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Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961), American politician, and Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois. Serving in the state senator, Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. A senior lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Chicago law school, Obama won an open seat to join the U.S. Senate, defeating former Ambassador Alan Keyes. He became the only currently serving African-American in the U.S. Senate, and just the fifth in U.S. history. The 2004 U.S. Senatorial election in Illinois was historic, as it was the first election to feature black nominees from both major parties.

Obama is married to Michelle Obama, a Chicago native. They have two daughters; Malia Ann, (born 1999) and Natasha, (born 2001).

Early life

Barack Obama was born at the Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii to Harvard-educated economist Barack Obama, Sr., a native of Kenya, and S. Ann Dunham, of Kansas. Ms. Dunham is a distant descendant of Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America.

At the time of Obama's birth, both his parents were students at the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "Barack" means "blessed" in Swahili.

When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father eventually returned to Kenya, and he saw his son only once more before his death in 1982. Ann Obama married another East-West Center student from Indonesia. The family then moved to Jakarta, where Obama's half-sister Maya was born (Obama has many other half-siblings, the sons and daughters of his father by later marriages). When Obama was ten, he returned to Hawaii under the care of his grandparents, and later, his mother. He was enrolled in the fifth grade at Punahou School, a prestigious academy that once taught the Hawaiian royal family. He graduated with honors.

Of his years in Hawaii, Obama has written, "The irony is that my decision to work in politics, and to pursue such a career in a big Mainland city, in some sense grows out of my Hawaiian upbringing, and the ideal that Hawaii still represents in my mind."

File:Barack Obama campaign logo.JPG

A campaign banner used by Obama supporters during his 2004 bid for the Senate.

College and career

Upon finishing high school, Obama studied for two years at Occidental College in California, before transferring to Columbia University in New York City. There he majored in political science, with a specialization in international relations. Upon graduation, he moved to Chicago, where he took up community organizing in the notorious Altgeld Gardens on the city's South Side. While in Chicago, he joined the Trinity United Church of Christ.

He left Chicago for three years to study law at Harvard University, where he was elected the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated Magna Cum Laude. While working one summer at a corporate law firm in 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson, whom he married in 1992 Robinson is also a graduate of Harvard Law.

While in Chicago as a community organizer once again, Obama organized an aggressive voter registration effort that aided in the election of President Bill Clinton and Senator Carol Mosley Braun. The campaign registered over 100,000 voters. Soon after, his talents earned him a position at a local civil rights law firm, and he became a lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago, where he served as a professor until his election to the U.S. Senate.

Politics

Illinois General Assembly

In 1996, Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate from the south side neighborhood of Hyde Park, in Chicago. He served as chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee when the Democrats regained control of the chamber. The Chicago Tribune called him "one of the General Assembly's most impressive members."

Regarded as a staunch liberal during his tenure in the legislature, he helped to author a state Earned Income Tax Credit which provided benefits to the working poor. He also worked for legislation that would cover residents who could not afford health insurance. Speaking up for leading gay and lesbian advocacy groups, he successfully helped pass bills to increase funding for AIDS prevention and care programs.

In 2000, he ran in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 1st Congressional district against incumbent Representative Bobby Rush. He was badly defeated.

After the loss, Obama rededicated his efforts to the state Senate. He authored one of the most progressive death penalty reform laws in the nation, under the guidance of his mentor, former U.S. Senator Paul Simon. He also pushed through legislation that would force insurance companies to cover routine mammograms.

United States Senate campaign

File:Obamaparade.jpg

Barack Obama joins his wife Michelle and U.S. Senator Richard Durbin for a parade on July 4, 2004 in Wheaton, Illinois.

In 2004, Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Peter Fitzgerald. In the Democratic primary, he trailed business tycoon Blair Hull and Illinois Comprtoller Dan Hynes. However, Hull was soon embroilled by allegations of abuse. As Obama's name recognition rose, voters took a liking to the bright, charismatic senator. He won decisively in the March primary, dispatching the other six candidates easily, and winning more than 50 percent of the vote.

