Obama's Inner Circle Shares Inside Story

60 Minutes' Steve Kroft Debriefs President-Elect's Top Advisors After The Chicago Victory Speech

(CBS)  When Barack Obama began thinking of running for president two years ago, he turned to a small inner circle of political advisors from his 2004 Senate campaign. Like Obama, they were talented, laid back and idealistic with limited exposure on the national stage.

But with the candidate's help, they orchestrated what some consider one of the most improbable and effective campaigns in American political history. They took a little-known senator with a foreign sounding name and almost no national experience and got him elected as the 44th president of the United States. They did it by recruiting and vesting millions of volunteers in the outcome, by raising more money than any campaign in history, and by largely ignoring that their candidate happed to be a black man.

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When President-elect Obama gave his victory speech Tuesday night in Chicago's Grant Park, he was quick to give credit. "To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics,” the president-Elect said, “You made this happen.”

Who was Obama talking about and how did they do it? Ninety minutes after the speech ended, 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft sat down with them in a Chicago hotel suite. It was 1.a.m. Wednesday and the reality of it all was just beginning to sink in.

"We just left Grant Park. What are you feeling'?" Kroft asked.

"Little numb. A little tired. A little overwhelmed," David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist and political alter ego, replied.

The group also included David Plouffe, the camera shy campaign manager and field general who made it all happen. "Yeah. I mean, it's been a 22-month road, and a lotta twists and turns. But you know, I think he filled the stage tonight," Plouffe told Kroft.

There was senior aide Robert Gibbs, who was always at Obama's side, his former and future press secretary. "And it was fun to watch all the people come out who've been part of the campaign. And…," Gibbs rasped, clearing his throat.

He told Kroft he lost his voice "within the last few hours."

And finally Anita Dunn, a relative newcomer who handled communications, research and policy.

The only person missing from the brain trust was the candidate himself.

How big a role did he play in this campaign?

"Well, no one had a bigger role, you know. The great thing about our campaign was we didn't have a lotta discussion about what our message was or what he wanted to do," Plouffe said. "From the beginning, he knew exactly what he wanted to say. And it's one of the reasons we were successful. A lotta campaigns will spend hours every day wondering about how to change their message. And he was pretty clear about what he wanted to say, where he wanted to take the country, and either people would accept it or they wouldn't."

It began 22 months ago on a frigid day in Springfield, Ill., almost it seemed on an impulse. There was no money and no real organization - only a vast untapped reservoir of disaffected voters and potential volunteers.

"This campaign can't only be about me. It must be about us. It must be about what we can do together," Sen. Obama said in the February 2007 Springfield speech.

Axelrod recalled, "When we started the campaign, we met around a table like this. And there was just a handful of us. You know, we started with nothing. And Barack said to us, 'I want this to be a grassroots campaign. I wanna reinvigorate our democracy. First of all I think that’s the only way we can win and secondly I want to rekindle some idealism that together we can get things done in this country,"

Asked if they seriously thought Obama had a shot, Plouffe told Kroft, "We thought he had a shot. I actually think we knew what big underdogs we were. And he got into this in a very unusual way. Most people plan this from years. They spend a lotta time in Iowa and New Hampshire planning for it. We got into this very unconventionally."

"We planned for days days…," Axelrod joked.

"For days," Plouffe replied, laughing. "And in many respects, that made it challenging. But I think we were better for it. Because we were more agile. We were not afraid to take risks. And we didn't have the stifling pressure of expectations."

"My fundamental concern for him wasn't whether he had the capacity, 'cause I think he's the smartest guy that I've ever worked with or known," Axelrod said.

"But it was whether he had that pathological drive to be president. You know, so often, what defines presidential candidates is this need to be president, to define themselves. He didn't have that. And, you know, we told him, 'You're gonna have to find some other way to motivate yourself.' And he did, which was what he could do as president."

[joule18]

This is potentially the greatest threat our country is now facing. There is over one trillion dollars a year generated in profits in Islamic Shariah Law governed countries from oil. Much has been coming to Wall Street and now that our country is in desperate need of cash this can become the 21st century "Trojan Horse." Jihad with money. This must be stopped. Please take the time to view this urgent video. The present economic challenges our country face elevate the importance of addressing this now before it is too late. The United States can not be allowed to become another Denmark. Please circulate this link widely.

http://www.actforamerica.org/index.php/home/18-headline-item/518-shariah-compliant-finance-jihad-with-money

[jreddout]

Great story, but Steve Kroft needs to look up the word "enormity." While Fox News might use that word to describe Obama''s campaign, I don''t think that''s the word Steve meant to use.

[tcoleman12]

"Who was Obama talking about and how did they do it? Ninety minutes after the speech ended, 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft sat down with them in a Chicago hotel suite."-Quote from Story.

Story should read "...correspondent Steve Kroft knelt down in front of them at a Chicago hotel suite."

The more accurate story of Obama winning the election.

[future121]

Interesting. But just as a thought.. Both sides of my family were German- but my husbands family one side was Italian, the other Russian & Polish. At one time in history your linage was traced in this way. Americans and perhaps a good portion of the world is diverse. It is that diversity which makes us strong and unites us. I never really thought of race as anything different than linage. Everyones family tree may be diverse in many ways.

[spinproof]

This is not about whites claiming him. It''''s about respecting someone''''s roots and family. Mr. Obama did mention about his white mom and grandmother who passed away. He also has an Asian half sister. Racial intermarriage is a part of the Obama family tree.

Posted by astroboy8 at 11:32 AM : Nov 11, 2008

Sen. Obama has always recognized his entire heritage, Black and White, but he also mentioned he looked "Black" and based on his looks was always treated like a "Black" and so in effect he is "Black" having had a "Black" experience in life. With all the major issues facing our nation skin color is the last thing on the minds of Americans, it really is irrelevant as the recent Democratic victory showed. I like what Pres.-elect Obama said on his choice of a White House dog, he said he wanted a shelter dog, a mutt like himself, Obama knows where he came from and who he is, too bad so many others are lost in racial time warps.

[astroboy8-2009]

Mr. Obama is not a black man.

Posted by astroboy8

I don''''t see how it matters, but by most printed definitions, he is. Have you bothered to look it up anywhere? I doubt it.

Posted by slownewsdaze

___________________________


It matters that the record is set straight: Mr. Obama is biracial. He is 50% white and 50% black, or 50% black and 50% white (for those of you who have a thing about which term comes first). So he can''t be just black. What the media prints is not always correct. Persons of mixed races embrace all parts of their heritage.

__________________________
This is a funny Post because in trying defeat Sen. Obama he was "only" a Black Man and his White heritage was never mentioned or referenced, now that the election is over and Sen. Obama has won its OK for him to be White, now Whites want to claim him. LOL


Posted by spinproof

_____________________________
This is not about whites claiming him. It''s about respecting someone''s roots and family. Mr. Obama did mention about his white mom and grandmother who passed away. He also has an Asian half sister. Racial intermarriage is a part of the Obama family tree.

[spinproof]

Mr. Obama is not a black man. He was born to a white mom and a black dad, making him a biracial person. To ignore part of his heritage in this way is to disrespect the memory of his mom. Moreover, it is an insult to say he has a "foreign sounding name." Who gave you the right to claim whether one particular name sounds more rightfully American than another? Let''''s finally move into the 21st century shall we.

Posted by astroboy8 at 01:39 AM : Nov 11, 2008

This is a funny Post because in trying defeat Sen. Obama he was "only" a Black Man and his White heritage was never mentioned or referenced, now that the election is over and Sen. Obama has won its OK for him to be White, now Whites want to claim him. LOL

[standlee5]

,%u201D the president-Elect said, %u201CYou made this happen.%u201D


not to mention the 800 million or was it a billion.

[astroboy8-2009]

Mr. Obama is not a black man. He was born to a white mom and a black dad, making him a biracial person. To ignore part of his heritage in this way is to disrespect the memory of his mom. Moreover, it is an insult to say he has a "foreign sounding name." Who gave you the right to claim whether one particular name sounds more rightfully American than another? Let''s finally move into the 21st century shall we.

[martimr1]

That "needing to be president" thing should somehow automatically disqualify anyone from becoming president. So I''ve always thought.

So it''s a great relief to hear that Obama doesn''t have it. What a concept: wanting to be president so as to accomplish things for the American people!

[ascension64]

I personally don''''t think we should have bailed out any of the crooked lenders or the irresponsible home buyers that fell for these junk loans. They brought it on themselves. But it''''s ok the govmnt will help you.

