CHAPTER SEVEN
Obama: The Gauntlet of the Primary
He had to mobilize coalitions, test whether whites would vote for a black, and confront a formidable obstacle -- Hillary Clinton.
- Related Interviews
David Axelrod
A Chicago political consultant and a former journalist, Axelrod is Barack Obama's chief campaign strategist.
Cassandra Butts
She is Barack Obama's domestic policy adviser, close friend and former classmate at Harvard Law School, '91.
Mark Halperin
He is editor-at-large and senior political analyst for Time magazine and co-author of The Way to Win.
RELATED CONTENT FOR CHAPTER SEVEN
The Primaries
2008 Campaign -- Obama's Wins, Losses, Turning Points
A roundup of analysis from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of analysis from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Obama's Political Skills & Insight
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Obama's Core Beliefs & Agenda
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
The Machinery of Hope
"Inside the grass-roots field operation of Barack Obama, who is transforming the way political campaigns are run." (Rolling Stone, March 20, 2008)
"Inside the grass-roots field operation of Barack Obama, who is transforming the way political campaigns are run." (Rolling Stone, March 20, 2008)
Obama's Brain Trust
"The candidate's handpicked team of top advisers has raised more than $250 million, outmaneuvered the Clintons and created a formidable grass-roots political machine." (Rolling Stone, July 10, 2008)
"The candidate's handpicked team of top advisers has raised more than $250 million, outmaneuvered the Clintons and created a formidable grass-roots political machine." (Rolling Stone, July 10, 2008)
The Front-Runner's Fall
"Hillary Clinton's campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined." (The Atlantic, September 2008)
"Hillary Clinton's campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined." (The Atlantic, September 2008)
Even in Victory, Clinton Team is Battling Itself
"While many campaigns are beset by backbiting and power struggles ...the internal problems endured by the Clinton team have been especially corrosive." (The Washington Post, March 6, 2008)
"While many campaigns are beset by backbiting and power struggles ...the internal problems endured by the Clinton team have been especially corrosive." (The Washington Post, March 6, 2008)
Strategy Was Based on Winning Delegates, Not Battlegrounds
"The insurgent strategy [Obama's campaign] devised … was ... precision targeting to minimize her delegate hauls, while going all out to crush her in states where Democratic candidates rarely ventured." (The Washington Post, June 4, 2008)
"The insurgent strategy [Obama's campaign] devised … was ... precision targeting to minimize her delegate hauls, while going all out to crush her in states where Democratic candidates rarely ventured." (The Washington Post, June 4, 2008)
How Obama Did It
"How did Obama become the first Democratic insurgent in a generation or more to knock off the party's Establishment front-runner?" (Time magazine, June 5, 2008)
"How did Obama become the first Democratic insurgent in a generation or more to knock off the party's Establishment front-runner?" (Time magazine, June 5, 2008)
Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq
Watch/read Obama's Oct. 2, 2002 speech.
Watch/read Obama's Oct. 2, 2002 speech.
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