John Lewis

==== 2008 presidential election ====
[[File:John Lewis DNC 2008 (cropped2).jpg|thumb|Lewis speaks during the final day of the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Denver]], Colorado|alt=]]
At first, Lewis supported [[Hillary Clinton]], endorsing her presidential campaign on October 12, 2007.<ref name="CNNticker_20071012">{{cite news |access-date=May 6, 2010 |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/12/rep-lewis-endorses-clinton/ |date=October 12, 2007 |title=Rep. Lewis endorses Clinton |work=CNN Political Ticker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406175833/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/12/rep-lewis-endorses-clinton/ |archive-date=April 6, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> On February 14, 2008, however, he announced he was considering withdrawing his support from Clinton and might instead cast his [[superdelegate]] vote for [[Barack Obama]]: "Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap."<ref name="NYT_Zeleny">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15clinton.html |title=Black Leader, a Clinton Ally, Tilts to Obama |first1=Jeff|last1=Zeleny |first2=Patrick|last2=Healy |date=February 15, 2008 |quote=Representative John Lewis said he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311195613/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15clinton.html |archive-date=March 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ben Smith (journalist)|Ben Smith]] of ''[[Politico]]'' said that "it would be a seminal moment in the race if John Lewis were to switch sides."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Awaiting_Lewis.html |title=Awaiting Lewis |first=Ben |last=Smith |date=February 15, 2008 |work=Politico |access-date=August 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195727/http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Awaiting_Lewis.html |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 27, 2008, Lewis formally changed his support and endorsed Obama.<ref name="LAT_AP">{{cite web |access-date=February 28, 2008 |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-endorse28feb28,1,3290763.story |title=Civil rights leader John Lewis switches to Obama |quote=The Georgia congressman, who had previously endorsed Clinton, says he wants 'to be on the side of the people.' |date=February 28, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304010308/http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-endorse28feb28%2C1%2C3290763.story |archive-date=March 4, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 6, 2010 |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/27/lewis-switches-from-clinton-to-obama/ |date=February 27, 2008 |title=Lewis switches from Clinton to Obama |work=CNN Political Ticker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311075152/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/27/lewis-switches-from-clinton-to-obama/|archive-date=March 11, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> After Obama clinched the Democratic nomination for president, Lewis said "If someone had told me this would be happening now, I would have told them they were crazy, out of their mind, they didn't know what they were talking about ... I just wish the others were around to see this day. ... To the people who were beaten, put in jail, were asked questions they could never answer to register to vote, it's amazing."<ref name="Politico_Hearn_20080604">{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10858.html |title=Black lawmakers emotional about Obama's success |date=June 4, 2008 |last=Hearn |first=Josephine |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=June 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608073714/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10858.html |archive-date=June 8, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite switching his support to Obama, Lewis drew criticism from his constituents for his support of Clinton for several months. One of his challengers in the House [[primary election]] set up campaign headquarters inside the building that served as Obama's Georgia office.<ref name="NYT_Hernandez_20080701">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/us/politics/01dems.html?ref=politics |first=Raymond|last=Hernandez|date=July 1, 2008 |title=A New Campaign Charge: You Supported Clinton |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104091011/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/us/politics/01dems.html?ref=politics |archive-date=January 4, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2008, Lewis issued a statement criticizing the presidential campaign of [[John McCain]] and his running mate [[Sarah Palin]] and accusing them of "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" in a way that brought to mind the late Gov. [[George Wallace]] and "another destructive period" in American political history. McCain said he was "saddened" by the criticism from "a man I've always admired", and called on Obama to repudiate Lewis's statement. Obama responded to the statement, saying that he "does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his [[racial segregation|segregationist]] policies".<ref name="Obama Rebukes">{{cite web |title=Congressman Rebukes McCain for Recent Rallies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/us/politics/12lewis.html?_r=1&ref=johnlewis |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |first=Elisabeth |last=Bumiller |date=October 12, 2008|access-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123650/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/us/politics/12lewis.html?_r=1&ref=johnlewis|archive-date=February 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Lewis later issued a follow-up statement clarifying that he had not compared McCain and Palin to Wallace himself, but rather that his earlier statement was a "reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior".<ref name="AJC">{{cite news |url=http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/10/11/ |title=John McCain equal to George Wallace? Barack Obama says 'no,' and John Lewis says he's been misunderstood |date=October 11, 2008 |access-date=May 11, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604113319/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/10/11/ |newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On an African American being elected president, he said:{{Blockquote|If you ask me whether the election ... is the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream, I say, 'No, it's just a down payment.' There's still too many people 50 years later, there's still too many people that are being left out and left behind.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Lauren |title=Rep. John Lewis reflects on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington |url=http://thegrio.com/2013/08/21/rep-john-lewis-reflects-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-march-on-washington/ |website=[[The Grio]]|date=August 21, 2013|access-date=September 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924110239/http://thegrio.com/2013/08/21/rep-john-lewis-reflects-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-march-on-washington/ |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>}}After Obama's swearing-in ceremony as president, Lewis asked him to sign a commemorative photograph of the event. Obama signed it, "Because of you, John. Barack Obama."<ref name=Remnick>{{cite magazine |last=Remnick |first=David |title=The President's Hero |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/02/02/the-presidents-hero|access-date=July 19, 2020 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202722/http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/02/02/090202taco_talk_remnick |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>