Posted by kevnkar at 08:14 PM : Nov 10, 2008

That part I agree with you. However I hate to have this many people losing their jobs. After retiring from the Navy I was in and out of jobs. It absolutely sucks because I was brought up not believing in handoouts so i never took welfare or unemployment. Being broke sucks. I dont agree with the bailout either, but if its gonna keep peoples heads above water till we figure this out, then i''m for it. Time to put aside silly differences and fix this nation.

[blessed61]

7 billion dollars??? and how much did T Boone Pickens loose? If you put all of that money together, you could bail out a lot of poor people.

[kevnkar]

The damage done by George Bush, his War based on LIES and his totally failed Economic Plan should be the major concern of EVERY America, not how Obama plans to pull us out of it. We can look back in 4 years and make a judgment on that. I think the ONLY reason fascist insist on doing this is simple. Obama WILL be successful!


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Posted by Irmcvet97 at 08:07 PM : Nov 10, 2008

Actually, how Obama plans to pull us out of it is more important. All I have seen is plans for more and more spending. This after promising the people who elected him tax breaks. The middle class will end up paying for all this. Sorry, I couldn''t keep my promise because I had to fix everything. I personally don''t think we should have bailed out any of the crooked lenders or the irresponsible home buyers that fell for these junk loans. They brought it on themselves. But it''s ok the govmnt will help you.

[kevnkar]

I have never been able to figure out why Fascist have such a problem with giving American''''s who are trying to do something with their lives money and do not have any problem what so ever giving it to corrupt Corporations who like Black Water, who have ripped tax payers off for how many billions we may never know. When you give a Middle Class person a buck they will spend that buck IN THIS nation and it will be a benefit to them and all around them.


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Posted by Irmcvet97

Want to talk about ripping off americans? Ask Rahm Emanuel about his stint on the board of Freddie Mac while they were lying about how much money they had. Appointed by Clinton. Now appointed by Obama. The Dems are the ones that allowed this economic meltdown. This is how you get a republican as chief of staff to Obama. They were in on the rip off together.

[irmcvet97]

I love my country. I served it for more than twenty years and that is why I don''''t want to see it further weakened under the burden of rediculous beaurocricies inacted by a puppet of the tri-lateral commision.

Posted by kevnkar at 07:41 PM : Nov 10, 2008

The damage done by George Bush, his War based on LIES and his totally failed Economic Plan should be the major concern of EVERY America, not how Obama plans to pull us out of it. We can look back in 4 years and make a judgment on that. I think the ONLY reason fascist insist on doing this is simple. Obama WILL be successful!

[irmcvet97]

Also remember that on December 13, the Electoral College meets to casts its votes. If it has been determined that Mr. Obama is an illegal alien and therefore ineligible to become President of the United States, the Electors will be duty-bound to honor the Constitution


Posted by theblackman9 at 07:14 PM : Nov 10, 2008

LOL I guess you have to hang on to something huh? Good luck with this! LOL

[irmcvet97]

at least we know who McCain is/was. All we have now is unanswered questions of past associations with radicals on the fringe of american society and votes of "present" in the senate.

Posted by jmccrea2662 at 04:45 PM : Nov 10, 2008

His association with "Radicals" was answered to the satisfaction of the American People... it seems the ONLY people not satisfied with Obama''s explanation was Fascist like Limbaugh and people like you who follow them. I have lived in Chicago for a long time and frankly we were amazed by the fact that fascist tried to use it as they did. WE knew America was in trouble and would see through it. THEY did!

[irmcvet97]

And then, there''''s the matter of the "college service" program. In it''''s latest itteration calls for paying students $4000 for 100 hrs of community service at a cost of 32 billion a year just for the payouts. Add the cost of the huge administrative machine that will go with it. Still more tax burden on the middle class.

Posted by kevnkar at 07:23 PM : Nov 10, 2008

I have never been able to figure out why Fascist have such a problem with giving American''s who are trying to do something with their lives money and do not have any problem what so ever giving it to corrupt Corporations who like Black Water, who have ripped tax payers off for how many billions we may never know. When you give a Middle Class person a buck they will spend that buck IN THIS nation and it will be a benefit to them and all around them.

[kevnkar]

America, Love it or Leave it.
Remember that you right wing whackos?


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Posted by actesq

I love my country. I served it for more than twenty years and that is why I don''t want to see it further weakened under the burden of rediculous beaurocricies inacted by a puppet of the tri-lateral commision.

[actesq]

America, Love it or Leave it.
Remember that you right wing whackos?