Barack Obama Must Sweep in the Coming Weeks

The only way to trump the Clinton machine is to put boots on the ground with precinct level organizing activity in the next primaries. Forget the opinion polls, (Arianna Huffington is right), and just move forward with all the money that's pouring in from grassroots supporters and spend it on the upcoming races in Washington, Nebraska, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, D.C., and Virginia.

If Barack Obama can sweep these states then the Clinton machine's advantage in Pennsylvania and Texas won't matter as much. A sweep of the states outside of Pennsylvania and Texas would build momentum for Obama that could not be stopped.

And then Obama should fight Clinton precinct for precinct in Ohio. Illinois is close to Ohio and Obama's grassroots campaign volunteers should hit hard in Cincinnati and Columbus and Cleveland and Dayton and Youngstown. I hope he pours his people into Ohio and saturates the state with his most seasoned organizers. Pin Clinton down in Ohio and make her spend money there. Ohio is the best state to bleed Clinton's coffers.

Sweep right now in the next couple weeks and then focus resources and energy on Ohio. Phone banks in every precinct and a well-organized ground game. Turn out, turn out, turn out! If the Obama forces can increase turn out by 30 percent or so they can overwhelm the Clinton machine.

Forget about Texas and Pennsylvania and focus on the other primaries, especially Ohio. Spend all the money you got now and worry about raising more later. Make the Clintons spend in states that they thought were in the bag. Keep the momentum going and bring on a brokered convention. Screw the pundits and the pollsters. Put your trust in the people who have sent in small donations of over $30 million in January. Onward.

Comments

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

See Joseph A. Palermo's Profile

I think Obama should put up a fight in Penn and Tex too, but I think Hillary's got Penn and who knows what on earth the Tex Dem Party even looks like -- probably Hillary machine oriented. (Thank you Texas for giving us Bush II)

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

See Joseph A. Palermo's Profile

A brokered convention is better for Obama than a Hillary coronation prior to the convention. Obama would tear apart old right-wing grandpa McCain in a debate because McCain is calling for 100 more years of occupation of Iraq and 70 percent of the American have been saying for about 3 years they want no part of governing Iraq and want the troops home. McCain loses on the war issue -- with Hillary McCain will rub it in her face that she voted for the war and that she loves the saber rattling against Iran -- Bush might still hit Iran before he leaves office and Hillary would have to support that decision given her AIPAC base. Not so with Obama -- some commentators should at least do their homework.

[COwoman]

I have no idea why Huffpost has seemed to have lost this post. It is important and missing in action.
Please read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/senator-barack-obama-resp_b_85428.html

[Pquilson]

Mr. Palermo:
I disagree with your wish for a brokered convention. If the convention is brokered, Ms. Clinton will be the candidate selected, never mind what the primary voters wanted. She will ensure that the delegates from Michigan and Florida will be seated, and she will take the majority of the superdelegates.
Be careful for that which you wish, it may come true.

[OSUMercutio]

Ohio is a great place for Obama. In Columbus, there are over 50,000 undergrads that attend Ohio State University. And, outside the cities, Obama has proven that he can win in rural areas.

[OSUMercutio]

[Screw the pundits and the pollsters. Put your trust in the people...]

Regardless of who you support, I think everyone can agree on that. Interesting post. But

[myskylark]

If Obama goes up against McCain he will be eaten alive. In any debate it will be so obvious that he is not ready to be Commander in Chief.

Obama supporters have joined the GOP slime machine by attacking Hillary Clinton using the most violent, vicious insults. Thanks to Obama, barging in as a candidate before he's really qualified, the Democratic Party may very well go down to defeat.

Two core constituencies (blacks and women)support their candidate passionately. The supporters of the loser will feel profoundly cheated - I know I will. If Obama wins, don't count on my vote - it won't be there. I know a lot of women who feel the same, and I'm sure that many African-Americans feel the same about Hillary Clinton.

It's really very sad. I guess one dream at a time was possible. Obama knew that Hillary would run, but he jumped in anyway. I think neither dream will come true in Novemeber, and I don't see when a woman or an African-American will get a chance to run again soon.

[belicheat]

It makes sense that you support Hillary and would vote for McCain if she lost the primary. If anything she is more conservative than he is.

[traveler501]

So it's really a game, huh? Not so much about finding the right leader? The real question...is whether Obama is an infatuation or a love affair. And we will only know that in time. As for the strategy suggestions...sure, there's always that too. Btw...in my opinion, the answer is infatuation. All that passion is really urgency...which will fade once the morning dawns...of Nov 2. Hopefully, we will have the right combination in place at time. And no...I am not a Hillary supporter, actually Edwards...but the experience and maturity factor is real.

[ATLiberal]

It's about a winning strategy. Just like every politician who wants to be elected engages in.

As to John Edwards, I like him. But when you talk about experience, he is a trial lawyer who became a one term Senator and has been campaigning for Pres/ Vice pres since, while not being in any elective office. Can you elaborate on how you find that to be better or more experience than Obama??

[Boadicea]

Well said.

I don't agree with Howard Dean. I want a fight to the finish. We're fighting for the heart of the Democratic Party.

[Vappid]

Being from Northern Va, I can say I think that D.C. and MD will clearly swing to Obama. Virginia I am somewhat concerned with but I am optimistic. I would really like someone to help me understand opinions in Ohio. I would also like to point out that I am not a Clinton hater, and I have no desire to be attacked. I gave 200 dollars to Obama tonight, and I believe we set a record for fund raising in a 24 hour period. The last time I checked it was 6.15 mil over a 24 hour period. I want Obama to be the next president, but I will support Clinton over anyone else in a general election

[RationalDem]

I'm in southwest Ohio (Cincinnati) which is pretty conservative. Some of Bush's Yale buddies live here, the ones who loaned him money to buy into the Texas Rangers.
That being said, John Kerry did very well in Hamilton County, only a 2-3 points behind Bush. Hillary is not well-liked here, even by many Dems. Obama has some college friends who are involved in state government out of Cincinnati, and they brought him here 2x last year to raise a good amount of money.
The mayor of Columbus is in Obama's camp. I don't know about Cleveland, but Cincinnati's mayor hasn't endorsed anyone yet. He's a Dem but from an old political African American family, and it seems the AA "establishment" had been for Hillary in previous states.
There was a state organizational meeting in Columbus last Saturday, and Cincinnati opened a field office this week. That's about all I know right now. Sorry for the long post.