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Critical Analysis of the Obama Platform and Campaign

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political platform electoral success and the obama campaign in the general election in the usa Introduction This paper examines the interrelationships between political platformand electoral success within the context of the Obama campaign in the general election in the United States The nature of the relationshipbetween political platform and electoral success is a manifestation of theinteractions of a complex set of factors To a great extent the relativeimportance of the various factors that are involved in the relationshipbetween political platform and electoral

Introduction: How social movements matter: Past research, present problems, future developments. (1976). The Protestant reformation introduced the concept of politicalobligation on the part of individuals. The first factor is the vulnerability of a politicalsystem to unwanted change because of changing societal attitudes. 73-1 .Coll, S. Incontrast to this theoretical approach, the examination in this paper isdeveloped in a specific context. (1996). In McAdam, D., McCarthy, J. The third factor is the presence in a political system ofplayers that are receptive to the goals of a social movement. The functionality of the socialization process . ReferencesAristotle. (1991). The good society. The development syndrome. Whenadvocates of such causes attempt to promote the idea only members of therelevant population segment have real problems or that the problemsafflicting other segments of the population should not be pursued if thatin any way slows action for a preferred population group, however, widersupport for the promoted social cause typically fails to develop as hoped.To gain widespread public acceptance, social movements (a) must besocietally encompassing or (b) they must not pursue their objectives at theexpense of the others in the society (Giugni, 1999). As a consequence, the Obama campaignwas highly successful. The Obama campaign in 2 8, based in the principles delineated inthe Obama platform. Various people understand the term politicalparticipation in the following ways. The Obama messagepresented through the Obama political platform, together with the reachingout by Barack Obama to all segments of American society (whether or not theoffer was accepted by everyone) created a new political environment in theUnited States. The fragmentationof the political power structure opens opportunities for new groups to seekpolitical power. Oxford, England, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., pp. The Dialogues of Plato. Social movements 1768-2 4. The increasing dissatisfaction within the United States with the focusof government, the failing economy, the disillusionment with war, and theshame of torture and other violations of American values created a solidpolitical opportunity for a campaign with a platform that could offermeaningful, reasonable, and attainable change. William and Mary Quarterly, 49, 6 9-627.Tilly, C. C. The Obamaplatform offered a realistic hope for meaningful changes in these trends(Considine, 2 9; Evans, 2 9; Greenberg, 2 9; Rule, 2 9; Schell, 2 9). P., & Nelson, J. Comparative perspectives on social movements: Political opportunities, mobilizing structures, and cultural framings. The works of Aristotle. The politics of public opinion: James Madison's Notes on Government. (Eds.). D., & Zald, M. New York, NY, USA: The New Press.Bruns, A. (1999). The Obama Platform and the Theory of Political Opportunities The theory of political opportunities is compatible with resourcemobilization theory in that both theories focus on the important of thepresence of resources within a society that can be targeted by politically-oriented social movements. J. Social Science Quarterly, 84(1), 191-2 9.Coleman, J. (2 9, March/April). The exclusiveness of the political field: Networks and political mobilization. (2 9, Spring). In thecrisis model, the process of political evolution and change is conceived as"a continuous interaction among the processes of structuraldifferentiation, the imperatives of equality, and the integrative,responsive, and adaptive capacity of a political system," in which the "...interaction of these three dimensions constituted ... In this political context, legitimacy refers to thechange in the nature of the ultimate authority to which politicalobligation is owed. Participation by individuals, however, is a criticalresource for such movements. National Interest 1 , 58-65.McAdam, D., McCarthy, J. Plato held that justice in a society occurs only when everymember of that society does what he or she is best suited to do. 75). Madison relied to some extent on John Locke's Two Treatises ofGovernment. The Obama Platform, the Campaign, and the Crisis Model The crisis model of political development is process oriented. The basis for authority . Participation is considered as acts ofsupport for a government, as well