What made Obama successful is just like you said, people really liked the way he spoke. That and I think America wanted a young face after bush, which followed carter, regan, bush sr. and while clinton was somewhat young, the collective past 30 years has not been so pleasing in this sense.
I am not much in politics, mostly what i read on your blog. And as i drove home every night, i am surprised that livni expects to win the general vote with a thinned out picture of her face on the billboards. Give it so attitude. Give it some kick. That's was Obama and Netnayahu are doing so well. Look at the difference between Barak, Lieberman, Livni and Netanyahu's ads and billboards. Color! A smile! some technology. Who would have thought that israelis have moved beyond 1965 campaigning modes!!

Obama ran against Bush. That's why he won.

Obama also had 5X the $$$$ that McCain did.

He had the vote of 99% of the blacks and some crazy figure of Hispanics - even if he had been as dull as a doorknob

MaCain ran a terrible campaign and stood for nothing.

The media - was completely behind him.

Maybe the last point applies to Livni - but even if yes - certainly in a much much smaller degree.

He did not have 5 times the money. He inspired people to give him 5 times the money. They wanted him to win.
If anything Mccain had the upperhand to start with. Obama started out as a nobody, some inexperienced junior senatr with little money. He became popular and then the money started pouring in. Mccain was a long serving senator and a war hero. He was also extremely wealthy on a personal level. He too raised tons of money. But he did not inspire people the same way.

sort of...

you really have to wonder with all of his 'charisma' he lost the 'white vote' 60+ to something except amongst very young people who are esaily swayed by ideologues. this despite heavy heavy advantages. he only won cuz of the black and hispanic vote. blacks voted for him - that is obvious and hispanics voted because they know he will have a more open policy for ilegals etc.

remember too that he only won cyz of the collapse of the economy. after mcCain picked Palin he actually overcame a 10 point deficit whic was only wiped out by the collapse of the economy (and the hiding of Palin) so it was not Obama's person but circumstance
(American's were feeling hopeless and he happened to be saying all along I will bring change) that helped him out.

his a) being black and simply aveergly imtelligent to boot helped him alot (my parents spoke to many people who voted for him even though they konw nothing about him and ignored any possible q's on him simply cuase in their words - we want to see a black in the Whitehouse to end the stain of slavery once and for all.

2) he is a radical left winger (as per his voting record, associations etc.)

the left led by the media was compeltely mobilized to take over the country and as such gave him money

3) alot of the money came from outside the US by many gov't who very much wish to see US policy changed to suit their own needs.

not out of an interest for the US's good or any dreams that they shared.

b'kitzur - there were a ton of circumstaces beyond himself and his control that worked for him.

and still he only won by 8 points against a horrible opponent. not a landslide by any stretch

"He did not have 5 times the money. He inspired people to give him 5 times the money. They wanted him to win."

Let us not carry the disinformation into Israel. The Obama Campaign raised (USD 741.7 million) almost twice as much money as the McCain Campaign (USD 345.6 million). McCain had to stop raising funds because he accepted government funding.

The Obama campaign received a vast amount from online credit card transactions. Unlike the other campaigns, the Obama campaign disabled the automatic checking software (you know, where the computer checks the name, and address, to the card number).

There have been a number of reports of people seeing payments to the campaign that they did not authorize.

The last time I looked there were questions about at least USD35 million of the funds.

More of a problem, and what should be worrying to Israelis, is that millions of dollars came from overseas. A lot of money (I do not know the exact figure) came from Palestinians (Even though only US Citizens are able to donate).


Maybe there was a good reason that Obama's first phone call to a Head of State (?) as President was to Abbass.

Change We Can Believe In - Yes! The Corruption of the Chicago political machine has come to Washington, DC.

davod - I never heard any of that before.

Obviously, the one reason "why he won" is always going to be debatable....