Obama’s Election Strategies (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes
Obama's Election Strategies
The Iowa caucus: a defining moment
The Iowa caucus on 3 January 2008 represented a crucial turning point in Barack Obama's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. This event demonstrated that Obama's innovative election strategy could deliver results against a more established opponent.
Obama's victory in Iowa proved several key points about his campaign approach. Unlike Hillary Clinton, who was tainted by her connection to her husband Bill Clinton among independent and Republican voters, Obama represented a fresh start. At over a decade younger than Clinton (in his forties compared to her late fifties), he successfully positioned himself as offering a new future rather than a return to the politics of the 1990s.
The results from Iowa revealed Obama's broad appeal beyond traditional Democratic voters. Whilst Clinton secured only four percent support from Democrat supporters and virtually none from non-Democrats, an impressive 36 percent of Obama's supporters identified themselves as non-Democrats. This cross-party appeal suggested Obama had a stronger chance of defeating the Republican candidate in the general election.
Grass-roots and internet campaigning
Obama built upon the successful grass-roots campaigning approach that had previously won him seats in both the Illinois state senate and the US Senate. However, his 2008 presidential campaign took this strategy to a new level by effectively harnessing the power of the internet and social media.
The Digital Revolution in Politics
The timing proved crucial. Between 1996 and 2007:
- Internet usage among Americans surged from just 2% to 26%
- Newspaper readership for political news declined from 49% to 30%
Obama's campaign team, led by David Plouffe, recognised this fundamental shift in how Americans consumed information and built their strategy accordingly.
Social media revolution
Obama's campaign made groundbreaking use of social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the dedicated website www.barackobama.com. This approach specifically targeted young voters, a demographic that research showed relied heavily on internet sources for campaign news – 42 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds used the internet as their primary source for following the election.
The social media strategy delivered measurable results well before the Iowa caucus. By spring 2007, over 450,000 people had registered their support for Obama's campaign online. This built a network of engaged supporters who could be mobilised for voting, volunteering and fundraising.
The inclusive nature of this approach meant Obama could reach voters across all age groups whilst Clinton began the race with traditional advantages of greater name recognition and more initial funding. Through digital platforms, Obama's campaign overcame these obstacles and steadily gained ground in the polls.
Innovative fundraising strategy
Obama's use of the internet proved particularly effective for raising campaign funds. This represented a significant departure from traditional fundraising methods that relied on wealthy donors and large contributions.
Using online platforms, Obama's campaign raised $6.9 million compared to only $4.2 million for Clinton's campaign. More importantly, this funding came from large numbers of small donations rather than a few major contributors. The average contribution to Obama's campaign was less than $200, demonstrating genuine grassroots financial support.
Advantages of the Grassroots Fundraising Model
This fundraising approach offered several key advantages:
- Created a broad base of invested supporters who felt personally connected to the campaign
- Meant Obama was less beholden to wealthy special interests, reinforcing his message of bringing change to Washington politics
- Demonstrated genuine grassroots support rather than reliance on establishment donors
Campaign messaging: change versus experience
Clinton's campaign team attempted to exploit Obama's relative political inexperience, positioning her as 'the candidate of experience'. Obama's team skilfully turned this attack into an advantage, portraying him as 'the candidate for change' who spoke for a new generation.
Obama's best-selling book 'The Audacity of Hope', published in 2006, reinforced this positioning. The book helped establish Obama's vision and values with potential voters before the campaign formally began.
The campaign slogan 'Yes We Can' increasingly became a central rallying cry. This positive, inclusive message contrasted with more negative campaign tactics and resonated with voters seeking optimism after years of divisive politics.
Obama's youth, energy, fresh face and status as a black American all proved attractive qualities across different ethnic and social groups of voters. He successfully presented himself as the underdog who could unite the country, rather than continue partisan divisions.
The primary election campaign
New Hampshire setback
Following the Iowa victory, Obama faced a setback in the New Hampshire primary on 8 January 2008. Clinton won with 39.1 percent of the vote compared to Obama's 36.5 percent. However, polling data from the New York Times revealed important trends in Obama's favour.
Voter Sentiment Despite the Loss
- 55 percent of voters believed Obama was most likely to bring needed change
- 53 percent felt he had a better chance than Clinton of defeating the Republicans in the general election
Clinton performed well with core Democratic voters, but Obama excelled among independents – voters not committed to either major party. This success with independents boded well for the remainder of the campaign, especially since Clinton was widely disliked by registered Republican voters.
South Carolina breakthrough
The South Carolina primary on 26 January 2008 delivered a major breakthrough for Obama's campaign. He won an overwhelming endorsement from black American voters and secured 55.4 percent of the overall vote compared to Clinton's 26.5 percent.
Following this victory, Obama received a significant boost when Edward and Caroline Kennedy – brother and daughter of former President John F. Kennedy – publicly endorsed his candidacy. This endorsement carried symbolic weight, linking Obama to the Kennedy legacy of inspirational leadership and progressive politics.