demands placed on the government.Participation is considered only to be successful efforts that affectgovernmental policies. Summary This paper examined the interrelationships between political platformand electoral success within the context of the Obama campaign in the 2 8general election in the United States. Over the preceding three decades prior to 2 8,however, this objective had waned. According to McAdam (1996), political opportunity is influence greatlyby four factors. In the United States in the 21st century, the so-called elites - themajor corporations, the financial manipulators, the defense contractors,the very wealthy, and their entrenched political lackeys in government -had developed a firm grasp on the process of government. Historical interpretations of authority . N., Madsen, R., Sullivan, W. The Obamacampaign organization proved to be highly effective in selling this elementof the platform to the majority of the American voting public. The third action is to frame the arguments ofthe social movement in order to generate legitimacy. First, participation is considered to be an action, includingverbal action but not including attitudes and subjective feelings. Resource mobilization theory and the study of social movements. 26).Such capacity is manifested in the successful institutionalization of "newpatterns of integration and penetration regulating and containing thetensions and conflicts produced by increased differentiation" (Coleman,1984, p. The Bush Administration increasinglyoverruled or ignored the United States Constitution (Berkowitz, 2 9; Bobo,2 9; Coll, 2 9; O'Leary, 2 9). Constitutional conservatism. (2 3, April). The Judaic-Christian period succeeded the Greek city states period inthe development of political philosophy, and this period provided valuesrelated to the concepts of patriarchalism, sense of people, kingship, therole of the people in the appointment of king, and the duty of king topeople. Suchobjectives are accomplished by social movements through the effectivepolitical participation of its members (Carmin, 2 3). Religion and the limits of limited government. No easy choice. Republic. Third, citizens must have a choice in the selection ofleaders or activities (Huntington & Nelson, 1976). The New Yorker, 85(3), 38-51.Considine, D. Participation also may be defined in broader terms. Back in history, Hobbes contributed the concept of a relationshipbetween protection of and obedience to political philosophy. Political legitimacy, thus, is a complex concept, one that is highlyinterrelated with all of the other facets of a political system. The firstaction is the creation of a basis of support within society. The alienation of a large segment of the American population from theBush Administration specifically and the federal government generallyrepresented important challenges to political legitimacy. The nature of the relationshipbetween political platform and electoral success is a manifestation of theinteractions of a complex set of factors. Legitimacy, thus, is linked to the stresses between thecharacteristics of equality and capacity of the many actors and entities ina society. By 2 8, several segments of theAmerican population were disenchanted with the Bush Administrationspecifically and with the federal government generally. The beginnings of political philosophydate back to the Greek city-state. The theory of political opportunities, however,also emphasizes the importance of institutions within society that providea facilitating framework that allows politically-oriented social movementsto develop and to thrive. Hobbes, however, did not equatesovereign with king or with any other kind of one-person rule. As noted earlier inthis discussion, the term social movement tends to create misconceptions ofpublic understanding related to the justness or desirability of the causespursued and the motivations of the people pursuing those causes (McAdam,McCarthy, & Zald, 1996). By 2 8, theBush Administration had increasingly claimed dominant authority over theother branches of American government. Thisline of thought eventually developed into the idea that politicalleadership in a society should be relatively small enlightened and educatedelite. New York, NY, USA: Alfred A. Dissent, 56(2), 63-69.Carmin, J. (2 9, Spring). 116-152.Evans, W. (36 B.C.E.). From Gutenberg to Gates: Media matters. (2 9, March). This capacity is also manifested as "new patterns ofparticipation and resource distribution adequately responsive to thedemands generated by the imperatives of equality" (Coleman, 1984, p. Increasingly, themajority of the American public was awakening to this realization. One suchdefinition holds that political participation is any voluntary action,successful or unsuccessful, organized or unorganized, legitimate orillegitimate. Again, the Obamacampaign organization proved to be highly effective in selling this elementof the platform to the majority of the American voting public. In Jowett, B. Princeton, NJ, USA: Princeton University Press, pp. For most politicalmovements, the most important factor within the framework of resourcemobilization theory is the effective use of those resources that themovement obtains. Demands for increased levels ofparticipation frequently result in some form political disruption.Increased levels of political participation by members of social movementsare, after all, seeking changes to the status quo. One of these factors is the basis for authority. Wage theft in America. 