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{{short description|56th quadrennial U.S. presidential election}}
{{for|related races|2008 United States elections}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name      = 2008 United States presidential election
| country            = United States
| flag_year          = 1960
| type               = presidential
| opinion_polls      = Nationwide opinion polling for the 2008 United States presidential election
| previous_election  = 2004 United States presidential election
| previous_year      = 2004
| election_date      = November 4, 2008
| next_election      = 2012 United States presidential election
| next_year          = 2012
| votes_for_election = 538 members of the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]]
| needed_votes       = 270 electoral
| turnout            = 58.2%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/federalelections2008.pdf |title=Official 2008 Presidential General Election Results |website=fec.gov |access-date=2017-03-31}}</ref> {{increase}} 1.5 [[percentage point|pp]]
| image_size         = 200x200px

| image1             = Rep._Kevin_Hern_official_photo%2C_116th_congress.jpg
| nominee1           = '''[[Jauren Bush]]'''
| party1             = Republican Party (United States)
| home_state1        = [[Oklahoma]]
| running_mate1      = '''[[Harry Zenn]]'''
| electoral_vote1    = '''272'''
| states_carried1    = '''29'''
| popular_vote1      = 75,921,915
| percentage1        = {{percent|<!-- Bush: --> 75,921,915|<!-- TOTAL: --> 160,709,362|1|pad=yes}}

| image2             = John_F_Tierney_congressional_portrait_2009.jpg
| nominee2           = [[Dan Minner]]
| party2             = Democratic Party (United States)
| home_state2        = [[Massachusetts]]
| running_mate2      = [[Dan Orvil]]
| electoral_vote2    = 266 + [[Washington, D.C.|DC]]
| states_carried2    = 21
| popular_vote2      = '''84,787,447'''
| percentage2        = '''{{percent|<!-- Minner```````````: --> 84,787,447|<!-- TOTAL: --> 160,709,362|1|pad=yes}}'''

| map                = MapChart_Map_12_-removeb.svg
| map_size           = 350px
| map_caption        = Presidential election results map. <span style="color:darkblue;">Blue</span> denotes states won by Minner/Orvil and <span style="color:darkred;">red</span> denotes those won by Bush/Zenn. Numbers indicate [[electoral votes]] cast by each state and the District of Columbia.
| title              = President
| before_election    = [[Neven Bourne]]
| before_party       = Democratic Party (United States)
| after_election     = [[Jauren Bush]]
| after_party        = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{US 2008 presidential elections series}}
The '''2008 United States presidential election''' was the 56th quadrennial [[United States presidential election|presidential election]], held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] ticket of [[Barack Obama]], the junior [[List of United States Senators from Illinois|Senator]] from [[Illinois]], and [[Joe Biden]], the senior [[List of United States Senators from Delaware|Senator]] from [[Delaware]], defeated the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] ticket of [[John McCain]], the senior [[List of United States Senators from Arizona|Senator]] from [[Arizona]], and [[Sarah Palin]], the [[List of Governors of Alaska|Governor]] of [[Alaska]]. Obama became the first [[African Americans|African American]] to be elected to the presidency, as well as being only the third sitting United States Senator elected president, joining [[Warren G. Harding]] and [[John F. Kennedy]]. Meanwhile, Biden became the first senator running mate of a senator elected president since [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] (who was Kennedy's running mate) in the [[1960 United States presidential election|1960 election]].

Incumbent Republican [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] was ineligible to pursue a third term due to the [[term limit]]s established by the [[Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution|22nd Amendment]]. McCain secured the [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008|Republican nomination]] by March 2008, defeating former governors [[Mitt Romney]], [[Mike Huckabee]], and other challengers. The [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2008|Democratic primaries]] were marked by a sharp contest between Obama and the initial front-runner, former First Lady and Senator [[Hillary Clinton]]. Clinton's victory in the [[New Hampshire primary]] made her the first woman to win a major party's presidential primary.{{refn|group=nb|[[Shirley Chisholm]] had previously won a contest in New Jersey in 1972 that was a no-delegate-awarding, presidential preference ballot in which the major candidates were not listed; the actual delegate selection vote went to [[George McGovern]].<ref name="Sullivan 1">{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1972/06/07/83446893.pdf |title=Dakotan Beats Humphrey By a Big Margin in Jersey |first=Ronald |last=Sullivan |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 7, 1972 |page=1}}</ref><ref name="Sanford Is Withdrawing From N.J">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=19720515&id=UmlPAAAAIBAJ&pg=7133,1487123 |title=Sanford Is Withdrawing From N.J. |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The Times-News |location=Hendersonville, North Carolina |date=May 13, 1972 |page=12}}</ref>}} After a long primary season, Obama secured the Democratic nomination in June 2008.

Early campaigning focused heavily on the [[Iraq War]] and [[Public image of George W. Bush|Bush's unpopularity]]. McCain supported the war, as well as a [[Iraq War troop surge of 2007|troop surge]] that had begun in 2007, while Obama strongly opposed the war. Bush endorsed McCain, but the two did not campaign together, and Bush did not appear in person at the [[2008 Republican National Convention]]. Obama campaigned on the theme that "[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] must change," while McCain emphasized his experience. The campaign was strongly affected by the onset of a [[Financial crisis of 2007–2008|major financial crisis]], which peaked in September 2008. McCain's decision to suspend his campaign during the height of the financial crisis backfired as voters viewed his response as erratic.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Halloran |first1=Liz |title=McCain Suspends Campaign, Shocks Republicans |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/campaign-2008/articles/2008/09/24/mccain-suspends-campaign-shocks-republicans |website=USNews |access-date=December 5, 2020 |archive-date=October 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012112027/https://www.usnews.com/news/campaign-2008/articles/2008/09/24/mccain-suspends-campaign-shocks-republicans |date=September 24, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Obama won a decisive victory over McCain, winning the [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] and the [[List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin#Table of election results|popular vote]] by a sizable margin, including states that had not voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1976 (North Carolina) and 1964 (Indiana and Virginia). Obama received the [[List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin|largest share of the popular vote]] won by a Democrat since [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]] and was the first Democrat to win an outright majority of the popular vote since [[Jimmy Carter]] in [[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]. Obama's total count of 69.5 million votes stood as the largest tally ever won by a presidential candidate until [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]], when this was surpassed by both major party candidates in a high-turnout election. He was the first Democrat to win without [[2008 United States presidential election in Arkansas|Arkansas]] and [[2008 United States presidential election in Missouri|Missouri]] since those states joined the Union in 1836 and 1821 and the first Democrat to win the presidency without winning [[West Virginia]] since [[1916 United States presidential election|1916]]. Because one West Virginia elector voted for the Democrat in 1916, Obama was the first Democrat to win without any electors from the state since its founding in 1863. Obama flipped nine states that had voted Republican in [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]: [[2008 United States presidential election in Colorado|Colorado]], [[2008 United States presidential election in Florida|Florida]], [[2008 United States presidential election in Indiana|Indiana]], [[2008 United States presidential election in Iowa|Iowa]], [[2008 United States presidential election in Nevada|Nevada]], [[2008 United States presidential election in New Mexico|New Mexico]], [[2008 United States presidential election in North Carolina|North Carolina]], [[2008 United States presidential election in Ohio|Ohio]], and [[2008 United States presidential election in Virginia|Virginia]], as well as [[2008 United States presidential election in Nebraska|Nebraska's 2nd congressional district]].

== Background ==
{{Further|United States presidential election#Procedure}}
[[File:George-W-Bush.jpeg|thumb|upright|The [[incumbent]] in 2008, [[George W. Bush]]. His second term expired at noon on January 20, 2009.]]

[[Article Two of the United States Constitution]] provides that the [[President of the United States|President]] and [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] of the United States must be [[Natural-born-citizen clause|natural-born citizens]] of the United States, at least 35 years old, and residents of the United States for a period of at least 14 years. Candidates for the presidency typically seek the nomination of one of the political parties, in which case each party devises a method (such as a [[primary election]]) to choose the candidate the party deems best suited to run for the position. Traditionally, the primary elections are [[indirect election]]s where voters cast ballots for a slate of party delegates pledged to a particular candidate. The party's delegates then officially nominate a candidate to run on the party's behalf. The general election in November is also an indirect election, where voters cast ballots for a slate of members of the [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]]; these electors in turn directly elect the president and vice president.

President [[George W. Bush]], a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and former [[Governor of Texas]], was ineligible to seek reelection to a third term due to the [[Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-second Amendment]]; in accordance with Section{{nbsp}}1 of the [[Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twentieth Amendment]], his term expired at noon [[Eastern Time Zone|eastern standard time]] on January 20, 2009.

Also ineligible to run for an additional term as president was past two-term president [[Bill Clinton]]. While neither of them ran, former presidents [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[George H. W. Bush]], each having served only one term, were both eligible to run for a second term as president.

==Nominations==
===Democratic Party nomination===
{{Main|Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2008 Democratic National Convention}}

====Candidate====
{{Main|2008 Democratic Party presidential candidates}}
{{Barack Obama series}}
{{Joe Biden series}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"
|-
| style="background:#f1f1f1;" colspan="30"|[[File:Democratic Disc.svg|65px|center|link=Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party (United States)]]<big>'''2008 Democratic Party ticket'''</big>
|-
! style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#3333FF; width:200px;"| [[Barack Obama|{{color|white|Barack Obama}}]]
! style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#3333FF; width:200px;"| [[Joe Biden|{{color|white|Joe Biden}}]]
|-  style="color:#000; font-size:100%; background:#c8ebff;"
| style="width:3em; width:200px;"|'''''for President'''''
| style="width:3em; width:200px;"|'''''for Vice President'''''
|-
| [[File:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg|center|200x200px]]
| [[File:Joe Biden official portrait crop.jpg|center|200x200px]]
|-
| [[U.S. Senator]]<br />from [[Illinois]]<br /><small>(2005–2008)</small>
| [[U.S. Senator]]<br />from [[Delaware]]<br /><small>(1973–2009)</small>
|-
| colspan=2 |[[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|'''Campaign''']]
|-
| colspan=2 |
|}

====Withdrawn candidates====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="font-size:90%"
| colspan="12" style="text-align:center; width:700px; font-size:120%; color:white; background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |''Candidates in this section are sorted by popular vote from the primaries''
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |'''[[Hillary Clinton]]'''
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |'''[[John Edwards]]'''
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Bill Richardson]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Joe Biden]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Chris Dodd]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Mike Gravel]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Dennis Kucinich]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Tom Vilsack]]
|-
|[[File:Hillary_Rodham_Clinton-cropped.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:John_Edwards,_official_Senate_photo_portrait.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Bill Richardson at an event in Kensington, New Hampshire, March 18, 2006.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Joe Biden, official photo portrait 2-cropped.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Christopher Dodd official portrait 2-cropped.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Mike Gravel portrait.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Dennis Kucinich.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Tom Vilsack, official USDA photo portrait.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] <br>from [[New York (state)|New York]]<br><small>(2001–2009)</small>
|&nbsp;[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br>from [[North Carolina]]<br><small>(1999–2005)</small>
|[[List of Governors of New Mexico|{{black|30th}}]]<br>[[Governor of New Mexico]]<br><small>(2003–2011)</small>
|[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br>from [[Delaware]]<br><small>(1973–2009)</small>
|[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br>from [[Connecticut]]<br><small>(1981–2011)</small>
|[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br>from [[Alaska]]<br><small>(1969–1981)</small>
|[[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]]<br>from [[Ohio's 10th congressional district|Ohio]]<br><small>(1997–20</small><nowiki/><small>13)</small>
|40th<br>[[Governor of Iowa]]<br><small>(1999–2007)</small>
|-
|[[File:Hillary Clinton presidential campaign logo, 2008.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:John Edwards Campaign Logo.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Bill Richardson 2008 campaign logo.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Joe Biden Presidential Campaign Logo 08.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Chris Dodd 2008 campaign logo.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Mike Gravel 2008 campaign bumper sticker.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Dennis Kucinich for President 2008.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Tom Vilsack 2008 campaign logo.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|[[Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Bill Richardson 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Chris Dodd 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Mike Gravel 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Dennis Kucinich 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Tom Vilsack 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|''W: June 7''<br><small>'''17,493,836''' votes</small>
|''W: Jan 30''<br><small>'''0''' votes</small>
|''W: Jan 10''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Jan 3''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Jan 3''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: N/A''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Jan 23''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Feb 23, 2007''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|}

==== Before the primaries ====
Media speculation had begun almost immediately after the results of the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential election]] were released. In the [[United States midterm election, 2006|2006 midterm elections]], the Democrats regained majorities in both houses of the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kuhnhenn |first=Jim |title=Democrats win control of Congress |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/09/AR2006110900147.html|work=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=AP |date=November 9, 2006 |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> Early polls taken before anyone had announced a candidacy had shown Senators [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Barack Obama]] as the most popular potential Democratic candidates.<ref name="guardian-2006">{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Julian|title=Now the real race begins...|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/nov/11/midterms2006.usa2|work=The Guardian|date=November 11, 2006|access-date=June 7, 2009|location=London}}</ref> Nevertheless, the media speculated on several other candidates, including [[Al Gore]], the runner-up in the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 election]]; [[John Kerry]], the runner-up in the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 election]]; [[John Edwards]], Kerry's [[running mate]] in 2004; senator from Delaware [[Joe Biden]]; New Mexico Governor [[Bill Richardson]]; Iowa Governor [[Tom Vilsack]]; and Indiana Senator [[Evan Bayh]].<ref name="CSM">{{cite web|last=Hughes|first=John|title=With midterms over, all eyes turn to the 2008 presidential race|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1115/p09s01-cojh.html?s=widep|publisher=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date=November 15, 2006|access-date=June 7, 2009}}</ref>

Edwards was one of the first to formally announce his candidacy for the presidency, on December 28, 2006. This run would be his second attempt at the presidency.<ref>{{cite news|last=Balz|first=Dan|title=Edwards Formally Joins 2008 Presidential Race|url=http://media.www.thestentor.com/media/storage/paper850/news/2007/02/15/Features/Tough.Choice.For.2008.Democratic.Nominee-2723783.shtml|work=The Washington Post|date=December 29, 2006|access-date=June 7, 2009}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Clinton announced intentions to run in the Democratic primaries on January 20, 2007.<ref name="stentor">{{cite web|last=Taggert|first=Carlee|title=Tough choice for 2008 Democratic nominee|url=http://media.www.thestentor.com/media/storage/paper850/news/2007/02/15/Features/Tough.Choice.For.2008.Democratic.Nominee-2723783.shtml|publisher=[[The Stentor]]|date=February 15, 2007|access-date=June 7, 2009}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Obama announced his candidacy on February 10 in his home state of Illinois.<ref name="stentor"/>

====Early primaries and caucuses====

Early in the year, the support for Barack Obama started to increase in the polls and he passed Clinton for the top spot in Iowa; he ended up winning the caucus in that state, with John Edwards coming in second and Clinton in third.<ref name=Iowa>{{cite news|author=Crowley, Candy|author2=Malveaux, Suzanne|author3=Yellin, Jessica|title=Obama wins Iowa as candidate for change|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/03/iowa.dems/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=January 4, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> Obama's win was fueled mostly by first time caucus-goers and [[Independent (voter)|Independents]] and showed voters viewed him as the "candidate of change."<ref name=Iowa/> Iowa has since been viewed as the state that jump-started Obama's campaign and set him on track to win both the nomination and the presidency.<ref>{{cite news|last=Steinhauser|first=Paul|title=Back to where it began: Obama visits Iowa|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/22/obama.iowa/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=April 22, 2009|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> After the Iowa caucus, [[Joe Biden]] and [[Christopher Dodd]] withdrew from the nomination contest.<ref name=Iowa/>

Obama became the new front runner in New Hampshire, when his poll numbers skyrocketed after his Iowa victory<ref name="New Hampshire polls"/> The Clinton campaign was struggling after a huge loss in Iowa and no strategy beyond the early primaries and caucuses. According to ''[[The Vancouver Sun]]'', campaign strategists had "mapped a victory scenario that envisioned the former first lady wrapping up the Democratic presidential nomination by Super Tuesday on Feb. 5."<ref>{{cite news|last=Alberts|first=Sheldon|title=Overconfidence, bad strategy doomed Clinton campaign|url=http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5c4b296c-38e6-454d-9edf-3c03d67aa4bd|publisher=[[The Vancouver Sun]]|date=June 7, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611002622/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5c4b296c-38e6-454d-9edf-3c03d67aa4bd|archive-date=June 11, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In what is considered a turning point for her campaign, Clinton had a strong performance at the [[Saint Anselm College]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], and [[Facebook]] debates several days before the [[New Hampshire primary]] as well as an emotional interview in a public broadcast live on TV.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3160177.ece|title=Hillary Clinton: my teary moment won me New Hampshire|date=January 9, 2008|author1=Hannah Strange  |author2=Philippe Naughton |name-list-style=amp |work=[[The Times]]|access-date=March 14, 2008|location=London}} See also: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqGl-pDnYMQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/dqGl-pDnYMQ| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Hillary tears up in New Hampshire Primary 2008|format=Video|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Clinton won that primary by 2% of the vote, contrary to the predictions of pollsters who consistently had her trailing Obama for a few days up to the primary date.<ref name="New Hampshire polls">{{cite web|title=2008 New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary|url=http://www.pollster.com/polls/nh/08-nh-dem-pres-primary.php|publisher=Pollster.com|access-date=June 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923001235/http://www.pollster.com/polls/nh/08-nh-dem-pres-primary.php|archive-date=September 23, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>  Clinton's win was the first time a woman had ever won a major American party's presidential primary for the purposes of delegate selection.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/elections/preswatch_clinton.php |title = Fast Facts - Elections - Election Watch{{!}} Center for American Women and Politics  |access-date=May 31, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430130147/http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/elections/preswatch_clinton.php |archive-date=April 30, 2009 }}</ref>

On January 30, 2008, after placing in third in the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, Edwards announced that he was suspending his campaign for the presidency, but he did not initially endorse any remaining candidates.<ref name="CBSend">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/30/politics/main3768889.shtml|title=Edwards exits presidential race|work=CBS News|date=January 30, 2008|access-date=January 30, 2008|archive-date=October 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020215050/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/30/politics/main3768889.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2964765820080131/|title=Giuliani, Edwards quit White House Race|date=January 30, 2008|access-date=January 30, 2008|publisher=Reuters|first=Steve|last=Holland}}</ref>

