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Defining Moments 2008: The Year in Review

Many year-end lists are putting the election of the first African-American president of the United States as the news story of the year. Indeed, the election of Barack Obama as president was a defining moment for the United States, and for the world. But what, precisely, did his election define? We will take a look at some of the defining moments of 2008.

  — | Features, Theme Articles | December 05, 2008



Many year-end lists are putting the election of the first African-American president of the United States as the news story of the year. Indeed, the election of Barack Obama as president was a defining moment for the United States, and for the world. But what, precisely, did his election define? We will take a look at some of the defining moments of 2008.

Obama Nation, or Abomination?

When 2008 began, many polls showed Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton as the frontrunners in the presidential sweepstakes. But with support from evangelicals and born-again Christians, an estimated 60 percent of Republican caucus goers, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee swept to a clear victory on the GOP side of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Jan. 3.

Also in Iowa, America got its first look at the Obama mania that came to be called the “Obama Nation.” Obama pulled in 37 percent of caucus voters, which gave him a surprisingly comfortable ...