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Obama's re-election was anything but sure up until election day: Although the President enjoyed an incumbency advantage and benefitted from an unopposed re-nomination, he was confronted with a high unemployment rate and a worrying budget deficit. Whereas Romney had to fight for his party's nomination until April, Obama was able to replenish his campaign chest and wage an effective negative campaign against Romney during the primary period which laid the groundwork for his victory in the general election. But a lacklustre performance in the first television debate almost changed the dynamics of the race. In the end, Obama's presidency was rescued by voters' enhanced economic expectations which could lean on a modest drop in unemployment, Obama's successful disaster management of hurricane Sandy and his forceful presidential campaign which was able to beat back the attacks of the Republican super PACs. Obama's second term will be confronted with difficult challenges of a divided government: Should his aspired gun control legislation go too far, he could endanger possible compromises with Republicans when it comes to immigration reform and deficit reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]