CNN Domestic has unveiled a new-look design and new name for its political coverage. Watch Wolf Blitzer revealing the new branding on CNN Wednesday in the video below.





CNN Press Release: CNN unveiled its new graphic look and tagline for coverage of the 2012 campaign Wednesday.

"The choice Americans will face in 2012 is between two very different visions for governing the United States," said Washington Bureau Chief Sam Feist.

"CNN's goal is to leverage our extraordinary resources and offer our viewers the most unbiased, comprehensive coverage of the most important choice the American voter will make for the next four years."

"CNN's 'America's Choice 2012' branding reflects our commitment to helping American voters make that choice," Feist said.

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Also on Wednesday, CNN Domestic announced the addition of two new political contributors. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and conservative columnist David Frum have joined the network for the 2012 election season, it was announced today by Sam Feist, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief.

“Having spent all of my professional career in communications, public policy, and politics, I’m thrilled to join CNN as a political contributor, especially as we are entering the excitement of the upcoming 2012 presidential election cycle,” said Maria Cardona.

“CNN is where the national conversation starts,” said David Frum. “In this exciting election year, I am truly honored to join that conversation.”

Maria Cardona is a Democratic strategist and currently heads the public affairs practice at Dewey Square Group, where she founded the Latinovations practice that focuses on Latino strategic outreach on national, state and local levels. During the 2008 Democratic primary election, Cardona was senior adviser and spokesperson to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and served on the campaign’s Hispanic outreach team. During the 2008 general election, Cardona was a key surrogate for the Obama for America campaign. Previously, Cardona was a senior vice president for the New Democrat Network, and before that, the communications director for the Democratic National Committee. During the Clinton administration, Cardona served as a spokesperson at the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce. In addition, Cardona will also contribute to CNN en Español.

David Frum is the editor and founder of the conservative website FrumForum.com. From 2001 to 2002, Frum served as special assistant and speechwriter to President George W. Bush. During the 2008 election season, he served as senior foreign policy advisor to the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign. Earlier, as an American Enterprise fellow, Frum studied political, generational and demographic trends. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as an editor of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Frum is the author of six books, including most recently, Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again. He writes regular columns for CNN.com, This Week and Canada’s National Post. Frum was born in Toronto, Canada, and received a simultaneous B.A. and M.A. in history from Yale in 1982. He was appointed visiting lecturer in history at Yale in 1986; in 1987, he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Federalist Society.

Cardona and Frum join a deep bench of political contributors at CNN, which includes John Avlon, Paul Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Erick Erickson, Ari Fleischer, David Gergen, Roland Martin, Mary Matalin and Hilary Rosen, among others.

Former White House Secretary Ari Fleischer has joined CNN as political contributor. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: As the nation looks to the 2012 election season, CNN continues to expand its team of political contributors with the addition of former White House Secretary Ari Fleischer, it was announced today by Sam Feist, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. Fleischer will serve as contributor to programs across the network as well as special political programming.

“Ari’s extraordinary experience in the political arena and in the White House make him an invaluable contributor to the network,” said Feist. “We’re thrilled to have Ari on board and our viewers will appreciate his keen insight as we head into this election cycle.”

“Having worked on a successful presidential campaign and having spent 21 years in Washington, I’m looking forward to joining CNN as a regular contributor,” said Fleischer. “It’s shaping up as a red hot political year and I’m eager to lend my perspective to it.”

Prior to starting his own company, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications Inc., Fleischer was the primary spokesperson for President Bush and delivered the daily White House briefings from 2001 to 2003. He previously served as the senior communications advisor and spokesman for the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign. While working for George W. Bush, Fleischer served as spokesman during the historic 2000 presidential recount, 9/11 attacks, and the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Fleischer was also the national spokesman and communications director for Elizabeth Dole’s run for the presidency, and he also served as the communications director for the House Committee on Ways and Means from 1994 to 1999. From 1989 to 1994, Fleischer served as press secretary to New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici, and from 1983 to 1989, he served as press secretary to two members of Congress from New York, and he also worked on several political campaigns. Fleischer is the author of a New York Times best seller, Taking Heat, which details his years in the White House.

Fleischer joins a deep bench of political contributors at CNN which includes John Avalon, Paul Begala, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Erick Erickson, Roland Martin, Mary Matalin, and Hilary Rosen, among others.

CNN Press Release - CNN Digital Live Video of the Debate Triples New Hampshire

According to Nielsen Fast National data (8-10pm), CNN’s Tea Party Republican debate moderated by Wolf Blitzer delivered 3.6 million total viewers and 1.1 million among adults 25-54 last night, Monday, September 12. CNN ranked first in both total viewers and among the P25-54, topping second place FNC by +88% in total viewers (3.6m vs. 1.9m) and by +204% in the key demo (1.1m vs. 370k). CNN also out-rated third place MSNBC by +455% among total viewers (3.6m vs. 643k) and by +599% among 25-54 (1.1m vs. 161k).

Compared to CNN’s recent New Hampshire GOP debate (June 13, 2011), this debate increased 13% in total viewers (3.6m vs. 3.2m) and grew +23% in the key demo 25-54 (1.1m vs. 918k) despite other big events last night including the season debut of Monday Night Football and the U.S. Open Men’s Finals.

CNN.com – Global – 8-10 p.m.

· CNN.com recorded 4.0 million global page views during the 8 – 10 p.m. hours when the Tampa debate was live, up 9% over the prior 4-Monday average and up 17% from New Hampshire debate levels.

· With 609 thousand total video starts, levels were more than twice as high as the prior 4 Monday benchmark and 75% higher than the New Hampshire performance

· Live video hit 444.2 thousand streams, nearly 150 times as high as the prior 4 Monday benchmark and more than three times as high the New Hampshire debate.

The #cnnteaparty hashtag was the #1 trending topic globally and in the U.S. from 8:15 – 9:59 pm.