A Little Perspective Is A Good Thing

[Hissyspit]

http://enterthetimzone.blogspot.com/2008/05/little-perspective-is-good-thing.html

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

A Little Perspective is a Good Thing

On yesterday's "Meet the Press," Tim Russert offered some very interesting figures and quotations that should give us some perspective on the historic Democratic primary contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

In a December 2007 USA Today/Gallup poll, Clinton led Obama 45% to 27%. John Edwards was a distant third with 15%.

As of December 31, 2007, Clinton had raised $37.9 million; Obama had raised $18.6 million.

In July 2007, a CNN poll had the following breakdown:

Clinton: 43% among all voters; 52% among black voters
Obama: 27% among all voters; 33% among black voters
Edwards: 17% among all voters; 5% among black voters

On "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," December 30, 2007, Hillary Clinton declared:

"I have a campaign that is poised and ready for the long term. We are competing everywhere through February 5th...So I'm in it for the long run. It's not a very long run. It'll be over by February 5th."

What a difference 5 months makes!

These reminders are instructive.

First of all, Hillary Clinton was the clear presumptive nominee before Obama's stunning win in the Iowa Caucuses on January 3rd. This was the real "game-changer."

Second, Clinton held a commanding lead among African Americans before Iowa; only after Obama won the lily-white heartland state did the majority of black voters start to develop confidence that he could win. And this shift in loyalty from Clinton to Obama has had a huge impact on this contest.

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The larger point here is that Barack Obama has earned this nomination through effective organizing. It's not all about the speeches, as Hillary Clinton and her people have dismissively suggested.

The success of the Obama campaign confirms that nothing is impossible--or inevitable.