Section Warm-Up

The 2008 Election was a historic event for a number of reasons. In this section we will follow Barack Obama’s campaign for presidency as you learn about the nomination, campaign, election, and voting process.

Why study President Obama’s 2008 Election? Political scientists nearly all agree that his campaign and subsequent reelection was the first digital campaign. As you study his campaign consider how the use of new high-tech media contributed to his ability to connect with voters personally.

Consider what you already know about the election:

Which party does Barack Obama belong to?

The Democratic Party

What national experience did he have prior to running in the election?

Senator from Illinois

What was the first step after he declared his candidacy?

He had to secure his party’s nomination. He did this by competing in primaries and caucuses in the 50 states.

Who challenged him for his party’s nomination?

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton from New York, Senator Joe Biden, John Edwards, Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Chris Dodd, and Representative Dennis Kucinich

Once he won enough delegates to secure the nomination, how did he formally become his party’s candidate?

At the Democratic Party’s national convention in Colorado, the delegates voted and he formally accepted the party’s nomination

After he became his party’s candidate, who did he have to defeat to win the presidency?

The Republican candidate, Senator John McCain from Arizona

In order to win the election, how many votes did he need?

To win the presidency requires XX votes in the Electoral College, not a majority of the votes cast nationwide.