Discuss the significance of the election of the 2008 in light of the Research Paper

Discuss the significance of the election of the 2008 in light of the 2010 elections (i.e. whether the election of 2008 represent - Research Paper Example This essay critically compares the 2008 elections with the 2010 elections and the changes witnessed thereof. The 2008 versus the 2010 US Elections The political realignment witnessed during the 2008 elections finds its roots in the momentum gained after the 2006 elections. The 2006 election saw a great level of success for the democrats as compared to other recent years. Around this time also, the Bush administration was starkly facing the economic recession and financial crisis hence it was loosing its fame. The main theme during the 2008 campaigns became the desire for reforms and change from Washington and the policies of George W. Bush, the outgoing republican president. Just before the end of the campaigns, other main issues that emerged included the economy and other domestic policies (Kenski et al 225). Due to the realignment, the 2008 election recorded a huge number of notable changes as compared to other recent elections. For example, since 1928, the 2008 election was the fi rst in which neither an incumbent president nor their vice participated in the presidential run. Jessee (198) states that it was also the first time since 1952 in which neither an incumbent vice or president was nominated as a candidate for the general national elections by his party. ... This means that despite the still existent preference for white candidates, the voters concentrated much more on other candidate features such as their manifestos. During the same year, the black vote for the president and other seats was also one of the highest in history and it amounted to 11%. As compared to all other elections held within the last 40 years, the voter turn out during the 2008 elections was the highest. This trend continued in 2010 giving an increased turn-over for mid-term elections. The elected president, president Obama, also received the highest votes ever to be cast for a president in history. Abramson et al (218) explains that four years before the 2008 elections, 9 US states had changed their alliance. In 2004, each one of them had voted for the republican nominee hence their political realignment in 2008 contributed greatly to Obama’s victory because their votes shifted to his favor. In the 2008 elections, all 435 the seats in the House were up for e lection. Out of these 435 seats, the democrats managed to gain a total of 21 seats hence stepping up their majority from 54.3-59.1%. After the election, the democrats controlled 27 of the states whereas the republicans controlled only 14 of such seats. For the first time since the Great Depression, the Governor’s mansion was controlled by the democrats. In terms of demographies, both the parties got at least 40% from all sizeable socio-economic classes except for the republican candidate who got 37%. They also received equal attention from college students but more of post graduate students sided with the republicans (Kenski et al 264). Obama got a greater percentage of urban votes in all towns as compared to