OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENCY—2004–09
● The importance of the politcal career of Barack Obama to 2006, including his electon as senator for Illinois in
2004.
How far was Obama’s electon to the Illinois state senate a turning point in his career to become a possible future
Democratc Party candidate for presidency?
Being elected to the Illinois state senate was the start of Obama’s politcal career and can only be considered a turning point
insofar as it gave him the opportunity to enhance his natonal proflee such as with the 2004 keynote speech at the DNC
which was a genuine turning point in his careere which was cemented into a real possibility during his tme in the US senatee
which it arguably contributed to.
Obama’s electon to the state senate in Illinois gave him both the statewide and natonal recogniton to put him on a path to
the US Senatee a quasi-leadership role in the Partye and later the nominaton and electon to the presidency. He had a good
recorde working crossparty to expand healthcaree early years educaton programmes for the poore and chaired the Health
and Human Services commitee and used his leadership role to improve the rights of suspects held by the police by requiring
videotaping of police investgatonse a popular measure. Howevere there are over a thousand state senatorse some of whom
achieve natonal proflese and whilst it helped him gain the nominaton and then electon to the US Senatee there were too
many subsequent obstacles for it to be considered a genuine turning point. Indeede Obama sufered a signifcant electoral
setback in spite of this record in 2000 when he ran for the House in Illinois’ 1st districte losing to former-Panther Bobby Rush.
Whilst the experience in the state senatee and in this electon gave laid the groundwork for his campaign in 2004 to the US
senatee it was not the most signifcant factor in that electon and did not lay the groundwork for natonal leadership that
would turn Obama into a possible presidental candidate.
Obama’s profle was only enhanced natonally afer delivering the keynote speech at the DNC in 2004. It gave him
considerable positve media coverage and made him into a natonal politcal fguree paving the way for his electon to the US
senate in 2004. He was able to display personality and rhetorical viewse an atractve familye moderate viewse and an
endearing personality to the natonal electoratee making politcal capital of his father’s American Dream story.
Commentators said that he outshone the presidental candidate that yeare John Kerrye and thus that laid the groundwork for
a natonal profle and the possibility of him becoming a future candidate himself. Thuse making the keynote speeche during
his tme as Illinois state senator can be seen as somewhat of a turning pointe turning Obama into a natonale rather than local
politcal fguree contributng to his subsequent electon to the US Senate representng Illinois in 2004 and the disproportonal
infuence he was able to exercise in that role. In order to be considered the candidate for change that made Obama into a
Democratc candidate for the presidencye it was signifcant that this journey to prominence was fast and the 2004 keynote
speech did this.
Howevere this was greatly enhanced during his tme as junior US senator for Illinois beginning in 2005e with his work in the
senate cementng his reputaton as a rising star in the Democratc Party. Despite being 99th in line in an insttuton with
seniority rulee Obama was able to raise his natonal profle. He persuaded the Democratc leadership in the Senate to give
him a seat on the Foreign Relatons Commitee. Despite being a liberal Democrate he was able to forge a reputaton for
bipartsanship and holding the government to accounte setng up a website with Republican Tom Coburn to track federal
spending and partnered a bill with Republican Richard Lugar to destroy nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Signifcantlye he was able to build a plaform during this tme to raise a profle and moneye becoming a sought afer campaign
speaker during the 2006 midtermse raising $1million for the campaign of Robert Byrd in West Virginiae which is speculated to
signifcant in his nominaton of Obama in the infuental positon as President Pro Tempore. He set up his Super Pace Hope
Funde which raised $1.8 million in its frst year. Soe in his tme as US Senatore he laid the groundworks for true leadership in
the Part contributng to the midterm victory and he announced his campaign in February 2007. Arguablye his success as state
senator and 2004 speech aided hime especially with the DNC being very suppoartve in his 2004 electon. Howevere with the
retring of the incumbent and facing a weak Republican replacement candidate afer Jack Ryan’s withdrawale he likely would
have won regardless and this can be considered a greater turning point.
In conclusione the electon to the state senate for Illinois did not turn Obama into a possible future Democratc Presidental
candidatee but it did give him the opportunity to make the keynote speech at the 2004 DNC which was signifcant in giving
● The importance of the politcal career of Barack Obama to 2006, including his electon as senator for Illinois in
2004.
