Obama Invests in Feb. 5 Strategy

[BeyondGeography]

==When 2008 morphed into the fast-track campaign, it was broadly assumed that the slew of big states holding primaries on Feb. 5 would play into the hands of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Her name recognition alone, this theory held, would give her a huge advantage over her lesser-known rivals for the nomination. But as Feb. 5 creeps ever closer, it is clear that Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) is willing to challenge the conventional wisdom, a fight he's pursuing by building the broadest organizational network in the Feb. 5 states.

To date, Obama has 19 offices in 13 states where Feb. 5 primaries are scheduled, including the campaign's newest satellite office in Fargo, North Dakota. In addition to obvious places like Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York City, Obama has opened offices in three Alabama cities (Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham), as well as in St. Paul, Minn., Lawrence, Kansas, and Salt Lake City. An Alaska office is also in the offing, according to the campaign. Clinton, by contrast, has five total offices currently open in Feb. 5 states -- two in California, and one each in New Jersey, New York and Arkansas. The campaign soon plans to open offices in Colorado, Missouri, Georgia, Minnesota and Arizona, according to deputy communications director Phil Singer, and has held organizing meetings in 46 states.

The breadth of Obama's organizing speaks to the belief among his campaign's senior staff that there is a real chance that the nomination fight will extend until at least the Feb. 5 Tsunami Tuesday balloting. "We fully expect that Barack will be in this through and beyond Feb. 5," said Steve Hildebrand, a senior Obama strategist overseeing much of the organizing in early states. "With at least 25 states competitive over a 33-day period starting with Iowa and ending with February 5, it is vitally important for any serious candidate to organize to the extent that they can in every one of those states."

...Assuming the nomination battle extends into February, it will likely be because no candidate managed to secure knock-out blows in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina. In this scenario, neither Obama nor Clinton would have significant momentum heading into Feb. 5, thus it would put the burden on Obama to make up ground in the large states where he trails Clinton badly at the moment.==

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/11/obamas_feb_5_strategy.html

[Colobo]

1. If Hillary and her fans thought Obama was not going to bring it

they were very, very, very wrong...

[ellisonz]

4. It's already been brought !!!

But there's much much much more to come:o

[BenDavid]

2. Well if Obama is going to make a stand he

better hurry as polling from all the february 5th states show 86% all leaning to HRC. Only states where HRC is ahead but in the margain of error with others.....North Carolina...edwards.....Illinios...Obama. New Mexico richardson.

Ben David

[ClarkUSA]

3. It's more than just a Feb. 5 strategy -- Obama is running a 50 state strategy

The Clinton campaign has five total offices in only four February 5th states, compared to the Obama campaigns nineteen offices in thirteen states.
The difference in strategic emphasis that is another example of old school vs. new school campaign strategy.

In 2008, it would be nice to have a candidate willing to campaign anywhere, a candidate dedicated to building up grassroots organizers across
the country, with the style and background of a community organizer.

The Obama campaign has set a new standard for running a dispersed, innovative field campaign. In Iowa, the campaign has set up a total of 33
field offices, spread across the state --- more than anyone can seem to remember a primary campaign having. The campaign has 14 in New
Hampshire, 7 in South Carolina, and even 6 in Nevada, from Las Vegas to Elko.

By my count, the campaign at this very moment has field offices up and running in at least 16 states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina,
Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and California. Several of those states, and
not just the early primary states, have multiple field offices... In Idaho, Obama is the first Democratic presidential candidate to open an office there
in decades. The campaigns have opened field offices in parts of Iowa, such as Jackson County, that have never seen the attention.

These kinds of gestures to rural and red-state voters --- that you're willing to work for their vote, that you're listening, that you're working to
organize them --- are not everything, but they are important. You've bought a seat at the table. This is part and parcel of Dean's 50-state strategy.

These field offices are not only there to provide staff support to local volunteer efforts, they are out to build a breathtakingly ambitious nationwide
volunteer leadership structure.

More at: http://benawu.mydd.com/story/2007/11/7/153645/195

[wyldwolf]

5. what is it that Obama supporters say when Hillary does things like this... uh...

DESPERATE! Yeah, that's the word!