The democratic primary in 2008 is one of the most fascinating elections of american politics in modern times, which will be analyzed for generations to come. The first serious female presidential candidate from one major party and the first serious afro-american candidate for the oval office exited not only the democratic party but the whole global public.
As President Obama is now in 2014 in the midst of his second term and speculation as well as expectation are rising on a second run of his democratic rival from foe and fried of former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: So it is worth to examine the democratic race of the giants that put light in the biggest remaining glass celling’s of society race and gender. This paper will tell and analyze the democratic campaign from the Clinton perspective in 08 in the context of an anticipated second run in 2016.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Setting the Stage from January 20th 2007 till 3th January 2008
3 The Iowa Caucuses
4 Five days to New Hampshire
5 Nevada and South Carolina
6 Tsunami Tuesday
7 Obama’s post Super Tuesday Wave
8 Junior Super Tuesday
9 Pennsylvania
10 Game Change Indiana & North Carolina?
11 Endgame
12 Conclusion and Outlook
13 Appendix
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the 2008 Democratic primary race from Hillary Clinton's perspective, analyzing the factors that led to her unexpected defeat against Barack Obama and contextualizing these events for a potential future presidential run. It explores how strategic decisions, campaign financing, and shifting demographic support influenced the outcome of the primary cycle.
- Strategic analysis of the Clinton campaign's internal decision-making processes.
- Impact of major campaign events and milestones, such as Iowa and Super Tuesday.
- Evaluation of candidate electability and demographic voter support patterns.
- Analysis of the shift from a traditional campaign model to the 2008 national primary structure.
- Assessment of the role of campaign finance and resource allocation.
Excerpt from the Book
3 The Iowa Caucuses
Except of Obama’s home state and the home states of the other Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton lead additional to her often huge national figures and almost all of the state polls as well. Except of the state polls of Iowa. Most political insiders and experts expected that the Democratic candidate for the general election would be clear after the early voting states Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and the Super Tuesday Primary that collected as many states as never before.
Clinton lead in double digits in New Hampshire and many in the Clinton camp called New Hampshire as her fire wall. Moreover Clinton enjoyed huge leads in Nevada and lead early in South Carolina and even after the sensational endorsement of Oprah Winfrey for Obama – she ran neck and neck in the public polls against Obama in South Carolina. John Edwards the third important player in the democratic primary was the former Senator of neighboring state North Carolina and born in South Carolina – but don’t attracted impressive numbers in the state polls of South Carolina until this moment. Moreover the running mate of John Kerry started to campaign in Iowa literally since the defeat of Kerry on election night 2004. Therefore Edwards was the early favorite in the state polls of Iowa, that indicated him with a big as well as impressive lead.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign journey and the political context of the primary race.
2 Setting the Stage from January 20th 2007 till 3th January 2008: Describes the initial field of Democratic candidates and the early strategic positioning of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
3 The Iowa Caucuses: Analyzes the significant impact of the Iowa results and the shift in momentum toward Barack Obama.
4 Five days to New Hampshire: Details the period following the Iowa results and the financial and political pressures mounting on the Clinton campaign.
5 Nevada and South Carolina: Discusses the subsequent primary contests and the critical role of ethnic minority voters in these states.
6 Tsunami Tuesday: Examines the strategy and results of the massive multi-state voting day that reshaped the race.
7 Obama’s post Super Tuesday Wave: Covers the continued growth of Obama's momentum following the Super Tuesday results.
8 Junior Super Tuesday: Highlights the competitive battles in states like Texas and Ohio and the high-stakes campaign tactics utilized.
9 Pennsylvania: Focuses on the intense campaigning and the demographic challenges faced by candidates in Pennsylvania.
10 Game Change Indiana & North Carolina?: Looks at the strategic efforts made by Clinton to win these states and the impact of controversies on the campaign.
11 Endgame: Summarizes the final phase of the primary, focusing on the delegate count and the formal conclusion of the race.
12 Conclusion and Outlook: Reflects on lessons learned from the 2008 primary and discusses implications for future democratic primary contests.
13 Appendix: Contains original source documents, including transcripts and campaign memos.
Keywords
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Democratic Primary 2008, Campaign Strategy, Super Tuesday, Iowa Caucuses, Delegate Allocation, Political Momentum, Electability, Voter Demographics, Campaign Finance, US Political Party System, John Edwards, Presidential Election, Political Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper provides a comprehensive assessment of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential primary campaign, analyzing the strategic failures and successes that led to her loss against Barack Obama.
What are the central themes discussed in the document?
Key themes include campaign strategy and resource allocation, the shift in political momentum during the primary cycle, candidate electability, and the impact of demographic trends on voting behavior.
What is the central research question?
The research explores why the "inevitable" frontrunner Hillary Clinton lost the 2008 Democratic primary to Barack Obama and how these lessons were relevant for her potential political future.
Which research methods were applied?
The document uses descriptive analysis, review of primary source documents such as campaign memos, examination of historical polling data, and analysis of media coverage during the 2008 election cycle.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body chronicles the timeline of the 2008 Democratic primaries, starting from the early stage setting, through key contests like Iowa, Super Tuesday, and finally the endgame, incorporating both campaign strategies and election outcomes.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The primary keywords include Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Democratic Primary 2008, Campaign Strategy, Super Tuesday, and Delegate Allocation.
What specific event in 2007 signaled a potential shift in strategy for the Clinton campaign?
A leaked internal memorandum surfaced that advised the campaign to potentially pull resources from Iowa and focus on subsequent primary states due to the high cost and low projected returns of an Iowa-first strategy.
How did the Clinton campaign attempt to address their financial struggles post-Iowa?
They invested personal funds from the Clinton family and adjusted their media strategy, including targeting specific demographics through radio and television advertising, while also attempting to leverage support from traditional constituencies.
What role did delegate allocation play in the results?
The complex rules of delegate allocation, particularly the focus on Congressional District levels versus state-wide totals, created significant challenges that required specific strategic targeting to maximize delegate counts.
- Quote paper
- Oliver Märtin (Author), 2014, The Frontrunner's Fall in the Democratic Primary 2008. Analyze of Clinton’s Run, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/300657
