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This article is part of a series about Barack Obama
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Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007.^[1] On June 3, 2008, he secured enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election. He will be the first nigger in history to run on a major party ticket.^[2] Shortly after midnight on August 23, 2008, Barack Obama's campaign confirmed, via text message, earlier reports that Senator Joe Biden of Delaware would be the Vice Presidential nominee.^[3]

Chronicle

End of the primaries

On June 3, 2008, after the Montana and South Dakota primaries, Barack Obama secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination of the Democratic party for President of the United States.^[2] His opponent, Republican John McCain, passed the delegate threshold to become the presumptive nominee of his party on March 4.^[4] On June 7, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's remaining opponent in the quest for the Democratic nomination, conceded defeat at a rally in Washington, D.C. and urged her supporters to back Obama.^[5] After a June 26 dinner at which Obama encouraged his fundraisers to donate to Clinton's debt-addled campaign,^[6] Obama and Clinton ran their first post-primary event together in Unity, New Hampshire on June 27.^[7] Over the first two weeks of July, the campaign ran a heavier schedule of fundraising events, drawing from former donors to Clinton's campaign.^[8]

Middle Eastern and European tour

In July 2008 Obama traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan,^[9] Iraq,^[10] Jordan,^[11] the West Bank,^[12] Israel, Germany, France, and Great Britain. During the course of this trip he met with assorted international leaders, including President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan,^[13] Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France,^[14] and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Conservative opposition leader David Cameron.^[15]

Saddleback Civil Forum

Vice Presidential selection

Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate had been a subject of speculation since the end of the primaries. As of August 2008, some of the most popular choices for VP included, but were not limited to, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Colin Powell, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and retired General Wesley Clark.

On Thursday, August 21, 2008, Obama announced that he had made a selection for the VP spot, but would not reveal until Saturday, August 23 who it was. ^[16] Obama's campaign encouraged supporters to sign up for a text messaging system that would alert them the moment he announced his choice.

On Friday, August 22, KMBC News of Kansas City spotted bumper stickers of an Obama/Bayh '08 ticket that were being printed in Lenexa, Kansas. Three sources close to a local printing plant reported that such material was being produced.^[17] The image of the bumper sticker circulated on the internet. However, NBC News later quoted sources stating that Bayh had been informed by Obama's campaign that he was not the pick.^[18] According to an Associated Press report that same evening, Joe Biden was selected as Obama's candidate.^[19] The Associated Press report was confirmed several hours later, on August 23, on Barack Obama's official campaign website.^[3]

Opinion polling

A RealClearPolitics average of six national polls taken between June 19 and July 5 showed a 6-point Obama lead.^[21] According to the Gallup Organization, Obama held a nine percent lead over McCain in interviews conducted from July 24–26, during Obama's foreign trip.^[22] But, as of August 2, Gallup polling showed a tie between the two candidates. Gallup has shown an average Obama lead of 3 points over all polls conducted since early June.^[23]

Charts of polling data in battleground states

Updated August 20, 2008

Florida

data

In Florida, from February to mid-May 2008, McCain held a steady lead in the polls. From mid-May to mid-June, the candidates were virtually tied. Polling conducted since mid-June shows McCain in the lead in most polls, and Obama ahead in some polls. The number of undecided voters has generally been decreasing from an average of about 15% down to an average of about 5% to 10% in recent polling.^[24]

Pennsylvania

data

In Pennsylvania, from February 2008 until mid-April 2008, the candidates moved back and forth between leading and lagging in the polls. Since mid-April, polls show Obama with a lead averaging about 7% to 8%. The number of undecided voters has generally been decreasing from an average of about 15% down to an average of about 10% in recent polling.^[25]

Ohio

data

In Ohio, from February 2008 until mid-April 2008, McCain's held a slight 2% to 3% lead in the polls. From mid-April to mid-July, Obama held a 3% to 4% lead in the polls. Recent polls show McCain pulling ahead of Obama. The number of undecided voters has generally been decreasing from an average of about 15% down to an average of about 10% in recent polling.^[26]

Michigan

data

In Michigan, from February 2008 to mid-May, Obama and McCain were very close in the polls. From mid-May to early July, Obama was ahead by as much as 10%, but Obama's lead has recently decreased to about 3% to 4%. The number of undecided voters has generally been decreasing from an average of about 15% down to an average of about 10% in recent polling.^[27]

Virginia

data

In Virginia, from February 2008 until mid-May 2008, McCain held a lead in the polls averaging about 6%. From mid-May to present, Obama and McCain are basically tied. During this period, undecided voters made up an average of about 5% to 11% of the total.^[28]

