Barack Obama

Barack Obama is the third African American to serve in the U.S. Senate since the mid-1800s. In 2008, he became the first African American to be considered a serious contender for the office of president of the United States.

Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Hawaii . His father was an African American from Kenya, and his mother was a white woman from Kansas . Obama's father returned to his homeland to work for the government while his son was still young, and Obama was raised by his stepfather and mother in Indonesia from the age of six to the age of ten. At that point, he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents.

After graduating from Columbia University in 1983, Obama moved to Chicago, Illinois , to work as a community organizer on the city's South Side, an area known for its intense poverty. While there, he decided to become a lawyer. He attended Harvard Law School, where he became the first African American president of the reputable Harvard Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991 and became a civil rights lawyer in Chicago. At the same time, he taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.

Active in politics

Obama married Michelle Robinson in 1992. The couple had two daughters. In 1996, Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate as a Democrat. While there, he authored landmark legislation to end racial profiling and sponsored a bill to expand medical coverage for uninsured children. He earned a reputation as an intelligent, charismatic politician with a strong

work ethic. His vision of progress allowed him to work with members of both the Democratic Party and Republican Party .

In March 2004, Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate with 53 percent of the vote. He defeated his Republican opponent, Alan Keyes (1950–), another African American. It was the first time in history that two African Americans ran against one another in a Senate general election. Just months later, the Democratic Party invited Obama to be the keynote speaker at its national convention.

While serving in the U.S. Senate, Obama continued to impress fellow politicians and private citizens alike with his ability to find common ground. He distinguished himself as a man who was able to retain civility even as he disagreed with others. His personal philosophy was the basis for his 1995 book titled Dreams from My Father. His 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, was a best-seller.

Runs for president

Obama announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president in February 2007. His Democratic rivals included former First Lady and U.S. senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (1947–) of New York and former U.S. senator John Edwards (1953–) of North Carolina . Edwards eventually dropped out of the race, and Obama continued to win key primaries and caucuses over Clinton throughout the early months of 2008. He averaged $1 million in campaign donations per day, making his one of the most-funded campaigns in American political history.

Obama's campaign was relatively clear of scandal, and he maintained a respectful tone throughout. In March 2008, Obama's church, the Trinity United Church of Christ, was highly criticized as anti-American and racist, and it reflected badly on Obama. The church's minister, Reverend Jeremiah Wright (1941–), was often featured in the media because of his controversial sermons. At various times throughout his career, Wright had preached sermons accusing the federal government of crimes against African Americans, including perpetuating racism and creating the HIV virus to infect them. Following the release of sound-bites of some of Wright's controversial speeches, Obama publicly rejected Wright's racially charged comments but defended him as a friend and mentor. He urged Americans to use the controversy to examine race relations. But further controversial comments made by Wright in speeches in April 2008 resulted in Obama calling Wright's words “a bunch of rants.” He distanced himself from Wright and said he was “outraged by the comments.”

Obama on the issues

Obama and Clinton took similar stances on nearly ever issue, from educational reform to abortion rights. Where they differed was in their opinions regarding the Iraq invasion , which had been raging since 2003. Clinton had initially voted to send American troops to war but changed her mind and later decided that America needed to pull out of Iraq. Obama had consistently voted against waging war in Iraq. Supporters of Obama saw this consistency as proof of the candidate's good judgment.

The race between Obama and Clinton remained incredibly close into the spring. On June 3, Obama gained enough votes to reach the required 2,118 delegates needed to win the nomination. He could then concentrate on campaigning against the Republican nominee, U.S. senator John McCain (1936–) of Arizona .