1-22.O'Leary, B. In Jowett, B. The Obama campaign organization was up tothe task (Bybee, 2 9; Considine, 2 9; Evans, 2 9; Katzenstein & Snyder2 9). The platform and theObama leadership also appealed to voters in all income strata and acrosseducation attainment categories (Greenberg, 2 9; Rule, 2 9). Politics. Information Polity: The International Journal of Government & Democracy in the Information Age, 13(1/2), 65- 79.Bybee, R. By 2 8, the leadershipquality of President Bush was increasingly questioned and the trust in thevie-president and most members of the cabinet were at very low levels.Barack Obama and his platform offered real alternatives (Considine, 2 9). With respect topolitical movements, however, individual participation must be a part of acollective behavior. Departing responsibly. (3rd ed.). The result was a strong affirmationof the obligation of humanity to natural law above political law. As legitimacy is an attribute of the political system, it isassociated particularly with the performance of the governmental structure,and, hence, it is fundamental in determining the capacity of the society'spolitical system. The capacity of the system largely determines theresources that are present in society. Introduction: Opportunities, mobilizing structures, and framing processes - toward a synthetic, comparative perspective on social movements. Initially, Barack Obama's questfor the presidency was perceived as an idealistic exercise that was quiteunlikely to attain its ultimate goal (Evans, 2 9). Of special importance was the appeal of the Obama platform and theObama leadership to young voters in the United States. Was highly effective is (a) marshalling resources, (b)recruiting supporters, and (c) organizing targeted collective actions(Considine, 2 9). The nature of the relationshipbetween political platform and electoral success is a manifestation of theinteractions of a complex set of factors. Locke held further that the free character of the humanstate of nature provided individuals with tangible rights related toreligious opinion, property holding, and political participation on anequal basis with all other individuals (Hancock, 1988). The inclusivenessstructured into the Obama platform offered real hope for reversals of thesetrends. The inclusive character of the platform also appealed tovoters who once were disenchanted with the American political environment(Evans, 2 9). Accommodation refers to both a willingness of politicalauthority to recognize demands for change, and to the provision ofprocesses to provide for such change. M. The effective use of resources is equally critical toboth the development of a political campaign and the sustainability ofeffort. Meshing firmness and accommodation . A., Soule, S. In this context, the attainment ofthe social objectives of a social movement may require (a) the creation ofnew institutions or (b) the elimination of existing institutions. Dissent, 56(2), 3 -35.Orosco, J-A. A keyelement of the Obama political platform in the 2 8 general election wasthe enhanced role of ordinary, everyday Americans in politicaldeliberations that was necessary for (a) electoral success and (b) bringingabout meaningful change in the American society (Dalton, 2 8). The conflict between progress and the preservation of traditional values . Dissent, 56(2), 86-95.Schell, J. The dichotomy between alienation and commitment With respect to the socialization process for social movements,functionality refers to the ways in which people view politics andauthority. The Obama manifesto,characterized as it was by targeted specific change, full inclusion, andrealistic hopes for future success, however, carried the day (Considine,2 9). Distribution equity refers to the opportunity for all citizens toshare is society's gains. The back channel. Blackwell companion to social movements. (2 8). The issue of legitimacy refers to the change in the nature of theultimate authority to which political obligation is owed. (2 9, February 9). The issue categories are (a) identity, (b)legitimacy, (c) participation, (d) distribution, and (e) penetration.Change in the issue areas occurs through the (a) installation of equality,(b) development of capacity, and (c) implementation of differentiation. (1983). Promoting the advancement of specific segments of the populationappears to be a noble, uncontroversial objective to many people. TheObama platform of change and the power of individuals acting in concerteffectively tapped into the emerging public discontent in the UnitedStates. Platoadded