Barack Obama has been on an amazing trajectory for someone who was barely known two years ago. I voted for him in the California primaries basically because although his policies and Hillary's were pretty much identical I didn't care for Hillary's nasty campaign tactics. I've been hoping for a candidate to take the high road for decades now, and for the most part Obama seems to have done so. But this blog isn't about him. It's about his campaign.

The Clintons have been in politics for decades. I voted twice for Bill and would do so again if it were legal to do so. They have perfected a great machine, as all politicians have to do in order to get nominated let alone elected. What I'd like to know is how Obama created his machine. How did a relative unknown junior Senator put together such a strong and focused group that could work so successfully on a National election with such finesse. Back in the past we used to have books after each Presidential election which were titled, "The Making of the Presidency, (add year)". I would be fascinated to read about this campaign. In this day where the internet rules, where you need millions to even think of declaring yourself a candidate, where every moment of your life is instantly put on the net for all to see your mistakes, where the 24/7 news cycle takes apart every clause of every sentence you utter, how did Obama make it over the seasoned politicians with decades of campaign successes? Giving a message of hope isn't enough. There needs to be expert backdoor politics going on, and I'd love to learn about that. To me that would be a fascinating story to read, and I hope someone with some inside knowledge does it.

Labels: 2008, The Making Of The Presidency