PROFILE: Obama's meteoric rise from obscurity to nomination

US News

Jun 4, 2008, 4:22 GMT

Washington - Barack Obama was an obscure state legislator from Chicago when he challenged a popular, four-term black US congressman in the Democratic Party primary in 2000. Democratic presidential candidate US Senator Barack Obama speaks to supporters at the Xcel Center in St . Paul, Minnesota, USA, 03 June 2008. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination after a five-month battle with Hillary Clinton, becoming the first African American to lead a major political party into a general election in the United States. EPA/CRAIG LASSIG

Democratic presidential candidate US Senator Barack Obama speaks to supporters at the Xcel Center in St . Paul, Minnesota, USA, 03 June 2008. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination after a five-month battle with Hillary Clinton, becoming the first African American to lead a major political party into a general election in the United States. EPA/CRAIG LASSIGHe lost in a landslide, but Obama caught the attention of Chicago's political establishment by showing what Chicago politics expert Paul Green called 'the audacity to challenge an incumbent congressman in that district.' Just eight years later, Obama is heading for a general election in November that could make him the first-ever African-American president. In 2004, as the Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat from Illinois, Obama got an unusual opportunity to deliver a prime-time address to the party's national convention. He captured the imagination of the national media and Democrats across the country with a speech advocating typical centre-left policies, but skillfully leavened with idealistic calls for unity. In words that are now standard components of his presidential stump speech, Obama struck a chord at the Boston convention: 'There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America.' Young and charismatic, he ran away with Illinois' Senate seat in the November 2004 general election, and arrived in Washington with a team of unusually prominent advisors for a freshman senator. It soon became clear that Obama was weighing a presidential bid, and in February 2007 he declared himself a candidate. Well organized from the beginning, his campaign was quickly able to compete with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton's own formidable fundraising machine, making him an immediate, legitimate contender. After posting a surprise victory in the January 2008 Iowa caucus, Obama battled Clinton to a draw in the so-called Super Tuesday primaries a few weeks later. He dominated the former first lady for the rest of February and never again relinquished his lead in the race to the Democratic nomination, which has been among the closest contests in the history of the major US political parties. He was the youngest candidate in the 2008 presidential field and will be 47 when he accepts the nomination at the Democratic convention in August in Denver, Colorado. The roots of Obama's success can be seen in his early political career. The son of a Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas, he is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School who chose social activism and community organizing in poor neighbourhoods on Chicago's South Side over what could have been a high-powered legal career. As a presidential candidate, Obama has what is often described as a 'post-racial' appeal that crosses social lines with unusual ease. The outlines of the unusual coalition that secured his presidential nomination were already visible in his Illinois state legislative district: progressive, urban professionals and disadvantaged minority communities. Obama's failed 2000 congressional bid actually saw him do better with voters in mostly white suburbs than among the inner-city blacks who were a majority in the district. Battling an African-American incumbent, Obama found himself accused of being 'a white man with a black face,' Green recalled. 'He's always had the ability to get votes from upper-income, well- educated white folks,' said Green, a political science professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Obama's presidential run was ignited in 2007 by support - and an unprecedented flood of campaign donations - from a similar base of affluent, mostly white voters. Only after proving his viability in the Iowa caucus did African Americans, who have been the Democratic Party's most reliable constituency, move en masse to back Obama. Despite the unifying themes of his lofty rhetoric, Obama's positions on issues are the conventional stuff of the centre-left Democrats: rapid withdrawal from Iraq, scepticism toward free trade, higher taxes on the wealthy, government-organized health care. 'He is who he is. He's basically a Kansas Kenyan,' said Green. 'It's now working for him.'

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crazykasimJun 4th, 2008 - 05:26:40

Congrats, a well earned victory

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sorayaJun 4th, 2008 - 05:32:45

I do not care much for Obama, his name says it all, we have to star praying, do you really know who paid for his campaig?

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Iraq Vet MarineJun 4th, 2008 - 05:46:24

What caused my family and Marines, to embrace the movement to a new stronger United States of America, was honesty being told in politics for a first time in our short lifetime (34 years).

When Presidential Candidate Obama was the first of all the candidates to even make mention about Iraq War Vets and our needs returning from war, it was a sad day in many vets whom believed that Senator McCain would be the first to acknowledge us. This led many in my Battalion to change our votes for Senator Obama.

As for Senator Clinton, in only opinion, she didn't concede for two reasons:

1) She feels that she can hold her supporter's votes hostage for a strong placement in the Obama Presidency Cabinet.

2) Deep down inside, she's waiting on the prophetic words of an Obama Assassination by her own lips, to come to past, resulting in her stepping in to a nomination as the candidate to live Senator Obama's legacy for him.

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JoeJun 4th, 2008 - 05:46:39

@soraya

His name says what exactly?

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Semper Fidelis/McCain 08Jun 4th, 2008 - 08:17:47

Is that you Jesse Macbeth?

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To idiots like Soraya.....Jun 4th, 2008 - 14:07:33

tell us what does it mean...like all ill informed idiots who speak without thinking racism and prejudice still lives strongly.... God Bless

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another Obama supporterJun 4th, 2008 - 14:35:37

Obama is the first presidental canidate I supported with $, I gave Obama $750.00. America needs leaders who will deal with real issues like global warming, pollution, run-a-way military spending, squandering oil etc. McCain is just Bush's henchman. Clinton is also from the status quo. Maybe Obama can move the USA to some sanity. Imagine if Bush has spent the trillion (he squandered in Iraqi) on rapid transit? Every city over 100,000 persons would have fast light rail that would be the envy of Europe. Or he could have solarized the USA electric grid., or maybe both. We need a president with vision beyond looking for looking for the closest greasy McDonalds fries and bloated SUV.

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CharlesJun 4th, 2008 - 17:08:13

@ Obama supporter

'America needs leaders who will deal with real issues like global warming,'

What do you mean 'deal with'? That's pretty vague. Do you know anything about it? Do you think the US should unilaterally impose a huge tax on its struggling industries and reduce its global competitiveness while other countries that pollute even more do nothing? China now produces more greenhouse gasses than US. According to the last 10 million years of climate cycles, we are actually due for another ice age...

'pollution,'

Are you impling that McCain is 'for' pollution? What is your candidate proposing specifically and what impacts would those proposals have when implemented?

'run-a-way military spending,'

I'm in favor of efficient military spending as long as our capabilities 'over' match potential threats by a wide margin. What does your candidate propose? I am also in favor of nipping threats in the bud before they ripen and cause hundreds of millions of deaths.

'squandering oil etc. McCain is just Bush's henchman.'

Really? Is the world's dependence on oil somehow Bush's fault in your mind? Does Obama think the same thing? That's pretty stupid. Can you name anything specific and significant that Bush did to 'squander oil'? I wonder if he is really so much worse than Dem leaders/former Presidents...

Or by 'squander' do you mean 'supports continued exploration and development of domestic sources'?

'Maybe Obama can move the USA to some sanity.'

Maybe he can. But we need to define 'sanity' and see what his specific proposals are. I am sure you realize that this 'change' rhetoric is repeated every single god damned election cycle by the non-incumbent candidate for time immemorial. You know that - right? Sure Obama is a gifted and compelling speaker, and for sure civilization can be improved, but I don't think Obama has presented any verifiable evidence that he has the vision and will and capability to get anything done.

'Imagine if Bush has spent the trillion (he squandered in Iraqi) on rapid transit?'

What makes you think Obama would/could? What makes you think Bush squandered 1 trillion? What would continued containment have cost? What other costs would have been incurred? You do realize that congress approves all spending - don't you?

'would be the envy of Europe.'

This is a very common thread among you people. You are awfully concerned about what Europe thinks of you. And anyway, Europe is not a monolith. For example, The Brits and Germans hate the French. The Italians find the Germans overbearing. The Poles and Czech's just want a piece of the pie, etc.

'Or he could have solarized the USA electric grid., or maybe both.'

Wait, but why didn't the Dems push for any of these things previously? Did Obama take a stand on these issues? Its funny how simpletons like to blame the current President for everything they don't like about the universe when hundreds of members of congress are silent in their powerful pulpits.

'We need a president with vision beyond looking for looking for the closest greasy McDonalds fries and bloated SUV.'

I wonder if this grand delusion/illusion you have concocted in your mind is just that, and if Obama isn't just another bright, eloquent politician hoping to capitalize on your inexperience.

Good luck to him though. I look forward to his debates with McCain!

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My tax dollars at work.Jun 4th, 2008 - 20:42:14

'Obama is the first presidental[sic] canidate[sic] I supported with $[sic], I gave Obama $750.00.'

I didn't know the campaigns accepted food stamps now.

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Charlie boy.Jun 4th, 2008 - 21:23:16

Get a grip and get It fast.

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