The real million man March

Okay, I'll admit my title is cliched. But today Barack Obama announced that one million individuals had donated money to his presidential campaign. Unbelievable.

Today I had a bit of an epiphany about why exactly Obama has run such an effective campaign: his supporters directly refute Hilary's main line of attack against him.

Hilary has staked her entire campaign on the idea that she is experienced, hard-working, and committed to helping the American people. She portrays Obama as a shallow figurehead, a man who has attracted people because of who he is and what he says and not because of what he will do in office. Hilary is the one who voters can count on "to get things done," he is a "hopemonger" who has attracted college students, black people, and rural residents too stupid to see past the facade of his brilliant speeches to the empty (policy-wise) space inside.

Yet when it comes down to it, at least in terms of campaign organization, Obama is the one who "got things done." While Hilary was grabbing maxed out donations from the Democratic establishment, Obama was building a nationwide network of small time contributors that now numbers over one million. While Hilary was focusing on using that money to dominate in the big states on February 5th, Obama was building up networks in smaller states around the country that helped him win more delegates than she did on that day, despite the fact that she carried New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California by comfortable margins. The simple truth is that Obama is winning this campaign precisely because he has paid attention to the little things...Hilary thought that she could coast on her name and experience, which cost her when she ran into the organizational juggernaut that is the Obama campaign.

I remember back in September my buddy Joey was out in New York visiting me and went to the Obama rally at Washington Square Park in the Village. When I met up with him after Obama's speech he told me then that he thought Obama was the "real deal", primarily because he flat out said "I need your help, I need you to fight for me now, we can do this together." At the time that sounded like a relatively routine things to say, every politician tells you that they need your help if they're going to win. But looking back six months later, it's very clear that Obama was serious about that statement, and now over a million people (and counting) have responded to that call.

Whether or not Obama is able to live up to the promises and expectations he's creating now, his ability to inspire people to work for him and with him to get things done bodes well for both the upcoming general election and, potentially, his administration. After all, if you had told me (and every single professional political commentator out there) six months ago that on February 27th, 2008, Obama would be leading Hilary in delegates, have a donor base of over one million people, and be up by 10 points on the Republican nominee in the polls, they would have asked for some of whatever you were smoking.

Hilary's argument for her candidacy over Obama can be broken down simply as "he promises what is impossible, I deliver what is possible." Clinton ran a very solid, successful campaign for president, raising record amounts of dollars and building a very impressive organization. Unfortunately for her, Obama showed up and rewrote the textbook, blowing the old definition of "successful campaign" clear out of the water. Skeptics take note: Obama has already delivered the impossible, a viable African-American candidate for president who has shattered almost every nomination campaign record out there in terms of voter turnout, fundraising prowess, and youth participation. The Republicans would be wise to learn from her mistakes and not underestimate Obama's appeal come November.

Youtube link of the day: More proof that Gary Busey is a total All-star. Someone really needs to give him his own TV show.