Super Tuesday
On Super Tuesday (5 February 2008), when 23 states and American Samoa held their primary and caucus elections, Obama won 13 contests to Clinton's 10. This demonstrated his campaign's ability to compete effectively across diverse regions of the country.
The final results and superdelegates
The Democratic nomination contest proved extremely close. In caucus elections, Obama won 383,317 votes (66.7 percent) against Clinton's 179,604 votes (31.2 percent). However, in primary elections, Clinton actually won the popular vote with 18 million votes (48.3 percent) compared to Obama's 17.6 million (47.1 percent).
The Superdelegate Factor
The crucial factor became superdelegate votes. These were additional delegates not chosen through caucuses or primary elections – they consisted of Democratic politicians and leading party members not committed to any particular candidate.
Obama successfully attracted superdelegate support, receiving 543 superdelegate votes against Clinton's 209. This significant advantage proved decisive in securing the nomination.
Before the Democratic National Convention, Obama held 1,741 delegates (41.8 percent) compared to Clinton's 1,643 (39.4 percent). When combined with his superdelegate advantage, this secured Obama the majority needed to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate.
Campaign management
Obama's success resulted partly from effective campaign management under David Plouffe, who concentrated resources on grass-roots and social media campaigning. He successfully outmanoeuvred and outspent Clinton's campaign.
In contrast, Clinton's campaign suffered from internal divisions and in-fighting between her chief strategists Mark Penn and Harold Ickes, which hampered its effectiveness.
An important social factor also influenced the outcome. Democratic voters proved readier to accept a male black American as their candidate rather than a woman, despite Clinton's experience and name recognition.
Policy platform
Obama's policy positions emphasised America's strengths whilst calling for change from President George W. Bush's Republican administration. He argued that Bush had taken the country in the wrong direction through costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the US economy had entered a crisis by 2008.
Economic policies
Obama focused heavily on economic issues, highlighting poor economic performance and the high costs of health care. He promised to provide decisive leadership from a new generation to end the economic recession and ensure hard-working Americans received a decent standard of living.
Obama's Economic Proposals
His economic platform included:
- An emergency economic plan to address the financial crisis
- Restoring trust in government and fiscal responsibility
- A broad-based middle-class tax cut to offset rising costs of petrol and food
- A foreclosure prevention fund to stabilise the housing market
- Measures to help families escape from debt and avoid deceptive lending practices
Obama emphasised that these policies would restore balance and fairness to the American economy after years of Bush administration policies that favoured the wealthy and well-connected.
Job creation and energy
Obama proposed promoting the energy independence of the USA whilst creating five million 'green jobs' in environmentally sustainable industries. This connected economic recovery with environmental concerns, appealing to voters worried about both employment and climate change.
Health care reform
Obama advocated a health care plan that would lower costs and provide those without health insurance the same coverage that members of Congress enjoyed. This addressed widespread concerns about the affordability and accessibility of health care in America.
Social security and retirement
He promised to stabilise Social Security and provide workers with increased opportunities for savings, addressing concerns about retirement security.
Citizen service
Like President John F. Kennedy before him, Obama promoted the concept of service to the nation. He encouraged voluntary citizen service and promised greater opportunity for all Americans, appealing to idealism and civic responsibility.
Foreign affairs
In foreign policy, Obama advocated ending US involvement in Iraq and spoke about turning the tide against global terrorism. This positioned him as someone who would pursue a different approach to national security than the Bush administration.
The Democratic National Convention
On 27 August 2008, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Barack Obama was formally confirmed as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. This marked a historic moment – the first time in American history that a black American had achieved such a position with a major political party.
Obama's rise proved remarkable in its speed. Before 2004, he was virtually unknown in national politics. Just four years later, he stood only two months away from potentially winning the presidency itself.
In a speech delivered in Flint, Michigan on 16 June 2008 (an area affected by severe unemployment), Obama outlined his vision for economic recovery. He explained that whilst short-term relief measures were necessary, America also needed "a serious plan to create new jobs and industry" for long-term prosperity.
Key Points to Remember
- Obama's victory in the Iowa caucus on 3 January 2008 proved his innovative campaign strategy could succeed against a more established opponent like Hillary Clinton
- The campaign's revolutionary use of internet and social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) effectively reached young voters and built grassroots support, with over 450,000 online supporters by spring 2007
- Obama raised more money than Clinton through numerous small donations averaging under $200, demonstrating genuine grassroots financial support
- His campaign slogan 'Yes We Can' and positioning as the candidate for change (rather than experience) resonated with voters seeking a break from Bush-era politics
- Despite losing the overall primary popular vote to Clinton, Obama secured the Democratic nomination through success in caucus states and, crucially, winning superdelegate support (543 to Clinton's 209)