When Did Barack Obama Run for Presidenct Again

Obama's election to the Senate instantly fabricated him the highest-ranking African American officeholder in the state and, along with the excitement generated by his convention voice communication and his books (Dreams from my Begetter, brought back into print, joined The Audacity of Hope on the bestseller list), placed him high on the roster of prospective Autonomous presidential candidates in 2008. After spending a depression-contour commencement year in office focusing on solidifying his base in Illinois and traveling away to buttress his strange policy credentials as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama spent much of 2006 speaking to audiences effectually the country and mulling whether to run for president. According to annual National Journal evaluations of senators' legislative voting records, Obama ranked as the commencement, 10th, or sixteenth most liberal member of the Senate, depending on the twelvemonth.

Obama announced his presidential candidacy on February ten, 2007, at a rally in front of the Former State House in Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln had given his famous "house divided" speech in 1858. Relying heavily on the Internet, the Obama campaign mobilized Obama for America (OFA), a massive grassroots arrangement of volunteers and donors. (Subsequently he was elected, OFA was recast as Organizing for America for the purpose of rousing public support for Obama's legislative initiatives.) With Axelrod again at the helm, the campaign adult a strategy for winning the Democratic nomination that relied on assembling the aforementioned coalition of blacks and white liberals that had enabled him to succeed in Illinois, with an additional focus on young voters. Initially, however, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton opened a strong pb in the polls, even amidst African American voters and leaders who admired her and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and did not think Obama had much of a take chances to win. Former Senator John Edwards, the Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 2004, was also widely regarded at the start of the campaign as a stronger candidate than the inexperienced Obama.

Drawing on his online base of supporters, Obama initially surprised political pundits by matching Clinton and besting Edwards in campaign fundraising throughout 2007. He became the co-frontrunner in the race by winning the crucial Iowa caucuses on January iii, 2008, defeating both Edwards and Clinton past an 8-per centum point margin. Clinton rebounded to win the New Hampshire chief five days later, edging out Obama past 3 points and crushing Edwards by 22 points. In the next important exam, Obama opened up a narrow atomic number 82 in the nomination contest by defeating Clinton handily in the South Carolina principal, 55 percent to 27 percent, on January 26. Black voters, convinced by the Iowa results that whites would vote for an African American candidate for president, gave him overwhelming support in Due south Carolina and in subsequent primaries. Edwards finished a distant third in the state where he was born and dropped out of the race on Jan 30. Other contenders for the nomination, including Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, and Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, had already dropped out because of their poor showings in the initial round of primaries and caucuses.

From February through early June, Obama and Clinton battled fiercely through the remaining primaries and caucuses. Overall, Clinton won twenty primaries to Obama's nineteen, including victories in most of the large states, notably California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Both candidates were bidding to become celebrated "firsts"—the starting time African American president or the first woman president.

But Obama had three crucial advantages that enabled him to eke out a narrow victory for the Democratic nomination. Starting time, he was able to contrast his consistent opposition to the war in Republic of iraq with Clinton's vote in 2002 to authorize the war before later turning confronting information technology. Second, although in that location was little divergence betwixt Clinton and Obama on the bug, Obama ran on a theme of change and Clinton on a theme of feel. In a year when the economy was steadily deteriorating, alter was the more than appealing theme, especially among Democratic voters. Third, while fighting Clinton in the xxx-nine primaries, Obama did not overlook the seventeen states and territories that, like Iowa, choose their national convention delegates through caucuses. He strongly out-organized Clinton in those contests, winning fourteen of seventeen caucuses. The delegates Obama won in the caucuses put him over the summit. Clinton withdrew from the nominating competition on June vii, 2008.

Equally hard-fought as his victory was, Obama faced only one serious crisis during the entire nomination campaign. In early on March, news organizations and websites showed video recordings of some controversial sermons by Obama's pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, including one in which Wright blamed the United states of america for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington and some other in which he defendant the federal authorities of "inventing the HIV virus equally a means of genocide against people of color." Obama largely defused the crisis by giving a speech in Philadelphia on March eighteen, 2008, repudiating Wright's statements and thoughtfully outlining his own views on race relations. Just he faced continuing difficulties winning white working class votes against Clinton in the primaries, and some doubted that he could win their support in the full general ballot against the Republican nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona.

