what other political offices has obama been in?
Sen. Barack Obama
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 According to the Gallup Organization , Obama began his presidency with a 68 percent approval rating before gradually declining for the rest of the year , and eventually bottoming out at 41 percent in August 2010 , a trend similar to Ronald Reagan 's and Bill Clinton 's first years in office . He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2 , 2011 . This bounce lasted until around June 2011 , when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were previously . His approval ratings rebounded around the same time as his reelection in 2012 , with polls showing an average job approval of 52 percent shortly after his second inauguration . Despite him dropping to 39 percent in his approval ratings in late @-@ 2013 due to the ACA roll @-@ out , he has climbed to 50 percent in late January 2015 according to Gallup . Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries , and before being elected President he met with prominent foreign figures including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair , Italy 's Democratic Party leader and Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni , and French President Nicolas Sarkozy . 

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 Subsequent to this election Obama was elected to the United States Senate in 2004 . He was then elected President of the United States in 2008 and re @-@ elected in 2012 . 

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 In 2004 , Obama was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention . After his speech , political pundits speculated about his future as a possible presidential candidate . After being elected to the United States Senate that year , and amid much speculation in the media regarding his future plans , Obama announced that he would seek the 2008 democratic presidential nomination in February 2007 and went on to defeat Hillary Clinton in one of the closest presidential nomination races in American history . He then defeated fellow senator John McCain in the general election to become President of the United States . 

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 He ran for President of the United States in 1996 , 2000 , and 2008 ( founding and serving as the presidential nominee of the America 's Independent Party in 2008 ) , and was a Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1988 , 1992 , and 2004 . Keyes was appointed Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations by President Ronald Reagan , and served as Reagan 's Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 1985 to 1987 ; in his capacities as a UN ambassador , among Keyes 's accomplishments was contributing to the Mexico City Policy . 

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 On May 30 , 2008 , it was reported by The Washington Times that likely Democratic nominee Obama asked Biden to play a " more prominent " and " deeply involved " role in his campaign , with some speculating that Biden was on Obama 's shortlist of vice presidential candidates . On August 23 , 2008 , the Obama campaign announced that Biden would become Barack Obama 's running mate . 
