Obama's Race: The 2008 Election and the Dream of a Post-Racial America (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Tesler, Michael; Sears, David O.

ISBN 10: 0226793834 / ISBN 13: 9780226793832

Published by University of Chicago Press, 2010

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 0226793834-3-31105410

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Obama's Race: The 2008 Election and the Dream of a Post-Racial America (Chicago Studies in American Politics)
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226793834
• ISBN 13: 9780226793832
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Good
• Weight: 11 ounces

About this title

Synopsis

Barack Obama’s presidential victory naturally led people to believe that the United States might finally be moving into a post-racial era. Obama’s Race—and its eye-opening account of the role played by race in the election—paints a dramatically different picture.

The authors argue that the 2008 election was more polarized by racial attitudes than any other presidential election on record—and perhaps more significantly, that there were two sides to this racialization: resentful opposition to and racially liberal support for Obama. As Obama’s campaign was given a boost in the primaries from racial liberals that extended well beyond that usually offered to ideologically similar white candidates, Hillary Clinton lost much of her longstanding support and instead became the preferred candidate of Democratic racial conservatives. Time and again, voters’ racial predispositions trumped their ideological preferences as John McCain—seldom described as conservative in matters of race—became the darling of racial conservatives from both parties. Hard-hitting and sure to be controversial, Obama’s Race will be both praised and criticized—but certainly not ignored.

About the Authors

Michael Tesler is assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine, and coauthor of Obama’s Race, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

David O. Sears is distinguished professor of psychology and political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of numerous books.