How far was Obama’s electon to the Illinois state senate a turning point in his career to become a possible future
Democratc Party candidate for presidency?
Being elected to the Illinois state senate was the start of Obama’s politcal career and can only be considered a turning point
insofar as it gave him the opportunity to enhance his natonal proflee such as with the 2004 keynote speech at the DNC
which was a genuine turning point in his careere which was cemented into a real possibility during his tme in the US senatee
which it arguably contributed to.
Obama’s electon to the state senate in Illinois gave him both the statewide and natonal recogniton to put him on a path to
the US Senatee a quasi-leadership role in the Partye and later the nominaton and electon to the presidency. He had a good
recorde working crossparty to expand healthcaree early years educaton programmes for the poore and chaired the Health
and Human Services commitee and used his leadership role to improve the rights of suspects held by the police by requiring
videotaping of police investgatonse a popular measure. Howevere there are over a thousand state senatorse some of whom
achieve natonal proflese and whilst it helped him gain the nominaton and then electon to the US Senatee there were too
many subsequent obstacles for it to be considered a genuine turning point. Indeede Obama sufered a signifcant electoral
setback in spite of this record in 2000 when he ran for the House in Illinois’ 1st districte losing to former-Panther Bobby Rush.
Whilst the experience in the state senatee and in this electon gave laid the groundwork for his campaign in 2004 to the US
senatee it was not the most signifcant factor in that electon and did not lay the groundwork for natonal leadership that
would turn Obama into a possible presidental candidate.
Obama’s profle was only enhanced natonally afer delivering the keynote speech at the DNC in 2004. It gave him
considerable positve media coverage and made him into a natonal politcal fguree paving the way for his electon to the US
senate in 2004. He was able to display personality and rhetorical viewse an atractve familye moderate viewse and an
endearing personality to the natonal electoratee making politcal capital of his father’s American Dream story.
Commentators said that he outshone the presidental candidate that yeare John Kerrye and thus that laid the groundwork for
a natonal profle and the possibility of him becoming a future candidate himself. Thuse making the keynote speeche during
his tme as Illinois state senator can be seen as somewhat of a turning pointe turning Obama into a natonale rather than local
politcal fguree contributng to his subsequent electon to the US Senate representng Illinois in 2004 and the disproportonal
infuence he was able to exercise in that role. In order to be considered the candidate for change that made Obama into a
Democratc candidate for the presidencye it was signifcant that this journey to prominence was fast and the 2004 keynote
speech did this.
Howevere this was greatly enhanced during his tme as junior US senator for Illinois beginning in 2005e with his work in the
senate cementng his reputaton as a rising star in the Democratc Party. Despite being 99th in line in an insttuton with
seniority rulee Obama was able to raise his natonal profle. He persuaded the Democratc leadership in the Senate to give
him a seat on the Foreign Relatons Commitee. Despite being a liberal Democrate he was able to forge a reputaton for
bipartsanship and holding the government to accounte setng up a website with Republican Tom Coburn to track federal
spending and partnered a bill with Republican Richard Lugar to destroy nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Signifcantlye he was able to build a plaform during this tme to raise a profle and moneye becoming a sought afer campaign
speaker during the 2006 midtermse raising $1million for the campaign of Robert Byrd in West Virginiae which is speculated to
signifcant in his nominaton of Obama in the infuental positon as President Pro Tempore. He set up his Super Pace Hope
Funde which raised $1.8 million in its frst year. Soe in his tme as US Senatore he laid the groundworks for true leadership in
the Part contributng to the midterm victory and he announced his campaign in February 2007. Arguablye his success as state
senator and 2004 speech aided hime especially with the DNC being very suppoartve in his 2004 electon. Howevere with the
retring of the incumbent and facing a weak Republican replacement candidate afer Jack Ryan’s withdrawale he likely would
have won regardless and this can be considered a greater turning point.
In conclusione the electon to the state senate for Illinois did not turn Obama into a possible future Democratc Presidental
candidatee but it did give him the opportunity to make the keynote speech at the 2004 DNC which was signifcant in giving