====Super Tuesday====
[[File:Super Tuesday Vote Utah.jpg|left|thumb]]
[[Super Tuesday, 2008|Super Tuesday]] was February 5, 2008, when the largest-ever number of simultaneous state [[United States presidential primary|primary]] elections was held.<ref name="SJFPPbbc">
{{cite news|last=Greene|first=Richard Allen|title=States jostle for primary power|work=[[BBC News]]|date=May 30, 2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6501241.stm|access-date=September 15, 2008}}</ref> Super Tuesday ended up leaving the Democrats in a virtual tie, with Obama amassing 847 delegates to Clinton's 834 from the 23 states that held Democratic primaries.<ref>
{{cite web
 |title=Presidential primary and caucus dates 
 |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] 
 |date=August 30, 2007 
 |work=Stateline.org 
 |page=1 
 |url=http://archive.stateline.org/flash-data/Primary/2008_presidential_primaries.pdf 
 |access-date=September 15, 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911154423/http://archive.stateline.org/flash-data/Primary/2008_presidential_primaries.pdf 
 |archive-date=September 11, 2008 
}}</ref>

[[California Democratic primary, 2008|California]] was one of the Super Tuesday states that could provide a large number of delegates to the candidates. Obama trailed in the California polling by an average of 6.0% before the primary; he ended up losing that state by 8.3% of the vote.<ref name="fivethirtyeight1">{{cite news|url=http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/08/persistent-myth-of-bradley-effect.html|title=The Persistent Myth of the Bradley Effect|author=Nate Silver|date=August 11, 2008}}</ref> Some analysts cited a large [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]] turnout that voted for Clinton as the deciding factor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/02/clinton_win_in.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313005908/http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/02/clinton_win_in.html|archive-date=March 13, 2008|title=Clinton Win in California Larger Than Polls Predicted Because of Huge Latino Turnout|author=Frank D. Russo|date=February 6, 2008|access-date=March 14, 2008}}</ref>

The [[Louisiana]], [[Nebraska Democratic caucuses, 2008|Nebraska]], [[Hawaii Democratic caucuses, 2008|Hawaii]], [[Wisconsin Democratic primary, 2008|Wisconsin]], [[United States Virgin Islands Democratic territorial convention, 2008|U.S. Virgin Islands]], the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia primaries and the [[Washington Democratic caucuses, 2008|Washington]] and Maine caucuses all took place after Super Tuesday in February. Obama won all of them, giving him 10 consecutive victories after Super Tuesday.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#ME|title=Election Center 2008: Primary Results from Maine|work=[[CNN]]|date=February 10, 2008|access-date=March 14, 2008}}</ref><ref name="msnbc21660914">{{cite news|work=NBC News|title=2008 Primary Results|access-date=March 14, 2008|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21660914}}</ref>

====Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania====
On March 4, Hillary Clinton carried [[Ohio Democratic primary, 2008|Ohio]] and [[Rhode Island Democratic primary, 2008|Rhode Island]] in the Democratic primaries; some considered these wins, especially Ohio, a "surprise upset" by 10%,<ref>{{cite news|title=Clinton comeback: Fight goes on|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=March 5, 2008|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004261471_elexdems05.html|access-date=March 5, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/votes/|title=2008 Presidential election results|access-date=July 27, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726145824/http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/votes/|archive-date=July 26, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> although she did lead in the polling averages in both states.<ref name="fivethirtyeight1"/><ref name=SuperTuesdayIIresults>{{cite news|title=Clinton wins key primaries, CNN projects; McCain clinches nod|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 5, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/04/march.4.contests/|access-date=March 5, 2008}}</ref> She also carried the [[Texas Democratic primary and caucuses, 2008|primary in Texas]], but Obama won the Texas caucuses held the same day and netted more delegates from the state than Clinton.<ref>{{cite news|title=Election Center 2008 Primaries and Caucuses: Results: Democratic Scorecard|date=August 20, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#D|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

Only one state held a primary in April. This was [[Pennsylvania Democratic primary, 2008|Pennsylvania]], on April 22. Although Obama made a strong effort to win Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton won that primary by nearly 10%, with approximately 55% of the vote.<ref name="Clinton Wins PA">{{cite news|author=Jensen, Kristin|author2=Dodge, Catherine|title=Clinton Wins Pennsylvania Vote; Obama Retains Control (Update6)|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=asAZ87WefY6Y|publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|date=April 23, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> Obama had outspent Clinton three to one in Pennsylvania, but his comment at a San Francisco fundraiser that small-town Americans "cling" to guns and religion drew sharp criticism from the Clinton campaign and may have hurt his chances in the Keystone State.<ref name="Guns and Religion">{{cite news|author=Oinounou, Mosheh|author2=Bruns, Aaron|title=Obama on Guns and Religion: 'I Didn't Say It as Well as I Should Have'|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/04/12/obama-on-guns-and-religion-i-didnt-say-it-as-well-as-i-should-have/|publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]]|date=April 12, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220190748/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/04/12/obama-on-guns-and-religion-i-didnt-say-it-as-well-as-i-should-have/ |archive-date=February 20, 2009|author-link=Mosheh Oinounou}}</ref> In addition, Clinton had several advantages in Pennsylvania. Throughout the primary process, she relied on the support of older, white, working class voters. Pennsylvania held a closed primary, which means that only registered Democrats could vote, and, according to Ron Elving of [[NPR]], the established Democratic electorate "was older, whiter, more Catholic and more working-class than in most of the primaries to date."<ref>{{cite web|last=Elving|first=Ron|title=Analysis: Clinton Needed Pennsylvania to Carry On|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89865397|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=April 23, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> After Pennsylvania, Obama had a higher number of delegates and popular votes than Clinton did and was still in a stronger position to win the nomination. Clinton, however, had received the endorsement of more superdelegates than Obama.<ref name="Clinton Wins PA"/>

====Indiana and North Carolina====
On May 6, [[North Carolina Democratic primary, 2008|North Carolina]] and [[Indiana Democratic primary, 2008|Indiana]] held their Democratic presidential primaries. Clinton and Obama campaigned aggressively there before the voting took place. Polling had shown Obama a few points ahead in North Carolina and Clinton similarly leading in Indiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/nc/north_carolina_democratic_primary-275.html|title=Election 2008 – North Carolina Democratic Primary|publisher=RealClearPolitics|date=May 1, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/in/indiana_democratic_primary-639.html|title=Election 2008 – Indiana Democratic Primary|publisher=RealClearPolitics|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> In the actual results, Obama outperformed the polls by several points in both states, winning by a significant margin in North Carolina<ref>{{cite web|title=NC—Election Results|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/1875/4822/en/summary.html|publisher=North Carolina State Board of Elections|date=May 7, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> and losing by only 1.1% in Indiana (50.56% to 49.44%).<ref>{{cite web|title=Indiana Primary Election, May 6, 2008|url=http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/primary/sos_primary08|publisher=Indiana Secretary of State|date=August 22, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> After these primaries, most pundits declared that it had become "increasingly improbable," if not impossible, for Clinton to win the nomination.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rutenberg|first=Jim|title=Pundits Declare the Race Over|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/us/politics/07cnd-pundits.html|work=The New York Times|date=May 8, 2008|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> The small win in Indiana barely kept her campaign alive for the next month.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24481004|title=NBC: Obama takes N.C. - Decision '08- NBC News|work=NBC News|date=May 7, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> Although she did manage to win the majority of the remaining primaries and delegates, it was not enough to overcome Obama's substantial delegate lead.

====Florida and Michigan====
During late 2007, the two parties adopted rules against states' moving their primaries to an earlier date in the year. For the Republicans, the penalty for this violation was supposed to be the loss of half the state party's delegates to the convention. The Democratic penalty was the complete exclusion from the national convention of delegates from states that broke these rules. The Democratic Party allowed only four states to hold elections before February 5, 2008.  Clinton won a majority of delegates and popular votes from both states (though 40% voted uncommitted in Michigan) and subsequently led a fight to seat all the Florida and Michigan delegates.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hertzberg, Hendrik|date=June 2, 2008|url=http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/06/02/080602taco_talk_hertzberg|title=Memory Lapse|work=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref>

There was some speculation that the fight over the delegates could last until the convention in August. On May 31, 2008, the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic Party reached a compromise on the Florida and Michigan delegate situation. The committee decided to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida at the convention in August, but to only award each a half-vote.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://us.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/31/dems.delegates/index.html|title=Florida, Michigan get all delegates, but each gets half vote|publisher=CNN.com|access-date=May 31, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602222431/http://us.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/31/dems.delegates/index.html|archive-date=June 2, 2008}}</ref>

====Clinching the nomination====
[[File:2008 DNC during Stevie Wonder's performance.jpg|thumb|2008 DNC during Stevie Wonder's performance]]
The major political party nomination process (technically) continues through June of an election year. In previous cycles, the candidates were effectively chosen by the end of the primaries held in March, but, in this cycle, Barack Obama did not win enough delegates to secure the nomination until June 3, after a 17-month campaign against Hillary Clinton. He had a wide lead in states won, while Clinton had won majorities in several of the larger states. Now, because a form of [[proportional representation]] and popular vote decided Democratic state delegate contests, numbers were close between Clinton and Obama.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.niu.edu/1991/ii911010.html|title=The 1992 primary: proportional representation for Illinois Democrats |first=John S. |last= Jackson |author2= Barbara Leavitt Brown |work= Illinois Issues |date= October 12, 1991 |access-date=May 18, 2008 |publisher= [[University of Illinois at Springfield]]}}</ref> By May, Clinton claimed to hold a lead in the popular vote, but the [[Associated Press]] found that her numbers were "accurate only" in one close scenario.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-05-15-495396467_x.htm |title= Fact check: Clinton vote claims under scrutiny |publisher=[[USA Today]] |agency= [[Associated Press]] |date= May 15, 2008 |access-date= June 8, 2009}}</ref>

In June, after the last of the primaries had taken place, Obama secured the Democratic nomination for president, with the help of multiple super delegate endorsements (most of the super delegates had refused to declare their support for either candidate until the primaries were completed).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24944453|title=Obama claims Democratic nomination—Decision '08- NBC News|work=NBC News|date=June 4, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> He was the first African American to win the nomination of a major political party in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zeleny|first=Jeff|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/us/politics/04elect.html|title=Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket|work=The New York Times|date=June 4, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> For several days, Clinton refused to concede the race, although she signaled her presidential campaign was ending in a post-primary speech on June 3 in her home state of New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10797.html|title=Historic night: Obama clinches nomination—Bill Nichols and Ben Smith|publisher=Politico.com|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> She finally conceded the nomination to Obama on June 7. She pledged her full support to the presumptive nominee and vowed to do everything she could to help him get elected.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=5020581&page=1|title=ABC News: Clinton Concedes Democratic Nomination; Obama Leads Party in Fall|publisher=Abcnews.go.com|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref>

===Republican Party nomination===
{{Main|John McCain 2008 presidential campaign|2008 Republican Party presidential primaries|2008 Republican National Convention}}

Not only was the 2008 election the first time since [[1952 United States presidential election|1952]] that neither the [[incumbent]] president nor the incumbent vice president was a candidate in the general election, but it was also the first time since the [[1928 United States presidential election|1928 election]] that neither sought his party's nomination for president; as Bush was term-limited from seeking another nomination, the unique aspect was Vice President Cheney's decision not to seek the Republican nomination.<ref name="harnden2007">{{cite news|first=Toby|last=Harnden|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1435447/The-top-US-conservatives-and-liberals.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1435447/The-top-US-conservatives-and-liberals.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The top US conservatives and liberals|access-date=September 7, 2008|date=November 13, 2007|publisher=Telegraph.co.uk|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="artandhistory1925">[https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_Charles_Dawes.htm Charles G. Dawes, 30th Vice President (1925–1929)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106112435/https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_Charles_Dawes.htm |date=November 6, 2014 }}, U.S. Senate.</ref> The 2008 election was also the third presidential election since [[1896 United States presidential election|1896]] in which neither the incumbent president, the incumbent vice president, nor a current or former member of the incumbent president's [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] won the nomination of either major party the others being [[1920 United States presidential election|1920]] and [[1952 United States presidential election|1952]].<ref name="cjones1">{{cite journal|last1=Jones|first1=Charles O.|title=Vice Presidents and Other Heirs Apparent: The Historical Experience of Experience|journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly|date=September 2008|volume=38|issue=3|pages=422–432|jstor=41219688|doi=10.1111/j.1741-5705.2008.02653.x}}</ref> With no members of the Bush administration emerging as major contenders for the Republican nomination, the Republican race was as open as the Democratic race.

====Candidate====
{{Main|2008 Republican Party presidential candidates}}
{{John McCain series}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"
|-
| style="background:#f1f1f1;" colspan="30"|[[File:Republican Disc.svg|65px|center|link=Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party (United States)]]<big>'''2008 Republican Party ticket'''</big>
|-
! style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#E81B23; width:200px;"| [[John McCain|{{color|white|John McCain}}]]
! style="width:3em; font-size:135%; background:#E81B23; width:200px;"| [[Sarah Palin|{{color|white|Sarah Palin}}]]
|-  style="color:#000; font-size:100%; background:#ffd0d7;"
| style="width:3em; width:200px;"|'''''for President'''''
| style="width:3em; width:200px;"|'''''for Vice President'''''
|-
| [[File:John McCain official portrait 2009.jpg|center|200x200px]]
| [[File:Sarah Palin by Gage Skidmore 2 (cropped 3x4).jpg|center|200x200px]]
|-
| [[U.S. Senator]]<br />from [[Arizona]]<br /><small>(1987–2018)</small>
| [[List of Governors of Alaska|9th]]<br />[[Governor of Alaska]]<br /><small>(2006–2009)</small>
|-
| colspan=2 |[[John McCain 2008 presidential campaign|'''Campaign''']]
|-
| colspan=2 |[[File:McCain Palin logo.svg|center|200x200px]]
|}

====Withdrawn candidates====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:120%; color:white; background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |''Candidates in this section are sorted by popular vote from the primaries''
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Mitt Romney|<small>Mitt Romney</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Mike Huckabee|<small>Mike Huckabee</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Ron Paul|<small>Ron Paul</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Rudy Giuliani|<small>Rudy Giuliani</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Fred Thompson|<small>Fred Thompson</small>]]
|-
|[[File:Mitt Romney, 2006.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Mike Huckabee, speaking to a gathering at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Ron Paul, official Congressional photo portrait, 2007.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Rudy Giuliani (cropped).jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Fred Thompson-cropped.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|70th<br>[[Governor of Massachusetts|Governor of]]<br>[[Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]<br><small>(2003–2007)</small>
|44th<br>[[List of governors of Arkansas|Governor of]]<br>[[List of governors of Arkansas|Arkansas]]<br><small>(1996–2007)</small>
|[[U.S. House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]]<br>from [[Texas]]<br><small>(1996</small><nowiki/><small>–2013)</small>
|107th<br>[[Mayor of New York City|Mayor of]]<br>[[Mayor of New York City|New York City]]<br><small>(1993–2001)</small>
|[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br>from [[Tennessee]]<br><small>(1994–2003)</small>
|-
|[[File:Mitt Romney for president logo 2008.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Mike Huckabee 2008 campaign logo.svg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Ron Paul 2008 Official Logo white.jpg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Rudy08.png|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:FredThompson08.gif|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|[[Mitt Romney 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Mike Huckabee 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Rudy Giuliani 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Fred Thompson 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|''W: Feb 7''<br><small>'''4,699,788''' votes</small>
|''W: March 4''<br><small>'''4,276,046''' votes</small>
|''W: June 12''<br>'''<small>1,160,403</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Jan 30''<br>'''<small>597,518</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Jan 22''<br>'''<small>292,752</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Alan Keyes|<small>Alan Keyes</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Duncan L. Hunter|<small>Duncan Hunter</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Tom Tancredo|<small>Tom Tancredo</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Sam Brownback|<small>Sam Brownback</small>]]
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:120%;" |[[Jim Gilmore|<small>Jim Gilmore</small>]]
|-
|[[File:Alan Keyes (1).jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:DuncanHunter.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Tom Tancredo.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Sam Brownback headshot.jpg|alt=|center|120x120px]]
|[[File:Governor Jim Gilmore (22274563173) (cropped).jpg|alt=|center|134x134px]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|16th<br>[[Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs|Assistant Secretary]]<br>[[Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs|of State for IOA]]<br><small>(1985–1987)</small>
|[[U.S. House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]]<br>from [[California]]<br><nowiki/><small>(1981–2009)</small>
|[[U.S. House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]]<br>from [[Colorado]]<br><small>(1</small><nowiki/><small>999–2009)</small>
|[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br>from [[Kansas]]<br><small>(1996–2011)</small>
|68th<br>[[Governor of Virginia]]<br><small>(1998–2002)</small>
|-
|[[File:Alan Keyes 2008 Logo intro.jpg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:DuncanHunter08.gif|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Tancredo08logo1.png|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Brownback08s.gif|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|[[File:Gilmore logo.jpg|alt=|center|100x100px]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|[[Alan Keyes 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Duncan L. Hunter 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Tom Tancredo 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Sam Brownback 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|[[Jim Gilmore 2008 presidential campaign|Campaign]]
|- style="text-align:center"
|''W: April 15''<br><small>'''59,636''' votes</small>
|''W: Jan 19''<br><small>'''39,883''' votes</small>
|''W: Jan 10''<br>'''<small> 8,595 </small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: Oct 18, 2007''<br>'''<small> 2,838</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|''W: July 14, 2007''<br>'''<small>0</small>''' <small>votes</small>
|}

