Barack Obama’s Victory Speech in Iowa: When the Anti-hero Runs for President

• In Event: Chameleons Are at a Premium: Examining the Sociopolitical Implications of Racial Transcendence

Abstract

I examine the rhetoric that Barack Obama used in his campaign speeches to win nomination for the Democratic National Party during the 2008 Presidential Election. Though I reference several speeches, I focus on Obama’s victory speech given in Des Moines, Iowa on January 3, 2008. In this essay, I take a closer look at the so-called Obama phenomenon which is, in reality, Obama’s ability to persuade, in spite of perceived shortcomings such as heritage or race.

Author

• Connie Young-Johnson, University of Texas, Austin