AP Government: Lanahan Reading #70 "How Barack Obama Won"

What was 2008 the "exclamation point on"?

"exclemation point on the country's post-Cold War search for its political center"

Why was Obama's candidacy different from Clinton's and McCain's from the start?

Obama established early on the reason he was seeking office: that reason was "a change from Bush"

When did the 2008 campaign begin?

began in 1999, when word first leaked that (then) first lady Hillary Clinton was thinking about running for U.S. Senator from New York

What did her election in 2000 set off?

set off anticipation for what could be a historic first: the potential election of this country's first woman president

Why did Hillary Clinton wait to run in the 2008 presidential election instead of 2004?

she'd be into her second term as senator and the field would be cleared of an incumbent president

How did the Hillary Clinton candidacy shape much of the presidential field for both parties?

- the Republicans all made their cases within the framework of challenging Hillary
- sub-Democratic primary to establish an alternative to Hillary

Who did Barack Obama have talking about him?

activists and the blogosphere; had Clintons nervous

Why did Clinton remain confident about her 2008 chances?

despite his popularity among the Democratic activist base, until 2004, he was in the Illinois state senate
Clintons familiar with strategy to figure out the timing of when best to run; thought Obama would follow the same advice

How did the decision of Obama to run transform the Democratic primary?

transformed the Democratic from a subprimary campaign to determine the anit-Hillary alternative to a two-person clash of the titans

How did Clinton's campaign change when Obama decided to run?

Clinton's campaign was transformed into a rapid response operation focused solely on Obama

What did Obama use new media to announce?

the formation of his exploratory committee

What did he not use media for?

when formally announcing his actual candidacy; he gave a "Why I'm running for president" announcement in front of thousands of supporters in his home state

What did Obama outline in his announcement speech?

the organizing principle for his candidacy
(basic themes were carried to his victory speech)

How did Hillary and McCain differ in regards to a campaign rationale?

- neither gave a "Why I'm running for president" speech
- neither made a formal announcement in his/her home state or any other
- neither outlined in the traditional way a philosophy/program

What was one of the central factors for why Obama won the presidency?

he always made the case for why he was the candidate of change, the candidate who was the change from Bush

What were Clinton and McCain caught up in when running against Obama?

always caught up in trying to contrast themselves with Obama and highlight his inexperience; neither offered consistent "change from Bush arguments"

What was the difference between the way Clinton and Obama won delegates?

Clinton won the bigger states, but Obama won the votes that mattered

How did teh long drawn out campaign with Clinton help Obama?

- he became a better debater
- could speak more from the heart than the head on economic issues
- without Clinton, he would not have had to run campgigns in all 50 states

What was McCain able to do as Obama campaigned in 48 states and Puerto Rico to fend off Clinton?

McCain was able to wrap up his nomination by campaigning in all of four states

Why would being the nominee on the sidelines have been an advantage?

it should have been the time for McCain to increase his national organization, hone his general election message, begin the VP vetting process, and raise the money he would need to keep up with Obama

When did the general election really take off?

the general election really didn't take off until Obama set out on his weeklong international tour of the world and European capitals

Why was this trip beneficial?

it left much of the U.S. awestruck by Obama's worldwide popularity

How did the McCain campaign try to bring Obama down to earth?

they launched a TV ad that called Obama the "biggest celebrity in the world" and compared him to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears

What was the McCain strategy?

they intended to make Obama's popularity a liability; attempting to win experience argument

What was the McCain campaign team compared to?

guerilla war fighters

What was another case where Obama's campaign and the conventional were in sync?

Obama's vice presidential selection process was fairly predictable

Who did Obama choose as his vice president?

Deleware Senator Joe Biden

Why was Binden the best choice?

he was experienced, had working-class rooting, and had been publically vetted in a more than 30 year Senate career

Who did McCain pick for vice president?

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Why was the Sarah Palin pick ironic?

she instantly became a celebrity of the level the McCain campaign haden't seen since Obama in Europe

Despite all thethings to learn about her, what was she not?

she had a lack of experience

What would this lack of experience eventually lead to?

"her undoing"

Why would her lack of experience lose the campaign?

she was seen as more of a "pop icon" and less as someone ready to be president

What was a big mistake McCain made after one of the financial world's biggest institutions failed?

he claimed "fundamentals of our economy are strong," which lead Obama to imply he was just as out of touch on the economy as Bush

Was the 2008 the start of a political realignment in favor of the Democrats?

answer unclear; political realignments are not known until a few years after they happen