The Exceptional Election of 2008: Performance, Values, and Crisis
The Exceptional Election of 2008: Performance, Values, and Crisis James E. Campbell University at Buffalo, SUNY Presidential Studies Quarterly, forthcoming. Abstract This research examines influences on the 2008 presidential election. With an unpopular Republican president, an unpopular war, and a slumping economy, 2008 looked to be a good year for the Democrats. On the other hand, open seat elections have been historically close and less affected by retrospective considerations. Moreover, partisanship, ideological polarization, and contested nominations in both parties inclined the electorate to an even division. McCain’s more centrist record and Obama’s race also seemed to favor the Republicans. Taken together, these factors set the stage for a closely decided election. It was shaping up in the polls that way until the Wall Street meltdown hit in mid-September. It was the “game changer” that tipped the election to Obama. Authors’s Bio James E. Campbell is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Author of over sixty journal articles and book chapters about American politics, his most recent book is the second edition of The American Campaign (Texas A&M, 2008). The Exceptional Election of 2008: Performance, Values, and Crisis1 Bringing several years of nomination and general election campaigns to a close, more than 131 million voters cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election and elected Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain. The two-party popular vote split 53.7 percent for Obama to 46.3 percent for McCain. With 365 electoral votes cast from 28 states and the District of Columbia (with one electoral vote from Nebraska) for Obama and 173 electoral votes from 22 states cast for McCain, Senator Barack Obama was elected to serve as the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to occupy the office.
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