Prelude to History

Rick Loomis

Los Angeles Times

Story Summary -- From a virtual unknown at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, then Senator Barack Obama completed his unlikely campaign to become the first African American to be elected President of the United States. He captured the attention of the American people during the primary season as crowds grew bigger with each stop he made in Iowa and New Hampshire. His unlikely road to the presidency led first through Iowa, where he won over a state that is 94% white. Obama's campaign strategy made it a point not to play up race during the election.

Rick Loomis, "Prelude to History," in POYi Archive, Item #43079, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/43079 (accessed April 20, 2025).