Nov. 18, 2009 : Obama campaign manager David Plouff's new book, The Audacity to Win

WHEN WE CONTINUE, BARACK
OBAMA'S CHIEF CAMPAIGN ADVISOR,
DAVID PLOUFFE.
IN THE BEGINNING, WRITES DAVID
PLOUFFE, THE MISSION WAS TO
NOT BUILD A WINNING CAMPAIGN
BUT A CREDIBLE ONE.
IN THE END, HE DID BOTH.
PLOUFFE WAS THE CAMPAIGN
MANAGER FOR BARACK OBAMA'S
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND HE
HAS A NEW BOOK, THE AUDACITY
TO WIN.
AND DAVID PLOUFFE IS HERE.
WELCOME.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> FIRST QUESTION, I'VE BEEN
DYING TO KNOW.
FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS
INCLUDING YESTERDAY, I GOT AN
E-MAIL FROM YOU, YESTERDAY WAS
ABOUT THE HEALTH RADIO
CHALLENGE WINNER OR SOMETHING,
DID YOU WRITE THAT?
>> I WROTE A LOT OF THEM.
AND I REVIEW ALL OF THEM.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING
PUT ME IN THE SPAM FILTER YET.
>> I MAY DO IT SOON, SINCE
BARACK OBAMA HAS BEEN ELECTED
PRESIDENT, SAYING WHY AM I
STILL GETTING THESE E-MAILS
FROM HIM.
GOING THROUGH THE BOOK TODAY,
I WAS FASCINATED IN THE
DAY-TO-DAY WORKINGS OF THE
CAMPAIGN WERE LARGELY AS I
IMAGINED IT.
BUT THERE WERE OTHER THINGS I
FOUND FASCINATING, FOR
INSTANCE, YOU KNOW THAT THE
CANDIDATES GO AFTER EACH OTHER
LOOKING FOR NEGATIVE RESEARCH
AND NEGATIVE DATA AND THAT
KIND OF STUFF.
HOW HARD DO YOU TRY TO DIG UP
STUFF?
IT WAS YOU WHO DISCOVERED THE
JOHN EDWARDS $400 HAIRCUT AND
THEOUT SOURCING ISSUE THAT
HILLARY HAD CONTRADICTED
HERSELF ON.
HOW HARD DID YOU LOOK FOR
STUFF?
>> IT'S INTERESTING, WE GOT
INTO THIS VERY UNUSUALLY.
WE GOT INTO THIS HAVING NOT
DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON
OURSELVES BECAUSE HE WASN'T
PLANNING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
SO THAT WAS HARD IN THE
BEGINNING, OUR OPPONENTS WERE
COMBING THROUGH EVERY ASPECT
OF BARACK OBAMA'S LIFE AND IN
ALL CASES WE WEREN'T READY FOR
THAT, SO THAT MADE IT
CHALLENGING.
WE DID RESEARCH ON OUR
OPPONENTS, WE LEARNEDOVER OVER
TIME THAT THE OUTSOURCING
ISSUE IS ONE OF THE TIMES
BARACK OBAMA WAS MOST
DISAPPOINTED IN HIS CAMPAIGN.
SO WE CURTAILED THAT AND TRIED
TO BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT
WE DID.
IT'S STANDARD PRACTICE IN
POLITICS.
ONE OF THE THINGS A LOT OF US
WHO HAVE BEEN IN POLITICS FOR
A LONG TIME, WE HAD TO LEARN
SOME LESSONTHE TONE OF OUR
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN POLITICS,
INCREASINGLY VOLUNTEERS DON'T
PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE.
THEY WERE OUR CAMPAIGN.
SO IT WAS A REASSURING
CAMPAIGN BECAUSE IT WAS THE
CAMPAIGN THAT A LOT OF US HAD
I'LL DEALIZED THAT WE HAD
NEVER BEEN A PART OF.
>> BARACK OBAMA WAS ONE OF
THOSE PEOPLE WHO NEVER SPOKE
LIKE A ROBOT.
YOU TALK ABOUT THIS INCIDENT
WITH TIM RUSSERT WHERE HE HAD
BEEN ON THE RUSSERT SHOW INIAN
OF 2006 AND 10 MONTHS LATER
YOU WERE DECIDING WHAT SHOULD
THE MESSAGE BE NOW THAT HE WAS
CONSIDERING RUNNING AGAIN.
AND HE SAID WHY DON'T I JUST
TELL THE TRUTH, AND HE DID.
>> IT REMARKABLE THAT THAT IS
A THING OF NOTORIETY, BUT IT
IS, AND THAT SORT OF WON US
THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN.
HE ON SAID I AM WHO I AM, I'M
GOING TO BE AUTHENTIC, BECAUSE
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER HE GOT A
LOT OF CRITICISM FOR
EXPLAINING THINGS, FOR
ENGAGING IN COMPLEXITY AND NOT
BEING AS CRISP ON SOUND BITES.
BUT OVER TIME, VOTERS IN
AMERICA REALLY EMBRACED THAT
AND THEY WERE READY FOR A MORE
SERIOUS LEADER.
SO THAT WAS ALWAYS HIS
INSTINCT.
HE HAD GOT AFTER NEW HAMPSHIRE,
I REMEMBER, WHEN HE HAD USED
MARIJUANA AS A YOUNG MAN, IF
HE HAD INHALED AND HE SAID
WELL, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE
POINT.
SO GENERALLY HONESTY IS
USUALLY THE BEST POLICY.
>> YOU WROTE THAT LINE ABOUT
NOT NECESSARILY HAVING THE
AMBITION TO WIN BUT
CREDIBILITY.
HOW COULD YOU EVEN SEPARATE
THAT OUT?
