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Barack Obama announces his candidacy
After deliberation since late 2006, Barack Obama announces his candidacy for president through self-nomination. -
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Barack Obama participates in debates and makes television appearances
Barack Obama gains popularity as opposition loses power -
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Democratic Caucuses, Primary, and Conventions
Barack Obama win the majority of the democratic caucuses, conventions, and primaries. Former opponents endorse Obama. -
Iowa Caucus
Obama wins the Iowa Caucus with 37.6% of delegates. -
New Hampshire Primary
Hillary Clinton defeats Obama by a margin of 39.1 percent to 36.5 percent -
Super Tuesday
Obama won 13 of 22 states on Super Tuesday: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah. -
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Democratic National Convention
In the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Barack Obama is officially nominated for president. -
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Advertisements
Barack Obama’s campaign created a number of positive ads that emphasize such words as “values” and “work,” portraying him as someone whom working-class voters can feel comfortable with. While Obama’s ads tended to be more positive in tone than McCain’s, there were also a large number of attack ads. Nearly all of Obama’s attack ads linked John McCain with President Bush, whose approval ratings are extremely low. By linking McCain to Bush, the Obama campaign undercut McCain’s image -
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Republican National Convention
John McCain is nominated by the Republican party in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota -
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Presidential Debates
The first presidential debate was held on Friday, September 26, 2008.
The second presidential debate was held on Tuesday, October 7, 2008.
The third presidential debate was held on Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
The turning point of the campaign is when Obama questioned McCain's ideas on the financial downturn and he had no suggestions and had not read Henry Paulson’s $700 billion three-page bank recovery plan. -
Election Day
Barack Obama wins 52.92 percent of the popular vote and 365 electoral votes compared to McCain's 45.66 percent and 173 electoral votes.