Women And The 2012 Election: A Recap In GIFs

"Women" was one of the biggest buzzwords throughout the 2012 presidential race. Here's a look back, with the aid of GIFs.

Women have been a major topic during the 2012 election cycle. Remember that about 10 months ago (which feels like the 1800s by this point in the race), a woman was actually RUNNING for president.

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Michele Bachmann dropped out of the Republican primary race in early January 2012. In August 2011, she graced the cover of Newsweek and everyone freaked out about her intense stare. Now, Newsweek is going out of print, and Bachmann's presidential campaign is a distant memory.

Women's health and reproductive rights became a political hot topic when the House debated a health care mandate regarding employer's insurance coverage of birth control.

Democrats invited Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown Law student, to speak to members of Congress about the topic, but Republican leaders blocked her from testifying, saying she wasn't an expert. She then spoke at a separate hearing organized by Democrats. Fluke argued that her school health care plan should cover birth control costs, even if the school's religious leadership was opposed.

For this, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called her "a slut" on air.

Later, Ann Romney's career as a stay-at-home mom became cause for controversy.

Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen criticized Ann for having "never worked a day in her life." Even President Obama criticized her, and she eventually apologized.

Then, at the Republican National Convention, Ann Romney punctuated her speech with an emphatic: "I LOVE YOU, WOMEN."

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As many criticized GOP stances on women's issues, Ann attempted to appeal to women voters. The speech was was well-received.

Outrage also arose from Todd Akin's claims that pregnancy is rare after "legitimate rape."

President Obama made his position on the matter known: "Rape is rape."

When Mitt Romney was asked how he'd help women gain equality in the workforce, he said he'd received "binders full of women" during his time as an executive.

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And then President Obama was like:

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And Anderson Cooper was like:

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The Internet got creative with this one.

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Very creative.

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But perhaps the most ridiculous was a study released in October that said women "vote with their hormones."

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CNN took down their post about the study.

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday!