Organization, strategy keys to Obama victory; "Nothing could prevent Obama's march to victory."

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: Analysis: Organization, strategy keys to Obama victory

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barack Obama's victory Tuesday over John McCain capped an unprecedented rise in American politics. The obscure state legislator with, as he put it, "a funny name" propelled himself onto the national stage at the Democratic National Convention four years ago with a speech so electrifying that commentators declared he would become America's first black president.

Election Day showed that, in this case at least, you can believe the hype. But Obama did not win the White House on hype, any more than he won it on hope.

He won it with an organization that even opponents called brilliant. He won it with a clear strategy that was stuck to with remarkably little internal drama. He won it with unparalleled fundraising and an overwhelming ground game. And he won it after facing various challenges and turning them to his advantage.

Turning points

Winning Iowa: Obama's victory in the Iowa caucuses knocked almost all of his Democratic competitors out in the first nominating contest, and it pushed the "inevitable" Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, back on her heels. He'd built an organization strong enough to haul supporters out of their homes on a frigid January night to debate, harangue and cajole their neighbors into backing him. Tens of thousands of new voters became the key to his Iowa win and revealed the outline of a general election plan: Create a wide coalition to bring new voters to the polls in record numbers....

Ted Kennedy....

Addressing race....

Fundraising: Flush with cash from a nationwide network of small and large contributors, Obama announced in June he would opt out of public financing -- the first presidential candidate to pay for his campaign with donations rather than government money since the system began in 1976....

Working with Clinton....

The debates: Obama won all three debates in the eyes of the public, polling for CNN suggested....

Barack Obama may have looked an unlikely candidate and an even unlikelier victor only a year ago. But his campaign had a different look. It started small but with big ideas and worked, inexorably, to make them reality. Like any candidate, Obama faced challenges, but he always seemed to take the path that would make him stronger. And, by the end, the campaign and the support was so large, so well organized and so powerful that nothing could prevent Obama's march to victory.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/05/obama.anatomy.win/index.html