›› OVERHEARD
Campaign supernova Obama ’09 maestro David Plouffe shows his ‘Audacity’ at Dominican by Sam Chapman
W
ithout a victory in Iowa, Barack weekly message across all contact points to Obama’s campaign would have leverage its power. ended very quickly, according to They eventually raised $750 million from campaign manager David Plouffe who spoke 4 million people. By the fall they had an at Dominican University last week as part of e-mail list of 13 million names that, Plouffe a tour promoting his newly released book, pointed out, allowed them to communicate The Audacity to Win. If with more people than he didn’t win the Iowa the reach of NBC News caucuses, Hillary Clinton and all the cable channels would have been imposcombined. He believes that sible to stop, and a loss in many people got all their New Hampshire would information online. have sealed it. Other Plouffe observaPlouffe, now 42, said tions: they looked closely at Iowa Barack Obama is selfvoters and their past peraware to a degree Plouffe formance in charting the has rarely seen in a human campaign’s strategy. In the being. Plouffe often had 2004 election twice as many a short list of things that people over 65 turned out The media was ‘evaluating a different campaign Obama could improve, than we were running.’ as under 30. They decided and invariably Obama that if they were going to win, they needed a would tick them off himself. new electorate. They quickly started buildRunning against Hillary Clinton was like ing a different group of voters: Independents, playing a chess game where they had to think Republicans, more diverse and younger. They many moves ahead each time they took an organized at high schools throughout the state. action. With McCain, it was only one move. Iowa became a laboratory for almost everyHe was so impressed with the massive thing else they did in the campaign. If you look number of young people who joined the at only people who voted in the Bush-Kerry campaign and says they are ready to lead. We election four years earlier, Obama barely edged have to keep them involved, he asserted. He McCain 50-49 percent. In 2008, first-time vot- hopes that one of the lessons people take from ers and those who hadn’t voted in a long time Obama’s success is that if Barack Obama can went for Obama 71-27 percent. win the presidency, then they can come from One of Plouffe’s themes was that they a non-traditional background and win city defied conventions and took risks. They council elections. committed to the only strategy they thought The president has forbidden discussion of might work and maintained the discipline the 2012 election. He doesn’t want to make of staying with it. They measured success by tough policy decisions through the prism of their internal metrics, not by polls or coma campaign. The focus is on getting (good mentators or the nightly news— “they were policy) things done. evaluating a different campaign than we were Healthcare: The president believes we will running.” He says this approach is the same be in big trouble (vis-a-vis foreign competiObama is taking as president. For instance, tors) if we continue to spend twice as much what he cares about is getting the votes in on healthcare as other Western countries do Congress to pass healthcare, consistent with (for a system that ranked 37th among nations his principles, and not what reporters and by the World Health Organization). “If our commentators are saying on CNN. party can’t get this done, we deserve what A key decision was an early Obama manwe get.” The final analysis of the success of date to have a grassroots campaign. When healthcare reform is not going to take place the Obama campaign started it didn’t have via a spin war. People are directly affected and money, endorsements, lists, a deep talent will draw their own conclusions. pool or national campaign experience. They As much as they threw out old playbooks developed a Web site and used technology to in crafting their strategy for the 2008 election, facilitate organizing and fundraising. They Plouffe says his book, which describes the poured resources into organizers and develcampaign in detail, will be a dusty playbook oped an unprecedented army of volunteers. when the 2012 election arrives. < Share your Obama ’09 memories with Sam They based their campaign on expanding the electorate person by person, with friends at schapman@pacificsun.com. and relatives asking friends—because “that’s what people trust.” They were on radio and Check out Pacific Sun covers from recent years at e-mail, at soccer fields, community centers ›› pacificsun.com and front doors. And they coordinated their
›› THAT TV GUY FRIDAY, NOV. 20 Rachael Ray’s Thanksgiving in 60 The TV chef prepares an entire Thanksgiving dinner in 60 minutes.Tune in tomorrow for Rachael Ray’s Salmonella Soiree. Food Network. 6pm. Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Are we still interested in the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders or did 1979 never actually end? VH1. 7pm. Santa Who? An amnesic Santa is mistaken for a homeless man. Eventually he is recognized as the jolly old elf because scraggly bearded guys in pajamas talking about flying reindeer should always be given the benefit of the doubt. (2000) ABC Family. 7pm. Shrek the Third This is the one where Shrek and Fiona have a kid. But all parents are ogres at the 4am feeding. (2007) ABC. 8pm.
by Rick Polito
Trauma Tyler and Boone are called out on a“Thanksgiving emergency.”At our house, that means we ran out of bourbon. NBC. 9pm. CSI: Miami This week’s killer uses deadly jellyfish. It’s effective, but they’re hard to keep in the holster. CBS. 10pm.