that those best suited to rule were the philosophers (Plato, 36 B.C.E., Republic, in Jewett, 1952). Again, over the three decades preceding 2 8, the power ofpolitical elites in the United States had steadily strengthened. All of thesefactors applied to the Obama campaign which was a social movement toreclaim the sovereignty of the American people from special interests andto restore a respect for and an adherence to American values (Rule, 2 9). The origins of the Bill of Rights. (Translator). The Obama Manifesto, the Campaign, and Resource Mobilization The primary argument of the resource mobilization theory in relationto political campaigns is that (a) the development and (b) sustainabilityof the movement that is the campaign requires access to the resources insociety that will allow the campaign to thrive (Edwards & McCarthy 2 4).Resource mobilization theory also focuses on (a) the important role oforganization and (b) the introduction and maintenance of rationality in theactivities of a social movement. The fifth action is to continuously create acollective identity for the social movement (McAdam, McCarthy, & Zald,1996). (2 9, Spring). Later, the Stoics contributed the political value that holds that auniversal and eternal moral ordering is common to all humanity, and affectssignificant issues of collectivity. The Obama Platform and American Values The earliest formalization of the concept of value occurred within thecontexts of politics and religion. Importantly within the context of political opportunities, thetheory stresses the importance of timing with respect to the success of apolitically-oriented social movement. Cambridge, England, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. Participation in the political process isconsidered to be effective, if citizens are permitted to vote forrepresentatives, who, in turn, make the political decisions for thesociety. Annual Review of Sociology, 9, 527-553.Katzenstein, S., & Snyder, J. The examination of the interrelationshipsbetween political platform and electoral success within the context of thecampaign by Barack Obama in the 2 8 general election in the United Statesis developed within a research framework that specifically considers thenature of the political environment, political history, and socialaspirations in the United States as these factors had evolved by 2 8. Political legitimacy is a highly complex concept,and one that is highly interrelated with all of the other facets of apolitical system. The quality of leadership . Locke held that the natural state of a human being was perfectfreedom to act as the individual desired (Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, &Swidler, 1991). Obama and the return of the real. Nation, 288(5), 18-22.Sheehan, C. With respect tomany social movements, there is an element of the concept of social justiceamong the motivations for the evolution of such movements. Review of Politics, 5 , 682-7 3.Huntington, S. The Obama campaign performed exceptionally well in the contextof fostering increased participation (Evans, 2 9). There arenine factors that are integrally associated with the development ofpolitical legitimacy. (35 B.C.E.). Conceptually, social movement objectives tend to be perceived as theadvocacy of a social cause, such as human rights or the welfare of childrenor the protection of the physical environment. Social Movement Studies, 2(1), 37-6 .Rule, A. 26). The fourth action isto assure that, within the movement, there are no barriers to participationby other members of society. (1992). Resources and social movement mobilization." In Snow, D. M., Swidler, A., & Tipton, S. In the evolving early UnitedStates, however, James Madison rejected this concept, and contended thatrepublican government required the building of moral and intellectualcharacter among citizens (Sheehan, 1992). Bloomington, MN, USA: University of Minnesota Press, pp. The conflict between satisfaction and sacrifice within a society . (1991). Good-as-money. Thesecond factor is the strength of the existing balance of power within apolitical system. Another important factor in relation topolitical legitimacy is the quality of leadership. How social movements matter. Ethics, Place & Environment, 1 (2), 121-139.Plato. Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press.Jenkins, J. (2 4). The inclusive character of the Obama manifesto provided for theserequirements. Resources must be accessible to the effort.Resources must be collected together to create a critical mass for supportof the movement that is the campaign. S. Political change is viewed as theacquisition by a political system of a "consciously sought, and aqualitatively new and enhanced political capacity" (Coleman, 1984, p. Political participation is crucial to the effective functioning of ademocratic society. (1984). The Protestant reformation also affected the development of Americanvalues. Political participation at acceptable levels does notmaterialize when large segments of the population are