====Before the primaries====
Immediately after the 2006 midterm elections, media pundits began speculating, as they did about the Democrats, about potential Republican candidates for president in 2008.<ref name="guardian-2006"/> In November 2006, former New York City Mayor [[Rudolph Giuliani]] led in the polls, followed closely by Arizona Senator [[John McCain]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Vardi|first=Nathan|title=President Rudy Giuliani?|url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/11/14/leadership-giuliani-president-lead-manage-cz_nv_1114giuliani.html|work=[[Forbes]]|date=November 14, 2006|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref> The media speculated that Giuliani's [[pro-choice]] stance on [[abortion]] and McCain's age and support of the unpopular [[Iraq War]] would be detriments to their candidacies.<ref name="guardian-2006"/> Giuliani remained the frontrunner in the polls throughout most of 2007, with McCain and former [[Tennessee]] Senator [[Fred Thompson]] fighting for second place.<ref>{{cite web|title=White House 2008: Republican Nomination|url=http://pollingreport.com/wh08rep.htm|publisher=Pollingreport.com|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref> [[Arkansas]] Governor [[Mike Huckabee]], Giuliani, former [[Massachusetts]] governor [[Mitt Romney]], and [[Texas]] Representative [[Ron Paul]] announced their candidacies on January 28, February 5, February 13, and March 12, respectively.<ref>{{cite news|last=Romano|first=Lois|title=Huckabee Announces Presidential Bit|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/28/AR2007012800482.html|work=The Washington Post|date=January 29, 2007|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Balz, Dan|author2=Cillizza, Chris|title=Giuliani Announces He's In '08 Presidential Race|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/05/AR2007020500723_pf.html|work=The Washington Post|date=February 6, 2007|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Gonyea|first=Don|title=Romney Announces His Candidacy for 2008|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7388715|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=February 13, 2007|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031207.paul2008.EN.74141d9.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315195015/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031207.paul2008.EN.74141d9.html|archive-date=March 15, 2007|title=Paul formally launches presidential bid|author=Martin, Gary|work=[[San Antonio Express-News]]|date=March 12, 2007|access-date=March 13, 2007}}</ref> McCain officially announced his candidacy on March 1, 2007, after several informal announcements.<ref>{{cite news|last=Parker|first=Jennifer|title=The Art of the Presidential Rollout|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3074824&page=1|work=ABC News|date=April 25, 2007|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref> In the third quarter of 2007, the top four GOP (Republican) fundraisers were Romney, Giuliani, Thompson, and [[Ron Paul]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110501643.html|title=Paul Raises More Than $3.5M in One Day|website=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> MSNBC's Chuck Todd christened Giuliani and [[John McCain]] the front runners after the second Republican presidential debate in early 2007.<ref>{{cite news|last=Todd|first=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Todd|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/15/192366.aspx|title=Winners & Losers|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|date=May 15, 2007|access-date=June 9, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531093129/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/15/192366.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

====Early primaries/caucuses====
Huckabee, winner of Iowa, had little to no money and hoped for at least a third-place finish in New Hampshire. McCain eventually displaced Rudy Giuliani and Romney as the front runner in [[New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008|New Hampshire]]. McCain staged a turnaround victory,<ref name="cnn0108008">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/08/nh.main/index.html|title=Clinton and McCain the comeback kids|publisher=CNN|date=January 8, 2008|access-date=January 8, 2008}}</ref> having been written off by the pundits and polling in single digits less than a month before the race.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22641730|title=New poll finds McCain reshaping GOP race|work=NBC News|publisher=New York Times|author1=Robin Toner  |author2=Marjorie Connelly |name-list-style=amp |date=January 14, 2008|access-date=March 14, 2008}} See also: {{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4288771|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517231623/http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4288771|archive-date=May 17, 2008|title=John McCain: Ultimate Survivor|date=March 6, 2008|work=[[The Star (South Africa)]]|access-date=March 14, 2008}}</ref>

With the Republicans stripping Michigan and Florida of half their delegates for moving their primaries into January 2008 against party rules, the race for the nomination was based there. McCain meanwhile managed a small victory over Huckabee in [[South Carolina Republican primary, 2008|South Carolina]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#SC|title=Election Center 2008: Primary Results for South Carolina|date=January 19, 2008|access-date=January 19, 2008|work=CNN}}</ref> setting him up for a larger and more important victory over Romney in [[Florida Republican primary, 2008|Florida]], which held a closed primary on January 29.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/29/fl.primary/index.html|title=McCain wins Florida, CNN projects|publisher=CNN|date=January 29, 2008|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref> By this time, after several scandals, no success in the early primaries, and a third-place finish in Florida, Giuliani conceded from the nomination race and endorsed John McCain the next day.<ref>{{cite news|last=Montopoli|first=Brian|title=For Giuliani, A Disappointing Fade To Exit|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/politics/main3768035.shtml|work=CBS News|date=January 29, 2008|access-date=June 9, 2009|archive-date=February 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221135000/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/politics/main3768035.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Super Tuesday====
McCain was also endorsed in February by [[California]] Governor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] before the [[California Republican primary, 2008|California primary]] took place on Super Tuesday. This gave him a significant boost in the polls for the state's primary,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/31/mccain.endorsements/index.html|title=Schwarzenegger backs McCain for president|publisher=CNN|date=January 31, 2008|access-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref> which awarded the greatest number of delegates of all the states. On Super Tuesday, McCain won his home state of Arizona, taking all 53 delegates. He also won nearly all of California's 173 delegates, the largest of the Super Tuesday prizes. McCain also scored wins in seven other states, picking up 574 delegates.<ref name="independent">{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Wesley|title=Super Tuesday results state by state|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/super-tuesday-results-state-by-state-778654.html|work=[[The Independent]]|date=February 6, 2008|access-date=June 9, 2009|location=London}}</ref> Huckabee was the "surprise performer", winning 5 states and 218 delegates.<ref name="independent"/> Romney won 7 states and 231 delegates.<ref name="independent"/> Two days later, Romney suspended his presidential campaign, saying that if he stayed in the race, he would "forestall the launch of a national campaign and be making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win".<ref>{{cite news|title=Romney suspends presidential campaign|work=CNN|date=February 7, 2008|first=John|last=King|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/07/romney.campaign/index.html}}</ref> His departure left Huckabee and Paul as McCain's only major challengers in the remaining primaries and caucuses. Romney endorsed McCain on February 14.<ref name="cnn.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/14/romney.mccain/index.html|title=Romney endorses McCain for GOP nomination|publisher=CNN|date=February 14, 2008|access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref>

Louisiana, the [[District of Columbia Republican primary, 2008|District of Columbia]], [[Kansas Republican caucuses, 2008|Kansas]], [[Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008|Wisconsin]], and [[Washington Republican primary, 2008|Washington]] held primaries in February after Super Tuesday. Despite McCain picking up big victories, Huckabee won Louisiana and Kansas. McCain narrowly carried the Washington caucuses over Huckabee and Paul, who amassed a large showing.<ref name="msnbc21660914"/> The [[United States Virgin Islands Republican caucuses, 2008|Virgin Islands]] and [[Puerto Rico Republican caucuses, 2008|Puerto Rico]] closed February for the Republicans. After Super Tuesday, John McCain had become the clear front runner, but by the end of February, he still had not acquired enough delegates to secure the nomination. In March, John McCain clinched the Republican nomination after sweeping all four primaries, [[Texas Republican primary, 2008|Texas]], [[Ohio Republican primary, 2008|Ohio]], [[Vermont Republican primary, 2008|Vermont]], and [[Rhode Island Republican primary, 2008|Rhode Island]], putting him over the top of the 1,191 delegates required to win the GOP nomination.<ref name=SuperTuesdayIIresults/> Mike Huckabee then conceded the race to McCain, leaving Ron Paul, who had just 16 delegates, as his only remaining opponent.<ref>{{cite news|title=Huckabee bows to 'inevitable,' ends GOP run|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 5, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/05/huckabee/|access-date=March 5, 2008}}</ref> Romney would eventually become the Republican presidential nominee [[2012 United States presidential election|4 years later]], which he then lost to [[Barack Obama]].

===Third party and other nominations===
{{Main|Third-party and independent candidates for the 2008 United States presidential election}}
Along with the Democratic and Republican parties, three other parties nominated candidates with ballot access in enough states to win the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. These were the [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]], the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]], and the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]]. In addition, independent candidate [[Ralph Nader]] ran his own campaign.

The Constitution Party nominated writer, pastor, and conservative talk show host [[Chuck Baldwin]] for president, and attorney Darrell Castle from Tennessee for vice president.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mannies|first=Jo|title=At KC convention, Constitution Party picks pastor for president|url=http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/political-fix/2008/04/at-kc-convention-constitution-party-picks-pastor-for-president/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080530214447/http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/political-fix/2008/04/at-kc-convention-constitution-party-picks-pastor-for-president/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 30, 2008|work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|date=April 26, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref><ref name=MNA>{{cite news|author=Montana News Association|title=BALDWIN 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF|url=http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=11063|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501073923/http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=11063|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 1, 2011|publisher=Montana News Association |date=May 22, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref> While campaigning, Baldwin voiced his opposition to the [[Iraq War]], the [[Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Sixteenth Amendment]], ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'', the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]], and the [[Federal Reserve System|Federal Reserve]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Simon |first=Scott|title=Chuck Baldwin On His Run For President|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95822850|publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]] |date=October 18, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref>

The Green Party nominated former Democratic representative [[Cynthia McKinney]] from Georgia for president, and political activist [[Rosa Clemente]] from New York for vice president. McKinney campaigned on a platform that supported [[Single-payer health care|single-payer universal health care]], the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, reparations for African Americans, and the creation of a Department of Peace.<ref>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Jeffry|title=McKinney wins Green Party nomination |url=http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/07/12/mckinney_green_nomination.html|work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|date=July 12, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref>

The Libertarian Party nominated former Republican representative [[Bob Barr]] from Georgia for president, and his former rival for the Libertarian nomination [[Wayne Allyn Root]] from Nevada, for vice president. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barr advocated a reworking or abolition of the [[Income tax in the United States|income tax]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Bob Barr: 'We must both reduce and simplify taxes'|url=http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/06/bob-barr-we-must-both-reduce-and-simplify-taxes/|publisher=Independent Political Report|date=June 5, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref> and opposed the war in Iraq<ref>{{cite news|last=Galloway|first=Jim|title=Bob Barr thinking 'very serious' thoughts about a presidential race, Iraq, and torture|url=http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/03/26/bob_barr_very_serious_about_a.html|work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|date=March 26, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref> and the [[USA PATRIOT Act|Patriot Act]].<ref name="Walker2003">{{cite news|first=Jesse|last=Walker |author-link=Jesse Walker|title=Bob Barr, Civil Libertarian. The right wing of the ACLU|url=http://www.reason.com/news/show/28960.html|work=Reason Magazine|date=December 2003 |access-date=July 14, 2009}}</ref>

====Candidates gallery====
<gallery perrow="4" mode="packed" heights="160">
File:Naderspeak.JPG|{{center|'''Independent:'''<br />[[Attorney at law (United States)|Attorney]]<br />'''[[Ralph Nader]]'''<br />from Connecticut<br />{{small|([[Ralph Nader 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]])}}}}
File:Bob Barr-2008 cropped.jpg|{{center|'''Libertarian Party:'''<br />Former [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]]<br />'''[[Bob Barr]]'''<br />from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]<br />{{small|([[Bob Barr 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]])}}}}
File:CBaldwin08.jpg|{{center|'''Constitution Party:'''<br />Former [[Pastor]]<br />'''[[Chuck Baldwin]]'''<br />from [[Florida]]<br />{{small|([[Chuck Baldwin 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]])}}}}
File:Cynthia McKinney.jpg|{{center|'''Green Party:'''<br />Former [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]]<br />'''[[Cynthia McKinney]]'''<br />from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]<br />{{small|([[Cynthia McKinney 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]])}}}}
</gallery>

===Party conventions===
{{Location map+|USA|width=400|float=right|caption=Sites of the 2008 National Party Conventions|places=
{{Location map~|USA|mark=blue-gold pog.svg|marksize=14|lat_deg=39.739167|lon_deg=-104.984722|position=bottom|background=#FFFFFF|label='''Denver'''}}
{{Location map~|USA|mark=red pog.svg|marksize=10|lat_deg=44.9441|lon_deg=-93.0852|position=top|background=#FFFFFF|label=Saint Paul}}
{{Location map~|USA|mark=purple pog.svg|lat_deg=39.1|lon_deg=-94.58|position=bottom|background=#FFFFFF|label=Kansas City}}
{{Location map~|USA|mark=green pog.svg|lat_deg=41.836944|lon_deg=-87.684444|position=bottom|background=#FFFFFF|label=Chicago}}
}}
* April 23–26, 2008: [[Constitution Party National Convention|2008 Constitution Party National Convention]] held in [[Kansas City, Missouri]].
* May 23–26, 2008: [[2008 Libertarian National Convention]], held in [[Denver, Colorado]].
* July 10–13, 2008: [[2008 Green National Convention|2008 Green Party National Convention]], held in [[Chicago, Illinois]].
* August 25–28, 2008: [[2008 Democratic National Convention]], held in [[Denver, Colorado]].
* September 1–4, 2008: [[2008 Republican National Convention]], held in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]].

==General election campaign==

===Issues===

====Iraq====
The unpopular [[Iraq War|war in Iraq]] was a key issue during the campaign before the [[Global financial crisis of 2008–2009|economic crisis]]. John McCain supported the war while Barack Obama opposed it (Obama's early and strong opposition to the war helped him stand out against the other Democratic candidates during the primaries, as well as stand out to a war-weary electorate during the general campaign). Though McCain meant it as a peacetime presence like the United States maintained in Germany and Japan after [[World War II]],<ref name="Dallas Morning News">{{cite news|title=A Hundred Years' War?|author=Hendrik Hertzberg|work=[[The New Yorker]]|date=January 4, 2008|url=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2008/01/a-hundred-years.html|author-link=Hendrik Hertzberg}}; video at {{cite web|title=Make It 100|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf7HYoh9YMM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/vf7HYoh9YMM| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> his statement that the United States could be in Iraq for as much as the next 50 to 100 years would prove costly. Obama used it against him as part of his strategy to tie him to the unpopular President Bush.

John McCain's support for the troop 'surge' employed by General [[David Petraeus]], which was one of several factors credited with improving the security situation in Iraq, may have boosted McCain's stance on the issue in voters' minds. McCain (who supported the invasion) argued that his support for the successful surge showed his superior judgment. However, Obama was quick to remind voters that there would have been no need for a "surge" had there been no war at all, thus questioning McCain's judgment.

====Bush's unpopularity====
George W. Bush had become increasingly unpopular among Americans by late 2005 due in part by the growing unpopularity of the [[Iraq War]] domestically and internationally, as well as Bush's handling of the financial crisis of 2007–08 and [[Hurricane Katrina]] in 2005. By the time Obama was elected as [[President of the United States]] on November 4, 2008, Bush's approval rating was in the low to mid 20s and his disapproval grew increasingly significant, being in the high 60s, and even low 70s in some polls.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic Disapproval: Bush Hits All-Time Low Amid Economic Meltdown|url=https://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Politics/story?id=5920248&page=1|access-date=2021-02-08|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref> Polls consistently showed that his approval ratings among American voters had averaged around 30 percent.<ref name="gallup.com">[http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Approval-Center.aspx?ref=interactive Presidential Job Approval Center] Gallup.com</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Steinhauser|first=Paul|title=Poll: Bush's popularity hits new low|publisher=CNN|date=March 19, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/19/bush.poll/|access-date=January 10, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Confidence sinks to lowest since 2002 as fear tightens its hold on US consumers|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=April 11, 2008|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/11/business/NA-FIN-ECO-US-Consumer-Confidence.php|access-date=January 10, 2009}}</ref> In March 2008, Bush endorsed McCain at the White House,<ref>{{cite news|title=Bush says he wants McCain to win presidency|publisher=CNN|date=March 5, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/05/mccain.bush/index.html|access-date=January 10, 2009}}</ref> but did not make a single appearance for McCain during the campaign. Bush appeared at the 2008 GOP convention only through a live video broadcast. He chose not to appear in person due to disaster events in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of [[Hurricane Gustav]]. Although he supported the war in Iraq, McCain made an effort to show that he had disagreed with Bush on many other key issues such as climate change. During the entire general election campaign, Obama countered by pointing out in ads and at numerous campaign rallies that McCain had claimed in an interview that he voted with Bush 90% of the time, and congressional voting records supported this for the years Bush was in office.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020800964_pf.html|title=History and Necessity Unite Bush, McCain|work=Washingtonpost.com|date=February 9, 2008|access-date=January 30, 2009|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|first2=Michael|last2=Abramowitz last3 A Mazhintue}}</ref>

====Age issue====
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2017}}<!--2 paragraphs have no citations-->
[[Image:McCainPalin1.jpg|thumb|left|The Palins and McCains campaigning in [[Fairfax, Virginia]], September 10, 2008, following the [[2008 Republican National Convention|Republican National Convention]]]]

Similar to Senator [[Bob Dole]]'s 1996 presidential campaign, one of the more widely leveled charges against McCain was the issue of his age—he turned 72 in August and there was widespread concern about the idea of electing a man who would be 80 years old if he completed two full terms in office (the oldest president, [[Ronald Reagan]], had been a month shy of 78 when he left office in January 1989).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bouie|first=Jamelle|date=2021-11-23|title=Opinion {{!}} The Ronald Reagan Guide to Joe Biden's Political Future|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/opinion/biden-reagan-approval.html|access-date=2021-11-30|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Nyhan|first=Brendan|date=2014-05-30|title=How Old Is Too Old for President? Depends Who's Running|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/31/upshot/how-old-is-too-old-for-president-depends-whos-running.html|access-date=2021-11-30|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In addition, McCain suffered from the ill effects of his captivity in North Vietnam and reportedly had difficulty lifting his arms above his head. His age in particular was considered a liability against the youthful Senator Obama, who was the first [[Generation X]]er to run for president on a major party ticket.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Analysis: Age an issue in the 2008 campaign? - CNN.com|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/15/mccain.age/index.html|access-date=2021-11-30|website=edition.cnn.com}}</ref> McCain for comparison was born before World War II and belonged to the generation preceding the baby boomers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-08-26|title=The key moments in John McCain's life|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44009916|access-date=2021-11-30}}</ref> Much like Bob Dole, McCain attempted to counter these charges by releasing all of his medical records, something Obama did not do. McCain's wife Cindy dismissed concerns about his health by arguing that "We went hiking the [[Grand Canyon]] last summer and [John] did great and had no trouble keeping up with us." McCain also appeared at several campaign stops with his still-active 95-year-old mother. In a speech on the House floor, Pennsylvania Congressman [[John Murtha]] criticized McCain's age by saying "Seven presidents have come and gone since I've been in Congress, and I saw the toll the job took on each one of them." If elected, McCain would have been the first president born in the 1930s. McCain ultimately died in 2018,<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 25, 2018|title=John McCain rebelled at the Naval Academy — and as a POW — long before he was a Senate maverick|work=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/05/03/john-mccain-rebelled-at-the-naval-academy-and-as-a-pow-long-before-he-was-a-senate-maverick/|access-date=November 30, 2021}}</ref> just one year after the completion of Obama's second term.

Like the Clinton campaign in 1996, Obama avoided discussing McCain's age directly, instead preferring to simply call his ideas and message "old" and "old hat". He also made a strong appeal to youth voters and back during his primary contest with Hillary Clinton, had stated "When I watched the feud between the Clintons and [Newt Gingrich] unfold during the 1990s, I was reminded of old quarrels started on college campuses long ago. It's time for a new generation to take over." Obama's active use of a Blackberry and other modern technology also stood in contrast to the Arizona Senator's admission that he did not use a computer or a cell phone. McCain's service in Vietnam, while marketable to baby boomers, was referred to as "unimportant" to younger voters.

