The 2008 senate race was a telling victory for the democratic party
of the united states of America. After having lost control of the
senate in 2004, the party experience a renewal of vigor for the 2006
midterm races. That vigor was taken a step further in 2008, and the
outcome was decisive: The democrats ended up with 60 seats out of
100, making the senate filibuster-proof and solidifying control of
the congress’s senior body. Toronto trade show display Searching for moveable displays such as pop up cubicles, banner stands or different accessories. In the end the democrats gained
eight seats out of the 35 being contested, a staggering level of
dominance in an era where public servants are usually set in their
seat for life.
For their success in the 2008 senate race, the democrats have many
to thank, starting with presidential candidate (and eventual winner)
Barack Obama. Obama was the first national candidate to really
understand the power of social networking and the internet as a tool
not only for gaining support, but raising money and volunteer hours
as well. Obama’s popularity and ability to get young people to
connect to his message was felt “down-ticket”, as a majority of
Obama voters ended up going straight democrat all the way down the
line. That larger turn-out propelled many new senators into their
seats.
Also to thank in the 2008 senate race were the republicans
themselves, who were struggling to gain any type of momentum or
message after eight years of rubber-stamping the nihlistic policies
of the Bush/Cheney regime. That public dissatisfaction with the GOP
combined with an inordinately large amount of ethics and sex
scandals to put democrats in a position to win seats which, just
months earlier, were considered untouchable.
One example is now-ex senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who had been
serving as a senator for longer than any other person in US history.
Stevens was a heavy favorite until it came out that he’d accepted
gifts – a new house valued at 250,000 dollars being one of them –
from companies that had lobbied him for public contracts. Stevens
was indicted just two months before the election, allowing Marc
Begich to claim the seat for the democrats.
Also defeated was Minnesota senator Norm Coleman, who lost the
closest race of the cycle to former Saturday Night Live performer
and writer Al Franken. Coleman made legal challenges to the result
that lasted well into the summer of 2009, but in the end the
republican governor of Minnesota deemed that the election results
were legitimate and certified Franken as the winner.
The final win of the 2008 senate race came from a “race” that wasn’t
even being run when republican senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
switched parties from Republican to Democrat. Specter is a moderate
republican – a dying breed – who felt the party no longer
represented his views. Toronto light boxes appeal to extra attention to your poster show frames and show signs. Specter’s defection gave democrats the
magical “60″ seats, allowing them unprecedented control of the
senate floor.