Obama's "Perfect" Campaign
Obama's campaign has already been and will undoubtedly continue to be dissected ad nauseam. And it was truly one for the books. But all this talk of perfection obscures what was the truly remarkable thing about Obama and his campaign team, at least to my eyes: How clearly imperfect they were at the beginning, and how formidable they became as they learned from their mistakes.
In the primaries, the Obama campaign seemed like what it was: Amateur Hour. Samantha Power trying to take her decidedly on-the-record comment about Hillary off-the-record, the "bitter"-gate comment that Obama thought would only be heard by supporters, the campaign's admitted lack of awareness that there were DVDs of Rev. Wright's incendiary sermons, New Hampshire, etc., etc., etc. Hardly anyone's idea of perfection.
But when I look back, (and setting aside the to-be-expected slips of the tongue) I see only one instance of each type of mistake. Each time a mistake was made, the campaign seemed to acknowledge it, deal with it, and make sure that it never happened again. Amazing! If only I could do half as well in my own life!
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Absolutely true!
I think that Obama's campaign was by far the best for that reason. Hard to imagine that a month and a half ago, I was playing around with the CNN delegate calculator, praying that at least the scenarios in which Obama would tie McCain (All Kerry states except for New Hampshire, plus Colorado and Iowa, or all Kerry states plus Nevada and Iowa) and even THAT seemed a bit hopeful. However, a few days before the election, I was hoping for an electoral landslide for Obama, not just a tie, since it was obvious he would win. An electoral landslide (370+ delegates), which WOULD have happened if he had won Missouri (DAMMIT lol).
But what would have happened if Obama had gotten an electoral college tie with McCain? Do you know?
November 9, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
`But what would have happened if Obama had gotten an electoral college tie with McCain?'
It would have gone to the H of R to decide, so Obama would have won.
November 9, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
If all events during the general election remained the same and Obama had lost, I wonder how his campaign would be then perceived. Perfect, near flawless? Yeah....I don't think so.
November 9, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's kind of a weird hypothetical, anew08. All of the events during the general election remained the same, but the outcome was different? The outcome was of course determined by those events.
November 14, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
The fact that he got past being acalled a terrorist, Rev. Wright, Bitter gate, NH, Hillary Clinton, a War hero, racists, Fox News, AND His own inexperience to come out on top in alandslide is in and of itself incredible.
November 9, 2008 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's important to note that analyzing a campaign must be done in context with analyzing the campaign of the opponent. It's like the old joke about two guys who stumble across a ferocious grizzly. One guy stops to change out of his heavy hiking boots into running shoes. The other guy says, "Are you crazy? You can't outrun a grizzly!" The other guy says, "I don't have to - I only have to outrun you."
November 10, 2008 12:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
True! Also, to add, even on the lower level, the campaign was not perfect. There were still the regular human and organizational problmes on an every day level. But the volunteers and staffers I saw in campaign offices around the country,they didn't give up, kept trying to get along, continued to find a way to get what they needed when resources were slim, and worked through problems as they arrived. There was a lot of lack of sleep, and a LOT of pressure felt, but there was no lack of motivation or hope.
November 10, 2008 12:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Charlie Brooker's review of the campaign - scores it 4/10.
"President Barack Obama. President Barack Obama. Nope, still can't get used to it. It's literally too good to be true. I must've died in my sleep and am now having an insane fantasy pumped into my head by the Matrix. Any minute now Salma Hayek is going to float through the door with a tray of biscuits and I'll know the game's up.
Or perhaps I've just come round from a coma. The election took place 10 years ago, and what I've just sat through was actually a Hollywood movie loosely based on real events. And in a bid to appeal to the multiplex crowd, they decided to jettison all semblance of subtlety.
On the one hand, you had Obama (Will Smith in admittedly impressive makeup, although the ears never really convinced). He was practically walking on water. No one's that nice. And pitched against him, the Republican campaign, which was so nakedly horrible it could only have been orchestrated by Skeletor. Nudge-wink comments about "the real America", underhand attempts to link Obama with terrorism, automated robo-calls whispering desperate fibs into the ears of voters ... if Obama's grandmother had died while he was at her bedside in Hawaii, they'd have erected billboards claiming he couldn't be trusted around white women. Jesus, guys, why not just change your name to the Bastard Party and march around in long black capes? Vote for us, we're openly despicable.
The scriptwriters clearly decided to balance the nastiness by introducing some satirical comic relief in the form of Sarah Palin, but she was scarcely plausible either. And they never really nailed her story arc, instead being content to have her wandering through every scene she was in, screeching inept banalities like a rightwing version of Phoebe from Friends. And what was with the whole Joe the Plumber sub-plot? I mean, c'mon, they invited him on tour and everything. As if. In the real world, no one would've bought that for a second. That's precisely the sort of thing that breaks the all-important suspension of disbelief. It didn't help that the guy they cast to play him, Michael Chiklis, is instantly recognisable from his leading role as the corrupt, brutal cop Vic Mackey in the hit TV series The Shield.
And the ending was far too saccharine. Dancing in the streets? Tears of joy around the globe? Oh please. I give it four out of 10. A rental at best."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/10/barack-obama-zombies-running
November 10, 2008 6:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Worst. Review. Ever.
Obama visibly grew and became more confident as the campaign progressed so that he ended it on the highest note and had become president by the time he won. He was the most presidential thing on two legs by the time the 3d debate rolled around and the whole world had shifted over to looking to him for leadership out of this mess.
It was really lovely to watch. I believe he's a great man after watching him grow like this over two years.
November 10, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with you.
November 14, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink