Time and Obama have passed overconfident Hillary by
It was from Michelle Obama and was obviously sent to many folks, but was deftly done to feel personal. She talked about new hope around her husband's candidacy in the aftermath of Iowa. If it was to continue, the campaign needed help. She asked for a donation.
I made the list because I'd logged onto the Obama site to look for events to cover as a journalist, so this was a glimpse into how the campaign made its pitch.
I expected a request for $1,000, or at least $100. Obama was at a sudden peak, and this was the time to pounce. But the e-mail did not ask for $1,000.
It asked for $25.
There was a blue click-point to make it easy to follow through. The e-mail ended with Michelle Obama saying, "Check out these photos from events around New Hampshire." The campaign dropped in recent shots of folks in enormous lines to hear Obama.
At first, with Clinton known to be raising $1 million a pop at fundraisers, I thought the $25 request was naive. But it proved a brilliant way to connect with an enormous following.
She has tried to duplicate Obama, lately beginning her primary speeches by asking new supporters to go to HillaryClinton.com.
But Obama already has more than a million addressees that can be tapped for a few dollars each with the push of a button — in e-mails that often contain video from speeches he gave only a few hours before. It shows an impressive mastery of the Internet.
Early on, Obama and his people understood that the Web is a key part of running for president today. Clinton did not. She relied on the old path of getting big dollars from a few. He outflanked her by getting small dollars from many — and even deploying some as precinct volunteers.
It has gotten me thinking about the reason Obama eclipsed the "inevitable" candidacy of Hillary Clinton.
In a phrase, time passed her by.
There are strategic explanations, too, of course. Her campaign ignored caucus states, wrongly saw "experience" as more resonant than "change" and felt so overconfident that she had no plan after Super Tuesday.
But those things reflect a mindset that's out of touch. She felt it was enough to be the biggest brand name in the Democratic Party, with a huge war chest and veteran political backers. It seemed an unstoppable machine.
But while machines can perhaps still deliver a mayor or governor, they can't be relied on to deliver a president, especially at a turning point in American history.
Recent comments
Clinton was not a shadow president. She wasn't even invited...
She Was Not | May 14, 2008 at 8:45 a.m.
She's already been president (The behind-the-scenes-Dick Cheney...
Anonymous | May 14, 2008 at 6:45 a.m.
"Time and Obama have passed overconfident Hillary by" Anonymous | May 14, 2008 at 6:41 a.m.
