The Manifestations, Effects, and Dynamics of Race and Racism in the Campaign and Governance of Barack Obama

Using a Critical Race Theory approach, this exploratory research investigated racial manifestations in presidential politics in the United States by focusing on the campaign and presidency of Barack Obama. A systemic racism approach using the White racial frame was employed to gain insight into the manifestations and dynamics of race and the degree to which the racial tendencies of the campaign continued in the first two years of governance by the Obama administration. Special consideration was given to issue framing and racial cuing. It appears on its face that in comparison to his predecessors, President Obama experienced a high degree of political opposition and resistance generated and sustained based on race. This research points to the need for more national level empirical work investigating the connection between voter behavior, issue framing, and racial cuing, which are utilized to sustain systemic racism in the United States.