Entering the U.S. Senate campaign, Obama had become a national Democratic star. He squared off against former Goldman-Sachs partner and teacher Jack Ryan, the winner of the Republican primary. Ryan trailed Obama in the polls, and Obama had opened up a twenty point lead after the media brought attention to the fact that Ryan has assigned an aide to stalk Obama. However, during the campaign, a California court ruling opened custody files from Ryan's divorce from actress Jeri Ryan, in which she alleged that he had brought her without her knowledge to sex clubs, intending for her to have sex with him in public. (The files, which were part of the custody proceedings regarding the Ryans' young son, were opened as a result of a lawsuit brought by the Chicago Tribune and ABC 7 Chicago (WLS). Ryan had insisted that there was nothing damaging in the files, and many Republican leaders openly questioned Ryan's integrity following the release. Ryan was forced to leave the race, leaving Obama without an opponent.

Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka had considered running as a Republican to replace Ryan, but opted not to because of family and business considerations. After many, many more candidates turned down the Illinois GOP, Republican state Chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka announced two possible replacements: Alan Keyes, a former ambassador residing in Maryland, and Andrea Barthwell, a DEA official. After much deliberation, Keyes was chosen, and he officially accepted the nomination on August 8. He had gained much notoriety as a conservative firebrand in his unsuccessful presendential campaigns in 1996 and 2000.

Keyes, a black conservative Republican, had an uphill battle, as Obama had high popularity across the state and Keyes had no ties to Illinois politics. During the time when he had no opponent, Obama campaigned across more conservative downstate areas that ordinarily serve as the base for the Republican nominee. A Marylander, Alan Keyes, had established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination, the only requirement to run for office. The Chicago Tribune, sarcastically greeted Keyes with by editorializing: "Mr. Keyes may have noticed a large body of water as he flew into O'Hare. That is called Lake Michigan." [1]

Keyes's previous comments about U.S. Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton's run for Senate in New York, ("I deeply resent the destruction of federalism represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn't imitate it.") led many to call Keyes hypocritical.

After a bizzare campaign in which Keyes called Obama's position on abortion "the slave-holder's position," Keyes was crushed by Obama in the general election. Obama received 72% of the popular vote, to Keyes' 26%.

Keynote address

File:Obama2004convention.jpg

Introducing himself as a "skinny kid with a funny name", Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention to rousing applause, stressing the need for a united United States.

Obama was chosen to deliver a keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, and became the third African American to do so (The first was Barbara Jordan, at the 1976 Democratic National Convention).

His speech outlined his own family's pursuit of the American Dream, that he believes is possible because of what he described as a 'generous America.' His maternal grandfather, after serving in World War II, was the beneficiary of the new deal's FHA and GI Bill and had high hopes for their son, Barack, "because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential." But he charged that, "we have more work to do" for people who are not able to realize the American Dream, maintaining that self responsibility is an important component and people, "don't expect government to solve all their problems."

He railed against the administration for not supporting the troops in Iraq. He spoke of an enlisted Marine, asking, "Are we serving Shamus as well as he was serving us?" He then charged, "When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world." While maintaining that, "Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure."

Finally he spoke of national unity, "Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there's the United States of America." and perhaps the most often extracted sound quote, "We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. "

The address was generally heralded as a great success, thrusting him into the national spotlight and heralded by national media. After the address, the conservative Chicago Tribune endorsed him, and there was not a Republican in the state of Illinois (whom the party would endorse) who would run against him for the open U.S. Senate seat.

Other projects

In December 2004 Obama landed a $1.9 million deal for 3 books, the first to be released in 2006 and which will discuss his political convictions, the second a children's book to be co-written with his wife Michelle and their 2 young daughters (profits for the second book will go to charity). His 1995 autobiography, Dreams From My Father was rereleased in 2004 with a few new features. The book spent over 14 weeks on the New York Times non-fiction best seller list.

External links

Barack and Michelle Obama
Barack Obama Campaign Website
Barack Obama Illinois State Senate Biography
Barack Obama Illinois State Senate Website
In-depth look at Obama from Democracy Now!
An article about Obama from The New Yorker
Obama's 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote speech in RealVideo, RealAudio, or MP3 format.
A free audio download is also available from the iTunes Music Store (in Advanced Audio Coding format with FairPlay digital rights management).
Campaign finance report from OpenSecrets.org, a project of the Center for Public Integrity
2004 Illinois Senate election results from CNN

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Image:Barackfile.gif|thumb|150px|Barack Obama]]
-'''Barack Hussein Obama''' (born [[August 4]], [[1961]]) is an [[Politics of the United States|American politician]], and [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]-[[President-elect|elect]] from [[Illinois]]. As a [[Democratic Party of the United States|Democrat]] and serving [[Illinois State Senate|state senator]], Obama was the third [[African-American]] to deliver a keynote address at a [[2004 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]]. A [[University of Chicago]] [[law]] [[professor]], Obama in [[November 2004]] won an open seat in the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] against  [[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]] candidate [[Alan Keyes]], becoming the only serving black U.S. senator in 2004 and just the fifth in the country's history.
+'''Barack Hussein Obama''' (born [[August 4]], [[1961]]), [[Politics of the United States|American politician]], and [[Democratic]] [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[Illinois]]. Serving in the [[Illinois State Senate|state senator]], Obama delivered the keynote address at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]]. A senior lecturer in constitutional law at the [[University of Chicago]] law school, Obama won an open seat to join the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]], defeating former Ambassador [[Alan Keyes]]. He became the only currently serving African-American in the U.S. Senate, and just the fifth in U.S. history. The 2004 U.S. Senatorial election in Illinois was historic, as it was the first election to feature black nominees from both major parties.
+Obama is married to Michelle Obama, a Chicago native. They have two daughters; Malia Ann, (born 1999) and Natasha, (born 2001).
 ==Early life==
-Barack Obama was born at the Queen's Medical Center in [[Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]] to [[economist]] Barack Obama, Sr., a native of [[Kenya]], and S. Ann Dunham, of [[Kansas]]. Ms. Dunham is a distant descendant of [[Jefferson Davis]], the first (and only) president of the [[Confederate States of America]].
+Barack Obama was born at the Queen's Medical Center in [[Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]] to [[Harvard]]-educated economist Barack Obama, Sr., a native of [[Kenya]], and S. Ann Dunham, of [[Kansas]]. Ms. Dunham is a distant descendant of [[Jefferson Davis]], the first and only president of the [[Confederate States of America]].
-At the time of Obama's birth, both his parents were students at the [[East-West Center]] at the [[University of Hawaii at Manoa]]. His first name means "one who is blessed by God" in [[Swahili language|Swahili]].
+At the time of Obama's birth, both his parents were students at the [[East-West Center]] at the [[University of Hawaii at Manoa]]. "Barack" means "blessed" in [[Swahili language|Swahili]].
-When Obama was two years old, the couple [[divorce]]d. His father eventually returned to Kenya, and he saw his son only once more before his death in [[1982]]. Ann Obama married another East-West Center student from [[Indonesia]]. The family then moved to [[Jakarta]], where Obama's half-sister Maya was born (another half-sister, the daughter of Obama's father by a later marriage, lives in [[Nairobi]]). When Obama was ten, he returned to Hawaii under the care of his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham. He was enrolled in the fifth grade at [[Punahou School]], a prestigious academy that once taught the [[Kingdom of Hawaii|Hawaiian royal family]]. There he graduated with honors.
+When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father eventually returned to Kenya, and he saw his son only once more before his death in [[1982]]. Ann Obama married another East-West Center student from [[Indonesia]]. The family then moved to [[Jakarta]], where Obama's half-sister Maya was born (Obama has many other half-siblings, the sons and daughters of his father by later marriages). When Obama was ten, he returned to Hawaii under the care of his grandparents, and later, his mother. He was enrolled in the fifth grade at [[Punahou School]], a prestigious academy that once taught the [[Kingdom of Hawaii|Hawaiian royal family]]. He graduated with honors.
