Liberal gains and conservative backlash in the Obama years: 2006-present

1. Liberal gains and conservative backlash in the Obama years: 2006-present By: Brandon, Alana, and Jordan

2. 2006 Election: Reasons for Democratic Party Success • Reasons For Win • Most important issue during the election was the war in Iraq and more importantly President Bush’s handling of it • Majority of voters disapproved of the war or expressed desire to withdraw troops • The public also voted specifically because of personal dislike for Bush • Opposition comes from many of his policies and actions such as his Social Security Plan and the slow response to Hurricane Katrina • Congressional support for the war also began to decrease • Congress was controlled by Republicans and the high disapproval affected Republicans more than Democrats • Terri Schiavo Controversy and Mark Folly Scandal • Democrats successfully portrayed the congress as lazy, corruptive, egotistical, and greedy.

3. 2006 Election: Effects for Democratic Party Success • Effects were • General nationwide advantage for Democrats who were not seen as tied up in the war as Republicans, led by Bush, were. • Large block of the electorate voted for Democrats or other 3rd parties because Bush was the face and leader of the Republicans • The majority of congress was controlled by Republicans so high disapproval affected them more than Democrats • Polls showed large majority of the public believed congress had accomplished less than normal • Due to scandals and controversies the Republican Party was seen as corruptive within government and allowed Democrats to adopt it as a campaign issue and also take advantage of it • End result was a sweeping victory for the Democrats who captured the House of Representatives, Senate, and a majority of governorships and State legislatures from the Republican Party • Nancy Pelosi

5. 2008 Election: Reasons for Democratic Party Success • Reasons for Win • The unpopular war in Iraq was a key issue during the campaign before the economic crisis. • John McCain supported the war while Barack Obama opposed it. Democrats used McCain’s support for the costly war against him to tie him up to the unpopular President Bush • Contradictory Ad’s made by the Republican Party • Change vs. Experience • Economy • Media Bias

6. 2008 Election: Effects for Democratic Party Success • Effects were • Obama became the first African American president in the history of the United States • Obama's successes in obtaining a major party's nomination and winning the general election were both firsts for an African American • Won a decisive victory over John McCain

7. Historical significance of Clinton V. Obama in 2008 primaries • Clinton: • 1st female to run for presidency • Entered presidential primary race with the highest name recognition of any candidate • Came closer to obtaining a major party’s nomination for president than any previous female candidate • Obama: • 1st African American to run for presidency • 1st African American senator

8. 2008 general election • 1st election in 50yrs in which there was no incumbent president or VP from either party competing for presidential nomination - encouraged a large number of candidates to run from both parties • Candidates: Barack ObamaJohn McCain -Democrat - Republican -Illinois - Arizona - VP- Joe Biden - VP- Sarah Palin - Electoral vote: 365 - Electoral vote: 173 - Popular vote: 69,498,516 - Popular vote: 59,948,323 ( largest percentage of pop. Vote for a democrat in nearly 50 years)

9. 2008 general election cont. • Issues: • Iraq War • McCain supported it, Obama opposed it • McCain - peacetime presence like US in Germany & Japan after WWII, US could be in Iraq for as long as 50-100 years • Obama – Used ^ against McCain, trying totie him to the unpopular Bush • Healthcare Reform • Republicans and independents- wanted to hear about reducing costs of healthcare and health insurance • 35% of democrats wanted to hear about expanding health insurance coverage for the uninsured

10. 2008 general election cont. • Economy (recession) • Oct. 2008, congress passed $700 billion bailout plan • Obama- supported the bailout, advocated a series of reforms : new oversight of investment banks, more disclosure by financial firms, higher capital requirements for firms used to operate with a minimal cash backstop, and more consistent rules that apply to ALL financial institutions not just regular banks. • McCain- also supported bailout, says it’s necessary to stop damage to our economy; advocated reforms of the financial sector; supported increase of federal insurance for money deposited in personal bank accounts to $250,000; advocated spending freeze on everything but defense, veteran affairs, and entitlement programs; called for creation of: Mortgage and Financial Institutions Trust (MFI) – to help companies avoid bankruptcy while protecting their consumers, and the money would also help consumers restructure loans so they can keep their homes. Economic Rescue Plan Mortgage Plan IRA and 4019(k) Proposal The Pension and Family Security Plan

11. Tea party • Origin Story • The Tea Party is a grassroots movement that calls awareness to any issue which challenges the security, sovereignty, or domestic tranquility of the U.S. • Began and founded by the men and women who were apart of the Boston Tea Party; Tea Party movement, conservative populist social and political movement emerged significantly in 2009 in the U.S. • The Tea Party includes those who possess a strong belief in the foundational Judeo-Christian values embedded in U.S. founding documents • “The true founders of the Tea Party were the brave Patriots who dared challenge the status quo in 1773; we are merely their beneficiaries.”

12. Tea party cont. • Impact on 2010 elections • It’s close ties with the republican party’s idea’s split the voters and allowed mostly democrats to be elected • Accusations of racism and budget hypocrisy • Racism - Tea Party extremists march and use vile, agnostic racial slurs and images - called “civil rights movement of today” - party rose up during election of Obama, and was accused of attracting racists and using coded language to appeal to racist hostility against the president. - most racial accounts popped up at rallies - 2010 study of survey data found that people who supported the Tea Party often agree with negative sentiments about African americans • Budget Hypocrisy - The party supports a balanced budget and low government spwnding, but the conservative republican government destroyed the balanced budget they inherited from the Clinton administration, and they exploded the deficit to record levels with war and tax policies. - The party did nothing when President Bush cut taxes during the war, while government spending was increased sue to the war.

13. 2012 General Election • Candidates • Barack Obama: current president, Democrat, Senator of Illinois, running mate Joe Biden (VP), no serious opposition in party • Mitt Romney: Republican, Governor of Massachusetts, Running mate Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin • Competitive in the polls and faced challenges from conservative contenders often besting Romney’s in his party • Campaign • Focused heavily on domestic issues: responses to great recession, long term federal budget issues, foreign policy • Presidential Ticket • Obama/Biden- Democrat • Romney/Ryan- Republican • Johnson/Gray- Libertarian • Stein/Honkala- Green • Goode/Clymer: Constitution • Anderson/Rodriguez- Justice • Lindsay/Osorio- Socialism and Liberation

14. 2012 General Election Continued • Controversy between Romney/Ryan Ticket: • Ryan: CATHOLIC, Romney: MORMON, turned into religious debate • 1st major party ticket without a Protestant Christian • The Problem: differences in political/ religious beliefs between Catholics and Protestants, separation of church and state • Results • Obama won 2nd term with 65,917,119/ 51.01% of popular vote and 332/61.7% of electoral vote • Romney had 60,932,078/47.15% of popular vote and 206/38.3% of electoral vote • Financing and Advertising • Election broke new records on financing, fundraising, and negative campaigning • Together rose over $2billion • Most campaigning negative • 80% of ads by Obama • 84% of ads by Romney

15. The culture war/ Global warming • Culture War- it is the conflict between the conservative republicans and liberal democrats over social legislation- concerning issues like marriage equality, abortion and gun control- most urban regions are liberal and rural mostly conservative • Global Warming- scientifically it is the effects of carbon gases in the atmosphere altering the climate.- politically it has influenced legislation concerning changing human habits to slow the effects- Al Gore has been an advocate of slowing global warming and loudly proclaiming it's "dangers"

16. Sources • Historycentral.com • Alankatz.wordpress.com • Cnn.com • Msnbc.com • Teaparty.org • Britannica.com • e-ir.info • Answersingenesis.org • Culture-war.info