Select a historic or contemporary political leader and examine the sources of his/her political power, legitimacy and authority. Questions worth considering include: what permitted him/her to acquire political power/legitimacy/authority?; what permitted

Running Head

Contemporary Political Leader : Pres . Barack H . Obama

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Contemporary Political Leader : Pres . Barack H . Obama

Introduction

During last year 's presidential election , American voters made history by electing the first black commander in chief of the United States - President Barack Obama , whose historic conquest forever changed America 's political landscape and successfully gained the support of most world leaders . Despite his short political stint , Pres . Obama was able to muster enough electoral support and political charisma that propelled him to

the White House . His victory over former senator and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to claim the Democratic nomination months before the presidential election was a proof itself that he was the man to beat (Cost , 2008 ,

. 60 . Obama 's sustained political clout edged Republican candidate John McCain out of the presidential trail to claim the presidency . What gave Obama strong political power and authority in spite of being a first-term senator Will he be able to maintain this political advantage to extend his term by 2012

The U .S . president 's dramatic political ascent has caught the attention of most world leaders and political experts . A careful study of how Obama handled his political campaign against Democratic rival Clinton and how he dealt with the McCain camp would reveal that this first-term president is likely to preserve his power and authority beyond 2012 There are a number of factors that helped Obama uphold his strong political clout . First , he took the opportunity...