The Presidential Contenders

Related BBC Sites

Print this

The Presidential Contenders

  • Documentaries

    Download or subscribe to this programme's podcast.

    PodcastHelp
Barack Obama

Obama is the first black person ever nominated to run for president.


The presumptive US presidential nominees, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama , are looking forward to being confirmed at their parties' conventions.

The race for the White House will then enter its most intensive phase and the candidates and their policies will come under greater scrutiny than ever.

Mike Gallagher finds out what makes these two remarkable individuals tick and explores what their greatest influences have been.

People who know them also have their say about their good qualities and their weaknesses in a two-part series that lifts the lid on the men who would be president.

Programme One - Barack Obama


Senator Obama is the first black person ever nominated to run for president on behalf of a mainstream party, and his racial heritage is a major factor in his politics.

Mike discovers a politician who, as a young man, experienced something of an identity crisis, thanks to his parents' mixed marriage and a childhood split between Hawaii and Indonesia.

The fact that his African father left the family when Obama was very young also had its impact.

Print this

Terms of Use

The BBC Podcasts are for your personal non-commercial use only.

All title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the BBC Podcasts shall remain the property of the BBC or third parties.

You may not edit, alter, adapt or add to the BBC Podcast in any way. The BBC Podcasts are made available by the BBC on an "as is" and "as available" basis and the BBC gives no warranty of any kind in relation to the BBC Podcast.

To the maximum extent permitted by law the BBC will not be liable for any loss or damage which you may suffer as a result of or connected to the download or use of the BBC Podcasts.

See the full BBC Podcast: Standard Licence Terms here.