I stand by my prediction.
The United States presidential election of 2008 featured a number of historical firsts. During the primary U.S. Senator from Illinois Barack Obama, an African-American with a compelling personal story, enormous charisma, and great oratorical abilities, narrowly edged out, Hillary Clinton, the Senator from New York and wife of the former President Bill Clinton after a primary campaign that was underscored by racial tensions to become the country's first African-American to be nominated for President by a major party.
On the Republican side, Senator John McCain, despite poor fundraising became the default candidate as evangelicals wary of electing a Mormon shunned the party favorite Mitt Romney in favor of Mike Huckabee, to became the oldest person to be nominated by either party.
In the general campaign, McCain campaigned as a "Maverick" and Washington outsider, despite the fact that he had been in the Senate for more than 20 years. Hoping to take advantage of fractures in the Democratic party caused by the defeat of Clinton, McCain chose Sarah Palin, the popular but virtually unknown Governor of Alaska. The choice of Palin, a political neophyte, shocked party insiders and caused concern among many voters due to John McCain's advanced age. Palin temporarily animated McCain's base, but rumors and scandals ultimately proved a distraction to his campaign.
McCain tried to distance himself from George W. Bush who was plagued by enormous unpopularity, a flagging economy, and ongoing conflicts in Afghanitan and Iraq, while Obama campaigned as the candidate of change.
In the end, despite concerns about lingering racism, Obama led a rejuvinated Democratic party to a resounding victory at the polls in an election that many historians have interpreted as the closing chapter of the American Civil War.
United States presidential election, 2008 |
November 4, 2008 |
| | |
Nominee | Barack Obama | John McCain |
Party | Democratic | Republican |
Home state | Hawaii | Arizona |
Running mate | Joe Biden | Sarah Palin |
Electoral vote | 298 | 240 |
States carried | 23 | 27 |
Popular vote | 72,244,831 | 36,332,653 |
Percentage | 63.4% | 36.6% |
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