How did Obama beat Hillary for the nomination?

[wolfsblood07]

From what I read on Wiki, Hillary won more primaries, including most big states.  And she had the early support of the party establishment as I recall.  And, for what it's worth, she won more popular votes than Obama did in the primaries.  I do recall a weird snafu with the Michigan and Florida delegations, but still.  How did Hillary not win it?  Bill must have been seething with rage because she got robbed!

[DINGO Joe]

I guess you just had to be there.

[RI]

Hillary won more primaries and won more big states, but she tended to win them somewhat narrowly (rarely >60%, and never in a "big" state). Obama was able to compensate by running it up in the South, Illinois, and the caucus states. He also managed to sometimes get more delegates out of states that he nominally lost such as Nevada and Texas.

For example, on Super Tuesday, Hillary netted +46 delegates in NY, which Obama countered with a +55 delegate performance in IL. Hillary won California, netting +38 delegates, which Obama basically negated with +35 delegates in Georgia.

After Super Tuesday, Obama went on a winning streak based on a favorable calendar. By the time that was over, he'd built up a considerable delegate lead and more or less coasted to the finish line.

[Hydera]

Obama beat Hillary big in the caucuses which added to getting more delegates in the primary states meant Hillary lost.

A thing to note about her popular vote, Obama won 100 more delegates in the primary than Hillary and added to his crushing margin in caucuses since caucuses awards candidates with Younger voters and free time and who aren't shy to support their candidate. Obama would actually win the popular vote over Hillary if those caucuses vote totals were added.

Also to note, Michigan and Florida tried to move their primary earlier and got punished by having 2/3rds of their delegates removed. However one third of the delegates was still up and Hillary went there to campaign despite less delegates and she scored higher than Obama in the popular vote because she campaigned in those two states while Obama didn't campaign and encouraged his supporters in Michigan to vote uncommitted since he removed his name from the ballot there.

[wolfsblood07]

Usually the arcane rules of the nomination process favor the party favorite.  The delegates seem to pile up for them, even when they lose states.  In '08 it was like Obama just appeared out of nowhere, no one had even heard of him 5 years earlier!  And he beat the Clinton machine.
And the delegate selection rules favored him, as if written specifically for him.

[Ebsy]

By playing the delegate game like no one ever had.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Usually the arcane rules of the nomination process favor the party favorite.  The delegates seem to pile up for them, even when they lose states.  In '08 it was like Obama just appeared out of nowhere, no one had even heard of him 5 years earlier!  And he beat the Clinton machine.

And that's why he is considered the greatest politician of our generation.

[RINO Tom]

Usually the arcane rules of the nomination process favor the party favorite.  The delegates seem to pile up for them, even when they lose states.  In '08 it was like Obama just appeared out of nowhere, no one had even heard of him 5 years earlier!  And he beat the Clinton machine.

And that's why he is considered the greatest politician of our generation.

Did the occupants of your basement have a vote?

[Landslide Lyndon]

Usually the arcane rules of the nomination process favor the party favorite.  The delegates seem to pile up for them, even when they lose states.  In '08 it was like Obama just appeared out of nowhere, no one had even heard of him 5 years earlier!  And he beat the Clinton machine.

And that's why he is considered the greatest politician of our generation.

Did the occupants of your basement have a vote?

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot about Rubiohahahahahaha!!!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Obama was excellent in playing a delegate game: aiming at making it as narrow as possible in states that favored Hillary, while working for landslides in smaller states that favored him. Every since the Iowa Hillary was just trying to caught up with him. It was narrow and not decided until the last contest, but he managed to hold the edge for all season.

[Californiadreaming]

Obama was excellent in playing a delegate game: aiming at making it as narrow as possible in states that favored Hillary, while working for landslides in smaller states that favored him. Every since the Iowa Hillary was just trying to caught up with him. It was narrow and not decided until the last contest, but he managed to hold the edge for all season.

Yes, this certainly appears to be spot-on! Indeed, Obama's large victories in the caucuses and the fact that he won something like 90% of the Black vote significantly helped cause Obama to narrowly come out ahead in the delegate count in 2008.

[Californiadreaming]

And, for what it's worth, she won more popular votes than Obama did in the primaries.

Only if the Uncommitted vote in Michigan isn't counted as a part of Obama's vote total.

Plus, in any case, popular vote is irrelevant and Hillary should have known this before the primaries began.

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In large part because she lost both the caucus states and the Black vote by very large margins.

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Bill might have been seething with rage all he wanted; however, the U.S. certainly needed a break from 20 (or 28, if one includes Bush Sr.'s years as Reagan's VP) of continuous Bush-Clinton rule.

[PikaTROD]

What I don't get is if Barack and Hillary were so close in 2008, how is it a challenge at all to beat Trump?
I mean, I guess it is a different ballpark, but still. Has her likableness gone down that much?

[Badger]

What I don't get is if Barack and Hillary were so close in 2008, how is it a challenge at all to beat Trump?
I mean, I guess it is a different ballpark, but still. Has her likableness gone down that much?

Popularity in primary races is VASTLY different than in general elections.

Trump himself is Exhibit A of this phenomenon.

[Young Conservative]

And, for what it's worth, she won more popular votes than Obama did in the primaries.

Only if the Uncommitted vote in Michigan isn't counted as a part of Obama's vote total.

Plus, in any case, popular vote is irrelevant and Hillary should have known this before the primaries began.

[quote]
Funny i wonder if you would still say this.

[brucejoel99]

Because she didn't bother with trying in caucuses & making a play for the delegate math. Yeah, she won the big states but Obama just crushed her elsewhere.