2008 Presidential Election

The 2008 United States Presidential Election was the 56th quadrennial United States presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The Democrat ticket of Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Joe Biden of Delaware defeated the Republican ticket of Senator John McCain of Arizona and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

The Republicans experienced a competitive primary. McCain was consistently competitive in the polls but faced challenges from a number of more conservative members of the wing. McCain secured his party's nomination at the RNC, defeating Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul. Barack Obama beat out Hillary Clinton and Al Gore to secure his party's nomination.

Obama defeated McCain easily, winning a majority of the Electoral College and the popular vote. Obama won 399 electoral votes and 53.13% of the popular vote compared to McCains' 139 electoral votes and 45.60%, a landslide victory not seen since George HW Bush's landslide victory in 1988.

Obama flipped a number of conservative states such as Missouri and Arkansas, as well as Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota due to voter disaffection with the economy under a Republican president and a lack of enthusiasm for the McCain/Romney ticket. Obama won all of the swing states identified by The Washington Post in the 2008 election and also won three states that were favored towards the Republicans. (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana)