2008 Primaries

Democratic Party presidential primaries 2008

This paper is targeting at explaining the significance of Barack Obama’s 2008 democratic primaries victory as well as its causes and consequences. Primaries are elections that take place before the general state ones in order to select candidates. There are seven types of primaries in the U.S. Closed ones in which the right to vote belongs only to registered party members; they exist in thirteen states. Semi-closed primaries also allow to vote only party members, though unaffiliated voters enjoy this right as well; the system exists in another thirteen states. All voters can participate freely in open ones regardless of party affiliation. The main drawback of this kind of primaries

There are not so many countries which choose candidates by the means of popular vote nowadays. At a time in the U.S. party leaders were responsible of selecting nominees. It has been changed in order to make primaries more democratic and it is largely connected to American progressive movement. There is a strong criticism of the schedule of primaries favouring some states to influence the course of the race as primaries take place first in these states. That is why the Democratic National Committee - the main body of the Democratic Party carrying out campaigns to support its candidates, suggested a new schedule for 2008 primaries, starting earlier a year with States from West to South and penalizing those who did not agree. ( так сделали так или нет?!) Primaries of 2008 lasted from January, 3 till June 3. On total there were 4050 delegates (797 unpledged super delegates and 3253 pledged elected ones). The presidential primaries consisted of both primary elections and caucuses. The aim was to elect a simple majority to the DNC, that was held August

However she reassured them that she will not lose her spirit until all states vote. Chris Dodd and Joe Bidden withdrew their candidatures right after caucuses in Iowa. In New Hampshire John Edwards sided Obama. He claimed that he and Obama are more likely to bring about changes. Clinton was sceptic about such statements insisting on steady and hard work rather than mere promises. Moreover, she became probably too emotional for a political figure during her campaign in New Hampshire receiving many critics and being always under the attention of media. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/07/clinton.emotional/index.html#cnnSTCText In Nevada Obama was more popular in rural areas and won delegate vote, though Clinton beat him in popular one. Kucinich withdrew. Edwards lost his support. In South Carolina Bill Clinton supported actively his wife but experts said that thus Hillary lost the support of African American population of the state. Moreover he campared Obama’s campaign to the victory of Jesse Jackson nineteen years before, for what he was widely criticized for being somewhat racist. At the end of January Edwards withdrew but did not sided anyone yet.

There was a dramatic dispute whether to take into account primaries held in Michigan and Florida and brought a huge victory to Clinton but which had been launched without authorization in January. After the fights between