There are 39 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated 5 by Helium's writers.

US elections 2008: Whose win would be more historically important: Obama or Clinton?

Results so far:

Obama		62%	207 votes	Total: 333 votes
Clinton		38%	126 votes	Total: 333 votes

5 of 23

Obama

The historical significance of an Obama victory would be about more than race. The way in which his campaign has been run is unprecedented in our history. He has used the internet to run a campaign that is both traditional and groundbreaking. Obama's grassroots, people-powered campaign has allowed this freshman Senator, on the national stage for just a few short years, to beat out the most influential and powerful faction of the Democratic party. Politics is never going to be the same.

To best understand Obama's approach to politics one must look at his time as a community organizer in Chicago. Helping the low-income residents of Chicago's South Side taught him that through organizing and activism, average people can be as powerful as corporations. He has called his time as an organizer "the best education I ever had." The lessons learned in Chicago have been integral to his campaign for president.

Obama has raised boatloads of cash, but what's more important than the dollar amount is how he raised it. Over one million people have donated his campaign. This army of small donors has allowed Obama to out-raise Hillary, who relies on the networks of wealthy big donors that have dominated our politics for far too long. It is this grassroots army that allowed him to split most of the big states with Clinton, and completely outmaneuver her in the small ones. It has been the key to his success.

Clinton ran her campaign from the top-down. Obama has preferred the bottom-up approach. It's pretty clear which method is more effective, but also which is better for our democracy. Obama can stand up to the entrenched interests in Washington and bring about real change because he's shown that he doesn't need them. His campaign has been powered by millions of average people, not the wealthy and powerful.

"Yes WE Can" is more than just a slogan, it encapsulates his entire philosophy and approach to politics. The difference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is that Clinton ran a campaign. Obama ran a movement. Clinton is indebted to the very power structure that both candidates claim to want to change. That's why true progressive reform is only possible with an Obama presidency, and why his victory will be far more historically significant than a Clinton win. Clinton represents the old politics. Obama is the wave of the future.

Learn more about this author, Josh Price.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

US elections 2008: Whose win would be more historically important: Obama or Clinton?

Obama

1 of 23
by Michael Cannata

The historical importance of almost any political event is often not evident until, in fact, the event is actual hist...read more
2 of 23
by Setsko

If this argument were to simply come down to the question of "Is it going to be more historically significant if a wo...read more

Clinton

1 of 16
by Carol Gioia

The 2008 United States presidential race is historically important on many levels. The unprecedented voter interest ...read more
2 of 16
by Shawna Blake

When a boy is small, and innocent of the world's influences, he may dream of one day becoming the President of his co...read more