A Promised Land

Chapter 5 focuses on Obama’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. It opens with his candidacy announcement in Springfield before an audience of 15,000. Despite this show of support, Obama’s campaign got off to a shaky start. Obama is a deliberate speaker prone to giving long explanations, which did not serve him well during debates. The tides changed when Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, recruited IT specialists to design an innovative digital program resulting in a dramatic increase in small donations. Paul Tewes, Obama’s Iowa director, stressed that winning the state demanded a different kind of campaign based on face-to-face time with caucus-goers. He assembled a team to advise Obama on issues ranging from where to put up billboards to how to speak. A grassroots campaign emerged. Young people from around the country traveled to Iowa to knock on doors with instructions to respect, empower, and include. They won people’s trust, and filled Obama himself with optimism and gratitude.

Obama became more confident over time. In one debate, he shocked the foreign policy establishment by promoting diplomacy, not military force, as the first course of action in conflict resolution. Despite Obama’s strong performances, however, he trailed in the national polls.