Competing for the Nomination
In order to run for the presidency, Obama first had to win the nomination for the Democratic Party over a large field of competitors. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards proved to be his biggest competition. He traveled around the country meeting with people and speaking about his plans for change. His goal was to win the votes of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention to be held in August 2008.
Many celebrities stepped up to help campaign, including talk show host Oprah Winfrey, shown here with the Obamas. During these early rallies, the Obama campaign collected cell phone numbers from supporters. This information became invaluable for fundraising and media events as they now had a way to send text messages to directly to millions via their cell phones.
Winning the nomination is not easy; it requires a combination of money, media attention, and momentum. A candidate must develop a campaign strategy that manipulates each of these elements in order to win.
