2008 president candidate

George W. Bush Republican. Barack Obama Democratic. Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, Obama became the first African American to be elected to the presidency. This was the first election since in which neither the incumbent president nor vice president was on the ballot, as well as the first election since in which neither ran for the nomination.

Was obama president in 2008

Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush was ineligible to pursue a third term due to the term limits established by the Twenty-second Amendment. McCain secured the Republican nomination by March , defeating former governors Mitt Romney , Mike Huckabee , and other challengers. The Democratic primaries were marked by a sharp contest between Obama and the initial front-runner, former first lady and Senator Hillary Clinton , as well as other challengers who dropped out before most of the primaries were held, including Senators John Edwards and Obama's future running mate, Joe Biden.

Clinton's victory in the New Hampshire primary made her the first woman to win a major party's presidential primary. Early campaigning focused heavily on the Iraq War and Bush's unpopularity.