Assess the factors that determined the outcome of the 2008 Presidential election. (45) The 2008 Presidential election will go down in history which was watched by the whole world. For the Democratic Party, the choice was a black candidate called Barack Obama who had a magnificent aura and style about him, and for the Republican party, a no nonsense war hero in the form of John McCain. The outcome resulted in Barack Obama being inaugurated as the 44th President and the first Black American to become President with 52.9% of the vote whom many citizens hailed as the man who would help get them out of the recession. There were many factors throughout the election which had an impact which I will explain below.
How did Obama beat Clinton to the democratic nomination? When the little known US Senator for Illinois announced his intentions to run in the democratic presidential primary in 2007, few believed that he could defeat the party backed establishment candidate, Hilary Clinton. Clinton’s campaign was described as “the largest and most powerful presidential campaign in History” and although Obama himself was quietly confident, his early investors were sceptical as Clinton gained an early twenty point lead. So how was he able to turn things around? Obama had three key factors on his side.
The superPAC has created a ecosystem where corporations and unions can give an unlimited amount of money to a candidate with the expectation of a return on their investment in the form of political influence (Eggan). Some believe that this is a fair application of the First Amendment and some believe that it is a gross misstep on the part of the Supreme Court. Either way, it can be stated with certainty that the Citizens United v Federal Election Commission case has vastly altered the battleground of political campaigns in America. In 2007 the conservative non-profit called Citizens United made a documentary called Hilary: The Movie which highlighted reasons why Hilary Clinton, who was running for president at the time, was not fit for office. Citizens United had wanted to make Hilary: The Movie available on pay-per-view television following other airings of the film.
Similarities and Differences: T. Roosevelt vs. W. Wilson Michelle Neuman HIS204 Professor Carl Garrigus July 8, 2013 Similarities and Differences: T. Roosevelt vs. W. Wilson The election of 1912 was an election that changed the country, as 75 percent of all votes cast were for a Progressive candidate. The candidates were Theodore Roosevelt, a staunch Progressive who ran under the newly created Bull Moose Party; William Howard Taft, a Republican; and, Woodrow Wilson, a Progressive Democrat. The race was one of astounding victory for the progressive way of thinking. While there were definite parallels in the two men, the contrasts were far more striking. Even though Roosevelt and Wilson were both supportive of the progressive movement, they ran for President under two completely different parties, and this was not their only difference.
The Electoral College is the complex method by which the United States of America elects its president. While conducive to the political environment of the Founding Fathers, elections in the United States have changed dramatically since that time, and thus the Electoral College has outlived its usefulness in American politics. The Electoral College was established at a time where communications technology was limited, and thus the founders had to consider the potential of an uninformed electorate. In addition, states have altered the method by which electoral votes are allocated. The Electoral College also unequally apportions electoral votes due to the significant population increase since it was established.
This war increased America's economic dominance until it overtook all the other countries of the world. It also lead the country into having a strong constitution that made Americans to be part of a single nation instead of a corporate made up of different states with their own rules and institutions. The war indeed changed the way Americans viewed their own nation seeing it as one nation. After the war every part of America's national fabric changed; from the role of the federal government to the status of African Americans. The war was triggered by the victory of Abraham Lincoln in the elections of 1860.
How successful was Macmillan as leader of the Conservatives? The success of Macmillan's leadership of the Conservatives is defined by the electoral support the party had during his time of leadership, as his decisions in policy and his image affected the party's election victories altogether. Furthermore, another success factor may be his ability to stay as leader of the party itself, as an unsuccessful leader would be urged to step down. Most importantly, the initial success of Macmillan as leader of the Conservatives could be because of his ability to manipulate the media and create a positive personal image in his early years, leading to a successful election victory in 1959. Macmillan was able to bolster the image of the party by handling criticism and potentially turning it around.
My partner and I strongly urge you to negate the resolution due to the following contentions: Contention #1: The Electoral College can enhance the ideologies of the Democratic and Republican parties. The Electoral College’s two party system encourages political stability. Because third party presidential candidates cannot easily win the election, the Democratic and Republican parties will assimilate and embrace the views of the third party. Due to this compromise of ideologies, the national population’s support will increase, providing more accuracy and political stability in the selection of presidents. According to the Missouri Election Board in Jackson County, “..We end up with two large, pragmatic political parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political parties catering to divergent and sometimes extremist views.” In the direct popular vote, many presidents representing minor, regional parties will run, causing problems such as the disruption from an electoral majority.
Ryan Murphy Political Science 11/3/10 Political Analysis of John Hall John Hall, elected in the general election of 2006 over Sue Kelly with a 2.4% margin of victory appears to be a suitable fit for the 19th district of New York in terms of the population demographic and bringing noticeable change to his district. This may come as a surprise to some as he is a Democrat serving in a traditionally Republican seat. New York’s 19th district is composed of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties. This area has a wide demographic of people with 78.7% urban and the other 21.3% as rural. Furthermore 78.7% are white, 5.8% are black, 10.7% Hispanic, and 3.1% Asian which make up majority of ethnicity in the district.
Leadership Transformational-charismatic Before the election, President Barack Obama attracted the attention of American's and foreigners alike with a seemingly charismatic nature. A charismatic leader has an uncanny ability to draw others to his side and move them to accomplish a cause bigger than themselves. A charismatic approach is transformational if it invokes a permanent change in the people who embrace the leader's vision. During his first term, President Obama wooed at least some to his vision by showing the potential to make a huge difference in both domestic and foreign affairs. Cross-Cultural-Global Leadership Under the Bush Administration, America's image lost much of its shine.