Authors: Brian J. Gaines, James H. Kuklinski and Christopher Z. Mooney, IGPA faculty
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History will judge the 2008 presidential election as one our nation’s most significant. As the dust settles from the frenzy of an election season that lasted nearly two years, we may now take a more dispassionate look at exactly what occurred, how it occurred, and what implications these events will have for future elections.
The nation decisively elected its first non-white commander-in-chief; President Obama’s campaign raised previously unthinkable amounts of money through strategies thought to be hopeless; and millions of Americans cast their ballots through more “convenient” means. These are just a few of the myriad ways in which the election of the nation’s 44th president will change politics things for years to come.
Throughout the primary season and in the lead-up to the general election, many questions still lingered about the Obama candidacy’s most obvious defining factor: the candidate’s race. After his decisive win in Iowa silenced many pundits concerned about inherent racial biases and a possible “Bradley Effect,” these and other issues re-entered the battle between McCain and Obama in the summer and fall. While race played a defining role for the duration of the 2008 campaign season, it is still unclear to what extent it affected the election’s outcome and whether it will continue to affect President Obama as he attempts to bring the nation out of economic malaise.
The campaign finance landscape will never look the same, not after the Obama campaign’s record setting fundraising and spending efforts. Future campaigns will likely see the public financing system as politically unviable and will certainly use the Obama model in forming their own fundraising schemes. There are also lessons to be learned and applied in Illinois’ own quest to reform campaign finance and ensure all fundraising is legitimate. Decreasing the influence of special interest groups and strengthening support among small donors was one of the Obama campaign’s most lasting lessons, and encouraging small, individual donors is a concept Illinois policymakers should investigate further.
Early and absentee voting quickly became a hallmark of the autumn election season in 2008. These convenience voting options had wide-ranging impacts on campaign media strategy, get-out-the-vote efforts, and persuasion among the ranks of the undecided. The future implications involved with the expansion of non-traditional voting are several. While turnout will undoubtedly be boosted, these new options have the potential to threaten the concept of the secret ballot, create less informed voters, and diminish the community camaraderie that stems from doing one’s civic duty alongside his or her peers. Early voting did not have had the astronomical impact on overall turnout that was predicted. Despite this, it is poses logistical and governmental opportunities and challenges that should be thoughtfully assessed by all policymakers.
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