Democrats - Obama Presidency Oral History

Obama's 2008 victory depended on the support of young people, non-white Americans, and college-educated white voters, and through the 2016 election, Democratic voters were significantly younger, less white, less religious, and more educated than both the Republican Party and the United States as a whole. Political advisors and campaign strategists consider these shifts in their oral histories, and reflect on contemporary enthusiasm about the effects of demographic trends on the Democratic Party's electoral prospects.

From Obama’s first months in office, Republicans were hostile toward potential collaborations with the White House or congressional Democrats, and voted, nearly in unison, against the administration’s marquee legislative initiatives. Given this Republican opposition, the Obama administration’s capacity to enact policy depended on close coordination with Democrats in Congress. During the first two years of Obama’s presidency, while Democrats enjoyed a governing trifecta in Washington, Democrats used their majorities to pass a major economic stimulus package, healthcare reform, financial industry regulation, updated nutrition standards for public school meals, and other legislation. In each of these efforts, the White House worked with the Democratic congressional leadership and key congressional blocs, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the New Democrat Coalition, and the conservative Blue Dog Coalition. Relations between the White House and these groups were occasionally contentious, and across the project archive administration officials, Senators, Representatives, staffers, and Washington insiders share stories of critical negotiations between the White House and Democrats in Congress. 

The Democratic Party in Washington changed considerably during Obama’s presidency. No event contributed to that change more than the 2010 midterm elections. Though the party of the president typically suffers in midterm elections, 2010 was particularly devastating for Democrats. Republicans gained seven seats in the Senate, and more than sixty in the House, as a wave of radical “Tea Party” Republicans arrived on Capitol Hill. The midterms also shifted the midpoint of the House Democratic caucus to the political left, as dozens of moderate and conservative Democrats were defeated by Republican challengers. In project interviews, narrators reflect on the impacts of the 2010 midterms, and speak widely about major changes in the Democratic congressional caucus over the course of the Obama years, including its new geography and increased diversity, as more women, non-white, and LGBT politicians won elections and took office. 

Beyond formal party structures and elected officeholders, the Obama administration regularly interacted with Democratic Party-aligned civil society organizations and grassroots activists. White House officials, for instance, regularly met with advocates under the auspices of the "Common Purpose Project," and those meetings were critical for clarifying policy priorities, coordinating congressional strategy, and managing public criticism of the administration. Many activist organizations and movements emerged over the course of the Obama years, forcing elected officials to rethink their actions, reshaping public discourse, and delivering legal and policy change. The White House often came into contact with these activists, and occasionally involved leaders in formal processes. Across the project archive, activists, advocates, and administration officials discuss these encounters, and speak widely about key movements of the period, including Occupy Wall Street; the Fight for $15; Black Lives Matter; and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, climate and environmental justice, gun control, student debt relief, and more.

The Obama Presidency Oral History project’s coverage of the Democratic Party and its coalition overlaps and intersects with a number of other topic areas in the collection, including Elections and Campaigns, Republican Opposition, The People’s House, and Black Politics.