Obama's Inner Circle Shares Inside Story

(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."

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[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!