AP: "Obama's political team out-organized Clinton"

[NewHampshireDem]

Link via Raw Story: http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Obama_s_political_team_out_organize_05242008.html

Call them Kool-Aid drinkers. Political romantics. Starry-eyed dreamers.

But as the marathon Democratic primary campaign nears an end, Barack Obama's staff is on the verge of vindicating its belief that the eloquent black freshman senator from Illinois was a unique candidate who could win the Democratic nomination in one of the biggest upsets in presidential politics.

<snip>

The team was led by calm and focused campaign manager David Plouffe; their strategy was inspired by the candidate's experience as a community organizer. They built a campaign designed to accomplish what other political sensations like Gary Hart and Howard Dean failed to do — turn the energy and excitement of the Obama phenomenon into long-term results.

<snip>

Matching Obama's organizing background, the team has roots in conducting on-the-ground congressional campaigns across the country. Many top aides were groomed by former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt and former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle instead of by the Clinton wing of the party. Clinton's team was built with Washington and New York operatives.

<more>

Now this is a man and an organization that has really learned the lessons of history. I didn't know about the connections to Gephardt and Daschle before and now that I do, I'm even happier to support Obama.

[mystieus]

1. "Kool-Aid drinkers" I hate that term.

[NewHampshireDem]

4. I do too ... but I included the lede for the sake of the set up.

To paraphrase Carville, it's not a cult, it's a movement. When Obama's opponents dismiss him as 'the Messiah' and his supporters as 'kool aid drinking cult members,' they make the mistake of underestimating them (us)--I guess that's why he's the nominee.

[Cha]

15. Yeah, they sure missed the

important call on that.

[insanity]

43. I'm fine with the term

We need to take kool-aide away from the cults and begin to celebrate how delicious it is.

I drink Kool-Aide

I support Obama.

Besides, the only people who use that term are the people who we are disposing from power, so we can chalk it up to bitterness.

[polichick]

2. One of the talking heads on msnbc recently told a story about...

...attending a luncheon where some Republican bigwig businessman told his audience of trainees that they should study the Obama campaign to learn how to manage.

[NewHampshireDem]

7. This campaign will be studied for years--win or lose.

If the next campaign--whomever that may be--can learn the lessons of Dean and Obama, it will be a joy to behold.

[polichick]

11. True! Dean and Obama have shown us how to take our country back...

I feel lucky to have been a part of both campaigns ~ YOU HAVE THE POWER & YES, WE CAN indeed!!

[NewHampshireDem]

19. I think, too, a nod must be thrown to Markos at Daily Kos

He's really done a lot to get the 'people powered politics' and 'better Democrats' message out there. Some cynics may dismiss this movement as the 'new machine' but, dammit, it is *our* machine--owned jointly by millions of Democrats.

[polichick]

28. Agreed - I always think of the Internet as a metaphor for...

...the way we are all connected in spirit, collective unconscious, etc.

[Cha]

32. Exactly! Markos was a Dean

supporter all the way with great reason! :toast: Daily Kos.

There's good machines and bad machines and I can tell the difference.

[Cha]

21. I, too, feel so fortunate to have been and be

a part of the Dean and Obama campaigns for "Taking our Country Back", polichick:)

[polichick]

26. It's such an exciting time for us all - CRITICAL MASS at last!! :)

[Cha]

31. "Critical Mass"..right!

Good term to know:)

[Cha]

16. I'm so proud of him..

as are so many in this country and I'll bet the world.

[BlooInBloo]

3. He out-everythinged her. The last battle is the behind-the-scenes one...

for the internal party mechanics. Which is partly what Obama's newly-created infrastructure is aimed at addressing.

[Cha]

25. Yes, Obama out organized,

out classed, and out donored the clinton machine.

[slinkerwink]

5. and that's why she lost.

[kevinmc]

6. "Obama's political team out-organized Clinton" ... pretty impressive.

Beating a Machine and doing it without creating "Drama" like the Clintons base their campign on.

[NewHampshireDem]

17. They've managed to create a better narrative, IMHO

and narratives do matter. Humans are pattern-seeking, story-telling animals and Obama has effectively created a compelling story, which has, in turn, given people a reason to support him.

I can't wait to see him unleash the full force of his campaign against McInsane.

[quantass]

24. +1

[blm]

8. This has been the longterm campaign of those who saw for years Clinton wing party undermine

the work, efforts and campaigns of every Dem they targeted for takedown along with the GOP.

Daschle and Kerry spent inauguration night together and I think they knew well by then which strategists and political organizers around the country were loyal to the Dem party and which were loyal only to the Clintons.

Between Daschle, Durbin and Kerry and his vast 2004 network (Minus the Clinton loaylists who showed their true colors) Obama had a better shot at the nomination by then, than Clintons who depended on their continuing grip on the DNC - interrupted THANKFULLY by Chairman Howard Dean and the internet activists who saw the need for change.

I think when the backstory emerges after the election, many people, including the inattentive media, will be surprised.

It has been the Clinton wing of the party v the Kennedy wing of the party since the mid90s. Too many of us accepted and gave in to Bill in deference to his presidency. Our wing weakened as their stranglehold on the party tightened. Their wing started weakening during the 2003 primary race, but the loss of Lieberman's primary showed our side rallying and growing stronger, building on what was started during 2004. This time we were seeing the behind the scenes saboteurs acting openly to protect Clinton's ascension to the nomination.

We saw their targets - Kerry, Dean, and now Obama. We could see who was really on our side and who was for protecting the Bush-Clinton status quo of closed government.

We WILL win.

[scarletwoman]

12. Excellent post, blm! This is important information, I'd love to see it as an OP.

:applause:

(Although I suppose now might not be the best time, I don't want it to get lost amidst all the missile-fire today. :( )

sw

[politicasista]

29. Yes!

And excellent post by blm. :applause:

[Cha]

35. It is an excellent post..facinating

really. Scenarios we never thought about until now when you've pointed out how different factions culminated.

Just like some didn't know how bad bu$h was before the last 8 years..many didn't know how vile the clintons are. It's too mind boggling to think about how freaked out bilary is about Obama coming out of nowhere.

[Tatiana]

40. Outstanding post and excellent information.

Obama had people in his corner from the beginning who were loyal to the people and the party. If this extended primary has shown us anything, it is who our true friends, our true FIGHTERS are. I mean the people, the political leaders who will fight for us and our Constitution.

When Clinton turned on Kerry and did not defend him when she KNEW exactly what he meant by his joking reference, I thought the struggle was beginning.

One only has to look at Debbie Wasserman-Schultz's abandonment of true Democrats in Florida in favor of right-wing interests to see where her loyalty lies. One only has to listen to Harold Ford Jr.'s cozy agreement with everything the right-winger Joe Scarborough to see where his loyalty lies.

One only has to look at the head of the Clinton wing, Hillary Clinton herself, to see who the Clintons and all their supporters are loyal to. Bush. Ailes. Mellon-Scaiffe. Fox News. Rove.

HELLO! It doesn't take a fucking degree to realize that these people ARE NOT LOYAL TO US. The truth is there in plain sight. "Lobbyists are good people."

C'mon! Wake up and see what's before your eyes. The Clinton wing is NOT going to hold those who have abused power and our government accountable. They will CONTINUE THE SECRECY. We had our first clue when the Clintons wouldn't even share their health care proposals with the leaders of THEIR OWN PARTY. To this day, the results of all those meetings has never been made open to the public. IT'S STILL SECRET.

Where was Hillary when Teresa Heinz Kerry was being vilified and attacked for being an intelligent, strong woman? Where was she and all of her feminist supporters?

How anyone can support the Clintons at this point is beyond me.

[scarletwoman]

50. Self delete -- duplicate post. (nt)

[scarletwoman]

51. "How anyone can support the Clintons at this point is beyond me." Amen.

It makes me scratch my head the same way bush* supporters do.

sw

[nichomachus]

9. If Hillary's campaign had been half as good as Obama's,

she be the presumptive nominee at this point.

Her campaign was a train wreck. If she manages to pull a Clintonesque upset through devious machinations, the GE will be a bigger disaster. The GOP knows her weak points and her strong points -- and they will exploit both to magnify her extremely high negatives. She will lose the Obama supporters who flocked to him hoping for change in Washington.

Even if McCain flubs it and she is elected, her one-term presidency will go down as one of the worst in history.

[politicasista]

10. kick

:kick:

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. David Axelrod vs Karl Rove, this Sunday on ABC's This Week

This should be a very interesting Show.


Preview for Sunday Morning Political Talk Shows on May 25, 2008

This Memorial Day Weekend, the Sunday Morning Talk Shows will keep their focus on Presidential politics. ABC's This Week will discuss the outlook of an Obama/McCain match up in November with Obama's senior advisor David Axelrod and Karl Rove, an informal advisor to McCain. NBC's Meet the Press will have a panel of pundits to speculate on the presidential race for the hour. McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will appear on CBS's Face the Nation as will Obama supporter Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Clinton campaign strategist Howard Wolfson. Fox News Sunday will feature Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe to contemplate the potential of an Obama-Clinton ticket this fall. Fox News Sunday will also host Congressional Campaign Committee Chairmen Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) to lay out their party's strategies to win in November.

http://inewstube.com/smm/may_25_sunday_morning_preview_mccains_karl_rove_vs_obamas_david_axelrod.html

[scarletwoman]

22. Well, imagine that! That worthless weasel McAuliffe on FOX, the sole remaining refuge for the

Clinton camp to continue to pretend that it's not over. Buddying up with Rupert Murdoch at the very beginning of her campaign was obviously a good investment.

sw

[Ichingcarpenter]

33. It has the smallest market share also.... It gets beat by all the other

Sunday Morning Talk shows.

Anyway, I agree that the Obama's campaign is amazingly organized
McCain doesn't stand a chance. I also think the Axelrod/Rove showdown
will be a Must see TV.

[butterfly77]

46. What are they doing trying to get some tips...

from the Obama campaign..

[Cha]

14. This is a great little thread! The place to be after

hilary's debacle and the subsequent "apology" to Kennedy.

This is where it's at..why Obama won and how we as "Starry Eyed Dreamers"(I like that better than koolaid:) helped make it happen.

And, of course, David Plouffe(is he French?) et al~

Kinda surprised that it's such a postive story by nedra pickler who use to snark up an Al Gore story every chance she got.

[NewHampshireDem]

18. It's ironic, isn't it ... here we are arguing about the legacy of the Kennedy family

and those who are *falsely* trying to claim that mantle disparage us for being 'dreamers' and 'worshiping' our candidate. I, for one, am happy to see a politician who inspires people the way that JRK and RFK still have the power to inspire people today.

[Cha]

30. Yes indeedy... JFK and RFK inspired immeasurably,

And, now in the 21st Century we have an opportunity to have another leader who could take us in a positive, progressive direction that's never been realized.

Our goal is to make sure Obama stays safe so he can do his job.

Obama and we all have to thank all those who have paved the way.. so many like MLK and Dean right off the top.

[blm]

45. The Clinton wing stifled the Kennedy win since 1993 - Kennedy wing tried it Clinton's way in the 90s

and it did nothing but HURT the party overall and protect BushInc and the powerful elite cronies who benefitted from those many illegal operations that Clinton protected during his terms.

Kennedy wing almost succeeded in 2004 with Kerry, but with Clintons helping to shore up Bush and McAuliffe's refusal to secure the election process and Carville's election night betrayal, it was easy to present the lie that Bush won, and put up the idea to Dems that 'only' Clintons can win.

Some of us fought to keep the truth about Clintons' betrayals - their continued targeting of Kerry and Dean, and with their cravenness and sabotage tactics being seen visibly throughout this campaign against Obama and the Dem left it is easier for Democrats to realize the truth about them.

Viva la Kennedy wing of the Democratic Party.

