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The Spectacle Blog
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe reflects in an interview:
We went through as rigorous a primary as we've ever seen in our country's history, I think, and there's no doubt that made us a stronger general election candidate. A lot of our dirty laundry was aired, and we had practice in testing a campaign. Clinton, she was formidable, the campaign was formidable, it was very aggressive. We were the front-runner for a while, which meant the press took a bite out of us. We had really been tested, and we went into the general election in very much fighting shape. We were ready for those five months because we had been through 54 primaries and caucuses, and run the gauntlet. McCain hadn't done that. For all of his years in public life, he never went through anything like what we did in that primary.
This is an argument I entertained back in July. At the time, it was dismissed by RSM, who was still PUMA-struck.
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Thomas| 12.12.08 @ 10:29AM
Mr. Klein,
To answer your question, no. What elected Barack Obama was media bias, an incredible amount of money, a financial crisis and a challenger that refused to run a campaign that could win the election.
If Hillary had been the challenger, I suspect that McCain would still have lost.
Alleena| 12.12.08 @ 11:36AM
What piffle! If President-elect Obama had been properly vetted, we would have a different president. The real loser in this campaign is the mainstream press; they have lost any of the little credibility that they had before the campaign.
And this has left us with not-ready-for-primetime players at a time of crisis in our nation. President-elect-Obama tells everyone want they want to hear; I wonder when people are going to start to notice.
L. Ross| 12.12.08 @ 12:57PM
Thomas, right on.
Republicans lost for a host of reasons. Deeply unpopular Republican president. Fairly typical Republican nominee. (Think back. Jerry Ford, George H.W. Bush, Dole, McCain. What is up with these old men with the personality of a beige carpet sample? What the heck is wrong with us? How the hell did we nominate a RINO for president? Going over a list of McCain's greatest recent hits, I come up with 1. Amnesty for illegal aliens 2. Killing the contract for a new tanker from Boeing {now we won't get one for another decade} 3. McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, which just about ensured he would lose this election. This broken down old man is the best we can put up for leader of the free world? I get so frustrated I could just spit!)
Couple all of the above with a media who was so in the tank for Obama, they were mocked for being in the tank for Obama on SNL (whose cast was in the tank for Obama!) Add in the total meltdown of the economy and housing market, coupled with the sensationally poor political education of the average Obama voter (see www.howobamagotelected.com) and it's a miracle the blowout was not of Nixon/McGovern porportions.
cbmro| 12.12.08 @ 6:30PM
While many have said that no Republican could win after the disaster of George Bush, it is not fair to say that Obama beat McCain solely because he was seen as a Bush surrogate.
Clearly, Democrats got many things right this time around. First, they campaigned across the whole Country. Thanks to Howard Dean and the protracted primary, strong grass roots organizations were built and maintained in all 50 States.
Second, the fundraising went straight to the people, and they responded, making this the first candidate in many years not beholding to big moneyed interests.
Third, democrats have learned to defeat republican attack style politics with quick response and counter attack.
Fourth, democrats realized that votes are cast from the emotional human heart, and reinforced from the logical human brain.
The message of "hope" and "yes we can" appealed directly to deep seated and unsatisfied American emotions.
Americans rose up to show themselves and the world that we are still a place where the seemingly impossible is possible.
God Bless America
ruth| 12.12.08 @ 8:47PM
Yes, Americans rose up to show the world that The One we elected, without being vetted, is embroiled in a scandal even before his Inauguration. Is this a record or what? Yes we can!