Partly to expand his appeal to working-form whites, and partly to kickoff his ain small-scale foreign policy credentials, Obama named Senator Joe Biden of Delaware every bit his vice presidential running mate on August 22, two days before the opening of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Biden had grown up in blue-collar Scranton, Pennsylvania, and during his thirty-six years as a senator from Delaware, had risen up the seniority ladder to become chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

In his credence speech on the concluding night of the convention, Obama outlined the bug of his general election entrada. Amongst other things, Obama promised to "cut taxes for 95 percent of all working families," "finish our dependence on oil from the Middle East," "invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of free energy," provide "affordable, accessible health intendance for every single American," close "corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," "end this war in Republic of iraq responsibly and stop the fight against al Qaida and the Taliban in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan," and allow "our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to visit the person they beloved in a hospital and live lives gratuitous of discrimination."

Obama left Denver on Baronial 29 enjoying a small lead over McCain in the polls. But on that same solar day, McCain stole Obama's thunder past selecting Governor Sarah T. Palin of Alaska as his running mate. Palin counterbalanced the Republican ticket in some obvious ways: immature rather than old (Palin was xl-iv, McCain was seventy-2), a woman rather than a human being, a governor rather than a senator, and a social conservative rather than a national security conservative. At the same time, Palin's reform record in Alaska reinforced McCain's longstanding image every bit a political "bohemian" who bucked the Washington establishment. Her rousing acceptance speech at the convention helped to propel the Republican ticket into a small lead over Obama and Biden in early September.

McCain maintained his narrow advantage in the polls until mid-September, when the nation's financial sector, heavily invested in risky mortgage-backed securities, went into a sudden tailspin. In the 3 nationally televised debates between the presidential candidates that took place from September 26 to October xv, Obama's calm, confident, and competent demeanor impressed voters who were looking for both reassurance that all would exist well and a modify in the nation'southward direction. By eschewing federal entrada funds, Obama was as well able to outspend McCain substantially on media advertisement and grassroots organizing. In add-on, Biden impressed most voters as a much more qualified choice for vice president than Palin, whose unfamiliarity with national and international issues was revealed in a serial of television interviews. And, much to his credit, McCain refused to revive concerns most Obama'south long clan with Reverend Wright for fear of inflaming racial tensions.

Obama was elected handily on Nov 4, 2008. He defeated McCain by 53 percent to 46 percent in the national popular vote. Exit polls revealed that the two candidates broke even amid voters who had participated in the 2004 election. Just Obama built his bulk amidst outset-time voters who surged to the polls in 2008, many of them young or African American. In the Balloter Higher, Obama prevailed by a margin of 365 to 173. While conveying all of the traditionally "blue" states in the Northeast, Pacific Coast, and Great Lakes region, Obama built his majority by winning previously "cherry" states such as Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Colorado.

Election night inspired gracious oratory by both candidates. "If in that location is anyone out at that place who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible," Obama told a cheering crowd of supporters, "who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our fourth dimension, who still questions the power of our democracy, this night is your answer." Conceding defeat, McCain said, "This is a historic election, and I recognize the significance it has for African Americans and the special pride that must be theirs tonight. We both realize that we take come a long way from the injustices that in one case stained our nation's reputation."

Midterm Election of 2010

From the very start of Obama'southward tenure as president, congressional Republicans pursued a strategy of consistent, strenuous opposition to about of his legislative initiatives. Politically, the strategy bore fruit in the 2010 midterm elections. As Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota said, "Their bumper sticker has 1 give-and-take: 'No.' Our bumper sticker has way too many words. And it says: 'Connected on the side by side bumper sticker.'"

Looking at the stubbornly loftier unemployment rate Obama inherited on taking function, many voters refused to accept the president'southward argument that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Deed had kept joblessness from rising even college. Voters who were satisfied with their health insurance connected to worry that Obama'southward plan for health care reform would increase the cost and reduce the quality of medical care. The new grassroots conservative Tea Political party move fueled a surge in turnout among Republican voters in 2010 even as participation among Obama's core constituencies in 2008—young and African American voters—declined. On election mean solar day, the Republicans gained vi seats in the Senate, reducing the Democrats' majority in that chamber from eighteen (59 to 41) to 6 (53 to 47). The GOP added 63 seats in the House of Representatives, enough to gain control of the Business firm past a 242 to 193 bulk in the 112th Congress.

