Unit 6 - Obama's campaign for the presidency, 2004 - 09 Flashcards
When did Obama serve as an Illinois state senator?
1996-2004
Who did Obama run against when he first tried to become the Democratic candidate for the 1st district of Illinois in the House of Representatives in 2000?
Bobby Rush, a founder of the Black Panther party in Chicago. Rush had been reelected multiple times and Obama failed.
When did Obama give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention?
2004
Why did Obama win the Democratic primary for senator of Illinois?
He had an effective media campaign and received high-profile endorsements, including Michael Jordan.
His main opponent, Blair Hull, was going through a messy divorce and had 2 restraining orders against him by his ex-wife.
Who did Obama run against in the election for Illinois senator in 2004?
Republican Jack Ryan.
Why did Obama win against Jack Ryan in the race for senator?
He had gotten triple the amount of votes in the primary.
Ryan was going through a messy and public divorce. This resulted in his withdrawal and black American Alan Keyes was chosen as the republican candidate instead.
Keyes was very religious, homophobic, conservative and anti-abortion so he didn’t get many votes.
Why did Obama not have power in the Senate when he got elected?
President Bush, a Republican, had just been elected and the Democrats had not done well in the election.
He was also a junior Senator, so bottom of the food chain.
What reputation did Obama develop in the Senate?
He developed a reputation for cross-party collaboration. He was also part of the Foreign Relations Committee, participated in creating a website to track federal spending and sponsored a bill to destroy nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe and Russia.
What was Obama’s appeal?
He’s a gifted speaker, known for cross-party collaboration, liberal but moderate, Christian and family-oriented and ran on positive campaigning (Yes We Can).
He also focused on the economy and healthcare and had an emergency plan to create 5 million green jobs.
Who were Obama’s opponents in the Democratic primary of 2008?
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
Joe Biden
What were some of Obama’s election strategies in the 2008 election?
-Use of social media to reach younger voters
-Raising huge amounts of funding with many small donations instead of big corporations
-Intense on-the-ground campaigning
-He won the support of black voters in the South Carolina primary
How many states did Obama win during Super Tuesday?
13
What prejudice aspect played a huge role in Obama gaining the Democratic nomination?
Americans were more ready to elect a black man than a woman.
Who ran against Obama in the 2008 general election?
Senator John McCain
What was the main concern of voters in the 2008 election?
The economic situation.
