country would likely be a very different place had Al Gore become president—no war in Iraq and no tax cuts for the wealthy that the country couldn’t afford. Obama and Romney gave the country two very different visions. No president can implement it all, but the president provides direction and tone. The same is true for other offices. Joe Donnelly will be a much different senator for Indiana than Richard Mourdock would have been."