The certainty that divided government—a Republican House and a Democratic Senate and president—would prevail for the rest of Obama's first term persuaded the president and the leaders of both parties to deed on a variety of important problems during the post-2010 ballot "lame duck" session of Congress. With George W. Bush'south 2001 and 2003 tax cuts set to expire on Dec 31, 2010, Obama put aside his opposition to standing them for families with more than $250,000 in annual income and agreed to allow congressional Republicans to keep the cuts in identify. In return, the GOP accepted President Obama'southward proposal to extend unemployment benefits for jobless workers for a longer menstruum, and both parties embraced a one-year reduction in social security taxes for everyone who pays them.

In addition, Congress and the president agreed to cancel President Neb Clinton's "don't inquire, don't tell" policy preventing openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the military. Republicans feared that federal courts were nearly to order immediate integration of homosexuals into the armed services. General Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Articulation Chiefs of Staff, persuaded them that the military was prepared to accept the change if allowed to implement it gradually. The lame duck session as well saw the Senate ratify the New Beginning nuclear arms reduction treaty betwixt the Usa and Russia by a 71 to 26 vote.

The 2012 Election

President Obama entered the 2012 election year with job approval ratings that were dangerously low (roughly twoscore percentage) and an unemployment rate that was dangerously loftier (more than viii percent) for an incumbent seeking reelection. But, like Bill Clinton in 1996 and George Westward. Bush in 2004, Obama benefited enormously from not having to fight for his party'southward nomination. Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George Bush-league in 1992 had to wage such battles, and each of them was defeated by his general election opponent in Nov. In dissimilarity, Obama was able to use the showtime viii months of 2012 to heighten money, rebuild his campaign organization, develop lines of set on on his likely Republican opponents, and launch his general election campaign from a united, enthusiastic Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Caroline, in September 2012. Post-obit the pattern of reelection-seeking presidents since the 1950s, Obama chose Vice President Biden to run with him for a second term.

While Obama was uniting his party for the fall, the Republicans were waging a trigger-happy intraparty battle to choose their nominee. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney won the nomination, only was subjected to severe attacks by his Republican rivals. For example, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich accused Romney of having "looted" companies during his career as a business consultant and branded him a "vulture capitalist." Governor Rick Perry of Texas said that Romney had gotten rich by "sticking information technology to someone else." Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Representative Michelle Bachman of Minnesota, and businessman Herman Cain were among the other Republican contenders who dilapidated Romney relentlessly for beingness insufficiently conservative. Romney won the nomination and placated conservatives by choosing the chair of the Firm Upkeep Committee, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, every bit his vice presidential running mate in accelerate of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Simply only then was he able to focus on raising coin for the general election, motion toward the more popular political center, and direct his campaign toward defeating Obama.

The Supreme Courtroom's 2010 decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Ballot Commission opened the floodgates to corporations, unions, and wealthy individuals to spend massive amounts of money in an effort to elect either Obama or Romney, likewise as in the congressional elections. By year's terminate, almost $i billion was spent by or on behalf of each of the ii nominees for president, both of whom eschewed federal financing and the spending limits that accompanied that financing.

In a closely divided country, both Romney and Obama counted on winning almost twenty states and fought the campaign in nearly ten "battleground" states. Some of them were large such as Florida and Ohio, and some of them were small such every bit New Hampshire and Iowa, but all of them were neither consistently "red" nor consistently "blue." Romney's best moment came in the first presidential debate, in which he came beyond every bit politically moderate and personally engaging. Obama, like many incumbents, turned in a rusty and therefore ineffective functioning. But, chastened by his weak showing, Obama came back strongly in the 2d and 3rd debates and regained his lead over Romney.