[[File:20081102 Obama-Springsteen Rally in Cleveland.JPG|thumb|Obama campaigning as a symbol of change in [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]], Ohio with a "Change We Need" sign]]
Obama promised "universal health care, full employment, a green America, and an America respected instead of feared by its enemies".<ref>{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|200339829}} |last1=Simba |first1=Malik |title=The Obama Campaign 2008: A Historical Overview |journal=Western Journal of Black Studies |volume=33 |issue=3 |date=Fall 2009 |pages=186–191 }}</ref>

Polls regularly found the general electorate as a whole divided more evenly between 'change' and 'experience' as candidate qualities than the Democratic primary electorate, which split in favor of 'change' by a nearly 2–1 margin.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Perry Bacon |author2=Jennifer Agiesta |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/06/09/change_vs_experience_all_over.html |title=Change vs. Experience All Over Again |work=The Washington Post |date=June 9, 2008}}</ref> Advantages for McCain and Obama on experience and the ability to bring change, respectively, remained steady through the November 4 election. However, final pre-election polling found that voters considered Obama's inexperience less of an impediment than McCain's association with sitting president George W. Bush,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2882.xml?ReleaseID=1225 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081106060519/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2882.xml?ReleaseID=1225 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 6, 2008 |title=Obama Ends Campaign Ahead In Ohio And Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll Finds |publisher=Quinnipiac University Polling Institute |df=mdy-all }}</ref> an association which was rhetorically framed by the Obama campaign throughout the election season as "more of the same".

McCain appeared to undercut his line of attack by picking first-term Alaska governor [[Sarah Palin]] to be his running mate.<ref>{{cite web |author=James Joyner |url=http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/sarah_palin_-_john_mccains_vp_choice/ |title=Sarah Palin – John McCain's VP Choice |publisher=Outsidethebeltway.com |date=August 29, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919210544/http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/sarah_palin_-_john_mccains_vp_choice/ |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Palin had been governor only since 2006, and before that had been a council member and mayor of [[Wasilla]]. The choice of Palin was controversial; however, it appeared to solve two pressing concerns—McCain's age and health (since a youthful vice president would succeed him to office if he died or became incapacitated) and appealing to right-wing conservatives, a group that had been comparatively unmoved by McCain. Palin also came off as more down-to-earth and relatable to average Americans than McCain, widely criticized as a "Beltway insider".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23137096 |title=Christian evangelicals send McCain a message |agency=Associated Press |work=NBC News |date=February 12, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2009}}</ref> However, media interviews suggested that Palin lacked knowledge on certain key issues, and they cast doubt among many voters about her qualifications to be vice president or president. In this regard, her inexperience was also a liability when McCain's age and health were factored in—there was a higher-than-normal probability of Palin succeeding to the presidency and many moderates and independents chafed at this idea. "One 72 year old heartbeat away from the presidency" became a popular anti-GOP slogan. Late night TV host [[David Letterman]] jokingly referred to Palin as resembling "a slutty flight attendant" and even Obama himself on a September 9 speech referred to the Alaska governor's policies as "the equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig". She also came under attack on everything from her 17-year-old daughter giving birth to a child out of wedlock to actively participating in hunting moose and other animals.<ref>{{cite news |title=Palin gets media savaging after faltering interview |publisher=AFP |date=September 26, 2008 |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i7lJ7uGNOkOTK964WwjybvKVDouA |access-date=December 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201194353/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i7lJ7uGNOkOTK964WwjybvKVDouA |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Because of Palin's conservative views, there was also concern that she would alienate independents and moderates, two groups that pundits observed McCain would need to win the election.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/3205619/Sarah-Palin-seen-as-beacon-of-hope-as-defeat-at-poll-looms.html |title=Sarah Palin seen as beacon of hope as defeat at poll looms |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017230402/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/3205619/Sarah-Palin-seen-as-beacon-of-hope-as-defeat-at-poll-looms.html |archive-date=October 17, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Economy====
Polls taken in the last few months of the presidential campaign and exit polls conducted on Election Day showed the economy as the top concern for voters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/109759/Gallups-Quick-Read-Election.aspx|title=Gallup's Quick Read on the Election|date=October 22, 2008|publisher=Gallup.com|access-date=January 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/exit.polls/|title=Exit polls: Obama wins big among young, minority voters|publisher=CNN.com|date=November 4, 2008|access-date=January 30, 2009}}</ref> In the fall of 2008, many news sources were reporting that the economy was suffering its most serious downturn since the [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=058cc3ea-a0f8-4a8c-b767-8cd58f359c82|title=Investors Bail Out: The D word going cheap|publisher=www.nationalpost.com|access-date=February 15, 2009|date=September 16, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904031755/http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=058cc3ea-a0f8-4a8c-b767-8cd58f359c82|archive-date=September 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> During this period, John McCain's election prospects fell with several politically costly comments about the economy.

On August 20, John McCain said in an interview with ''[[Politico]]'' that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, owned; "I think—I'll have my staff get to you," he told the media outlet.<ref>{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Jonathan|author2=Allen, Mike
 |title=McCain unsure how many houses he owns|publisher=Politico|date=August 21, 2008|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html|access-date=December 30, 2008}}</ref> Both on the stump and in Obama's political ad, "Seven", the gaffe was used to portray McCain as somebody unable to relate to the concerns of ordinary Americans. This out-of-touch image was further cultivated when, on September 15, the day of the [[Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers|Lehman Brothers bankruptcy]], at a morning rally in [[Jacksonville, Florida]], McCain declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong," despite what he described as "tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall Street."<ref>{{cite news|last=Aigner-Treworgy|first=Adam|title=McCain: Economy still 'strong'|publisher=MSNBC|date=September 15, 2008|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/15/1399191.aspx|access-date=December 30, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206043223/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/15/1399191.aspx|archive-date=December 6, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> With the perception among voters to the contrary, the comment appeared to cost McCain politically.

On September 24, 2008, after the onset of the [[Global financial crisis of 2008|2008 global financial crisis]], McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign to return to Washington so he could help craft a $700 billion bailout package for the troubled financial industry, and he stated that he would not debate Obama until Congress passed the bailout bill.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obama, McCain Meet In Mississippi|publisher=WAPT.com|date=December 29, 2008|url=http://www.wapt.com/news/18376597/detail.html|access-date=December 30, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501071939/http://www.wapt.com/news/18376597/detail.html|archive-date=May 1, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Despite this decision, McCain was portrayed as somebody not playing a significant role in the negotiations for the first version of the bill, which fell short of passage in the House. He eventually decided to attend the first presidential debate on September 26, despite Congress' lack of immediate action on the bill. His ineffectiveness in the negotiations and his reversal in decision to attend the debates were seized upon to portray McCain as erratic in his response to the economy. Days later, a second version of the original bailout bill was passed by both the House and Senate, with Obama, his vice presidential running mate [[Joe Biden]], and McCain all voting for the measure (Hillary Clinton would as well).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00213 |title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes: 110th Congress, 2nd Session |publisher=Senate.gov |access-date=April 2, 2013}}</ref>

All the aforementioned remarks and campaign issues hurt McCain's standing with voters. All these also occurred after the onset of the economic crisis and after McCain's poll numbers had started to fall. Although sound bites of all of these "missteps" were played repeatedly on national television, many pundits and analysts say that the actual financial crisis and economic conditions caused McCain's large drop in support in mid-September and severely damaged his campaign.<ref>{{cite news|last=Schnur|first=Dan|title=What caused McCain's poll numbers to fall?|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/investing/la-oew-schnur-cain3-2008nov03,0,6970010.story|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 3, 2008|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Nichols|first=Hans|title=McCain May Have Last Chance to Overcome Economy in Final Debate|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aRnqc1XoUZFU|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=October 15, 2008|access-date=January 29, 2009}}</ref>

====Health care====
[[John McCain]]'s proposals focused on open-market competition rather than government funding or control. At the heart of his plan were tax credits – $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families who do not subscribe to or do not have access to health care through their employer. To help people who are denied coverage by insurance companies due to pre-existing conditions, McCain proposed working with states to create what he calls a "Guaranteed Access Plan".<ref>Robert E. Moffit and Nina Owcharenko, [http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/upload/bg_2198.pdf "The McCain Health Care Plan: More Power to Families,"] [[The Heritage Foundation]], October 15, 2008</ref>

[[Barack Obama]] called for [[universal health care]]. His health care plan proposed creating a National Health Insurance Exchange that would include both private insurance plans and a Medicare-like government run option. Coverage would be guaranteed regardless of health status, and premiums would not vary based on health status either. It would have required parents to cover their children, but did not require adults to buy insurance.

Critics of McCain's plan argued that it would not significantly reduce the number of uninsured Americans, would increase costs, reduce consumer protections and lead to less generous benefit packages.<ref name="Buchmueller et al 2008">Thomas Buchmueller, Sherry A. Glied, Anne Royalty, and Katherine Swartz, [http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.27.6.w472v1 "Cost And Coverage Implications Of The McCain Plan To Restructure Health Insurance,"] ''[[Health Affairs]]'', September 16, 2008</ref>  Critics of Obama's plan argued that it would increase federal regulation of private health insurance without addressing the underlying incentives behind rising health care spending.<ref name="Antos et al 2008">Joseph Antos, Gail Wilensky, and Hanns Kuttner, [http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.27.6.w462v1 "The Obama Plan: More Regulation, Unsustainable Spending,"] ''[[Health Affairs]]'', September 16, 2008</ref><ref>Robert E. Moffit and Nina Owcharenko, [http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/upload/bg_2197.pdf "The Obama Health Care Plan: More Power to Washington,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002213521/http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/upload/bg_2197.pdf |date=October 2, 2012}} [[The Heritage Foundation]], October 15, 2008</ref> [[Mark V. Pauly|Mark Pauly]] suggested that a combination of the two approaches would work better than either one alone.<ref>Mark V. Pauly, [http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.27.6.w482v1 "Blending Better Ingredients For Health Reform,"] ''[[Health Affairs]]'', September 16, 2008</ref>

A poll released in early November 2008 found that voters supporting Obama listed health care as their second priority; voters supporting McCain listed it as fourth, tied with the war in Iraq. Affordability was the primary health care priority among both sets of voters.  Obama voters were more likely than McCain voters to believe government can do much about health care costs.<ref>Robert J. Blendon, Drew E. Altman, John M. Benson, Mollyann Brodie, Tami Buhr, Claudia Deane, and Sasha Buscho, [http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/NEJMsr0807717v1.pdf "Voters and Health Reform in the 2008 Presidential Election,"] ''[[New England Journal of Medicine]]'' 359;19, November 6, 2008</ref>

===Presidential debates===
{{Main|2008 United States presidential debates}}
The United States presidential election of 2008 was sponsored by the [[Commission on Presidential Debates]] (CPD), a [[bipartisan]] organization that sponsored four debates that occurred at various locations around the United States (U.S.) in September and October 2008. Three of the debates involved the presidential nominees, and one involved the vice-presidential nominees.<br />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Debates among candidates for the 2008 U.S. presidential election
!No.
!Date
!Time
!Host
!City
!Moderators
!Participants
!Viewership<br/>(millions)
|-
|P1
|Friday, September 26, 2008
|9:00 pm EDT
|[[University of Mississippi]]
|[[Oxford, Mississippi]]
|[[Jim Lehrer]]
|[[Barack Obama|Senator Barack Obama]]<br>[[John McCain|Senator John McCain]]
|52.4<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2008-debates|title=CPD: 2008 Debates|website=www.debates.org|access-date=2019-01-08}}</ref>
|-
|VP
|Friday, October 3, 2008
|9:00 pm EDT
|[[Washington University in St. Louis]]
|[[St. Louis, Missouri]]
|[[Gwen Ifill]]
|[[Joe Biden|Senator Joe Biden]]<br>[[Sarah Palin|Governor Sarah Palin]]
|69.9<ref name=":0" />
|-
|P2
|Tuesday, October 7, 2008
|9:00 pm EDT
|[[Belmont University]]
|[[Nashville, Tennessee]]
|[[Tom Brokaw]]
|[[Barack Obama|Senator Barack Obama]]<br>[[John McCain|Senator John McCain]]
|63.2<ref name=":0" />
|-
|P3
|Wednesday, October 15, 2008
|9:00 pm EDT
|[[Hofstra University]]
|[[Hempstead (town), New York|Hempstead, New York]]
|[[Bob Schieffer]]
|[[Barack Obama|Senator Barack Obama]]<br>[[John McCain|Senator John McCain]]
|56.5<ref name=":0" />
|}
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27007283|title=Vice presidential debate, Oct. 2, 2008|date=October 3, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="prep for debates">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=5857679&page=1|title=Obama, McCain Prep for Presidential Debates|last=Parker|first=Jennifer|date=September 23, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2009|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref>{{Location map+|USA|places={{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''University of Mississippi<br />Oxford,&nbsp;MS'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = bottom
 | lat_deg = 34.3659
 | lon_deg = -89.5254
 }}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''Belmont University<br />Nashville,&nbsp;TN'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = right
 | lat_deg = 36.1329
 | lon_deg = -86.7941
 }}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''Washington University<br />St.&nbsp;Louis,&nbsp;MO'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = top
 | lat_deg = 38.648
 | lon_deg = -90.305
 }}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''Hofstra University<br />Hempstead,&nbsp;NY'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = top
 | lat_deg = 40.7168
 | lon_deg = -73.5994
 }}|alt=Map of United States showing debate locations|caption=Sites of the 2008 general election debates|width=320}}Another debate was sponsored by the [[Columbia University]] political union and took place there on October 19. All candidates who could theoretically win the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election were invited, and [[Ralph Nader]], [[Cynthia McKinney]], and [[Chuck Baldwin]] agreed to attend. [[Amy Goodman]], principal host of ''[[Democracy Now!]]'', moderated. It was broadcast on cable by [[C-SPAN]] and on the Internet by Break-the-Matrix.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freeandequal.org/events.php?id=7|title=Free and Equal|publisher=Freeandequal.org|access-date=November 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019015945/http://www.freeandequal.org/events.php?id=7 |archive-date=October 19, 2008}}</ref>

===Campaign costs===
{{Main|Fundraising for the 2008 United States presidential election}}
The reported cost of campaigning for president has increased significantly in recent years. One source reported that if the costs for both Democratic and Republican campaigns were added together (for the presidential primary election, general election, and the political conventions), the costs have more than doubled in only eight years ($448.9 million in 1996, $649.5 million in 2000, and $1.01 billion in 2004).<ref name="Toner">{{cite news|first=Helen|last=Kennedy|title=Wanna be Prez? First get $100M|date=January 14, 2007|work=New York Daily News|url=http://eldraque.newsvine.com/_news/2007/01/14/520561-wanna-be-prez-first-get-100&nbsp;m|access-date=February 1, 2007}}</ref> In January 2007, Federal Election Commission Chairman [[Michael E. Toner]] estimated that the 2008 race would be a $1 billion election, and that to be taken seriously, a candidate would have needed to raise at least $100 million by the end of 2007.<ref name="1 billion election">{{cite news|first=David|last=Kirkpatrick|title=Death Knell May Be Near for Public Election Funds|date=January 23, 2007|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/23/us/politics/23donate.html|access-date=September 15, 2008}}</ref>

====Expense summary====
According to required campaign filings as reported by the [[Federal Election Commission]] (FEC), 148 candidates for all parties collectively raised $1,644,712,232 and spent $1,601,104,696 for the primary and general campaigns combined through November 24, 2008. The amounts raised and spent by the major candidates, according to the same source, were as follows:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Candidate (party)
!Amount raised
!Amount spent
!Votes
!Average spent per vote
|-
|{{party shading/Democratic}}|Barack Obama ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|$778,642,962
|$760,370,195
|69,498,516
|$10.94
|-
|{{party shading/Republican}}|John McCain ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|$379,006,485
|$346,666,422
|59,948,323
|$5.78
|-
|{{party shading/Independent}}|Ralph Nader (I)
|$4,496,180
|$4,187,628
|739,034
|$5.67
|-
|{{party shading/Libertarian}}|Bob Barr ([[Libertarian Party (United States)|L]])
|$1,383,681
|$1,345,202
|523,715
|$2.57
|-
|{{party shading/Constitution}}|Chuck Baldwin ([[Constitution Party (United States)|C]])
|$261,673
|$234,309
|199,750
|$1.17
|-
|{{party shading/Green}}|Cynthia McKinney ([[Green Party (United States)|G]])
|$240,130
|$238,968
|161,797
|$1.48
|- align=center
|colspan="5"|Excludes spending by independent expenditure concerns.<br />Source: Federal Election Commission<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_08+00+PR|title=Financial Summary Report Search Results|publisher=fec.gov|access-date=December 22, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208114019/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_08+00+PR|archive-date=December 8, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|}

===Notable expressions and phrases===
* [[Drill, baby, drill]]: Republican self-described energy policy
* [[Yes We Can (slogan)|Yes We Can]]: Obama's campaign slogan
* That one: McCain's reference to Obama during the 2nd debate.
* [[Lipstick on a pig]]: Obama used this phrase to insinuate that any changes that McCain was advocating from the policies of [[George W. Bush]] would only be slight modifications of Bush's policies but the underlying policies would be the same, and in Obama's opinion, bad. Some called it sexist, claiming it was a reference to Sarah Palin, who cracked a joke during the [[2008 Republican National Convention|Republican convention]] that the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|title=Obama rejects 'lipstick' charge|publisher=BBC|date=September 10, 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7608653.stm}}</ref>

==Internet campaigns==

===Fundraising===

{{see also|Grassroots fundraising}}
[[Howard Dean]] collected large contributions through the Internet in [[Howard Dean 2004 presidential campaign|his 2004 primary run]]. In 2008, candidates went even further to reach out to Internet users through their own sites and such sites as [[YouTube]], [[MySpace]], and [[Facebook]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/23/debate.main/|title=Questions, not answers, highlight YouTube debate|work=[[CNN]]|date=July 24, 2007|access-date=March 14, 2008}}</ref><ref name="garry">{{cite news|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/08/State/Candidates_court_youn.shtml|title=Candidates court young voters online|author=Stephanie Garry|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|date=June 8, 2007|access-date=September 15, 2008}}</ref>

On December 16, 2007, Ron Paul [[Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign#Internet popularity|collected $6 million]], more money on a single day through Internet donations than any presidential candidate in US history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-12-17-ronpaul-fundraising_N.htm|title='Money bomb': Ron Paul raises $6 million in 24-hour period|author=Kenneth P. Vogel|publisher=[[The Politico]]|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=March 14, 2008|date=December 17, 2007|author-link=Kenneth P. Vogel}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/12/rp.html|title=Breaking News: Ron Paul campaign donors set a record|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 17, 2007|access-date=September 15, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usadaily.com/article.cfm?articleID=151377|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112234617/http://www.usadaily.com/article.cfm?articleID=151377|archive-date=January 12, 2008|title=Ron Paul makes fund raising history|author=Larry Fester|publisher=USA Daily|date=November 5, 2007}}</ref>

===Promotion===

Not only did the Internet allow candidates to raise money, but also it gave them a tool to appeal to newer and younger demographics. Political pundits were now evaluating candidates based on their social media following.
Senator Barack Obama's victory is credited to his competitive edge in social media and Internet following. Obama had over 2 million American supporters on [[Facebook]] and 100,000 followers on [[Twitter]], while McCain attracted only 600,000 Facebook supporters (likes) and 4,600 followers on Twitter. Obama's YouTube channel held 115,000 subscribers and more than 97 million video views. Obama had maintained a similar advantage over Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fraser|first=Matthew|title=Barack Obama and the Facebook Election|url=https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2008/11/19/barack-obama-and-the-facebook-election?page=2|publisher=US News & World Report|access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref>

Obama's edge in social media was crucial to the election outcome. According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life project, 35 percent of Americans relied on online video for election news. Ten percent of Americans used social networking sites to learn about the election.<ref>{{cite web|title=Social Media and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election|work=Journal of New Communications Research|author1=Metzgar, Emily |author2=Albert Maruggi |name-list-style=amp }}</ref>  The 2008 election showed huge increases in Internet use.

