2008 Republican National Convention - Political Significance

Political Significance

The 27 electoral college votes from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa as a block—equal in value to Florida's—was judged by the University of Minnesota Elections project to be subject to swing toward either major party. Even so, Minnesota has not gone to the Republicans since the 1972 election when during his reelection President Richard Nixon won every state except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. In 1984, during his reelection, President Ronald Reagan was victorious over Minnesota's "favorite son," Walter Mondale, in all states except Minnesota, and the District of Columbia.

Since the U.S. Constitution limits the President to two terms and Vice President Dick Cheney did not seek the Presidency, the 2008 election was the first election in which neither the sitting President nor the sitting Vice President appeared on the ticket since 1928 (when neither the sitting President, Calvin Coolidge, nor the sitting Vice President, Charles G. Dawes, chose to seek the Presidency) and the first since 1952 where neither the sitting President nor sitting Vice President sought his party's nomination (when the sitting President, Harry S. Truman, chose not to seek reelection and the sitting Vice President, Alben Barkley, lost the Democratic Nomination to Adlai Stevenson). With the exception of the 1964 convention, which nominated Barry Goldwater for President and William E. Miller for Vice-President, this was the first convention since 1948 not to feature a man named either Nixon, Dole or Bush on the ticket.

Sarah Palin, nominated for Vice President, became the first female on the Republican presidential ticket.

Considering the signs that were waved by the delegates, the dominant message of the convention was "Country First." The "U.S.A.!" chant was also a part of the message of the convention with the delegates chanting it during Lieberman's and Thompson's speeches on the first evening.