General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why can't we elect Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to the whitehouse in '16? [View all]KharmaTrain
(31,706 posts)...he spent the better part of two years building a solid organization (one of many that was his key to victory). I recall driving down I-88...the road from Chicago to Iowa in 2007 and seeing a lot of Obama bumper stickers next to the Iowa Hawkeye ones. He also invested heavily in other Midwest states that helped him build up a delegate lead over Hillary Clinton. Governor Dean had a similar strong finish in Iowa but, unfortunately, didn't have the money or organization to build upon (and the "Dean Scream" video didn't help either). Winning a nomination is an endurance race...one that President Obama excelled at.
The current system puts a lot of emphasis on the early states: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina...states that are definitely more conservative than California or Massachusetts and also works against a Warren. The bottom line is the nomination generally goes to the candidate who works the hardest for it and organization is still the key...