On August 23, 2008, at the Democratic National Convention, Obama was formally nominated and chose Senator Joe Biden as the vice presidential candidate. 165438+1The presidential election was officially held on October 4th. As a result, he defeated Republican candidate John McCain with 365 electoral votes 173, becoming the first African-American president in American history.
According to the second chapter and the twelfth amendment of the US Constitution, the election will determine the members of the electoral college, and the presidential candidate who wins the majority of the electoral college (at least 270 votes) will become the 44th president of the United States. If no candidate wins the majority of the electoral college seats, the new president will be elected by the Federal House of Representatives and the vice president by the Federal Senate. The President-elect and Vice-President will be formally sworn in on June 20, 2009.
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The characteristics of this election
1, there is no current candidate.
In the last three elections (Eisenhower, Reagan, Clinton), the incumbent vice presidents all ran as presidential candidates of their own parties (Nixon 1960 lost; George bush 1988 won the election; Albert Gore was defeated in 2000).
At that time, Vice President Cheney announced in 20001that he would never run for the presidency, and publicly reiterated in 2004: "If nominated, he would not run; If elected, he will not take office. "
2. The most expensive election in American history.
In June 5438 +2007 10, Michael E. Toner, chairman of the Federal Election Commission, said: "The 2008 US presidential election was the most expensive in American history." He estimated that the election would cost $65,438 billion. Candidates must raise 1 billion dollars of campaign funds before the end of 2007. He called it "an admission fee of $654.38 billion".
None of the main candidates were born in America.
John McCain, Republican, was born in the United States naval base in the Panama Canal area (at that time, the military field of the Panama Canal was considered as American territory); Obama of the Democratic Party was born in Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii (when Hawaii had just become a state of the United States).
However, both candidates are "born American citizens" (born American citizens born on American soil). Therefore, it will not violate the requirements of the US Constitution for the qualifications of the US president.
4. The first African American president.
Illinois Senator barack obama became the first African-American president in American history (Obama's father is a Kenyan citizen and Obama's mother is a white American).