Livewire TIME Names Obama 2012 ‘Person Of The Year’ by David Taintor 12.19.12 | 2:50 am 1 TIME magazine on Wednesday named President Obama its 2012 “Person of the Year.” See the magazine’s cover below. And read the related article here. Send Tips David Taintor is a New York-based senior editor who oversees breaking news coverage. He previously worked at NBC News.