Toward the cease of the campaign, the unemployment rate finally dipped below 8 percentage, reinforcing Obama's claim that his economic policies had placed the nation on the route to prosperity. He also benefited from his response to Hurricane Sandy, a "super storm" that struck the Northeast in late October. Obama toured the devastated New Jersey shore with the country's Republican governor, Chris Christie, who praised the president for "springing into action immediately." In the election day exit poll, 15 percent of voters said that Obama's reaction to the hurricane was the most of import factor in their conclusion, and 73 percent of them voted for the president.

Obama defeated Romney by 51 percentage to 47 percent in the national popular vote and past 332 to 206 in the electoral vote. His margin of victory was down slightly from 2008, making him the commencement president since Woodrow Wilson to exist reelected by a smaller majority than in his first election. Too disappointing to Obama, the House of Representatives remained in Republican command, past a margin to 234 to 201. Obama—and Democrats mostly—took eye from the political party's success in the Senate elections. Even though 20-three of their seats were on the ballot in 2012 compared with only ten for the Republicans, the Democrats actually gained 2 seats in the election, raising their majority in the upper chamber to 55 to 45. Still more of import for the long term, Obama ran best among those groups in the electorate that were growing almost rapidly: immature people, single people, nonreligious people, Latinos, and Asian Americans.

Despite his victories, Obama began his second term with a very limited mandate. His campaign's one-give-and-take theme was content-gratuitous—Forward!—and nearly of his speeches and commercials during the election were devoted to tearing down Romney rather than offering a policy calendar for the second term. The one specific issue Obama did stress on the campaign trail—his continuing desire to enhance taxes on wealthy Americans—bore fruit one month afterward the election, when Congress voted to raise the marginal income tax rate from 35.0 percent to 39.6 percent on households with annual incomes above $450,000. Merely during the campaign, he deemphasized other bug that were important to him but politically risky, including immigration reform, climate change, and gun control.

Midterm Election of 2014

The 2014 midterm ballot repeated the pattern of Obama's first term: success in the presidential election followed by defeat two years later at midterm. As in 2010, voter turnout was considerably lower in 2014 than it had been two years previously: 34 percentage in 2014 (the lowest in a national election since 1942) compared with 58 percent in 2012. Because midterm electorates tend to have a higher concentration of the older and more bourgeois white voters who tend to favor Republican candidates, the Democrats were probable to suffer. Calculation to their disadvantage in the Senate elections was that Democrats held 21 of 36 seats on the ballot in 2014, seven of them in states that Obama had lost to Romney.

Republicans gained 9 seats in the Senate elections, the largest proceeds for any party since 1980, and took away control of the sleeping room from the Democrats with a 54-46 majority. In elections to the House of Representatives, the GOP added xiii seats to their majority, increasing information technology to 247-188, the party'due south largest House majority since 1928. The Republicans' success extended to elections for country part. They added two to their ranks of governors, leaving them in control of the executive in 31 states. They also won majorities in ten additional state legislative chambers, giving them control of 67 of 99. These showings, besides, were the GOP's best since 1928.

The 2014 midterm election guaranteed that Obama spent the concluding two years of his presidency with a Republican Congress. Co-ordinate to Politico, on the forenoon after the ballot "he told his staff to take an 60 minutes to mope, and then go back to piece of work." Signaling his intention going forwards to rely strongly on his executive say-so rather than seek legislation from Congress, he added: "Nosotros still run the largest organization on the planet, with the largest capacity to benefit."

Postscript on the 2016 Election

Although the 22nd Amendment barred Obama from seeking a third term as president in 2016, he was intensely interested in seeing a Democrat succeed him, especially because all of the contenders for the Republican presidential nomination promised to seek the repeal of major parts of his legislative legacy if one of them was elected. Obama did not endorse either of the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, just he clearly favored Clinton as the about electable and privately discouraged Vice President Biden from entering the contest for fright of dividing his supporters between Biden and Clinton.

In the fall 2016 campaign, Obama campaigned ardently in multiple battleground states for Clinton and against the Republican nominee, Donald J. Trump, whom he described as "temperamentally unfit to exist president." Of Clinton, Obama declared, "There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton." Two days subsequently Donald Trump won the election, however, Obama met with him at the White House publicly told him, "We now are going to want to practise everything we can to help you lot succeed considering if yous succeed, and so the country succeeds."

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Source: https://millercenter.org/president/obama/campaigns-and-elections