disenchanted withgovernment and with the political process. Knopf.Berkowitz, P. (1988). Chicago, IL, USA: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Ray, K., Savage, M., Tampubolon, G., Warde, A., Longhurst, B., & Tomlinson, M. Thisvalue in effect legitimized political dissent - the right to resistpolitical authority when actions of authority conflict with theindividual's concept of natural law (Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, & Swidler,1991). xiii-xvi.Greenberg, D. D., & Zald, M. Local action in a transition state: Community response to proposed development in the Czech Republic, 1992-1996. Life beyond the public sphere: Towards a networked model for political deliberation. the developmentsyndrome" (Coleman, 1984, p. Accentuating the negative. (2 7, June). The social web and civil life. (2 9, February/March). A., Kriesi, H. (Eds.). The Obama manifesto was upto the challenge (Schell, 2 9). (2 3, March). According toHobbes, the relationship required the absolute submission of the individualto the dictates of an arbitrary sovereign. 2 9). Within such a context, the power ofpolitical elite is undermined by internal fragmentation. A. N. To a great extent, the relativeimportance of the various factors that are involved in the relationshipbetween political platform and electoral success is dependent upon theunique nature of the political environment, political history, and socialaspirations in a given society (Berkowitz, 2 9). Back in history, as the city-states in early Greece continued todevelop, some influential individuals began to consider the idea thatpolitical leadership required the acquisition of philosophical skills. The fourthfactor is the power to governmental institutions to squelch dissentingactivities. Can we have universal health care? The new political actors emerging through the creation ofsocial movements increases the pluralistic character of a diverse society.Political elites in an effort to remain relevant if not dominant frequentlysupport social movements in the hope of reciprocal action by the socialmovement (Tilly, 2 4). political platform, electoral success, and the obama campaign in the 2 8general election in the usa Introduction This paper examines the interrelationships between political platformand electoral success within the context of the Obama campaign in the 2 8general election in the United States. Thus, addressing theseissues within the context of the Obama campaign in the 2 8 generalelection in the United States necessarily means that the nature of thepolitical environment, political history, and social aspirations in theUnited States must be addressed in this examination. Neighborhood democracy and Chicana/o cultural citizenship in Armando Réndon's Chicano Manifesto. In the present day United States,however, three decades of political leaders preaching the concepts ofindividualism and small government had, by 2 8, created a society where apowerful central government that was largely controlled by specialinterests made a mockery of such claims (Bruns, 2 8). (1952). (2 9, Spring). Searcher, 17(3), 12- 17.Giugni, M. Social movement objectivestypically derive from the pursuit of social causes. Competition for authority . Among citizens,Aristotle also recognized an upper class, a middle class, and a lowerclass, and he viewed the middle class - merchants, craftsmen, and farmers -as the group in society with the greatest political virtue (Aristotle 35 B.C.E., Politics, in Jewett, 1952). (2 9, March 2). For the Stoics, the individual was theunit of universal society, and, as such, was the subject of the rightsconferred on all citizens by law. These ideas were developed and supported by both Plato andAristotle. With respect to socialmovements, one tends to make an assumption that the prime movers of suchgroups, as well as the people who eventually join such movements aremotivated only by a desire to put right some social wrong. The small size of these city-statesallowed political deliberations to occur and political decisions to be madein face-to-face situations by all individuals concerned (Wood, 1991). M. Social movements must deal effectively with thefactors affecting legitimacy if they are to establish their politicallegitimacy (Carmin, 2 3). (2 8, March). Political participation is any voluntary action, successful orunsuccessful, organized or unorganized, episodic or continuous, employinglegitimate or illegitimate methods with an intended objective to influencethe choice of public policies, the administration of public affairs, or thechoice of political leaders at any level of government, local or national.The fostering of political participation was an important part of the Obamamanifesto. (2 9, March/April). Second,actions must be voluntary on the part of citizens, as opposed to forced orcoerced actions. The secondaction is to establish links with organizations that may provide newadherents to the movement. Resources must be used in anoperationally and in a strategically effective way (Ray, Savage,Tampubolon, Warde, Longhurst, & Tomlinson, 2 3). 