Topic 5- Obama's campaign for the presidency 2004-09

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