[mopinko]

20. they built a campaign to serve followers, not the leader. yes, we are a party.

this campaign blossomed because axelrod, etc, wanted to include everyone who wanted to be included. they knew they were building a "party" (as carville said) to govern, not just to win.
maybe i am a koolaid drinker, but i had been brought to tears so many times in this campaign. and that i kinda what it is about- heart.

[NewHampshireDem]

27. There's nothing wrong with being inspired, is there?

I'd like that, for once. It's been a long time.

[dansolo]

23. I would love to see Hart and Dean as part of an Obama Administration

How about:

Gary Hart as Secretary of Homeland Security
Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Services

[Cha]

38. I can see Gary Hart as Secretary of Homeland

Security(could we rename it?) and if that's what Dean would want to do..anything to have him in the admin, organizing and helping people.

[NC_Nurse]

34. Yeah, baby! That's what it's all about!

I'm so excited about the movement we've created. Ironic how we used to call Bushies the "Koolaid drinkers" but the
Clinton folks picked it right up to minimize us. Look how well THAT worked out. Yes We Can!

[stillcool]

36. An article about Obama's organizing..

skills from 1993...
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence/

[NewHampshireDem]

42. Thanks for the link ...

The most effective minority voter registration drive in memory was the result of careful handiwork by Project Vote!, the local chapter of a not-for-profit national organization. "It was the most efficient campaign I have seen in my 20 years in politics," says Sam Burrell, alderman of the West Side's 29th Ward and a veteran of many registration drives.

At the head of this effort was a little-known 31-year-old African-American lawyer, community organizer, and writer: Barack Obama. The son of a black Kenyan political activist and a white American anthropologist, Obama was born in Hawaii, received a degree in political science and English literature from Columbia University, and, in 1990, became the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. In 1984, after Columbia but before Harvard, Obama moved to Chicago. "I came because of Harold Washington," he says. "I wanted to do community organizing, and I couldn't think of a better city than one as energized and hopeful as Chicago was then." He went to work for a South Side church-affiliated development group and "was heartened by the enthusiasm." But barely three years later, Washington died, and Obama, convinced he needed additional skills, enrolled at Harvard Law School. The African-American community he left, rent by political divisions and without a clear leader, went into a steep decline. By 1991, when Obama, law degree in hand, returned to Chicago to work on a book about race relations-having turned his back on the Supreme Court clerkship that is almost a given for the law review's top editor-black voter registration and turnout in the city were at their lowest points since record keeping began.

Six months after he took the helm of Chicago's Project Vote!, those conditions had been reversed.

Hehe ... no experience my ass.

[suston96]

37. "Out organized Clinton"? Incredible.....

Obama will win the nomination because of the black votes in all those red states - which will stay red in the general election.

Without the participation of most of the Clinton support which his "organized" campaign may have permanently alienated, winning the general election may be difficult if not impossible.

www.electoral-vote.com /

www.electoral-vote.com/ev...May24.html

www.electoral-vote.com/ev...May24.html

Check it out. All those red states that Obama won in the primaries? They will stay red in the general. That means that Obama absolutely will need the battleground states and others which may be vulnerable because of disgusted Clinton supporters.

One more thing. "...a unique candidate"? I agree with that. So does Barack Obama.

Mr. Obama has pointedly acknowledged that he benefits from his race, noting last year that a new white senator from Illinois would hardly have stirred comparable interest or intrigue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/washington/24obama.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1205900977-7qz2FINroV037CY44ibn8w

[NewHampshireDem]

41. Blah blah blah ...

Jesus himself is sick of all the 'she can't win the primary but can win the GE' crap and the racist arguments about how lucky Obama is to be black.

[BlooInBloo]

44. You go energizer bunny!

[FrenchieCat]

47. Yea....you wish!

[Catherina]

48. You're right. "Out organized Clinton" isn't the correct term

How about

WHOOPED CLINTON ASS!!

?

[lisa58]

39. This is why Obama is gonna win the nomination...

...and the general.

[Imagevision]

49. Actually Obama outsmarted both Hillary and Bill, McCain will be a cake-walk...