TUESDAY, NOV. 24 The Biggest Loser The contestants engage in an“NFL challenge.”Up until now, that meant making it to half time on one plate of nachos. NBC. 8pm. Tough Love Tonight, the cast members go on dates at an amusement park. That can be tricky romantic terrain, especially the Guess Your Weight booth. VH1. 9pm.
SATURDAY, NOV. 21 Alien Marathon They are showing all four Alien films in a row. They stay disgusting and slimy, but by the fourth film they grow on WEDNESDAY, NOV. 25 Dog, you, really. American Movie Clas- A more productive afterlife, the Bounty Hunter This week’s Saturday at 10. sics. 5:30pm. fugitive is a married man with Open Water 2: Adrift We had four kids. It’s always embarrassnever thought of people floating around ing when your getaway car is a minivan. in shark-infested water as enough material A&E. 8pm. for a film series. But Meet the Press has been The Suite Life on Deck The gang gets on for 62 years. (2006) Independent Film marooned on a desert island, setting the Channel. 8pm. stage for a series of references that only the Ghost Lab This week the invesadults will understand.We rectigators visit two locations purommend the book Talking to ported to be haunted by the Your Kids about Gilligan’s Island. ghost of John Wilkes Booth. Disney Channel. 9pm. That’s a busy ghost. Does he Message in a Bottle Kevin have a day planner? An iPhone Costner plays a grieving widapp? Discovery Channel. 9pm. ower who writes messages to Ten Vampires We Love We’re his dead wife and casts them expecting bloodsuckers like into the sea in bottles. Soon a Dracula, Lestat and Twilight’s Good luck explaining this to your beautiful reporter finds one Edward. Dick Cheney didn’t kids. Wednesday, 9pm. of his bottled missives and make the cut. E! 10:30pm. a beautiful romance ensues. Then he gets a bill from the EPA for the cleanSUNDAY, NOV. 22 American Music Awards up. (1999) Lifetime. 9pm. They’ve staked out a Kanye West perimeter with armed guards. ABC. 8pm. THURSDAY, NOV. 26 Macy’s Thanksgiving Miss California USA Pageant After the itDay Parade Mammoth balloons this year keeps-getting-better Carrie Prejean fiasco, include Mickey Mouse, Nemo, Captain Crunch they are eliminating all contestants who and your mortgage payment. NBC.9am. have ever owned a video camera. KOFY Survivor: Samoa A show about nasty alliChannel 20. 8pm. ances and mean-spirited competition seems Did the Mob Kill JFK? We’re still convinced awfully redundant when you already have it was Oliver Stone. Discovery Channel. 8pm. your whole family together for Thanksgiving. Three Rivers A billionaire buys his wife a CBS. 8pm. new liver on the black market. We’re pretty A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving If you notice sure there is a clause for this in the GOP a dog cooking dinner for a group of children healthcare proposal. CBS. 10pm. with no adults around, it’s probably time to call Child Protective Services. ABC. 8pm. The Tonight Show Paul Reubens is bringMONDAY, NOV. 23 Dear Food Network ing back his Pee-wee Herman character. In The food experts are promising solutions to case you are wondering, it’s been 18 years. the“Top Ten Thanksgiving Problems.”And There are murderers who did less time. they haven’t even met your alcoholic ex-con uncle! Food Network. 7pm. NBC. 11:35pm. < The Christmas Choir A workaholic accountCritique That TV Guy at letters@pacificsun.com ant organizes a choir at a homeless shelter, coming up with a great version of“God Rest Turn on more TV Guy at Ye Hairy Gentleman.”(2008) Hallmark Chan›› pacificsun.com nel. 8pm. NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 27