Obama

Question 1

How did Obama’s background make him a desirable candidate?

Answer 1

• Kenyan father and white mother, born in hawaii
• Member of a Christian Church
• Beautiful family
• Celebrity endorsements such as Michael Jordan/kennedys
• Natural and positive orator who kept his campaign to the issues
• Moderate views and great media coverage - regular guest on tv shows and at political events
• published 2 books promoting hope (audacity of hope and dreams from my father)
• Younger candidate

Question 2

What was Obama’s first position in politics?

Answer 2

• Illinois State senator 1997-2004
• South side of Chicago where poverty and social deprivation were prevalent
• Worked previously as a social worker
• Reputation for compromise and coordination with both parties
• Passed legislation expanding healthcare and early years education programmes for the poor
• Improved the rights of suspects by requiring video-taping of interrogations
• 2000 he attempted to run for house of reps but was beaten by Bobby Rush (founder of the black panther chicago party) - but it increased his experience of campaigning

Question 3

Describe his campaign for senator

Answer 3

• 2004 won the senate seat and delivered the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention
• Polls conducted in February had Obama on 15% with Hull on 24% but increased to 10% over his nearest rivals in March
• Effective advertising campaign which recounted his life story
• Endorsed by Michael Jordan with a $10,000 cheque
• Hull’s divorce became controversial - including restraining orders and physical confrontations which benefited Obama
• 16th March won the democrat primary
• Republican opponent was Jack Ryan - Harvard educated, famous wife, photogenic, charismatic, personal wealth
• Democrat heavy support in Chicago, Champaign county and Sangamon county - also held the black vote
• Jack Ryan withdrew due to allegations and nasty divorce case with wife
• Alan Keyes was the chosen replacement but was anti-abortion and gay rights as well as an advocate for greater religious presence in the USA
• Obama focused on local issues and positive, uncontroversial change - profile nationally enhanced by the July conference which gained media coverage
• Won 70% of the votes with a high percentage of female voters
• Won despite a poor democrat performance that year

Question 4

What did Obama do as senator for Illinois?

Answer 4

• Third Black senator since reconstruction
• Created a website to track federal spending to increase trust in government after hurricane Katrina
• Reputation for collaboration
• sponsored a bill to destroy all nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe and Russia and voted against troop withdrawals in Iraq to increase Republican support
• Aquired money for his bid to become president in 2008 - created the PAC hopefund which gained 1.8 million its first year - as well as helped fund the democrat campaign to retake control of congress which inflated his reputation

Question 5

Why was Obama such a good public speaker?

Answer 5

• hopeful and positive attitude
• Media presented him well
• appealed to all Americans from different backgrounds rather than just Black Americans - appealed to popular white icons in history such as Lincoln and Jefferson while he kept clear of more radical views that those in the civil rights movements promoted

Question 6

How was Obama able to beat Clinton in the primary election?

Answer 6

• 93% of Americans said they would vote for a Black president compared to the 55% who said they would vote for a female president

Hillary Clinton
- High profile and had lots of experience, especially in politics and campaigning - First female senator of New York in 2001

• Obama was younger and appealed to a younger generation while Clinton was seen as a return to the past and tainted by Bill
• Obama brand sold using the internet/social media as by 2007 27% of Americans were using it and newspapers for forming opinions had dropped to 30% - appealed to younger voters as 42% used the internet
• Obama appeared inclusive of all age groups and used this to overtake Clinton in the polls despite her voter recognition and money
• 450,000 people signed up to the online Obama campaign - raising 6.9 million through donations compared to Clinton’s 4.2
• Clinton disliked by republicans
• Obama endorsed by the kennedys

Confirmed as democrat primary on 27th August 2008

Question 7

What were Obama’s policies?

Answer 7

• retreat from Iraq that had caused many deaths and financial chaos in 2008
• priority was to give the average American a decent standard of living through an emergency economic plan and 5 million green jobs to promote environmentalism
• Anti-terrorism from 9/11

Question 8

How was Obama able to win the 2008 election?

Answer 8

• Rival was John McCain
• bush and the republicans had plunged America into financial crisis - what 60% of Americans cared about the most
• Unemployment rose to 10%
• John McCain heavily involved with Bush’s bailout plan that cost the American people billions
• Endorsements by major economists and experts such as Warren Buffet gave Obama the advantage as well as his policies
• Obama’s lead increased up from 46% as the crisis developed
• Joe Biden picked as VP to increase support from white vote and for expertise in foreign affairs/experience
• Sarah Palin picked as McCain’s VP to appeal to women voters which increased his poll ratings above Obama - however her ignorance of key policy areas, lack of experience in politics and foreign affairs damaged his chances
• Bradley affect did not take hold

Question 9

What was the outcome of the election and how did it affect things?

Answer 9

• 4th November 2008 McCain conceded with Obama getting 53% of the votes

Obama won
- 44% f the white vote
- 95% of the black vote
- 65% of the Latino vote

Obama engaged in major voter registration campaigns that increased voters by 300,000 in Florida alone