26). Chicago, IL, USA: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Bellah, R. Another keyprovision of the Obama platform was the need for change and the essentialrole that ordinary, everyday Americans must perform in order the assurethat the needed change in the control and in the orientation of governmentin the United States would occur (Greenberg, 2 9). (Eds.). Politicallegitimacy is linked to the stresses between equality and capacity.Legitimacy is associated particularly with the performance of thegovernmental structure, and, hence, it is fundamental in determining thecapacity of the system. The issue of identity requires that (a) the worth of competing ideasbe recognized and debated, and that (b) the relevance of all citizens inthe common political discussions and deliberations be acknowledged andwelcomed. (2 4). The facilitating institutional structure createsan environment wherein political opportunities can be identified andexploited. In Giugni, M., McAdam, D., & Tilly C. A social movement must establishsome degree of legitimacy if that social movement is to gain access to theavailable resources (Tilly, 2 4). Legitimacy is important for social movementsin a political context. Rather,Hobbes viewed political law as the sovereign. Several factors are integrally associated with politicallegitimacy. (1952). Dissent, 56(2), 7 - 75.Hancock, R. Participation is considered to be only those actionsthat are legal within a society. Boulder, CO, USA: Paradigm Publishers.Wood, G. This approach to therequired research is in opposition to a general approach that considers theissues only at theoretical levels that, to some extent, are applicable toany society at any point in the history of that society (Orosco, 2 7). (Translator). Similarly, Aristotle claimed the existence of a fundamental inequalityamong humans, specifically between citizens and slaves. Political participationis, at times, a difficult term to define, because of the wide variety ofunderstandings of the term. Expediency of the angels. Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, 1 1, 255-274.[pic] The concepts of individualism andindividual rights developed by the Stoics have, since their inception,played a powerful role in the development of political philosophy (Bellah,Madsen, Sullivan, & Swidler, 1991). Penetration refers the ability ofcitizens other than the political elite to influence the actions ofgovernment. This model includes issue categories with which allpolitical systems must deal. Resources required by social movements exist in a variety of forms.The most obvious forms are (a) human resources and (b) financial resources.Jenkins (1983) also identified legitimacy as a critical resource for thesuccess of a social movement. 26).The "acquisition of such a performance capacity is, in turn, a decisivefactor in the resolution of the problems of identity and legitimacy"(Coleman, 1984, p. C. In Crises and Sequences in Political Development. In 2 8, BarackObama championed this concept, and he pushed his platform and his campaignthrough the mobilization of millions of ordinary, everyday Americans to actin concert to attain common political objectives (Bruns, 2 8). According to resource mobilization theory, there is a series ofactions that politically-oriented social movements must accomplish in orderto become established and in order to sustain their activities. Locke challenged the philosophies holding that all people areborn unfree, unequal, and in subjugation to an absolute and arbitrarysovereign. It became and environment of widespread and increasinglevels of political engagement (Katzenstein & Snyder, 2 9; Rule, 2 9). S. The widespread dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs inthe United States was targeted in the Obama platform by pushing for theneed for change and the promise that change would occur as a manifestationof grassroots support for the Obama political platform (Schell, 2 9). Policy Review (153), 3-23.Bobo, K. The presentations in this paperindicated that Barack Obama offered a platform to the American people thatappealed to their needs and desires. The factors that motivate individuals to pursue social objectivesthrough social movements also can be misleading. Citizenship norms and the expansion of political participation. Social Studies, 1 (2), 63-74.Dalton, R. Political Studies, 56(1), 76-98.Edwards, R., & McCarthy, J. These factors are as follows: . Access to resources, however, is theessence of the theory. Participation refers to the capacity of individuals to change thesocial order of which he or she is a part. N. M. The Obama Platform and the Obama Campaign for the Presidency as a Social Movement Frequently, social movements are perceived as being idealistic incharacter, or they are perceived as being impractical in some other waythat precludes the attainment of collective goals in a reasonable time,such as a political campaign (Tilly, 2 4).

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