#10---The Success of the Obama Campaign

I know that it is never "over until it is over" but I don't think it is too early to conclude that Obama has run a great campaign. Even William Kristol, the smug conservative commentator who is a regular on Fox News, writes Op-Ed pieces in the NYT, is the editor of The Weekly Standard and was a former roommate of Alan Keyes- ugh- agrees.

In yesterday's column Kristol writes, "The Obama team is well organized, flush with resources, and the candidate and the campaign are in sync."

In early 2007 my partner became keenly interested in Obama. He read everything he could find and began making donations the day after Obama entered the race. I was more hesitant. I believed that Hillary would have the most organized, well funded and disciplined campaign and thus would be best positioned to give Democrats the White House. I feared that Obama's lack of national campaign experience would lead him to make campaign mistakes and I wished that he had waited until 2012 or 2016 to run. I was wrong and I can't remember when I have ever been so happy to be wrong. Obama is not only an inspiring leader- rare in my lifetime- he is a skilled politician.

He is a strategic thinker who keeps his eye on the big picture while maintaining the discipline to take care of the details. He raised money from individual donors through a well presented online campaign. He and his campaign team have remained calm in the eye of many storms- the relentless pounding by the Clinton machine; the embarrassing Rev. Wright revelations; the financial crisis.

Obama promised, "We won't throw the first punch but we'll throw the last." He addresses the ugly attacks but does not become hysterical. He calmly waits for his opponents to trip over themselves while he stays cool and ready to address the issues.

Obama does have less experience than McCain just as he had less time in Washington than Clinton but he has out performed both in the campaign; proving that temperament, skill and intellect trump experience.