 Of his years in Hawaii, Obama has written, "The irony is that my decision to work in politics, and to pursue such a career in a big Mainland city, in some sense grows out of my Hawaiian upbringing, and the ideal that Hawaii still represents in my mind."
 [[Image:Barack Obama campaign logo.JPG|frame|right|A campaign banner used by Obama supporters during his 2004 bid for the Senate.]]
-Obama is currently married to Michelle , and they have two daughters; Malia Ann, (born 1999) and Natasha, (born 2001)
 ==College and career==
+Upon finishing [[high school]], Obama studied for two years at [[Occidental College]] in California, before transferring to [[Columbia University]] in [[New York City]]. There he majored in political science, with a specialization in international relations. Upon graduation, he moved to Chicago, where he took up community organizing in the notorious Altgeld Gardens on the city's South Side. While in Chicago, he joined the Trinity United Church of Christ.
-Upon finishing [[high school]], Obama went on to study at [[Occidental College]], then later [[Columbia University]] in [[New York City]], majoring in [[political science]].  After graduation, he moved to Chicago and took up [[community organizing]]. He left Chicago briefly to study law at [[Harvard Law School|Harvard University]], where he became the first black [[president]] of the [[Harvard Law Review]]. While working one summer at a corporate law firm in [[1989]], Obama met Michelle Robinson, whom he eventually married in [[1992]] (they have two daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha, born in [[1999]] and [[2001]] respectively). After graduating [[magna cum laude]],  Obama returned to Chicago in [[1992]]. Once back, he organized an aggressive election effort for [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidential campaign, claiming to have [[voter registration|registered]] over 100,000 voters. His talents gained him a seat at a local [[civil rights]] law firm; in addition, he became a lecturer on [[United States Constitution|constitutional law]] at the [[University of Chicago]], where he still serves as a professor.
+He left Chicago for three years to study law at [[Harvard Law School|Harvard University]], where he was elected the first black president of the [[Harvard Law Review]]. He graduated Magna Cum Laude. While working one summer at a corporate law firm in 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson, whom he married in [[1992]] Robinson is also a graduate of Harvard Law.
+While in Chicago as a community organizer once again, Obama organized an aggressive voter registration effort that aided in the election of President [[Bill Clinton]] and Senator [[Carol Mosley Braun]]. The campaign registered over 100,000 voters. Soon after, his talents earned him a position at a local [[civil rights]] law firm, and he became a lecturer of constitutional law at the [[University of Chicago]], where he served as a professor until his election to the U.S. Senate.
 ==Politics==
@@ Line 24: / Line 30: @@
 ===Illinois General Assembly===
-In [[1996]], Obama was elected to the [[Illinois State Senate]] from the south side neighborhood of [[Hyde Park, Chicago|Hyde Park]], in Chicago. He served as chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee. The ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' called him "one of the General Assembly's most impressive members."
+In [[1996]], Obama was elected to the [[Illinois State Senate]] from the south side neighborhood of [[Hyde Park, Chicago|Hyde Park]], in Chicago. He served as chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee when the Democrats regained control of the chamber. The ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' called him "one of the General Assembly's most impressive members."
-Regarded as a staunch [[liberal]] during his tenure in the legislature, he helped to author a state [[earned income tax credit]] providing benefits to the [[poverty|poor]].  He also pursued laws that extended health coverage to [[Illinois]] residents who could not afford [[insurance]].  Speaking up for leading [[gay]] and [[lesbian]] advocacy groups, he successfully helped pass bills to increase funding for [[AIDS]] prevention and care programs. In [[2000]], he ran in the Democratic [[primary election|primary]] for Illinois' 1st [[Congressional district]] against [[incumbent]] [[United States House of Represntatives|Representative]] [[Bobby Rush]], but was badly defeated.
+Regarded as a staunch [[liberal]] during his tenure in the legislature, he helped to author a state [[Earned Income Tax Credit]] which provided benefits to the working poor.  He also worked for legislation that would cover residents who could not afford health insurance. Speaking up for leading [[gay]] and [[lesbian]] advocacy groups, he successfully helped pass bills to increase funding for [[AIDS]] prevention and care programs.
