When Rev. Jesse Jackson made his second run for president in 1988, he earned a laudable second place finish for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Although he lost to Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, Jackson made history by becoming the first African-American to wage a truly competitive campaign for the nomination of a major party.
Twenty years later, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is making history by surpassing Jackson’s success and reaching a new frontier for Black presidential candidates. He is currently leading in the contest for the Democratic nomination.
This week he cautiously celebrated victories in Hawaii and Wisconsin while campaigning in Texas for that state’s crucial primary on March 4.
“Houston, I think we achieved liftoff here,” Obama told a crowd of 20,000 people. “However, the change we seek is still months and miles away, and we need the good people of Texas to help us get there.”
At press time Obama had the support of 1,303 delegates to the upcoming Democratic National Convention, compared to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton’s 1,233. Obama has already won primaries in 26 states, and his success has inspired the Associated Press to label his as “the strongest Black presidential candidate in history.”
In 1988 on the other hand, Jackson finished his campaign with 1,218 delegates and victories in 11 states.
Many political pundits and voters have asked publicly and privately, “Why is Sen. Obama doing so much better than Rev. Jackson did 20 years ago?”
Jackson and Obama do share several similarities, including the fact that they are both from Illinois, have been active in their community as grassroots organizers and are recognized as eloquent orators who speak with the rousing style of a preacher.
However, it is their differences that could explain Obama’s stronger performance.
Larry Baas, chairman of the political science department at Valparaiso University, believes that the difference in their backgrounds has been a deciding factor in the kind of support they have received.
“It seems to me that they entered the political arena from different routes and with different conceptual baggage,” Baas said. “Obama is Columbia and Harvard educated and served as a state legislator and U.S. senator. Jackson, on the other hand, is a product of the civil rights movement.”
Baas added that due to his activism Jackson was viewed as an agitator to many white middle class voters and the business community, which limited his support to mostly Blacks, Latinos and poor rural whites.
Obama, on the other hand, has been able to attract not just a majority of the Black vote, but also a considerable amount of support from white voters who are convinced that while Obama recognizes issues of concern among Blacks, he also wants to address the needs of the nation as a whole.
While Jackson was viewed by many as a populist crusader who called attention to the nation’s racial and class divisions, Obama is seen by voters of different races, backgrounds and ages as a “unifier.” This view has helped him win in states with relatively low minority populations like Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
“Obama has evolved on the political scene in a much more acceptable and moderate manner,” Baas added. “One might say that Obama is the Tiger Woods of politics while Jackson was the Al Sharpton of his day. Their politics may not always be a lot different, but certainly the historical narratives generated about them are quite different.”
Some voters also feel that Obama has a broader economic agenda for the country. While Jackson mostly advocated for government programs to assist and empower the poor, Obama has expressed a desire to reduce the gap between rich and poor by improving education and health care.
In 1988 Jackson was recognized as a leading candidate in part because of key endorsements that indicated he could have appeal among voters outside of his traditional base. Jackson generated plenty of headlines when he received the endorsements of outspoken Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower and South Carolina Sen. Ernest Hollings, who was once a supporter of racial segregation.
This year, however, Obama has earned numerous endorsements both in and outside the political field. For example, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, who endorsed Jackson’s opponent in 1988, is now behind Obama. At the same time, Obama has the star power support of figures like entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey, recording artist Common and actors George Clooney and Robert DeNiro.
Obama is also benefiting from another important campaign tool that no candidate had in 1988: the Internet.
Obama has received more small donations (those totaling less than $200) over the Internet than any other candidate this campaign season. According to the Federal Election Commission he has raised more than $150 million from Internet donors alone.
Internet activity has also fueled support for Obama among young voters ages 18 to 30, many of whom view the 46-year-old senator as this generation’s version of John F. Kennedy, who at age 43 became the youngest person elected president.
For the record, Jackson has announced his support for Obama. In fact, Jackson made his announcement last February shortly after Obama said he intended to run, before it was certain whether or not the senator would even have a viable campaign.
“He has my vote and I just have an appreciation for him,” Jackson stated at the time.
For his part Obama recently thanked Jackson for “breaking down the barriers” that kept minorities and women from waging serious presidential campaigns in the past.
“This campaign has been about giving hope since day one, and I am proud to have the support of my friend Jesse Jackson,” he stated. “It is because of people like Jesse that I have this opportunity to run for president today.”
