Obama Debunked Doubters | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008

By winning Iowa, the upstart and historic candidate proved the naysayers wrong.

By Richard Wolffe | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Jan 4, 2008 | Updated: 12:36 a.m. ET Jan 4, 2008

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

SPONSORED BY

At first it was just a few numbers from the Barack Obama boiler room at campaign headquarters in Des Moines. The reports coming in suggested a giant turnout—the kind of numbers that the Howard Dean campaign had forecast four years ago but never delivered.

Then came the anecdotes of lines forming around the blocks outside caucus precincts, of too few ballots for the wave of new voters who showed up. Within minutes of the doors closing on the Democratic caucus rooms, the Obama campaign said turnout would be more than 200,000—two thirds higher than it was in 2004.

For Obama's supporters, the sight of overflowing precincts was almost too much to bear. "I was brought to tears," said Monica Fischer, the wife of the former Iowa Democratic Party chair, who was astonished by the turnout at her precinct at Drake University in Des Moines. "I was helping people everywhere who had never been to caucus before. I was getting choked up as I was trying to seat them."

Few people believed the Obama voters would show up, in spite of the big crowds that greeted the candidate at almost every stop in the final month of campaigning. Skepticism—and downright disbelief—greeted the Obama campaign throughout its 10-month journey along Iowa's country roads. A late poll by The Des Moines Register that pointed to a big Obama lead—and a record turnout—was widely criticized as unrealistic. It turned out to be closer to the real result than any other poll in the entire race.

On Thursday evening, the crowds started to flow into the Hy-Vee Hall just around the time that NBC News called the Iowa caucuses for Obama. It was the same giant concrete space that held the 17,000-strong crowd for Oprah Winfrey when she campaigned with Obama last month. At the time, many pundits suggested that Winfrey's appearance would have no impact on the contest, despite her largely female audience. But when MSNBC reported that Obama had won the women's vote in Iowa by several points, the crowd went wild.

How unusual was the sight of an Obama win in the predominantly white state of Iowa? As unusual as the entertainment: the Isiserettes marching band, the young African-American group that marched with the Obamas over to the Jefferson-Jackson dinner that marked a turning point in the campaign. There are many features of Iowa that linger in caucus clichés: the butter cow at the state fair, the pancake breakfasts, the hog farmers. Young black drummers never featured among them.

I am pleasantly surprised by Iowan's display of hope and courage in affirming Obama. I wonder if the rest of the country has the cajones to follow suit. I fear that the sheep mentality of American voters will return when, down the road, a vote for Obama will be more than a symbolic statement.

I have no doubt that Hillary and the entrenched establishment will fight to create a fear of the future under an Obama presidency. We will be told that terrorists and unfriendly nations will hurt us, our economy will crumble, our elderly will be processed into cattle feed and our children sold to gypsies if the "inexperienced" Obama is elected. Chicken Little's refrain will be shouted from every rooftop by Hillary and the republican scare machine.

Don't believe the hype!! Political experience is not necessary to serve the public successfully. There are thousands of career bureaucrats in Washington who will assist whoever is elected manage the daily operations of our government. What is most important in a leader is intelligence, vision and integrity. Without these attributes, the aforementioned bureaucrats will manipulate our president to serve their own special interests, a la George Bush.

Obama seems to be the only viable candidate that has the necessary character to serve The People. I emphasize the word "seems". Only time will tell if he will walk the walk. The other prospects however, on both sides of the aisle, are a known quantity. They have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to sell out the American people for political and financial gain. I say we give Obama a shot. I am hesitantly optimistic that he could actually be the real deal; a politician who will serve the people, not himself.

Member Comments

- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: Gayront79 @ 01/27/2008 8:56:28 PM

Just now seeing your post, and you are right I cut and paste, but just to let you know you will see many of my post, so get use to it.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: steve02001 @ 01/04/2008 5:52:56 PM

Hey GAYRON TAYLOR: are you a Hillary or Republiocan plant? this is the second time I have seen your same exact nonsensical post in 2 different articles. Copy and paste is not an argument just a waste of time.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: Saltydog_0 @ 01/04/2008 5:46:25 PM

I am pleasantly surprised by Iowan's display of hope and courage in affirming Obama. I wonder if the rest of the country has the cajones to follow suit. I fear that the sheep mentality of American voters will return when, down the road, a vote for Obama will be more than a symbolic statement.

I have no doubt that Hillary and the entrenched establishment will fight to create a fear of the future under an Obama presidency. We will be told that terrorists and unfriendly nations will hurt us, our economy will crumble, our elderly will be processed into cattle feed and our children sold to gypsies if the "inexperienced" Obama is elected. Chicken Little's refrain will be shouted from every rooftop by Hillary and the republican scare machine.

Don't believe the hype!! Political experience is not necessary to serve the public successfully. There are thousands of career bureaucrats in Washington who will assist whoever is elected manage the daily operations of our government. What is most important in a leader is intelligence, vision and integrity. Without these attributes, the aforementioned bureaucrats will manipulate our president to serve their own special interests, a la George Bush.

Obama seems to be the only viable candidate that has the necessary character to serve The People. I emphasize the word "seems". Only time will tell if he will walk the walk. The other prospects however, on both sides of the aisle, are a known quantity. They have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to sell out the American people for political and financial gain. I say we give Obama a shot. I am hesitantly optimistic that he could actually be the real deal; a politician who will serve the people, not himself.