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Obama's victory was partly due to the weaknesses of his opponents. However, Obama's personality and image were the key factors that enabled his victory because they made him seem different from other candidates and gave him fresh appeal during a time of desire for change in America. Other contributing factors were Obama's campaign and policies, and the economic crisis, but they were underpinned by his personality, which allowed him to lead such a successful campaign and come across so strongly during the economic crisis.
The weaknesses of McCain's campaign did help Obama win the presidential election, but only because Obama used McCain's weaknesses to make himself appear stronger.
McCain was portrayed in the media as yesterday's man, being seventy-two years old, the oldest Republican candidate to stand for the presidency. In comparison to Obama, who was forty-seven years old, he seemed less modern and energetic, which reduced his appeal to the American audience.
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Also, McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, but this turned out to be a bad choice as she lacked political experience, particularly in foreign affairs, which became apparent when she was interviewed on TV. This allowed her opponents to portray her as a dunce. This lost her trust with many Americans and damaged McCain's campaign, accentuating the disadvantage of his age worse, because if he died, she would become president, and this was a popular fear. Palin seemed especially weak in comparison to Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, who was very knowledgeable about foreign affairs, making Obama's campaign seem more trustworthy in comparison to McCain's.
In addition, as a Republican candidate, McCain was tarnished by association with President Bush's administration, and this made him less appealing as many Americans felt that he would continue Bush's unpopular policies, such as the war in Iraq. This made Obama stand out as the candidate standing for change, helping him to further the impression he had already given. Therefore, McCain's mistakes, although not fatal in themselves, had a negative effect on his own campaign because they made Obama look stronger in comparison. However, if Obama was not already appealing due to his personality and rhetoric, it would not have had this effect.
Obama's personality and image were the things which fundamentally gave him the key to his success as they attracted Americans to him in the first place, allowing him to manage his campaign successfully. Obama, in contrast to McCain, was seen as a young, modern family man with a wife and two young children, making him appeal to many, particularly younger Americans. This was furthered by the desire for change in America at this time when many were fed up with Bush and Republican policies, and Obama's image as the candidate for change made good use of this frustration and gained him many supporters. This shows how McCain's weaknesses and associates served to accentuate Obama's appeal by highlighting the differences between them. Furthermore, Obama's persuasive rhetoric, playing on the idea of the American dream that anyone could become president, whatever their race or background, converted many voters to him, particularly white liberals who were attracted to the idea that America was now a post-racial country. His rhetoric also motivated a greater black and minority turnout, which gave him more votes because they felt inspired and represented by him. Overall, his personality allowed him to appeal to a wide range of Americans, which helped him to run a successful campaign by giving him a large scope for funding and motivating a higher turnout of voters supporting him.
Obama's campaign and policies were also contributing factors to his success because they enabled him to capitalize on McCain's weaknesses and broadcast an appealing image of himself. However, without Obama's attractive personality and powerful rhetoric to attract support in the beginning, his campaign would not have been able to have such an impact because it relied on his supporters to fund and spread it. Obama, unlike McCain, made a wise decision when choosing Joe Biden for his running mate, who was very experienced in foreign affairs, thereby filling in a weakness of Obama's, making their campaign seem stronger and more trustworthy. Also, Obama raised more money for his campaign than McCain by using the internet and social media, which attracted over three million donors. This allowed Obama to have four times as many campaign offices as McCain and outspend him in the key swing states, which were fundamental to gaining more votes. It also allowed Obama to embark on a major voter registration campaign, giving himself a greater turnout of supporters. However, it was Obama's personality and rhetoric that attracted his supporters in the first place; his campaign simply managed them effectively. Furthermore, Obama had more popular policies than McCain, such as an end to the war in Iraq and a healthcare program for the poor, which made him more appealing to many, although his policies mainly just made his image as a fresh, new candidate standing for change clearer. Therefore, without the attraction of Obama's personality and rhetoric, his campaign and policies would have had little impact.
The economic crisis was another factor contributing to Obama's success because it revealed how much stronger Obama seemed than McCain, making more Americans support Obama. In 2008, the US economy was in recession, and there was bankruptcy which McCain responded to badly by panicking, showing himself to be a weak leader in the face of difficulty. In contrast, Obama remained calm, showing himself to be strong and trustworthy. Obama also appealed to panicked Americans through his book 'Change we can believe in,' which boldly addressed family security issues and revealed his new approach to the economy. This furthered the impression of Obama as the candidate for change. Obama's economic policies were made more popular by Bush's unpopular bailout plan, which would cost US taxpayers billions of dollars. Overall, the economic crisis simply showed how much stronger Obama was than McCain and revealed the need for change, which made Obama stronger and more popular.
To conclude, while Obama's personality and image were important factors that allowed him to win the presidential election, his policies, campaign strategy, and response to the economic crisis also played significant roles. McCain's weaknesses highlighted the contrast between them, which made Obama's image even more appealing. However, Obama's success cannot be solely attributed to his personality and image. His effective management of his campaign, popular policies, and calm response to the economic crisis also contributed to his victory in the presidential election.
Factors that Led to Obama's Success in 00?. (2023, Apr 06). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-different-factors-contributing-to-the-success-of-barrack-obama-over-his-opponents-in-the-2008-elections-essay
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