[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/12/11/art.plouffe.gi.jpg caption="Plouffe managed Obama's campaign."]
(CNN) - Would Hillary Clinton have won the prolonged Democratic primary race if David Plouffe was managing her campaign?
Plouffe served as Obama’s campaign manager and is often referred to as the "unsung hero" of the president-elect's White House bid. He was largely responsible for designing the strategy that ultimately dashed Clinton's own ambitions for the Oval office.
Now, the camera-shy Plouffe is revealing what surprised him the most about Clinton’s campaign: the New York senator's strategists willingness to concede a string of caucus states to the Obama camp. In the process Obama won a vast sum of delagates and created a lead in the delegate count that ultimately proved fatal to Clinton's chances.
"We were surprised because at some point it became likely that it was going to be a battle that went on for some time, and delegates that are gained through a caucus are no different than through a primary—so every contest mattered," Plouffe told Portfolio Magazine.
“They ceded the field to us for a long period of time," Plouffe also said. "I think if they had contested those caucus states, we might've won those caucus states but we wouldn't have won them 55-35 [percent]."
Given that the Democratic party appropriates it's delegates proportionately, Ploffe said the wide margins of victory in the caucus states ultimately gave the Obama campaign a nearly insurmountable lead by mid-March.
"I guarantee if they had contested them vigorously, our margins would've been shrunk," he said. "And that's the tale of the campaign. Otherwise we didn't rack up the huge landslide. We did in some of the primary states for sure, Virginia was a big win, Wisconsin was a big win, but those caucuses provided us a huge delegate lead."
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Filed under: Candidate Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton |
She almost did win. However, the sexist attacks by Obama supporters and the media was ruthless. Even so, she only got a few thousand less than Obama.
Didn't really matter... The Clintons are in the Whitehouse anyway...
Darling, keep the information for the book deal .
Let's not talk about an old subject. Let's move on!!
Mr. Plouffe, you are a genius! What is your role in the new administration? You will do well whereever you goes! The best to you and your famiy – you earned it! (Your wife's sooooooo blessed)!
You,ve said it all David . And thats the difference between a smart guy and a empty brand name
Obama is not the first choice, after all. It is only a matter of campaigning, and funding. Money can buy anything, even the White House. Thought we have discovered a "savior" of the world, or the last angel standing, given all the scandals. He has absolutely nohthing to do with absolutely whatever wrong, or unclean or immoral, whatsoever. Politics in Illinois is a good example for the rest of the world (?)
Excuse my mis-grammar: Should be "go!" LOL!
She lied too much,period.
Genius!
This sounds like the Big 3 and Blockbuster Video...
They got comfortable and thought they were unbeatable. Now they're barely able to keep up (if even that).
Leaders don't relax when they're ahead, they continue to lead/innovate!
You know, that is partially true but overall, if it wasn't for other primaries(South Carolina, Iowa or Utah for example), my boy probably haven't gone nowhere. Let's face it, we know for a fact that my boy probably wasn't gonna be able to compete in a state like Utah in the playoffs but that win solidify something important...that Conservatives like my boy better than Hillary. Hillary is no stranger to Conservatives, we hate her! We pretty much said, "Hey Hillary! Were gonna shove it up your face!" and that quite frankly, not only gave my boy the recognition but respect...
I think those were important just like the caucuses. Believe it or not, every strategy taken in his campaign was literally taken very seriously. I think that helped out a lot...
Plouffe and Axelrod are the "well-oiled machine" that you rarely saw in the campaign. although, I knew who the guys were because they emailed me everyday. A matter of fact, they still do!
"Plouffe is revealing what most surprised him the most about Clinton’s campaign"
Didn't they teach us not to do this in like third grade?
Original headline for this ticker item: "Obama aide: How Clinton may have won". Aha, so it's possible that Hillary Clinton actually did win the election? No... just another writer who doesn't understand the grammar of past counterfactuals. Let's try: "How Clinton might have won". Okay?
Way to go, man! Rub it in her nose every chance you get!!
GO OBAMA!!!
Wow! How insightful! How much did Obama pay you for this invaluable advice?
Clinton did not win....get over it
This is not exactly such breaking news that it couldn't be copy edited. I found four errors in a quick skim, two spelling mistakes and two errors with apostrophes or the lack of them.
it would have happen also if "Black Voters" had not voted over 95% for Obama, who is to say that skin color played a role in this!
In a nutshell, he nailed it.
Yeah, the Cubs could have won the world series too!! How about articles that UNITE people, not divide them by second guessing everything ad nauseum.
It doesn't matter anymore,Obama won.It was meant to be his victrory not Hillary's.
To Bush
On Muslim and Christianity, yes, both worship the same God and talked about the same God, but the Koran was a prodigy of an "Angel' who descended upon Mohammed. This Angel is Lucifer. He gave the Muslims the same teachings and Satan took out the MOST important part of the Scripture – the cruxifiction of Christ and the fact that He is our Saviour. To this day, Muslims do not have a personal relationship with God, but as Christians, through Christ, we can come to knowGod directly, through the forgiveness of sins. (My Grandpa has a great relationship with God. He prays and God sends Him INSTANT VOICE MAILS. He just talks to my Grandpa by having his Angel tell my Grandpa. Yeah, Instant Messenger 🙂
And exactly HOW is this helpful at this point in time? As a Hillary supporter who voted for Obama I don't really want to reopen that wound. It's done, let it rest.
Based upon this article at this point – Plouffe doesn't seem very camera shy OR un-sung hero-ish. Feels like we are in the playground going "nah nah nah nah nah I did better than you". NOT helpful for moving forward and coming together.