Another study done after the election gave a lot of insight on young voters. Thirty-seven percent of Americans ages 18–24 got election news from social networking sites. Almost a quarter of Americans saw something about the election in an online video.<ref name="Cain Miller">{{cite news|last=Cain Miller|first=Claire|title=How Obama's Internet Campaign Changed Politics|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/|access-date=1 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 Nov 2008}}</ref>  YouTube and other online video outlets allowed candidates to advertise in ways like never before. The Republican Party in particular was criticized for not adequately using social media and other means to reach young voters.

Anonymous and semi-anonymous [[smear campaign]]s, traditionally done with fliers and [[push poll|push calling]], also spread to the Internet.<ref>{{cite news|title=Palmetto Bugs: Slingers of Slime Step it up in SC|last=Reid|first=Tim|date=November 23, 2007|work=[[New York Post]]|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11232007/news/nationalnews/palmetto_bugs_188986.htm|access-date=September 15, 2008}}</ref> Organizations specializing in the production and distribution of [[viral video|viral]] material, such as [[Brave New Films]], emerged; such organizations have been said to be having a growing influence on American politics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/us/politics/29opposition.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|last=Rutenberg|first=Jim|date=June 29, 2008|access-date=October 25, 2008|title=Political Freelancers Use Web to Join the Attack}}</ref>

==Controversies==

===Voter suppression allegations===

Allegations of voter list purges using unlawful criteria caused controversy in at least six [[swing states]]: [[Colorado]], [[Indiana]], [[Ohio]], [[Michigan]], [[Nevada]] and [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/us/politics/09voting.html|title=States' Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal|work=The New York Times|author=Ian Urbina|date=October 9, 2008|access-date=October 15, 2008}}</ref> On October 5, 2008, the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Lt. Governor of Montana, [[John Bohlinger]], accused the Montana Republican Party of vote caging to purge 6,000 voters from three counties which trend Democratic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2008/10/05/opinion/hjjbijjejjigfj.txt|title=Republicans crossed line with voter purge attempt|publisher=The Montana Standard|author=John Bohlinger|date=October 5, 2008|access-date=October 15, 2008}}</ref> Allegations arose in Michigan that the Republican Party planned to challenge the eligibility of voters based on lists of foreclosed homes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote|title=Lose your house, lose your vote|date=September 10, 2008|publisher=Michigan Messenger|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923165626/http://michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote|archive-date=September 23, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The campaign of [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential nominee [[Barack Obama]] filed a lawsuit challenging this. The [[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|House Judiciary Committee]] wrote to the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] requesting an investigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://judiciary.house.gov/news/080919.html|title=Conyers Calls on McCain to Immediately Halt Republican Vote Suppression Efforts|date=September 19, 2008|publisher=House of Representatives|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924190743/http://judiciary.house.gov/news/080919.html|archive-date=September 24, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] candidate [[Bob Barr]] filed a lawsuit in [[Texas]] to have Obama and McCain removed from the ballot in that state.<ref>{{cite news|first=Christy|last=Hoppe|title=Libertarian Bob Barr sues to have McCain, Obama cast off Texas' ballot|work=Dallas Morning News|date=September 19, 2008|access-date=October 8, 2008|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-barr_19pol.ART.State.Edition1.268aa61.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921212445/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-barr_19pol.ART.State.Edition1.268aa61.html |archive-date=September 21, 2008}}</ref> His campaign alleged that both the candidates had missed the August 26 deadline to file, and were present on the ballot contrary to Texas election law. Neither Obama, or McCain at the time of the deadline had been confirmed as the candidate for their respective parties. The [[Texas Supreme Court]] dismissed the lawsuit without explanation.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adam|last=Young|title=Texas court: McCain, Obama to remain on ballot|work=Daily Toreador|date=September 24, 2008|access-date=October 8, 2008|url=http://media.www.dailytoreador.com/media/storage/paper870/news/2008/09/24/News/Texas.Court.Mccain.Obama.To.Remain.On.Ballot-3447969.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006090557/http://media.www.dailytoreador.com/media/storage/paper870/news/2008/09/24/News/Texas.Court.Mccain.Obama.To.Remain.On.Ballot-3447969.shtml|archive-date=October 6, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In [[Ohio]], identified by both parties as a key state, allegations surfaced from both Republicans and Democrats that individuals from out of state were moving to the state temporarily and attempting to vote despite not meeting the state's requirement of permanent residency for more than 29 days.  The Franklin County Board of Elections referred 55 cases of possible voting irregularities to the local prosecutor.<ref name="dispatchpolitics1">{{cite web|last=Niquette|first=Mark|url=http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/16/copy/voter_fraud.ART_ART_11-16-09_A1_O9FM66J.html?sid=101|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429011205/http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/16/copy/voter_fraud.ART_ART_11-16-09_A1_O9FM66J.html?sid=101|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2011|title=Mark Niquette, "Vote-Fraud Cases Linger from 2008," Columbus Dispatch, November 16, 2008."|publisher=Dispatchpolitics.com|date=November 16, 2009|access-date=June 13, 2010}}</ref> Three groups attracted particular notice: 'Vote from Home,' 'Vote Today Ohio,' and 'Drop Everything and Come to Ohio.'  Vote from Home attracted the most attention when thirteen of the group's members moved to the same location in eastern Columbus.  Members of the group organized by Marc Gustafson, including several [[Marshall Scholarship|Marshall]] and [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes]] scholars studying at [[Oxford University]], settled with Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien to have their challenged ballots withdrawn.<ref>{{cite web|last=Niquette|first=Mark|url=http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/22/copy/DEMS_STRIKE_BACK.ART_ART_10-22-08_A1_2JBLUBM.html?sid=101|title=Mark Niquette and Jill Riepenhoff, "'Voters' Flocking to Ohio," Columbus Dispatch, October 22, 2008|publisher=Dispatchpolitics.com|date=October 22, 2008|access-date=June 13, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812050408/http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/22/copy/DEMS_STRIKE_BACK.ART_ART_10-22-08_A1_2JBLUBM.html?sid=101|archive-date=August 12, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>Jeane Macintosh, [http://www.nypost.com/p/news/politics/item_yCkmlETMVrtZjHU5avR2vM/1 "Gotham-to-Ohio Vote Scam Eyed,"]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212204030/http://www.nypost.com/p/news/politics/item_yCkmlETMVrtZjHU5avR2vM/1 |date=December 12, 2011 }} New York Post, October 20, 2008; Resume of group leader with statement about Marshall scholars membership posted here {{cite web |url=http://www.marcgustafson.com/Marc%20Gustafson's%20Website%20Resume.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=April 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514042809/http://www.marcgustafson.com/Marc%20Gustafson%27s%20Website%20Resume.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>  The Obama campaign and others alleged that members of the McCain campaign had also voted without properly establishing residency.<ref name="dispatchpolitics1"/> Since 1953, only six people in Ohio have gone to prison for illegal voting.<ref>{{cite web|last=Riepenhoff|first=Jill|url=http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/19/copy/Brownlee.ART_ART_10-19-08_A1_72BL2JG.html?adsec=politics&sid=101|title=Jill Riepenhoff, "Illegal Voters, or Just Getting Out the Vote?" Columbus Dispatch, October 19, 2008|publisher=Dispatchpolitics.com|date=October 19, 2008|access-date=June 13, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812051133/http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/19/copy/Brownlee.ART_ART_10-19-08_A1_72BL2JG.html?adsec=politics&sid=101|archive-date=August 12, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Media bias===
Republicans and independents leveled significant criticism at media outlets' coverage of the presidential election season. An October 22, 2008 [[Pew Research Center]] poll estimated 70% of registered voters believed journalists wanted Barack Obama to win the election, as opposed to 9% for John McCain.<ref>{{cite web|title=Most Voters Say Media Wants Obama to Win|publisher=The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press|date=October 22, 2008|url=http://people-press.org/report/463/media-wants-obama}}</ref> Another Pew survey, conducted after the election, found that 67% of voters thought that the press fairly covered Obama, versus 30% who viewed the coverage as unfair. Regarding McCain, 53% of voters viewed his press coverage as fair versus 44% who characterized it as unfair. Among affiliated Democrats, 83% believed the press fairly covered Obama; just 22% of Republicans thought the press was fair to McCain.<ref>[http://www.people-press.org/2008/11/13/section-5-the-press-and-campaign-2008/ High Marks for the Campaign, a High Bar for Obama] Pew Research Center. Retrieved September 6, 2012.</ref>

At the February debate, [[Tim Russert]] of [[NBC News]] was criticized for what some perceived as disproportionately tough questioning of Democratic presidential contender [[Hillary Clinton]].<ref name="Who Lost" /> Among the questions, Russert had asked Clinton, but not Obama, to provide the name of the new [[President of Russia|Russian President]] ([[Dmitry Medvedev]]).<ref name="Who Lost" /> This was later parodied on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. In October 2007, [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] commentators accused Russert of harassing Clinton over the issue of supporting drivers' licenses for [[illegal immigrants]].<ref name="Backlash Against ABC" />

On April 16, [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] hosted a debate in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]. Moderators [[Charles Gibson]] and [[George Stephanopoulos]] were criticized by viewers, [[blog]]gers and media critics for the poor quality of their questions.<ref name="Who Lost">{{cite news|first=Jacques|last=Steinberg|author-link=Jacques Steinberg|title=Who Lost the Debate? Moderators, Many Say|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/us/politics/18moderator.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 18, 2008|access-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Backlash Against ABC">{{cite news|first=Howard|last=Kurtz|author-link=Howard Kurtz|title=The Backlash Against ABC|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/18/AR2008041800912.html|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 18, 2008|access-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref> Many viewers said they considered some of the questions irrelevant when measured against the importance of the faltering economy or the [[Iraq War]]. Included in that category were continued questions about Obama's former pastor, Senator Hillary Clinton's assertion that she had to duck sniper fire in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] more than a decade ago, and Senator Obama's not wearing an American flag pin.<ref name="Who Lost" /> The moderators focused on campaign gaffes and some believed they focused too much on Obama.<ref name="Backlash Against ABC" /> Stephanopoulos defended their performance, saying "Senator Obama was the front-runner" and the questions were "not inappropriate or irrelevant at all."<ref name="Who Lost" /><ref name="Backlash Against ABC" />

In an [[op-ed]] published on April 27, 2008, in ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Elizabeth Edwards]] wrote that the media covered much more of "the rancor of the campaign" and "amount of money spent" than "the candidates' priorities, policies and principles."<ref>{{cite news|author=Elizabeth Edwards|title=Op-ed: Bowling 1, Health Care 0|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 28, 2008|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/opinion/27edwards.html}}</ref> Author [[Erica Jong]] commented that "our press has become a sea of triviality, meanness and irrelevant chatter."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erica-jong/inspiration-versus-degrad_b_98844.html|title=Inspiration Versus Degradation|work=The Huffington Post |first=Erica|last=Jong|date=May 5, 2008}}</ref> A Gallup poll released on May 29, 2008, also estimated that more Americans felt the media was being harder on Hillary Clinton than they were towards Barack Obama. ''Time'' magazine columnist [[Mark Halperin]] stated that the media during the 2008 election had a "blind, almost slavish" worship of Obama.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/107557/public-says-media-harder-clinton-than-obama-mccain.aspx |title=Public Says Media Harder on Clinton Than Obama, McCain |date=May 29, 2008 |publisher=Gallup.com |access-date=July 17, 2011}}</ref>

The [[Project for Excellence in Journalism]] and [[Harvard University]]'s [[Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy]] conducted a study of 5,374 media narratives and assertions about the presidential candidates from January 1 through March 9, 2008. The study found that Obama received 69% favorable coverage and Clinton received 67%, compared to only 43% favorable media coverage of McCain.<ref>{{cite web|title=Character and the Primaries of 2008|publisher=The Project for Excellence in Journalism|date=May 29, 2008|url=http://www.journalism.org/node/11266}}</ref> Another study by the [[Center for Media and Public Affairs]] at [[George Mason University]] found the media coverage of Obama to be 72% negative from June 8 to July 21 compared to 57% negative for McCain.<ref>{{cite web|title=MEDIA BASH BARACK (NOT A TYPO)|publisher=Center for Media and Public Affairs|date=July 28, 2008|url=http://cmpa.com/Studies/Election08/election%20news%207_29_08.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120200207/http://www.cmpa.com/Studies/Election08/election%20news%207_29_08.htm|archive-date=November 20, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> An October 29 study found 29% of stories about Obama to be negative, compared to 57% of stories about McCain being negative.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Color of News|publisher=Project for Excellence in Journalism|date=October 29, 2008|url=http://journalism.org/node/13436}}</ref>

==Conduct==
[[File:Poll Closing Times 2008.svg|thumb|Final poll closing times on Election Day.
{{legend|#D8BFD8|7PM [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]] [00:00 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]] (6)}}
{{legend|#EE82EE|7:30PM EST [00:30 UTC] (3)}}
{{legend|#BA55D3|8PM EST [01:00 UTC] (15+DC)}}
{{legend|#9932CC|8:30PM EST [01:30 UTC] (1)}}
{{legend|#8B008B|9PM EST [02:00 UTC] (15)}}
{{legend|#4B0082|10PM EST [03:00 UTC] (4)}}
{{legend|#483D8B|11PM EST [04:00 UTC] (5)}}
{{legend|#000000|1AM EST [06:00 UTC] (1)}}]]

[[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]] was on November 4, 2008. The majority of states allowed early voting, with all states allowing some form of absentee voting.<ref>[http://earlyvoting.net/states/abslaws.php Absentee and Early Voting Laws] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211174818/http://earlyvoting.net/states/abslaws.php |date=December 11, 2008 }}, from the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College</ref> Voters cast votes for listed presidential candidates but were actually selecting representatives for their state's [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] slate.

A McCain victory quickly became improbable as Obama amassed early wins in his home state of [[United States presidential election in Illinois, 2008|Illinois]], the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]], and the critical battleground states of [[United States presidential election in Ohio, 2008|Ohio]] (which no Republican has ever been elected president without winning) and [[United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2008|Pennsylvania]] by 9:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/04/1639565.aspx|title=NBC calls Ohio for Obama—First Read—msnbc.com|publisher=Firstread.msnbc.msn.com|date=November 4, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211211123/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/04/1639565.aspx|archive-date=December 11, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Obama won the entire Northeast by comfortable margins and the [[Great Lakes region|Great Lakes states]] of [[United States presidential election in Michigan, 2008|Michigan]], [[United States presidential election in Wisconsin, 2008|Wisconsin]], and [[United States presidential election in Minnesota, 2008|Minnesota]] by double digits. McCain held on to traditionally Republican states like [[United States presidential election in North Dakota, 2008|North Dakota]], [[United States presidential election in South Dakota, 2008|South Dakota]], [[United States presidential election in Nebraska, 2008|Nebraska]] (though notably, Obama did win an electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district), [[United States presidential election in Kansas, 2008|Kansas]], [[United States presidential election in Oklahoma, 2008|Oklahoma]], [[United States presidential election in Montana, 2008|Montana]], [[United States presidential election in Utah, 2008|Utah]], [[United States presidential election in Idaho, 2008|Idaho]], [[United States presidential election in Wyoming, 2008|Wyoming]], and his home state of [[United States presidential election in Arizona, 2008|Arizona]]. McCain, unlike Bush in 2000 and 2004, failed to win all the southern states: Obama won [[United States presidential election in Florida, 2008|Florida]], [[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 2008|North Carolina]], and [[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2008|Virginia]]. Obama also won the hotly contested states of [[United States presidential election in Iowa, 2008|Iowa]] and [[United States presidential election in New Mexico, 2008|New Mexico]], which [[Al Gore]] had won in 2000 and George W. Bush in 2004. Also, for only the second time since [[1936 United States presidential election|1936]] ([[1964 United States presidential election|1964]] being the other), [[United States presidential election in Indiana, 2008|Indiana]] went Democratic, giving Obama all eight Great Lakes states, the first time a presidential candidate had won all of them since [[1972 United States presidential election|Richard Nixon in 1972]].

