The 2008 Election
Dave Robertson,
Department of Political Science, University of Missouri-St Louis
1. The Context
2. The November 4 Presidential Election
3. The Results
4. The Obama Administration and Older Adults
1. The Context
The 2008 election was going to be
a “change” election
The “Surge” in Iraq worked …
… to allow more American voters
to focus on the economy
just as conditions worsened
Trends in the Most Important Problems, 2005-2008:
Iraq and the Economy
• This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone October
8-11, 2008, among a random national sample of 1,101 adults; MoE 3.
What is the single most important issue in your choice for president?
Did racist voters help cost Obama a win in Missouri?
• I’m sure they did
Missouri Exit polls:
• McCain won 93% of white Republican voters
• Obama won only 84% of white Democratic voters,
or about 658,000 votes
• If Obama had won the 89% of white Democratic
voters that John Kerry won in 2004, he would
have won about 40,000 votes
-- more than enough to win Missouri
4. The Obama Administration
& Older Adults
1. Appointees
• Rahm Emanuel
will be Chief of Staff
• The economic team
will include some
Clinton era appointees
• Secretary of the
Treasury? Candidates include
Summers, Geithner, Volker
Appointees
• Secretary of Health
and Human Services?
• Secretary of State?
2. Changes in Policy Sought
• Increased regulation
of the financial sector
to protect retirement accounts
• Efforts to regulate the cost
of prescription drugs
• More efforts to catch
chronic diseases in early stages
• Increase the cap on Social Security-
taxable income
• Eliminate Social Security taxes on those
making less than $50,000 a year.
• Those making $250,000 a year would
have a tax increase
Work to
• increase long term care options
• Ensure heating assistance
• Increase volunteer opportunities
Money Quote
• “The one thing I’ll say about my grandmother is
that she’s someone who’s a part of the greatest
generation. …
• “But she was also somebody who was able to
save enough and rely on a combination of
savings, Social Security and pensions so that
she’s been independent and living in her own
place.
• “And I think it’s important that she was able to
retire and live with dignity and respect and that’s
what I want to fight for, for every American.”
Thanks very much