Related to my review of Barack Obama’s autobiography, I thought it would be good to touch upon one of the most truly impressive campaigns in the last few decades – Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
First, perspective is important. Obama was a single-term senator with little national policy experience and little name recognition. This was the backdrop to his presidential primary run. He ultimately won that primary race against huge democrat names including, infamously, Hilary Clinton. Obama learned very quickly what worked and what didn’t which served him well in the battle for the White House. I’ll explore some of these points below. His campaign won against a long term senator, with huge foreign policy experience, great name recognition. Looking back, it might have seemed inevitable that Obama would win but truly it was one of the biggest political upsets of the last few decades.
Why did Obama win?
- The Internet – Obama’s campaign can be considered to be one of the first campaigns to make true use of the internet. In comparison to his opponent, Obama would use the internet to boost the viewer-ship of his speeches and running adverts through social media whereas McCain would end up using these methods sparingly. First time voters flocked to Obama, prompted by the growing use of social media and the easy connection Obama had established with voters online.
- Events – Ok, this one is perhaps a bit of a cheat because you cannot predict something like the 2008 financial crash happening in the middle of your campaign but how candidates respond to events are something that you can control. People began to associate the crash with the Republicans and by extension with John McCain. Obama appeared to the public as cool and collected and presented his plan to solve the crisis in a manner befitting a president. The opposition on the other hand seemed divided on their response and therefore appeared weak to voters.
- Money – Or rather, raising money. Combining fundraising with social media, Obama far outstripped McCain in being able to raise money for his campaign. The majority of his donations were small, with the average donation being 68 dollars. This tells you a lot. It means that the donations were from ordinary people rather than big companies. This means that Obamas public reach was widespread and he was able to use his social media to convince people to donate.
What can you learn from Obama’s campaign?
On the face of it, comparing your UK based campaign to Obama’s presidential run may not seem like there is much crossover but there are some takeaways that you can apply to your campaign. Use social media to connect to your audience and just how important this is. Door knocking is a worthwhile practice but it can only reach one person at a time. A post on social media can reach hundreds of your audience in an instant. The other take takeaway is using events to push your narrative, whether it is commenting on local matters or national ones, the public should know your position on the issues.
Hopefully, you’ve learnt something from the case study, until next time!