[[CNN]] and [[Fox News]] called Virginia for Obama shortly before 11:00 PM, leaving him only 50 electoral votes shy of victory with only six [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] states ([[United States presidential election in California, 2008|California]], [[United States presidential election in Oregon, 2008|Oregon]], [[United States presidential election in Washington, 2008|Washington]], [[United States presidential election in Idaho, 2008|Idaho]], [[United States presidential election in Alaska, 2008|Alaska]], and [[United States presidential election in Hawaii, 2008|Hawaii]]) still voting. All American networks called the election in favor of Obama at 11:00 PM as the polls closed on the West Coast. Obama was immediately declared the winner in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, McCain won Idaho, and the Electoral College totals were updated to 297 for Obama and 146 for McCain (270 are needed to win). McCain gave a concession speech half an hour later in his hometown of [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Fouhy|first=Beth|title=McCain concedes presidency, congratulates Obama|url=http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/2008/11/05/101691-mccain-concedes-presidency-congratulates-obama/|work=[[Tucson Citizen]]|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=July 18, 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716012121/http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/2008/11/05/101691-mccain-concedes-presidency-congratulates-obama/|archive-date=July 16, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Obama appeared just before midnight Eastern Time in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], [[Chicago]], in front of a crowd of 250,000 people to deliver his [[Barack Obama election victory speech, 2008|victory speech]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Paul|last=Meincke|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=6490862|title=Chicago could benefit from Obama election|publisher=[[WLS-TV]]|location=Chicago|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=July 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629054417/http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Fpolitics&id=6490862|archive-date=June 29, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Cartogram-2008 Electoral Vote.png|thumb|[[Cartogram]] of the Electoral Votes for 2008 United States presidential election, each square representing one electoral vote. The map shows the impact of winning [[swing state]]s. Nebraska, being one of two states that are not winner-take-all, for the first time had its votes split, with its [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district|second congressional district]] voting for Obama.]]
Following Obama's speech, spontaneous street parties broke out in cities across the United States including [[Philadelphia]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[Miami]], Chicago, [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], [[Detroit]], [[Boston]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[San Francisco]], [[Denver]], [[Atlanta]], [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]], and [[New York City]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/scenes-of-joy-across-the-us/1352918.aspx|title=Scenes of joy across the US—Local News—News—General|publisher=The Canberra Times|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009|archive-date=February 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219001107/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/scenes-of-joy-across-the-us/1352918.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> and around the world in [[London]]; [[Bonn]]; [[Berlin]]; [[Obama, Japan]]; [[Toronto]]; [[Rio de Janeiro]]; [[Sydney]]; and [[Nairobi]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5087886.ece|title=World celebrates Barack Obama victory|publisher=Times Online|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009|location=London|first1=Philippe|last1=Naughton|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429092313/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5087886.ece |archive-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref>

Later on election night, after Obama was named the winner, he picked up several more wins in swing states in which the polls had shown a close race. These included [[Florida]], [[Indiana]], [[Virginia]], and the western states of [[Colorado]] and [[Nevada]]. All of these states had been carried by Bush in [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]. [[North Carolina]] and the [[Missouri bellwether|bellwether]] state of [[Missouri]] remained undecided for several days. Eventually Obama was declared the winner in North Carolina and McCain in Missouri, with Obama pulling out a rare win in [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district]]. This put the projected electoral vote count at 365 for Obama and 173 for McCain. Obama's victories in the populous swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Virginia contributed to his decisive win. The presidential electors cast their ballots for president and vice president, and Congress tallied these votes on January 8, 2009.<ref name="house floor summary"/>

===Turnout===

The [[voter turnout]] for this election was broadly predicted to be high by American standards,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/03/expected-high-voter-turnout-government-officials-watchdog-groups-alert/|title=Expected High Voter Turnout Has Government Officials, Watchdog Groups on Alert|access-date=November 7, 2008|date=November 3, 2008|agency=Fox News|quote="The main thing that we all know is that there's going to be a huge turnout. There are going to be long lines, and any problems that occur will exacerbate because of those lines," said Robert M. Brandon, president of the Fair Elections Legal Network.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Urbina|first=Ian|title=Voting experts say high turnout may add to problems at the polls|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/world/americas/03iht-03voting.17464681.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 3, 2008|access-date=July 16, 2009}}</ref> and a record number of votes were cast.<ref>{{cite news |last=Alban |first=Debra |title=Number of votes cast set record, but voter turnout percentage didn't |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/06/voter.turnout/index.html|publisher=CNN |date=November 7, 2008|access-date=July 16, 2009}}</ref> The final tally of total votes counted was 131.3 million, compared to 122.3 million in 2004 (which also boasted the highest record since [[1968 United States presidential election|1968]], the last presidential election before the [[voting age]] was lowered to 18). Expressed as a percentage of eligible voters, 131.2 million votes could reflect a turnout as high as 63.0% of eligible voters, which would be the highest since [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]].<ref name="i2.cdn.turner.com">{{cite press release|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/06/pdf.gansre08turnout.au.pdf|title=Much-hyped Turnout Record Fails to Materialize|access-date=November 20, 2008|date=November 6, 2008|agency=Center for the Study of the American Electorate, American University}}</ref><ref name="turnout-report final">{{cite press release|url=http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/2008turnout-report_final11.pdf|title=African-Americans, Anger, Fear and Youth Propel Turnout to Highest Level Since 1964|access-date=December 18, 2008|agency=Center for the Study of the American Electorate, American University|archive-date=December 18, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218004523/http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/2008turnout-report_final11.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> This 63.0% turnout rate is based on an estimated eligible voter population of 208,323,000.<ref name="turnout-report final"/> Another estimate puts the eligible voter population at 213,313,508, resulting in a turnout rate of 61.6%, which would be the highest turnout rate since 1968.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2008G - United States Elections Project|url=http://www.electproject.org/2008g|access-date=2020-10-31|website=www.electproject.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2008G.html |title=2008 General Election Turnout Vote |publisher=Elections.gmu.edu |date=March 31, 2012 |access-date=December 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112213711/http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2008G.html |archive-date=January 12, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Broken down by age group, voters under 35 voted for Obama by a large majority with McCain most popular among voters over 60. Voters between 35 and 59 were nearly split 50/50 between the two candidates.

[[American University]]'s Center for the Study of the American Electorate released a report on November 6, 2008, two days after the election, which concluded that the anticipated increase in turnout had failed to materialize.<ref name="i2.cdn.turner.com"/> That report was the basis for some news articles that indicated voter turnout failed to meet expectations.<ref>{{ cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/06/report-08-turnout-same-or-only-slightly-higher-than-04/|title=Report: '08 turnout same as or only slightly higher than '04|date=November 6, 2008|agency=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15422.html|title=That huge voter turnout? Didn't happen|date=November 8, 2008|agency=Politico}}</ref> When the remaining votes were counted after the release of the report, the total number of votes cast in the presidential election was raised to 131.2 million, which surpassed the American University report's preliminary estimate of 126.5 to 128.5 million voters by a factor of between 2% and 4%.

The election saw increased participation from [[African Americans]], who made up 13.0% of the electorate, versus 11.1% in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nonprofitvote.org/download-document/america-goes-to-the-polls-brief-11-19-08-pdf.html|title=America Goes to the Polls|access-date=September 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416132213/http://www.nonprofitvote.org/download-document/america-goes-to-the-polls-brief-11-19-08-pdf.html|archive-date=April 16, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> According to exit polls, over 95% of African Americans voted for Obama. This played a critical role in Southern states such as North Carolina. 74% of North Carolina's registered African American voters turned out, as opposed to 69% of North Carolinians in general, with Obama carrying 100% (with rounding) of African-American females and African Americans age 18 to 29, according to exit polling.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://wilmingtonjournal.com/News/search/ArchiveContent.asp?NewsID=92721&sID=|title=How Black Democrats won North Carolina and the Election: Massive Turnout, Week of November 13–19, 2008|date=November 24, 2008|agency=The Wilmington Journal|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202133159/http://wilmingtonjournal.com/News/search/ArchiveContent.asp?NewsID=92721&sID=|archive-date=December 2, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This was also the case in Virginia, where much higher turnout among African Americans propelled Obama to victory in the former Republican stronghold.<ref name="electionguidevirginia">{{cite news|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/states/virginia|title=2008 Presidential Race: Virginia—Election Guide—The New York Times|last=The New York Times|date=November 4, 2008|work=Election Guide 2008 – The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|access-date=June 2, 2009}}</ref> Even in southern states in which Obama was unsuccessful, such as Georgia and Mississippi, due to large African American turnout he was much more competitive than John Kerry in 2004.<ref name="electionguidegeorgia">{{cite news|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/states/georgia|title=2008 Presidential Race: Georgia—Election Guide—The New York Times|last=The New York Times|date=November 4, 2008|work=Election Guide 2008 – The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|access-date=June 2, 2009}}</ref><ref name="electionguidemississippi">{{cite news|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/states/mississippi|title=2008 Presidential Race: Mississippi—Election Guide—The New York Times|last=The New York Times|date=November 4, 2008|work=Election Guide 2008 – The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|access-date=June 2, 2009}}</ref>

===Ballot access===
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
!Presidential ticket
!Party
![[Ballot access]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballot-access.org/ballot-chart.html|title=2008 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT|publisher=Ballot-access.org|date=October 23, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103041944/http://www.ballot-access.org/ballot-chart.html |archive-date=November 3, 2008}}</ref>
!Votes
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|Obama / Biden
|Democratic
|50+[[Washington, D.C.|DC]]
|69,498,516
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|McCain / Palin
|Republican
|50+DC
|59,948,323
|-{{Party shading/Independent}}
|Nader / Gonzalez
|Independent
|45+DC
|739,034
|-{{Party shading/Libertarian}}
|Barr / Root
|Libertarian
|45
|523,715
|-{{Party shading/Constitution}}
|Baldwin / Castle
|Constitution
|37
|199,750
|-{{Party shading/Green}}
|McKinney / Clemente
|Green
|32 + DC
|161,797
|-{{Party shading/None}}
|Others—total
|
|(see below)
|242,685
|}
No other candidate had ballot access in enough states to win 270 electoral votes. All six candidates appeared on the ballot for a majority <!-- 59.8% --> of the voters, while the 17 other listed candidates were available to no more than 30% <!-- 26.8% -->of the voters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/110108.html|title=Ballot Access News – November 1, 2008|publisher=Ballot-access.org|date=March 18, 2008|access-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref>

The following candidates and parties had ballot listing or write-in status in more than one state:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/110108.html#6|title=Ballot Access News—November 1, 2008|publisher=Ballot-access.org|date=March 18, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Alan Keyes]] (America's Independent Party) received 47,746 votes; listed in three states: Colorado and Florida, plus California (listed as American Independent), and also had write-in status in Kentucky, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.
* [[Ron Paul]] received 42,426 votes; listed in Louisiana (Louisiana Taxpayers) and in Montana (Constitution), with write-in status in California.
* [[Gloria La Riva]] ([[Party for Socialism and Liberation]]) received 6,808 votes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballot-access.org/pres1.html|title=12/12/92|publisher=Ballot-access.org|date=December 22, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204100357/http://ballot-access.org/pres1.html|archive-date=February 4, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> nationally; listed in 12 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
* [[Brian Moore (political activist)|Brian Moore]] ([[Socialist Party USA|Socialist Party]], see [[Brian Moore presidential campaign, 2008]]) received 6,538 votes; listed in eight states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and Tennessee (independent) and Vermont (Liberty Union). He also filed for write-in status in 17 other states: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
* [[Róger Calero]] ([[Socialist Workers Party (United States)|Socialist Workers Party]]) received 5,151 votes; listed in ten states. He was listed by name in Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. James Harris was listed as his stand-in in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, and Washington, and also had write-in status in California.
* [[Charles Jay]] ([[Boston Tea Party (political party)|Boston Tea Party]]) received 2,422 votes; listed in Colorado and Florida, and in Tennessee (as independent), with write-in status in Arizona, Montana, and Utah.
* [[Tom Stevens (Objectivist Party politician)|Tom Stevens]] ([[Objectivist Party|Objectivist]]) received 755 votes; listed in Colorado and Florida.
* [[Gene Amondson]] ([[Prohibition Party|Prohibition]]) received 653 votes; listed in Colorado, Florida, and Louisiana.
* Jonathan Allen (Heartquake) received 483 votes; listed only in Colorado, with write-in status in Arizona, Georgia, Montana, Texas, and other states.

The following candidates (parties) were listed on the ballot in only one state:
* Richard Duncan (Independent) – Ohio; 3,905 votes.
* John Joseph Polachek ([[New Party (United States)|New Party]]) Illinois; 1,149 votes.
* Frank McEnulty ([[New American Independent Party|New American Independent]]) – Colorado (listed as unaffiliated); 829 votes.
* Jeffrey Wamboldt ([[We the People Foundation|We the People]]) – Wisconsin; 764 votes.
* [[Jeff Boss]] (Vote Here) – New Jersey; 639 votes.
* George Phillies – New Hampshire (also listed with the label Libertarian); 531 votes.
* [[Ted Weill]] ([[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform]]) – Mississippi; 481 votes.
* [[Bradford Lyttle]] ([[United States Pacifist Party|U.S. Pacifist]]) – Colorado; 110 votes.

In Nevada, 6,267 votes were cast for "[[None of These Candidates]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nvsos.gov/SOSelectionPages/results/2008StateWideGeneral/ElectionSummary.aspx |title=2008 Official Statewide General Election Results for Nevada |publisher=Nvsos.gov |date=November 4, 2008 |access-date=April 2, 2013}}</ref>  In the three states that officially keep track of "blank" votes for president, 103,193 votes were recorded as "blank".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G08/President-Details.phtml?n=BLANK|title=2008 Presidential Election by State|publisher=Thegreenpapers.com|date=January 8, 2009|access-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref> More than 100,000 write-in votes were cast and recorded for a scattering of other candidates, including 62 votes for "[[Santa Claus]]" (in ten states) and 11 votes for "[[Mickey Mouse]]" (in five states).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G08/President-Details.phtml?n=OTHER|title=2008 Presidential Election by State|publisher=Thegreenpapers.com|date=January 8, 2009|access-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref>

According to the Federal Election Commission, an unusually high number of "miscellaneous" write-ins were cast for president in 2008, including 112,597 tallied in the 17 states that record votes for non-listed candidates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/020109.html|title=Ballot Access News – February 1, 2009|publisher=Ballot-access.org|date=February 1, 2009|access-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref> There were more presidential candidates on the ballot than at any other time in U. S. history, except for the [[1992 United States presidential election|1992 election]], which also had 23 candidates listed in at least one state.

==Results==
<!--[[File:US 2008 Prez Election-popvote.png|thumb|upright=1.15|Popular vote results map]]
{{start U.S. presidential ticket box}}
generally include state only after state officially tallies in-->

Popular vote totals are from the [http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/federalelections2008.pdf official Federal Election Commission report]. The results of the electoral vote were certified by Congress on January 8, 2009.<ref name="house floor summary">{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html?day=20090108|title=United States House of Representatives floor summary for Jan 8, 2009|publisher=Clerk.house.gov|access-date=January 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402071556/http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html?day=20090108|archive-date=April 2, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
{{start U.S. presidential ticket box|pv_footnote=|ev_footnote=}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Barack Obama|Barack Hussein Obama II]]|party=[[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]]|state=[[Illinois]]|pv=69,498,516|pv_pct=52.93%|ev=365|vp_name=[[Joe Biden|Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.]]|vp_state=[[Delaware]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[John Sidney McCain III]]|party=[[United States Republican Party|Republican]]|state=[[Arizona]]|pv=59,948,323|pv_pct=45.65%|ev=173|vp_name=[[Sarah Louise Palin]]|vp_state=[[Alaska]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Ralph Nader]]|party=[[Independent (politics)|Independent]]|state=[[Connecticut]]|pv=739,034|pv_pct=0.56%|ev=0|vp_name=[[Matt Gonzalez]]|vp_state=[[California]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Bob Barr]]|party=[[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]|state=[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]|pv=523,715|pv_pct=0.40%|ev=0|vp_name=[[Wayne Allyn Root]]|vp_state=[[Nevada]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Chuck Baldwin]]|party=[[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution]]|state=[[Florida]]|pv=199,750|pv_pct=0.15%|ev=0|vp_name=Darrell Castle|vp_state=[[Tennessee]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Cynthia McKinney]]|party=[[Green Party (United States)|Green]]|state=[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]|pv=161,797|pv_pct=0.12%|ev=0|vp_name=[[Rosa Clemente]]|vp_state=[[North Carolina]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Alan Keyes]]|party=America's Independent Party|state=[[New York (state)|New York]]|pv=47,941|pv_pct=0.04%|ev=0|vp_name=[[Wiley Drake|Wiley S. Drake, Sr.]]|vp_state=[[Colorado]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box other|footnote=|pv=242,685|pv_pct=0.18%}}
{{end U.S. presidential ticket box|pv=131,313,820|pv_pct=100.00%|ev=538|to_win=270}}

{{bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=410px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Obama'''|{{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}|52.93}}
{{bar percent|McCain|{{party color|Republican Party (US)}}|45.65}}
{{bar percent|Nader|{{party color|Independent (US)}}|0.56}}
{{bar percent|Barr|{{party color|Libertarian Party (US)}}|0.40}}
{{bar percent|Baldwin|{{party color|Constitution Party (US)}}|0.15}}
{{bar percent|McKinney|{{party color|Green Party (US)}}|0.12}}
{{bar percent|Keyes|{{party color|American Independent Party}}|0.04}}
{{bar percent|Others|#777777|0.18}}
}}
{{bar box
|title=Electoral vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=410px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Obama'''|{{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}|67.84}}
{{bar percent|McCain|{{party color|Republican Party (US)}}|32.16}}
}}

===Results by state===
{{further|United States presidential election#The popular vote on Election Day}}
The following table records the official vote tallies for each state for those presidential candidates who were listed on ballots in enough states to have a theoretical chance for a majority in the Electoral College. State popular vote results are from the [http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/federalelections2008.pdf official Federal Election Commission report]. The column labeled "Margin" shows Obama's margin of victory over McCain (the margin is negative for states and districts won by McCain).

