Studied by 1 person
when and where was Obama born?
1961 in Hawaii
Where was Obama’s father from?
Kenya
what was an aspect of Obama’s early political career that helped his presidential campaign?
community organiser
why did Obama’s experience as a community organiser help his presidential campaign?
able to connect with people on a more personal level
focused on small and frequent donations
in what year was Obama elected to Illinois Senate?
1997
what did Obama focus on as a member of Illinois Senate
Welfare, tax credits, reform of capital punishment and racial profiling and healthcare
what state did Obama represent in US Senate?
Illinois
In what year was Obama elected to US Senate for Illinois?
2004
what proportion of black vote did Obama receive during his election to US Senate for Illinois
70%
Before Obama how many black senators had there been since Reconstruction
2
Why was Obama’s keynote speech at 2004 Democratic National Convention so important in political career?
discussed Lincoln- won over WA
won over Latino Americans, Asians- addressed all economic backgrounds
told his parents story relating it back to AD and wider American story
showcased his rhetorical abilities
promoted politics of hope
why was America divided in 2004?
Iraq War
Why were many Democrats averse to Clinton for presidential nomination
wary of political dynasties
Clinton seemed arrogant and to have a sense of entitlement
polls showed that Democrats preferred change to experience
Why was Obama more popular than Clinton
he was almost anti establishment due to his young age, lack of experience and emphasis on hope and change
also offered a break from political dynasties
Why and how did Bill Clinton damage his wife’s campaign for Democratic presidential nomination
claimed Obama was only popular because he was black- alienated white liberals
Clinton failed to control her husband’s remarks which was seen as a sign of weakness
Why was Obama’s emphasis on AD so signficant?
served as an inspiration for BA as well as economically disadvantaged people
How was Obama able to raise more money during his campaign for Democratic presidential nomination
he used internet to keep donators updated on campaign
supporters gave little and often
Key errors in Clinton’s campaign for Democratic presidential nomination
team failed to recognise importance of internet
campaign was based on her husband’s campaign in 1990s
relied on large donations
she was accused of using dirty tricks to undermine Obama
these errors allowed Obama team to portray Obama as the candidate for change
how did primary calendar affect who won Democratic presidential nomination?
primary votes in Michigan and Florida states that supported Clinton, were held early which prevented them from being fully counted
what was the ‘Bush effect’ and how did it help Obama to win 2008 presidential election?
Bush’s legacy due to Iraq was extremely negative
caused general dislike of Republicans
Bush blamed for near collapse of financial sector
who was Sarah Palin?
John McCain’s running mate and potential Republican VP
Why did Sarah Palin damage McCain’s presidential campaign
extremely right wing
lacked knowledge
many didn’t want her to become president in event of McCain’s death
How was Obama’s campaign more economically advanced than McCain’s
Obama raised more money
rejected federal funding so he could pay for more adverts
kept donators updated on campaign through email
when asked about how many houses he had McCain could not recall- looked out of touch
What were Obama’s main policies during campaign for the presidency?
withdrawal from Iraq
energy independence
accessible healthcare
How did Obama’s race negatively affect his presidential campaign
many thought that Americans would simply not vote for a black man
black senator endorsed Clinton because he didn’t think Obama would be able to beat a republican
Obama lost southern white vote
many racial slurs were thrown at him from radio and TV show hosts as well as opposition
how did Obama’s race positively influence his presidential campaign?
had the minority vote- 95% of black vote and majority of Latino vote
historical significance of his prospective victory was appealing to many
who was Jeremiah Wright and how did he cause problems in Obama’s presidential campaign?
black nationalist pastor who made comments about American government’s treatment of BA
How did Michelle Obama cause problems in her husband’s campaign?
accused of being unpatriotic- ‘for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country’
what was the negative BA response to Obama’s victory?
not universally
many didn’t feel an affinity with him because his father was a scholar- not descended from slaves
some found him patronising
what was positive BA response to Obama’s victory?
universal rejoicing for historical significance of American acceptance of black president
in what way could Obama’s victory signify a colour blind America?
came only 40yrs after Voting Rights Act
many white people had voted for him
told white people what they wanted to hear
campaign barely touched on racism
How was Obama’s race significant in his victory?
surge in white supremacy after his win
many thought he didn’t represent black poor
relied heavily on minority vote
which paper ran a racist cartoon with Obama as a monkey in 2009?
New York Post- Feb 2009
Obama’s personal appeal in run for presidency
keynote speech
electorate endeared by engaging personality
after speech was a national figure sought after
2005- rereleased his autobiography- became best seller
published second book- Audacity for Hope that discussed vision for future- best seller again
John Edwards
had more experience than Clinton
lawyer and senator in North Carolina
white southerner and effective speaker
Iowa state caucus election contest
always begins w/ Iowa- Jan 2008, it is often an indication on who will win
early indication of how popular a candidate is- John Edwards withdrew
Obama won
Obama’s election strategies
social media used efficiently
seen to be inclusive to all age groups
built on his grass roots campaign
Obama raised $6.9 million compared to Clinton at $4.2 million
economic situation helping Obama to win presidency
economy had entered a recession in 2008- fear that another Republican candidate would continue this (Bush Effect) and McCain was associated with Bush’s administration
McCain asked how many houses he owned he could not remember
Obama’s choice of Biden as VP
experience and expertise in foreign affairs- which was a weaker area of Obama’s
the VP would often be an attempt to ‘balance the ticket’ as they would choose from another part of the country
Palin effect
displayed an ignorance for key policy areas, skits of her on SNL
Bradley Effect
white voters would tell pollsters they would vote for an ethnic candidate in public but on polling day would vote for a different white candidate- Obama did not suffer from this
Obama’s fundraising
campaign attracted over 3 million donors and $650 million more than combined spending of both major presidential candidates in 2004
Obama rejected federal funding- McCain accepted these- capped what he could raise
Obama outspent McCain in swing states
race riots
St Louis- shooting of Michael Brown (2014)
Dylan Root murdered 9 BA members of South Carolina church
Uni of California
claimed shortly after election that it was being organised on racial lines
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