At the end of the 2008 presidential elections, Barack Obama junior, the senator for Illinois not only won the college vote but also the popular vote by a margin of almost ten million votes. In the run down to the elections, the deck was seemingly stuck against Barack Obama, a colored middle-class citizen with little political experience, wealth, or political capital. Conversely, John McCain, his opponent came from a wealthy and famous military family, was an experienced politician, and had a large political network (White, 2018). A combination of bearing factors and carefully developed tactics, however, enabled the novice Obama to resoundingly defeat John McCain.
Two important factors prevailing as at the time of the elections created an important advantage for Obama against his opponent. The first was the 2008 economic recession, arguably the greatest economic crisis in the USA since the Great Depression. Through the 2008 recessions, middle-class families lost their savings, investment, homes and even livelihoods (White, 2018). The recession could easily be blamed on the rich, some of whom even profited greatly from the factors that caused the recession. It was easier for Americans to associate with Obama, who alongside his wife came from middle-income homes than McCain and his wife whom were very rich. The second bearing factor was the war in Iraq that had reached an impasse with no end in sight, yet costing billions of dollars and leading to the deaths of Americans (White, 2018). The people needed a president who would tend towards ending the war, not prolonging it, hence they favored Obama who had opposed the war from the beginning.
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Two primary tactics helped Obama win the elections, the first being hope while the second was change. Obama understood that the country was going through a major crisis and many people who had worked hard for long to earn what they had just lost in a few months needed an injection of hope. His rallying call of “ yes we can ” (ABC/AP, 2017) was meant to inspire hope in the masses. He presented himself as a “ skinny boy with a funny name” (ABC/AP, 2017) who had the audacity to run for US president thus portraying America as a land of opportunities. The masses saw themselves in Obama, creating a hope that they could rise out of their current status and excel in future. Secondly, Obama used his simple past, lack of political capital, and inexperience as an asset, rather than a liability. He presented the affluent and politically experienced McCain as part of the establishment that had caused the crisis America was undergoing (ICPSR, 2018). His freshness and inexperience would thus enable Obama to be the instrument of change.
Unfortunately, the departure of Obama ushered in a presidency whose ideals were almost entirely opposite of what Obama believed in. As a liberal, Obama had worked hard to establish a strong welfare system complete with government-sponsored insurance for the poor, dubbed Obamacare. President Trump ran on a promise to overhaul the welfare system and healthcare plan. Trump has not only continually tried to have Obamacare repealed but also sought to roll-back on welfare (Przybyla, 2018). Obama’s foreign policy involved closer ties with allied nations and dealt firmly with despotic regimes. The exact opposite has happened with Trump who at some time dubbed the EU, America’s closest ally as an enemy. Conversely, Trump had indicated that he is in love with Kim Jong Un, one of the worst despots in the world currently, even as he maintains cordial relations with Russia (Jacobs, 2018). Obama’s legacy, is in tatters after only two years of a Trump presidency. However, Obama’s reputation remains intact.
Obama, who presented himself as a skinny man with a funny name stormed into the national political scene, winning the presidency with his initial efforts. The combination of factors such as the 2008 recession and the gulf war buoyed the victory coupled with excellent political tactics. However, the liberal Obama presidency was succeeded by the conservative Trump presidency that is doing its best to reverse the Obama legacy.
References
ABC/AP. (2017, January 11). 'Yes we did': Obama says goodbye in emotional speech. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-11/ president-barack-obama-makes-farewell-address-in-chicago/8174976
ICPSR. (2018). Campaign themes, strategies, and developments. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research . Retrieved from https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/instructors/setups2008/campaign-strategies.jsp
Jacobs, J. (2018, September 30). President Trump says he and Kim Jong-Un 'Fell in Love'. Retrieved from http://time.com/5411002/trump-kim-jon-un-fell-in-love/
Przybyla, H. (2018). Trump's undermining of Obamacare violates the Constitution, new lawsuit charges. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-s-undermining-obamacare-violates-constitution-new-lawsuit-charges-n896626
White, D. (2018). 5 reasons why Obama won the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/why-obama-won-2008-3325497