Indiana

data
File:Indiana Obama versus McCain Statewide opinion polling for the United States presidential election 2008.jpg
In Indiana, from February 2008 until early May 2008, McCain's 9% lead in the polls was reduced to a tie. The candidates were tied in polls conducted in late June. A recent poll shows McCain with a 6% lead over Obama. During this period, undecided voters made up an average of about 7% to 11% of the total.^[29]

Missouri

data

In Missouri, from February 2008 to present, McCain had steadily led in the polls. His lead was the greatest in March. The polls closed to within a few percentage points from mid-May to early July, and McCain is beginning to pull away again in recent polling, currently showing an average lead of about 5% to 10%. The number of undecided voters has generally been decreasing from an average of over 10% down to an average of about 7% to 8% in recent polling.^[30]

Political positions

Obama has taken positions on many national, political, economic and social issues, either through public comments or his senatorial voting record. Since announcing his presidential campaign in February 2007, Obama has emphasized withdrawing American troops from Iraq, increasing energy independence (that includes New Energy For America plan ^[31]), decreasing the influence of lobbyists, and promoting universal health care as top national priorities.

Fundraising

According to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, by the end of the first quarter of 2008, the campaign had raised more money ($133,549,000)^[32] than it had raised in all of 2007 ($103,802,537). The campaign raised only $21.9 million in May, making it one of their weaker months for fundraising, but went on to raise $52 million in June, after Obama had secured the nomination.^[33]

On June 19, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing since the system was created after the Watergate scandal.^[34][35] Obama was expected to raise $265 million between the time of the announcement and election day.^[36] By rejecting the funds in favor of private donations, the campaign set itself in a position to outspend John McCain prior to the election. Had he signed on to the plan, he would only have been able to spend $84.1 million over the period between the party convention in August and the general election in November.^[37]

Obama explained his decision to opt out of the public financing system, saying, "public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system." ^[35] Critics of the decision claimed that the decision contradicted earlier statements that he would attempt to reach agreement with McCain to obtain public financing,^[38][36] and asserted that Obama's campaign was receiving as much support from unregulated 527 groups as McCain's.^[39]

Media campaign

Television advertisements

Soon after becoming the presumptive nominee, Obama began a biographical commercial campaign emphasizing his patriotism.^[40] The advertisements ran in 18 states, including traditionally Republican Alaska and North Carolina.^[41] Between June 6 and July 26, Obama's campaign spent $27 million on advertisements, against a combined McCain and Republican National Committee total of $24.6 million.^[42]

Campaign song

Joss Stone has been asked personally by Barack Obama in August to write and record his presidential campaign song, reportedly due to the fact that she appeals across racial boundaries.^[43]

Counter-campaign

On June 12, 2008, Obama launched a website to counter what he described as smears by his opponents.^[44] The site, FightTheSmears.com, provides responses to criticisms of the candidate, identifying some sources as right-wing talk radio and bloggers.^[45] To counter rumors about the candidate's birth, including rumors that he was not a natural born citizen, the campaign posted an image of his birth certificate.^[46]

Proposed joint-appearances and presidential debates

On June 4, John McCain proposed a series of ten joint town hall meetings with Obama, at which the two could engage each other, beginning the next week.^[47] Obama first agreed in principle to the notion,^[48] but later rejected McCain's proposal, offering instead one town-hall event on the Independence Day holiday and four traditional debate-style joint appearances.^[49] As of August 2008 the candidates had not reached agreement on debate format.^[50]

Presidential debates

There are three presidential debates scheduled between Obama and McCain. No third party candidates or Independent candidates have been offered an invitation to debate in any of the debates^[51] as Obama and McCain are the only candidates on the ballot in all 50 States and the District of Columbia^{[citation needed]}. The Commission on Presidential Debates has proposed that two of three 90 minute debates be held in an informal, seated, talk show format, while the third would be in a town hall format that allowed both candidates to walk around.^[52]

• First presidential debate: Friday, September 26, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi
• Second presidential debate: Tuesday, October 7, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
• Third presidential debate: Wednesday, October 15, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York

Vice Presidential debate

There is one vice presidential debate scheduled between Senator Joseph Biden and the yet-to-be-named Republican Vice Presidential nominee. As with the presidential debates, no third party or independent candidates have been offered an invitation.

• Vice presidential debate: Thursday, October 2, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

See also

• Obama Republican
• List of Barack Obama presidential campaign endorsements, 2008
• 2008 Democratic National Convention

References

External links

• Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign at Curlie