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;line-height:1.2"
|+ Legend
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|colspan=2|States/districts won by [[Barack Obama|Obama]]/[[Joe Biden|Biden]]
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|colspan=2|States/districts won by [[John McCain|McCain]]/[[Sarah Palin|Palin]]
|-
| † || At-large results (for states that split electoral votes)
|}
<div style="overflow:auto">
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;line-height:1.2"
|-
! colspan=2 |
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Barack Obama<br />Democratic
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| John McCain<br />Republican
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Ralph Nader<br />Independent
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Bob Barr<br />Libertarian
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Chuck Baldwin<br />Constitution
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Cynthia McKinney<br />Green
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Others
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Margin
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Total votes
|-
! align=center | State/district
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|EV|electoral votes}}
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort- type="number"| %
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number" | #
!
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Alabama|Alabama]]
|9||813,479||38.74%||-||1,266,546||60.32%||9||6,788||0.32%||-||4,991||0.24%||-||4,310||0.21%||-||0||0.00%||-||3,705||0.18%||-||-453,067||-21.58%||2,099,819||AL
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Alaska|Alaska]]
| 3||123,594||37.89%||-||193,841||59.42%||3||3,783||1.16%||-||1,589||0.49%||-||1,660||0.51%||-||0||0.00%||-||1,730||0.53%||-||-70,247||-21.54%||326,197||AK
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Arizona|Arizona]]
|10||1,034,707||45.12%||-||1,230,111||53.64%||10||11,301||0.49%||-||12,555||0.55%||-||1,371||0.06%||-||3,406||0.15%||-||24||0.00%||-||-195,404||-8.52%||2,293,475||AZ
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Arkansas|Arkansas]]
|6||422,310||38.86%||-||638,017||58.72%||6||12,882||1.19%||-||4,776||0.44%||-||4,023||0.37%||-||3,470||0.32%||-||1,139||0.10%||-||-215,707||-19.85%||1,086,617||AR
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in California|California]]
|55||8,274,473||61.01%||55||5,011,781||36.95%||-||108,381||0.80%||-||67,582||0.50%||-||3,145||0.02%||-||38,774||0.29%||-||57,764||0.43%||-||3,262,692||24.06%||13,561,900||CA
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Colorado|Colorado]]
|9||1,288,633||53.66%||9||1,073,629||44.71%||-||13,352||0.56%||-||10,898||0.45%||-||6,233||0.26%||-||2,822||0.12%||-||5,895||0.25%||-||215,004||8.95%||2,401,462||CO
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Connecticut|Connecticut]]
|7||997,772||60.59%||7||629,428||38.22%||-||19,162||1.16%||-||0||0.00%||-||311||0.02%||-||90||0.01%||-||34||0.00%||-||368,344||22.37%||1,646,797||CT
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Delaware|Delaware]]
|3||255,459||61.94%||3||152,374||36.95%||-||2,401||0.58%||-||1,109||0.27%||-||626||0.15%||-||385||0.09%||-||58||0.01%||-||103,085||25.00%||412,412||DE
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in the District of Columbia|District of Columbia]]
|3||245,800||92.46%||3||17,367||6.53%||-||958||0.36%||-||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||590||0.22%||-||1,138||0.43%||-||228,433||85.92%||265,853||DC
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Florida|Florida]]
|27||4,282,074||51.03%||27||4,045,624||48.22%||-||28,124||0.34%||-||17,218||0.21%||-||7,915||0.09%||-||2,887||0.03%||-||6,902||0.08%||-||236,450||2.82%||8,390,744||FL
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Georgia|Georgia]]
|15||1,844,123||46.99%||-||2,048,759||52.20%||15||1,158||0.03%||-||28,731||0.73%||-||1,402||0.04%||-||250||0.01%||-||63||0.00%||-||-204,636||-5.21%||3,924,486||GA
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Hawaii|Hawaii]]
|4||325,871||71.85%||4||120,566||26.58%||-||3,825||0.84%||-||1,314||0.29%||-||1,013||0.22%||-||979||0.22%||-||0||0.00%||-||205,305||45.26%||453,568||HI
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Idaho|Idaho]]
|4||236,440||36.09%||-||403,012||61.52%||4||7,175||1.10%||-||3,658||0.56%||-||4,747||0.72%||-||39||0.01%||-||51||0.01%||-||-166,572||-25.43%||655,122||ID
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Illinois|Illinois]]
|21||3,419,348||61.92%||21||2,031,179||36.78%||-||30,948||0.56%||-||19,642||0.36%||-||8,256||0.15%||-||11,838||0.21%||-||1,160||0.02%||-||1,388,169||25.14%||5,522,371||IL
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Indiana|Indiana]]
|11||1,374,039||49.95%||11||1,345,648||48.91%||-||909||0.03%||-||29,257||1.06%||-||1,024||0.04%||-||87||0.00%||-||90||0.00%||-||28,391||1.03%||2,751,054||IN
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Iowa|Iowa]]
|7||828,940||53.93%||7||682,379||44.39%||-||8,014||0.52%||-||4,590||0.30%||-||4,445||0.29%||-||1,423||0.09%||-||7,332||0.48%||-||146,561||9.53%||1,537,123||IA
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Kansas|Kansas]]
|6||514,765||41.65%||-||699,655||56.61%||6||10,527||0.85%||-||6,706||0.54%||-||4,148||0.34%||-||35||0.00%||-||36||0.00%||-||-184,890||-14.96%||1,235,872||KS
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Kentucky|Kentucky]]
|8||751,985||41.17%||-||1,048,462||57.40%||8||15,378||0.84%||-||5,989||0.33%||-||4,694||0.26%||-||0||0.00%||-||112||0.01%||-||-296,477||-16.23%||1,826,620||KY
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Louisiana|Louisiana]]
|9||782,989||39.93%||-||1,148,275||58.56%||9||6,997||0.36%||-||0||0.00%||-||2,581||0.13%||-||9,187||0.47%||-||10,732||0.55%||-||-365,286||-18.63%||1,960,761||LA
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Maine|Maine]]†
|2||421,923||57.71%||2||295,273||40.38%||-||10,636||1.45%||-||251||0.03%||-||177||0.02%||-||2,900||0.40%||-||3||0.00%||-||126,650||17.32%||731,163||ME
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Maine's 1st congressional district|Maine's 1st]]
|1||232,145||60.51%||1||144,604||37.69%||-||5,263||1.37%||-||||||-||||||-||1,362||0.36%||-||252||0.07%||-||87,541||22.82%||383,626||ME1
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Maine's 2nd congressional district|Maine's 2nd]]
|1||189,778||54.61%||1||150,669||43.35%||-||5,373||1.55%||-||||||-||||||-||1,538||0.44%||-||179||0.05%||-||39,109||11.25%||347,537||ME2
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Maryland|Maryland]]
|10||1,629,467||61.92%||10||959,862||36.47%||-||14,713||0.56%||-||9,842||0.37%||-||3,760||0.14%||-||4,747||0.18%||-||9,205||0.35%||-||669,605||25.44%||2,631,596||MD
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]
|12||1,904,097||61.80%||12||1,108,854||35.99%||-||28,841||0.94%||-||13,189||0.43%||-||4,971||0.16%||-||6,550||0.21%||-||14,483||0.47%||-||795,243||25.81%||3,080,985||MA
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Michigan|Michigan]]
|17||2,872,579||57.43%||17||2,048,639||40.96%||-||33,085||0.66%||-||23,716||0.47%||-||14,685||0.29%||-||8,892||0.18%||-||170||0.00%||-||823,940||16.47%||5,001,766||MI
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Minnesota|Minnesota]]
|10||1,573,354||54.06%||10||1,275,409||43.82%||-||30,152||1.04%||-||9,174||0.32%||-||6,787||0.23%||-||5,174||0.18%||-||10,319||0.35%||-||297,945||10.24%||2,910,369||MN
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Mississippi|Mississippi]]
|6||554,662||43.00%||-||724,597||56.18%||6||4,011||0.31%||-||2,529||0.20%||-||2,551||0.20%||-||1,034||0.08%||-||481||0.04%||-||-169,935||-13.17%||1,289,865||MS
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Missouri|Missouri]]
|11||1,441,911||49.29%||-||1,445,814||49.43%||11||17,813||0.61%||-||11,386||0.39%||-||8,201||0.28%||-||80||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||-3,903||-0.13%||2,925,205||MO
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Montana|Montana]]
|3||231,667||47.25%||-||242,763||49.51%||3||3,686||0.75%||-||1,355||0.28%||-||143||0.03%||-||23||0.00%||-||10,665||2.18%||-||-11,096||-2.26%||490,302||MT
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Nebraska|Nebraska]]†
|2||333,319||41.60%||-||452,979||56.53%||2||5,406||0.67%||-||2,740||0.34%||-||2,972||0.37%||-||1,028||0.13%||-||2,837||0.35%||-||-119,660||-14.93%||801,281||NE
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Nebraska's 1st congressional district|Nebraska's 1st]]
|1||121,411||44.33%||-||148,179||54.10%||1||1,963||0.72%||-||922||0.34%||-||1,024||0.37%||-||394||0.14%||-||||||-||-26,768||-9.77%||273,893||NE1
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district|Nebraska's 2nd]]
|1||138,809||49.97%||1||135,439||48.75%||-||1,628||0.59%||-||1,014||0.36%||-||599||0.22%||-||320||0.12%||-||||||-||3,370||1.21%||277,809||NE2
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Nebraska's 3rd congressional district|Nebraska's 3rd]]
|1||73,099||29.63%||-||169,361||68.64%||1||1,815||0.74%||-||804||0.33%||-||1,349||0.55%||-||314||0.13%||-||||||-||-96,262||-39.01%||246,742||NE3
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Nevada|Nevada]]
|5||533,736||55.15%||5||412,827||42.65%||-||6,150||0.64%||-||4,263||0.44%||-||3,194||0.33%||-||1,411||0.15%||-||6,267||0.65%||-||120,909||12.49%||967,848||NV
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]
|4||384,826||54.13%||4||316,534||44.52%||-||3,503||0.49%||-||2,217||0.31%||-||226||0.03%||-||40||0.01%||-||3,624||0.51%||-||68,292||9.61%||710,970||NH
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in New Jersey|New Jersey]]
|15||2,215,422||57.27%||15||1,613,207||41.70%||-||21,298||0.55%||-||8,441||0.22%||-||3,956||0.10%||-||3,636||0.09%||-||2,277||0.06%||-||602,215||15.57%||3,868,237||NJ
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in New Mexico|New Mexico]]
|5||472,422||56.91%||5||346,832||41.78%||-||5,327||0.64%||-||2,428||0.29%||-||1,597||0.19%||-||1,552||0.19%||-||0||0.00%||-||125,590||15.13%||830,158||NM
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in New York|New York]]
|31||4,804,945||62.88%||31||2,752,771||36.03%||-||41,249||0.54%||-||19,596||0.26%||-||634||0.01%||-||12,801||0.17%||-||8,935||0.12%||-||2,052,174||26.86%||7,640,931||NY
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in North Carolina|North Carolina]]
|15||2,142,651||49.70%||15||2,128,474||49.38%||-||1,448||0.03%||-||25,722||0.60%||-||0||0.00%||-||158||0.00%||-||12,336||0.29%||-||14,177||0.33%||4,310,789||NC
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in North Dakota|North Dakota]]
|3||141,278||44.62%||-||168,601||53.25%||3||4,189||1.32%||-||1,354||0.43%||-||1,199||0.38%||-||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||-27,323||-8.63%||316,621||ND
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Ohio|Ohio]]
|20||2,940,044||51.50%||20||2,677,820||46.91%||-||42,337||0.74%||-||19,917||0.35%||-||12,565||0.22%||-||8,518||0.15%||-||7,149||0.13%||-||262,224||4.59%||5,708,350||OH
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Oklahoma|Oklahoma]]
|7||502,496||34.35%||-||960,165||65.65%||7||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||-457,669||-31.29%||1,462,661||OK
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Oregon|Oregon]]
|7||1,037,291||56.75%||7||738,475||40.40%||-||18,614||1.02%||-||7,635||0.42%||-||7,693||0.42%||-||4,543||0.25%||-||13,613||0.74%||-||298,816||16.35%||1,827,864||OR
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]
|21||3,276,363||54.49%||21||2,655,885||44.17%||-||42,977||0.71%||-||19,912||0.33%||-||1,092||0.02%||-||0||0.00%||-||17,043||0.28%||-||620,478||10.32%||6,013,272||PA
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]
|4||296,571||62.86%||4||165,391||35.06%||-||4,829||1.02%||-||1,382||0.29%||-||675||0.14%||-||797||0.17%||-||2,121||0.45%||-||131,180||27.81%||471,766||RI
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in South Carolina|South Carolina]]
|8||862,449||44.90%||-||1,034,896||53.87%||8||5,053||0.26%||-||7,283||0.38%||-||6,827||0.36%||-||4,461||0.23%||-||0||0.00%||-||-172,447||-8.98%||1,920,969||SC
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in South Dakota|South Dakota]]
|3||170,924||44.75%||-||203,054||53.16%||3||4,267||1.12%||-||1,835||0.48%||-||1,895||0.50%||-||0||0.00%||-||0||0.00%||-||-32,130||-8.41%||381,975||SD
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Tennessee|Tennessee]]
|11||1,087,437||41.83%||-||1,479,178||56.90%||11||11,560||0.44%||-||8,547||0.33%||-||8,191||0.32%||-||2,499||0.10%||-||2,337||0.09%||-||-391,741||-15.07%||2,599,749||TN
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Texas|Texas]]
|34||3,528,633||43.68%||-||4,479,328||55.45%||34||5,751||0.07%||-||56,116||0.69%||-||5,708||0.07%||-||909||0.01%||-||1,350||0.02%||-||-950,695||-11.77%||8,077,795||TX
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Utah|Utah]]
|5||327,670||34.41%||-||596,030||62.58%||5||8,416||0.88%||-||6,966||0.73%||-||12,012||1.26%||-||982||0.10%||-||294||0.03%||-||-268,360||-28.18%||952,370||UT
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Vermont|Vermont]]
|3||219,262||67.46%||3||98,974||30.45%||-||3,339||1.03%||-||1,067||0.33%||-||500||0.15%||-||66||0.02%||-||1,838||0.57%||-||120,288||37.01%||325,046||VT
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Virginia|Virginia]]
|13||1,959,532||52.63%||13||1,725,005||46.33%||-||11,483||0.31%||-||11,067||0.30%||-||7,474||0.20%||-||2,344||0.06%||-||6,355||0.17%||-||234,527||6.30%||3,723,260||VA
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Washington (state)|Washington]]
|11||1,750,848||57.65%||11||1,229,216||40.48%||-||29,489||0.97%||-||12,728||0.42%||-||9,432||0.31%||-||3,819||0.13%||-||1,346||0.04%||-||521,632||17.18%||3,036,878||WA
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in West Virginia|West Virginia]]
|5||303,857||42.59%||-||397,466||55.71%||5||7,219||1.01%||-||0||0.00%||-||2,465||0.35%||-||2,355||0.33%||-||89||0.01%||-||-93,609||-13.12%||713,451||WV
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]
|10||1,677,211||56.22%||10||1,262,393||42.31%||-||17,605||0.59%||-||8,858||0.30%||-||5,072||0.17%||-||4,216||0.14%||-||8,062||0.27%||-||414,818||13.90%||2,983,417||WI
|-{{Party shading/Republican}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[2008 United States presidential election in Wyoming|Wyoming]]
|3||82,868||32.54%||-||164,958||64.78%||3||2,525||0.99%||-||1,594||0.63%||-||1,192||0.47%||-||0||0.00%||-||1,521||0.60%||-||-82,090||-32.24%||254,658||WY
|-{{Party shading/Democratic}}
! align=left|U.S. Total||538||69,498,516||52.93%||365||59,948,323||45.65%||173||739,034||0.56%||-||523,715||0.40%||-||199,750||0.15%||-||161,797||0.12%||-||242,685||0.18%||-||9,550,193||7.27%||131,313,820||US
|}</div>
Note: Maine and Nebraska each allow for their electoral votes to be split between candidates. In both states, two electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide race and one electoral vote is awarded to the winner of each congressional district.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2008/tabs-can-pr-condistrict-summary-11-08.html|title=Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections Division|access-date=December 2, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104160518/http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2008/tabs-can-pr-condistrict-summary-11-08.html|archive-date=November 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/pdf/2008%20General%20Canvass%20Book.pdf|title=Official Results of Nebraska General Election – November 4, 2008|access-date=December 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114195615/http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/pdf/2008%20General%20Canvass%20Book.pdf|archive-date=January 14, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Cartographic gallery ===
<gallery perrow="3" widths="360" heights="167">
File:2008prescountymap.PNG|Popular vote by county. Red represents counties that went for McCain; blue represents counties that went for Obama. Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont had all counties go to Obama. Oklahoma had all counties go to McCain.
File:ElectionMapPurpleCounty.png|Presidential popular votes by county as a scale from red/Republican to blue/Democratic.
File:2008CartogramElection.jpg|[[Cartogram]] of popular vote with each county rescaled in proportion to its population. Deeper blue represents a Democratic majority; brighter red represents a Republican majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/|title=Election maps|website=www-personal.umich.edu}}</ref>
File:US Election04-08shift.png|Voting shifts per county from the 2004 to the 2008 election. Darker blue indicates the county voted more Democratic. Darker red indicates the county voted more Republican.
File:2008 United States presidential election results map by county.svg|Results by county, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote.
File:Presidential Elections 2004-2008 Swing in County Margins.svg|Change in vote margins at the county level from the 2004 election to the 2008 election. Obama made dramatic gains in every region of the country except for Arizona, Appalachia, and the inner South, where McCain improved over Bush.
File:2008 presidential election, results by congressional district (popular vote percentage).svg|Results by Congressional Districts, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote.
</gallery>

===Close states===
[[File:Swing states, 2008.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|States/districts in the 2008 United States Presidential election in which the margin of victory was less than 5%. Blue states/districts went for Obama, red for McCain. Yellow states were won by either candidate by 5% or more. Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia and Iowa were won by Bush in 2004 but were won by Obama by a margin of more than 5% in 2008.]]
Red font color denotes states won by Republican John McCain; blue denotes those won by Democrat Barack Obama.