+In [[2000]], he ran in the Democratic [[primary election|primary]] for Illinois' 1st [[Congressional district]] against incumbent [[United States House of Represntatives|Representative]] [[Bobby Rush]]. He was badly defeated.
-===United States Senate campaign===
-[[Image:obamaparade.jpg|thumb|290px|right|Barack Obama joins his wife Michelle and U.S. Senator [[Richard Durbin]] for a [[parade]] on [[Independence Day (United States)|July 4]], 2004 in [[Wheaton, Illinois]].]]
+After the loss, Obama rededicated his efforts to the state Senate. He authored one of the most progressive death penalty reform laws in the nation, under the guidance of his mentor, former U.S. Senator [[Paul Simon]]. He also pushed through legislation that would force insurance companies to cover routine [[mammograms]].
-In [[2004]], Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate. In the Democratic primary, he trailed [[Blair Hull]] before Hull was brought down primarily by his claim of drug use the night of a debate and by stories of alleged [[domestic violence|abuse]] of his then-wife. Obama himself was inoculated against charges of drug use, having admitted to [[cocaine]] and [[marijuana]] use in his autobiography. As a result, Obama went on to win a decisive victory in the primary.
+===United States Senate campaign===
-In the [[U.S. Senate election, 2004|2004 Senate race]] itself, he originally faced businessman and educator [[Jack Ryan (Senate candidate)|Jack Ryan]], the winner of the [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] primary. Ryan trailed Obama in the polls (Illinois usually votes Democratic), and the race had been considered to be leaning towards Obama by professional forecasters. But during the campaign, a [[California]] court ruling opened files related to Ryan's [[1999]] divorce from actress [[Jeri Ryan]], in which she alleged that he had brought her without her knowledge to [[sex club]]s, intending for her to have sex with him in public there. Immediately before the files' release, Ryan insisted that there was nothing damaging in them, leading Republican leaders to question Ryan's integrity. Ryan was forced to leave the race, leaving Obama without a Republican rival.
+[[Image:obamaparade.jpg|thumb|290px|right|Barack Obama joins his wife Michelle and U.S. Senator [[Richard Durbin]] for a [[parade]] on [[Independence Day (United States)|July 4]], 2004 in [[Wheaton, Illinois]].]]
+In [[2004]], Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. [[Peter Fitzgerald]]. In the Democratic primary, he trailed business tycoon [[Blair Hull]] and Illinois Comprtoller [[Dan Hynes]]. However, Hull was soon embroilled by allegations of [[domestic violence|abuse]]. As Obama's name recognition rose, voters took a liking to the bright, charismatic senator. He won decisively in the March primary, dispatching the other six candidates easily, and winning more than 50 percent of the vote.
-Former [[Chicago Bears]] coach [[Mike Ditka]] had considered running as a Republican to replace Ryan, but opted not to because of family and business considerations. On [[August 3]], Illinois Republican Chairwoman [[Judy Baar Topinka]] announced two possible replacements:  [[Alan Keyes]] and former presidential advisor [[Andrea Barthwell]]. After much deliberation, Keyes, at the time living in [[Maryland]], was nominated on [[August 4]] and officially accepted the nomination on [[August 8]].
+Entering the U.S. Senate campaign, Obama had become a national Democratic star. He squared off against former Goldman-Sachs partner and teacher [[Jack Ryan (Senate candidate)|Jack Ryan]], the winner of the [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] primary. Ryan trailed Obama in the polls, and Obama had opened up a twenty point lead after the media brought attention to the fact that Ryan has assigned an aide to stalk Obama. However, during the campaign, a [[California]] court ruling opened custody files from Ryan's divorce from actress [[Jeri Ryan]], in which she alleged that he had brought her without her knowledge to sex clubs, intending for her to have sex with him in public. (The files, which were part of the custody proceedings regarding the Ryans' young son, were opened as a result of a lawsuit brought by the [[Chicago Tribune]] and ABC 7 Chicago (WLS). Ryan had insisted that there was nothing damaging in the files, and many Republican leaders openly questioned Ryan's integrity following the release. Ryan was forced to leave the race, leaving Obama without an opponent.
