TIME The Essential Voter's Guide: Obama vs. Romney: Your Ringside Seat to the 2012 Election

As the 2012 Presidential race kicks into high gear, TIME offers a complete, revealing guide to the campaign, the issues and the men who would be President: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

TIME's 96-page guide, to be published on the eve of the Presidential nominating conventions, will include:

--A close look at each candidate's strategy for winning the White House, by TIME senior correspondent Michael Crowley and White House correspondent Michael Scherer.

--Inside each campaign team: who are the star tacticians and what are they planning?

--The First Ladies: What Ann Romney and Michelle Obama bring to the competition.

--Raising Mitt: How Romney was shaped by his prominent parents, Lenore and George.

--The Issues: Where each candidate really stands on the economy, taxes, the Middle East, and immigration
--Mark Halperin's Scorecard: the author of the bestselling "Game Change" handicaps the current race.

--Plus: a road trip with columnist Joe Klein, Bill Clinton's role in the race, and much more.