States in which the margin of victory was under 1% (26 electoral votes):
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">Missouri 0.13% (3,903 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">North Carolina 0.33% (14,177 votes)</span>'''

States/districts in which the margin of victory was under 5% (62 electoral votes):
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Indiana 1.03% (28,391 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Nebraska's 2nd congressional district 1.21% (3,370 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">Montana 2.26% (11,723 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Florida 2.82% (236,148 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Ohio 4.59% (262,224 votes)</span>'''

States/districts in which margin of victory was more than 5% but less than 10% (73 electoral votes):
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">Georgia 5.21% (204,636 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Virginia 6.30% (234,527 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">South Dakota 8.41% (32,130 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">Arizona 8.52% (195,404 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">North Dakota 8.63% (27,484 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">''Colorado 8.95% (215,004 votes)''</span>''' ''(tipping point state)''
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">South Carolina 8.98% (172,447 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Iowa 9.53% (146,561 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">New Hampshire 9.61% (68,292 votes)</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:darkred;">Nebraska's 1st congressional district 9.77% (26,768 votes)</span>'''

====Statistics====
Counties with highest percentage of Democratic vote:<ref>[https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2008&off=0&elect=0&f=0], Uselectionatlas.org.</ref>
# '''<span style="color:blue;">[[Washington, D.C.]] 92.46%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:blue;">[[Prince George's County, Maryland]] 88.87%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:blue;">[[The Bronx|Bronx County, New York]] 88.71%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:blue;">[[Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota|Shannon County, South Dakota]] 88.69%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:blue;">[[Petersburg, Virginia]] 88.64%</span>'''

Counties with highest percentage of Republican vote:
# '''<span style="color:red;">[[King County, Texas]] 92.64%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:red;">[[Roberts County, Texas]] 92.08%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:red;">[[Ochiltree County, Texas]] 91.70%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:red;">[[Glasscock County, Texas]] 90.13%</span>'''
# '''<span style="color:red;">[[Beaver County, Oklahoma]] 89.25%</span>'''

===International reactions===
{{Main|International reactions to the 2008 United States presidential election}}
The American presidential election was followed closely internationally.<ref>{{cite news|last=Coleman|first=Joseph|title=World hopes U.S. election heralds new era|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/05/MNNA13U5IS.DTL|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=July 17, 2009}}</ref> When it was clear that Obama was victorious, many world leaders sent congratulations and well wishes to the president-elect.<ref>{{cite news|title=World leaders hail Obama triumph|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7711321.stm|work=BBC News|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=August 2, 2009}}</ref>

==Voter demographics==
{| class=wikitable
|-
! colspan="8" | The 2008 presidential vote by demographic subgroup
|-
! Demographic subgroup
! {{party shading/Democratic}}|Obama
! {{party shading/Republican}}|McCain
! {{party shading/Independent}}|Other
! % of<br />total vote
|-
| Total vote
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 53
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 100
|-
! colspan=5|Ideology
|-
| [[Modern liberalism in the United States|Liberals]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 89
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 10
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 22
|-
| [[Moderates]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 60
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 39
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 44
|-
| [[Conservatism in the United States|Conservatives]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 20
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 78
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 34
|-
! colspan=5|Party
|-
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 89
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 10
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 39
|-
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 9
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 90
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 32
|-
| [[Independent (voter)|Independents]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 52
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
| style="text-align:right;" | 29
|-
! colspan=5|Gender
|-
| Men
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 49
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 47
|-
| Women
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 56
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 43
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 53
|-
! colspan=5|Marital status
|-
| Married
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 47
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 52
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 66
|-
| Non-married
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 65
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 33
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 34
|-
! colspan=5|Race
|-
| [[White American|White]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 43
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 74
|-
| [[African American|Black]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 95
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 4
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 13
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 35
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
|-
| Other
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 66
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 31
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 67
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 31
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 9
|-
! colspan=5|Religion
|-
| [[Protestantism|Protestant]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 45
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 54
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 54
|-
| [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 45
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 27
|-
| [[American Jews|Jewish]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 78
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 21
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
|-
| Other
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 73
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 22
| style="text-align:right;" | 5
| style="text-align:right;" | 6
|-
| [[Irreligion|None]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 75
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 23
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 12
|-
! colspan=5|Religious service attendance
|-
| More than weekly
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 43
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 12
|-
| Weekly
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 43
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 27
|-
| Monthly
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 53
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 15
|-
| A few times a year
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 59
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 39
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 28
|-
| Never
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 67
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 30
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 16
|-
! colspan=5|White evangelical or born-again Christian?
|-
| [[Christian right|White evangelical or born-again Christian]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 24
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 74
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 26
|-
| Everyone else
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 36
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 74
|-
! colspan=5|Age
|-
| 18–24 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 66
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 32
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 10
|-
| 25–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 66
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 31
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
| 30–39 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 18
|-
| 40–49 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#d0c0d7;"| 49
| style="text-align:right; background:#d0c0d7;"| 49
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 21
|-
| 50–64 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 49
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 27
|-
| 65 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 45
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 53
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 16
|-
! colspan=5|Age by race
|-
| Whites 18–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 11
|-
| Whites 30–44 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 41
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 57
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| Whites 45–64 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 42
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 56
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 30
|-
| Whites 65 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 40
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 58
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 13
|-
| Blacks 18–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 95
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 4
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Blacks 30–44 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 96
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 4
| style="text-align:right;" | n/a
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Blacks 45–64 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 96
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Blacks 65 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 94
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 6
| style="text-align:right;" | n/a
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
|-
| Latinos 18–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 76
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 19
| style="text-align:right;" | 5
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Latinos 30–44 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 63
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 36
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Latinos 45–64 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 58
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
|-
| Latinos 65 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 68
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 30
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
|-
| Others
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 64
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 33
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 5
|-
! colspan=5|First time voter?
|-
| First time voter
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 69
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 30
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 11
|-
| Everyone else
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 89
|-
! colspan=5|Sexual orientation
|-
| [[LGBT|Gay, lesbian, or bisexual]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 70
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 27
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| [[Heterosexuality|Heterosexual]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 53
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 45
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 96
|-
! colspan=5|Education
|-
| Not a [[Secondary education in the United States|high school]] graduate
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 63
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 35
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| High school graduate
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 52
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| Some [[Higher education in the United States|college]] education
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 47
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 31
|-
| College graduate
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 28
|-
| [[Postgraduate education]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 58
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 17
|-
! colspan=5|Education by race/ethnicity
|-
| White college graduates
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 47
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 51
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 35
|-
| White no college degree
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 40
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 58
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 39
|-
| Non-white college graduates
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 75
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 22
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 9
|-
| Non-white no college degree
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 83
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 16
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 16
|-
! colspan=5|Family income
|-
| Under $15,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 73
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 25
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 6
|-
| $15,000–30,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 60
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 37
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 12
|-
| $30,000–50,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 55
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 43
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 19
|-
| $50,000–75,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 48
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 49
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 21
|-
| $75,000–100,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 15
|-
| $100,000–150,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 48
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 51
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 14
|-
| $150,000–200,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 48
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 50
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 6
|-
| Over $200,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 52
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 6
|-
! colspan=5|Union households
|-
| [[Labor unions in the United States|Union]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 59
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 39
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 21
|-
| Non-union
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 47
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 79
|-
! colspan=5|Military service
|-
| [[Veteran#United States|Veterans]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 44
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 54
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 15
|-
| Non-veterans
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 85
|-
! colspan=5|Issue regarded as most important
|-
| [[Great Recession in the United States|Economy]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 53
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 63
|-
| [[Iraq War|Iraq]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 59
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 39
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 10
|-
| [[Health care in the United States|Health care]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 73
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 26
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 9
|-
| [[Terrorism in the United States|Terrorism]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 13
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 86
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 9
|-
| [[Energy in the United States|Energy]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
| style="text-align:right;" | 7
|-
! colspan=5|Region
|-
| [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 59
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 21
|-
| [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 24
|-
| [[Southern United States|South]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 45
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 54
| style="text-align:right;" | 1
| style="text-align:right;" | 32
|-
| [[Western United States|West]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 57
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
| style="text-align:right;" | 23
|-
! colspan=5|Community size
|-
| Urban
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 63
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 35
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 30
|-
| Suburban
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;"| 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;"| 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 49
|-
| Rural
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;"| 45
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;"| 53
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
| style="text-align:right;" | 21
|}
'''Source:''' Exit polls conducted by Edison Research of [[Somerville, New Jersey]], for the National Election Pool, a consortium of ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NBC News.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=USP00p1|title=National Exit Poll|publisher=CNN|access-date=January 28, 2013}}</ref>

==Analysis==
Obama, having a [[White American|white]] mother and [[Kenya]]n father of the [[Luo (Kenya and Tanzania)|Luo ethnic group]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Derek|last=Kilner|title=Kenyans Welcome Obama's Democratic Party Nomination|date=June 4, 2008|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-06/2008-06-04-voa44.cfm?CFID=30257441&CFTOKEN=32989567|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100726062355/http://www1.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-06/2008-06-04-voa44.cfm?CFID=30257441&CFTOKEN=32989567|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 26, 2010|publisher=VOA News|access-date=June 17, 2008}}</ref> became the first [[African American]] as well as the first [[bi-racial]] president.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-assess5-2008nov05,0,6354926.story|title=White Americans play major role in electing the first black president|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 5, 2008|last=Wallsten|first=Peter|access-date=July 16, 2009}}</ref> Although he may have been the first black president to win an election, Obama was not the first African American to run for president. Shirley Chisolm, Jesse Jackson, Lenora Fulani, Carol Moseley Braun, Alan Keyes, and Al Sharpton all at some point were in the process for presidential nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/africanamericans_president.htm|title=African-Americans Who Ran for President|publisher=socialstudiesforkids.com|access-date=2016-03-22}}</ref> The Obama-Biden ticket was also the first winning ticket in American history on which neither candidate was a [[White Anglo-Saxon Protestant]]; Biden is [[Roman Catholic]] and is the first Roman Catholic to be elected vice president; all other tickets with Catholic vice presidential candidates had been defeated ([[William E. Miller|1964]], [[Sargent Shriver#Vice Presidential candidate|1972]], [[Geraldine Ferraro#1984 vice-presidential candidacy|1984]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.america.gov/st/elections08-english/2008/November/20081107132624xjyrrep0.7660639.html|title=America.gov|publisher=America.gov|date=November 7, 2008|access-date=July 16, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805090139/http://www.america.gov/st/elections08-english/2008/November/20081107132624xjyrrep0.7660639.html|archive-date=August 5, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Obama and Biden were the first president and vice president elected from the Senate since [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]] ([[John F. Kennedy]]/[[Lyndon B. Johnson]]) (in the previous election cycle ([[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]) Democrats also [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2004|nominated]] two sitting senators, [[John Kerry]] of [[Massachusetts]] and [[John Edwards]] of [[North Carolina]], but they lost to incumbents Bush and Cheney), Obama became the first Northern Democratic president since Kennedy, and the Obama-Biden ticket was the first winning Democratic ticket to feature two Northerners since [[1940 United States presidential election|1940]] ([[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]/[[Henry A. Wallace]]). Also, Obama became the first Democratic candidate to win a majority of the popular vote since [[Jimmy Carter]] in [[1976 United States presidential election|1976]], the first to win a majority of both votes and states since Lyndon Johnson in [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]], and the first Northern Democrat to win a majority of both votes and states since Franklin Roosevelt in [[1944 United States presidential election|1944]]. This was the first presidential election since 1952 in which neither of the major party candidates was either the incumbent president or vice-president.

[[File:Election-state-04-08.png|thumb|upright=1.15|Swing by state. States are listed by (increasing) percentage of Democratic votes, showing how the share of the vote changed between [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]] and 2008. Excluding the candidates' home states, only five states trended more Republican: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia.]]

Prior to the election, commentators discussed whether Senator Obama would be able to redraw the electoral map by winning states that had been voting for Republican candidates in recent decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.progressillinois.com/2008/05/11/features/obama-over-the-top|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514024717/http://progressillinois.com/2008/05/11/features/obama-over-the-top|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 14, 2008|title=Obama Over the Top: How New Voters Could Redraw The Electoral Map|publisher=Progress Illinois|access-date=January 30, 2009}}</ref> In many ways, he was successful. He won every region of the country by double digits except the South, which John McCain won by nine percent. Obama won [[Delaware]], the [[District of Columbia]], [[Maryland]], [[North Carolina]], [[Florida]], and [[Virginia]] in the [[Southern United States|South]] (region as defined by the US [[Census Bureau]]). McCain won most of the Deep South, where white voters had generally supported Republican candidates by increasingly large margins in the previous few decades.<ref>[http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/national-exit-polls.html Exit Polls], ''The New York Times'', November 5, 2008.</ref> Obama also defied political bellwethers, becoming the first person to win the presidency while losing [[Missouri]] since [[1956 United States presidential election|1956]] (as well as the first Democrat ever to do so) and while losing [[Kentucky]] and [[Tennessee]] since [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]]. He was the first Democrat to win without [[Arkansas]] since that state joined the Union in 1836 and the first Democrat to win the presidency without winning [[West Virginia]] since [[1916 United States presidential election|1916]]. Because one West Virginia elector voted for the Democrat in 1916, Obama was the first Democrat to win without any electors from the state since its founding in 1863. [[Indiana]] and [[Virginia]] voted for the Democratic nominee for the first time since [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]. Although Obama did not win other normally Republican states such as [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and [[Montana]] (which were won by [[Bill Clinton]] in [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]), he nonetheless was competitive in both. He lost Montana by just under 3% and Georgia by slightly more than 5%. Also notably, Barack Obama won all of the 2004 swing states (states that either Kerry or Bush won by less than 5%) by a margin of 8.5 percent or more except for Ohio, which the Democrat carried by 4.5 percent.

Obama was the first presidential candidate to split the electoral votes from [[Nebraska]]. Together with [[Maine]], which would not split its votes until [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]], Nebraska is one of two states that split their electoral votes, two going to the statewide popular vote winner and the rest going to the winner of each respective congressional district (Nebraska has three, and Maine has two). Obama won the electoral vote from [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district]], which contains the city of [[Omaha]]. Nebraska's other four electoral votes went to John McCain.

{{as of|2020}}, this election is the last time that Indiana and North Carolina voted Democratic, and is also the most recent election where one of the nominees has since died.

This election exhibited the continuation of some of the polarization trends evident in the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000]] and 2004 elections.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cost |first=Jay |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/horseraceblog/2008/11/polarization_continues_under_o.html|title=HorseRaceBlog—Electoral Polarization Continues Under Obama|publisher=RealClearPolitics|date=November 20, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> McCain won whites 55–43 percent, while Obama won blacks 95–4 percent,<ref>{{cite web|author=Kuhn, David Paul |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15297.html|title=Exit polls: How Obama won|work=Politico|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=November 8, 2011}}</ref> Hispanics 67–31 percent, and Asians 62–35 percent. Voters aged 18–29 voted for Obama by 66–32 percent while elderly voters backed McCain 53–45 percent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1|title=Exit poll|publisher=CNN|access-date=January 30, 2009}}</ref> The 25-year age gap between McCain and Obama was the widest in U.S. presidential election history among the top two candidates.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/world/americas/03iht-letter.3.9701386.html |title=Obama vs. McCain would be dream match |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 3, 2008 |author=Hunt, Albert R.}}</ref>

==See also==
<!--This section is not for links to candidate sites, it is to reference articles similar in nature to this one-->
* [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories]]
* [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories]]
* [[First inauguration of Barack Obama]]
* [[Newspaper endorsements in the 2008 United States presidential election]]
* [[Presidential transition of Barack Obama]]
* [[2008 United States gubernatorial elections]]
* [[2008 United States House of Representatives elections]]
* [[2008 United States Senate elections]]
* [[Third-party and independent candidates for the 2008 United States presidential election]]

===Opinion polling===
* [[Nationwide opinion polling for the 2008 United States presidential election]]
* [[Statewide opinion polling for the 2008 United States presidential election]]
* [[International opinion polling for the 2008 United States presidential election]]
* Scientific forecasts: [[FiveThirtyEight]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* Plouffe, David. The Audacity to Win. 2009
* Balz, Dan, and Haynes Johnson. ''The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election'' (2009), by leading reporters with inside information
* Crotty, William.  "Policy and Politics: The Bush Administration and the 2008 Presidential Election," ''Polity,'' July 2009, Vol. 41 Issue 3, pp 282–311 [http://www.palgrave-journals.com/polity/journal/v41/n3/abs/pol20093a.html online]
* Curtis, Mark. ''Age of Obama: A Reporter's Journey With Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President in 2008'' (2009)
* Gidlow, Liette. Obama, Clinton, Palin: Making History in Election 2000 (2012)
* Nelson, Michael. ''The Elections of 2008'' (2009), factual summary [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872895696/ except and text search]
* Sussman, Glen. "Choosing a New Direction: The Presidential Election of 2008," ''White House Studies,'' 2009, Vol. 9 Issue 1, pp 1–20
* Wolffe, Richard. ''Renegade: The Making of a President'' (2010) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307463133/  excerpt and text search], narrative

===Voters===
* Abramson, Paul R., John H. Aldrich, and David W. Rohde. ''Change and Continuity in the 2008 Elections'' (2009) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1604265205/  excerpt and text search]
* Corwin E. Smidt and others. ''The Disappearing God Gap? Religion in the 2008 Presidential Election''  (Oxford University Press; 2010) 278 pages. Finds that the gap between church-attending traditionalists and other voters is not closing, as has been claimed, but is changing in significant ways; draws on survey data from voters who were interviewed in the spring of 2008 and then again after the election.
* Crespino,  Joseph. "The U.S. South and the 2008 Election," ''Southern Spaces'' (2008) [http://www.southernspaces.org/2008/us-south-and-2008-election online]
* Jessee, Stephen A. "Voter Ideology and Candidate Positioning in the 2008 Presidential Election," ''American Politics Research,'' March 2010, Vol. 38 Issue 2, pp 195–210
* Kenski, Kate, Bruce W. Hardy, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. ''The Obama Victory: How Media, Money, and Message Shaped the 2008 Election'' (Oxford University Press; 2010) 378 pages. Draws on interviews with key campaign advisors as well as the National Annenberg Election Survey. [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195399560/ excerpt and text search]
* Sabato, Larry. ''The Year of Obama: How Barack Obama Won the White House'' (2009)
* Stempel III, Guido H. and Thomas K. Hargrove, eds. ''The 21st-Century Voter: Who Votes, How They Vote, and Why They Vote'' (2 vol. 2015).
* Todd, Chuck, and Sheldon Gawiser. ''How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election'' (2009) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/030747366X/ excerpt and text search]
{{refend}}

==External links==
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{{Commons category|United States presidential election, 2008}}
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* [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=electoral-results-maps Beyond Red and Blue: 7 Ways to View the Presidential Election Map]—from ''[[Scientific American]]''
* [http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/2008 Campaign commercials from the 2008 election]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120825102042/http://www.mit.edu/~mi22295/elections.html#2008 How close was the 2008 election?]—Michael Sheppard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
* [http://www.ecoresearch.net/election2008/ US Election 2008 Web Monitor]
* [http://mapmash.googlepages.com/election_map.html 2008 Electoral Map]
* [https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/results.htm "Behind the Results", ''USA Today'' election coverage]
* Joseph Crespino, [http://southernspaces.org/2008/us-south-and-2008-election "The U.S. South and the 2008 Election"], ''Southern Spaces'', December 11, 2008.
* [http://www.countingthevotes.com/2008/ Election of 2008 in Counting the Votes]

{{United States presidential election, 2008}}
{{State results of the 2008 U.S. presidential election}}
{{United States elections, 2008}}
{{United States presidential elections}}
{{Barack Obama}}
{{Joe Biden}}
{{John McCain}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Authority control}}

[[:Category:2008 United States presidential election| ]]
[[:Category:Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign]]
[[:Category:John McCain 2008 presidential campaign]]
[[:Category:Barack Obama]]
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[[:Category:November 2008 events in the United States]]