Americans and the American Dream in Obama’s 2008 Campaign Speeches
Mohammad A. Mousavi, Fatemeh Kurki

Introduction
The idea of American Dream has been constantly used to glue the United States together. After two Bush terms (2001-2008) of failed policies and leadership of President Bush in office (2000-2008), the American Dream was slipping further away from American Main Street. This thesis attempts to examine how presidential candidate, Barack Obama, could win by reclaiming the American Dream in his 2008 campaign. Upon content analysis of 21 selected speeches made by Obama in his 2008 campaign, it is demonstrated that as Jim Cullen has argued, the idea of American Dream begins with the Declaration of Independence and is consolidated in the American Constitution. Obama’s belief that reclaiming the American Dream begins by reclaiming the White House from Bush, is explainable with this theory; as well as the rationale for his plans and campaign to restore the American Dream based on the preamble to the Constitution of the United States.

Full Text: PDF