-Keyes, a black [[conservative]] Republican, had an uphill battle, as Obama has high popularity across the state and Keyes has no ties to Illinois politics. During the time when he had no opponent, Obama campaigned across more conservative downstate areas that ordinarily serve as the [[base (politics)|base]] for the Republican nominee. A Marylander, Alan Keyes, had established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination, the only requirement to run for office. The ''Chicago Tribune'', which endorsed Obama even before Keyes' nomination, sarcastically greeted him with an [[editorial]], saying "Mr. Keyes may have noticed a large body of water as he flew into [[O'Hare Airport|O'Hare]]. That is called [[Lake Michigan]]." [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0408060313aug06,1,4590778.story] Keyes had previously sharply criticized [[Hillary Clinton]] running for Senate in [[New York]]: "I deeply resent the destruction of [[federalism]] represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn't imitate it." Keyes responded by saying that this case was different, since important principles were at stake and the Illinois GOP had asked him to run, and since neither Obama nor he were Illinois natives.
+Former [[Chicago Bears]] coach [[Mike Ditka]] had considered running as a Republican to replace Ryan, but opted not to because of family and business considerations. After many, many more candidates turned down the Illinois GOP, Republican state Chairwoman [[Judy Baar Topinka]] announced two possible replacements:  [[Alan Keyes]], a former ambassador residing in Maryland, and [[Andrea Barthwell]], a DEA official. After much deliberation, Keyes was chosen, and he officially accepted the nomination on [[August 8]]. He had gained much notoriety as a conservative firebrand in his unsuccessful presendential campaigns in 1996 and 2000.
-Keyes was overwhelmingly defeated in the [[general election]], as polls had widely predicted. Obama received 70% of the popular vote.
+Keyes, a black [[conservative]] Republican, had an uphill battle, as Obama had high popularity across the state and Keyes had no ties to Illinois politics. During the time when he had no opponent, Obama campaigned across more conservative downstate areas that ordinarily serve as the [[base (politics)|base]] for the Republican nominee. A Marylander, Alan Keyes, had established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination, the only requirement to run for office. The [[Chicago Tribune]], sarcastically greeted Keyes with by editorializing: "Mr. Keyes may have noticed a large body of water as he flew into [[O'Hare Airport|O'Hare]]. That is called [[Lake Michigan]]." [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0408060313aug06,1,4590778.story]
-With 100 percent of precincts reporting, the results were:
+Keyes's previous comments about U.S. Senator and former First Lady [[Hillary Clinton]]'s run for Senate in [[New York]], ("I deeply resent the destruction of [[federalism]] represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn't imitate it.") led many to call Keyes hypocritical.
-{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
-|+2004 Election Results
-|-
-! Name !! Party !! Votes !! Percentage
-|-
-! [[Barack Obama]]
-| Democratic || 3,524,702 || 70
-|-
-! [[Alan Keyes]]
-| Republican || 1,371,882 || 27
-|-
-! [[Albert J. Franzen]]
-| Independent || 79,481 || 2
-|-
-! [[Jerry Kohn]]
-| Libertarian || 67,914 || 1
-|}
+After a bizzare campaign in which Keyes called Obama's position on abortion "the slave-holder's position," Keyes was crushed by Obama in the general election. Obama received 72% of the popular vote, to Keyes' 26%.
@@ Line 69: / Line 60: @@
 Obama was chosen to deliver a keynote address at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], and became the third [[African American]] to do so (The first was [[Barbara Jordan]], at the [[1976]] Democratic National Convention).
-His speech outlined his own family's enactment of the [[American Dream]], that he believes is possible because of what he described as a 'generous America.' His maternal grandfather, after serving in [[World War II]], was the beneficiary of the [[new deal]]'s [[Federal Housing Administration | FHA]] and [[GI Bill]] and had high hopes for their son, Barack, "because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential." But he charged that, "we have more work to do" for people who are not able to realize the American Dream, maintaining that self responsibility is an important component and people, "don't expect government to solve all their problems."
+His speech outlined his own family's pursuit of the [[American Dream]], that he believes is possible because of what he described as a 'generous America.' His maternal grandfather, after serving in [[World War II]], was the beneficiary of the [[new deal]]'s [[Federal Housing Administration | FHA]] and [[GI Bill]] and had high hopes for their son, Barack, "because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential." But he charged that, "we have more work to do" for people who are not able to realize the American Dream, maintaining that self responsibility is an important component and people, "don't expect government to solve all their problems."
 He railed against the administration for not supporting the troops in Iraq. He spoke of an enlisted Marine, asking, "Are we serving Shamus as well as he was serving us?" He then charged, "When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world." While maintaining that, "Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure."