President Barack Obama’s historic run as the commander-in-chief didn’t officially begin until his election in November 2008, but his journey began months earlier. Ten years ago, Obama won the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, the first Black person to win such a bid from a major U.S. political party.
Obama, then a junior senator from Illinois, was one of the Party’s rising stars; a gifted orator who was once a community activist and law professor. Despite his charm and intelligence, he faced a formidable political foe in Hillary Clinton, the former First Lady New York senator. Touting the legacy of her husband, President Bill Clinton, and her own political experiences, many favored Mrs. Clinton in her bid to become the nation’s first female president.
In a primary that was hotly contested and downright brutal at times, Obama triumphed in the end. This boost in voting turnout for the primaries was due to Obama’s campaign, promising “hope” and sweeping changes in how politics was done in Washington, and the fact he represented a potential new wave of forward-thinking world leaders who could possibly cross the rough waves of partisan politics.
With endorsements coming from the likes of former President Jimmy Carter, Oprah Winfrey, members of the hip-hop and celebrity community including Beyoncé and Jay-Z and many others, Obama remained poised, focusing on the end goal. He handily won the presidential election that fall with his running mate Sen. Joe Biden, besting Sen. John McCain and his running mate, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
President Obama served two terms before the Republicans gained back Oval Office with former business mogul and reality television star Donald Trump besting Hillary Clinton in her second attempt in winning the White House.
PHOTO: Barack Obama official
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