OF COURSE YOU WANTED TO WIN.
>> YEAH, BUT REVEALIZED IN THE
BEGINING WHAT A HUGE UNDERDOG
HE WAS.
HILLARY CLINTON WAS SUCH A
STRONG FRONT RUNNER WITH
STRENGTH AND SUPPORT
EVERYWHERE.
AGAIN THIS IS VERY HEALTHY.
BARACK OBAMA HADN'T BEEN
PLANNING TO DO THIS FOR YEARS.
SO WE WERE HEALTHY IN THAT
REGARD.
WE PLAYED LOOSE, TO USE A
SPORTS ANALOGY, BECAUSE WE
DIDN'T HAVE EXPECTATIONS.
AND HE DIDN'T HAVE THE
STIFLING PRESSURE OF THIS THIS
IS MY ENTIRE LIFE, THIS
CAMPAIGN.
SO WE JUST BUILT THE CAMPAIGN
SLOWLY.
WE THOUGHT THERE WAS A PATH TO
RICK TRY AGAINST HILLARY
CLINTON, BUT A NARROW ONE, AND
THAT WE'D HAVE TO DO
EVERYTHING RIGHT.
AND WE DID A LOT OF THINGS
RIGHT, NOT EVERYTHING.
AND WE WON A VERY CLOSE
ELECTION.
I SET UP THE BOOK VERY CLEARLY
ON THAT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW
HE'S THE PRESIDENT, HE'S OVER
IN CHINA, IT'S HARD TO
RECONCILE WITH THE FACT THAT
IN THE BEGINNING NO ONE GAVE
US A CHANCE TO WIN.
SO IT'S A GREAT STORY IN THAT
RESPECT.
>> WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE ALL
THOUGHT THE PRIMARY SEASON
WOULD BE DONE AND OVER WITH
FEBRUARY 5 MAYBE THE WEEK
AFTER, BUT IT WENT UNTIL JUNE,
JUNE 9 I THINK IS WHEN HILLARY
CLINTON CONCEDED THAT SHE
WOULDN'T GOING TO BE THE
NOMINEE.
BUT TALK ABOUT IOWA FOR A
MINUTE, BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T
REALLY EXPECTING TO WIN THERE
EITHER.
YOU WERE HOPING TO MAYBE COME
IN SECOND OR THIRD AND SPIN IT
SOME WAY.
BUT I LOVE THE BACKGROUNDER TO
ABOUT JOHN KERRY, AND THE
TIMING OF HIS ENDORSEMENT,
WHETHER HE REALLY WANTED IT
AND WHETHER HE THOUGHT THIS
COULD HURT US AT THIS POINT IN
IOWA.
SO YOU ASKED TOM HOLD OFF.
>> WE DID, NOW IN THE
BEGINNING JOHN EDWARDS HAD
SUCH A BIG LEAD, WE THOUGHT
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO
FINISH AHEAD OF HILLARY
CLINTON AND THAT MIGHT HAVE
MEANT SECOND.
AS WE GOT INTO THE SUMMER AND
FALL IT WAS CLEAR WE HAD TO
WIN, BECAUSE EDWARD WAS
FALLING BACK.
SO IT WAS ALL ABOUT WINNING A
WASHINGTON SO WE WERE THERE
TWO DAYS BEFORE THE CAUCUSES
AND FOR KERRLY OFFERED TO
ENDORSE US, AND I THINK MOST
CAMPAIGNS WOULD HAVE SAID YES.
YOU DOMINATE THE NEWS, WIN THE
CAUCUSES.
BUT OUR SENSE WAS IT JUST
DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
WE WERE GOING TO WIN BASED ON
YOUNG VOTERS AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T POLITICAL
ACTIVISTS, SO IMVERY PROUD OF
THAT DECISION.
IT'S ONE I THINK A LOT
CAMPAIGNS WOULD MAKE.
NOW, WE LOSE THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
PRIMARY, THEN BEYOND KERRY
DOES ENDORSE US AFTER THAT AND
IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
>> HE HAD A LOT OF MOMENTUM
COMING OUT OF OHIO, EVEN NEW
HAMPSHIRE, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS
SECOND, AND GOING INTO THE
SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES.
BUT IT WAS AROUND MARCH THIS
WHOLE REVEREND WRIGHT THING
BROKE.
HAD YOU VOTED --
VETED THAT?
WERE YOU AWARE OF IT?
IT GOT REPORTED OVER AND OVER.
>> NO, WE HAD DEALT WITH
REVEREND WRIGHT QUESTIONS FOR
A LONG TIME, GOING BACK TO THE
FIRST DAYS OF OUR CANDIDACY.
WHAT WE HADN'T DONE IS SIT
DOWN AND WATCH EVERY VIDEO OF
EVERY SERMON.
TO E RAL WAY THAT.
BECAUSE WE LIVE --
TO EVALUATE THAT.
BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A RADIO
WORLD.
ONE THOSE THINGS THAT HAD A
VIDEO COMPONENT TO IT
EXPLODED.
THOSE THAT DID NOT WOULD HAVE
THEIR MOMENT IN NEWSPAPERS AND
EVEN ON TELEVISION, BUT
WITHOUT THE VIDEO COMPONENT.
SO WRIGHT WAS TAYLOR-MADE FOR
THIS.
SO WE PROBABLY HADN'T THOUGHT
IT THROUGH AS MUCH.
AT THAT POINT WHEN IT CAME OUT
WE HAD TAKEN A DOMINATING
POSITION IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY RACE.
SO IN MANY RESPECTS NEW
HAMPSHIRE WAS MORE CHALLENGING
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT I THINK
MOST PEOPLE THOUGHT AND WITH
SOME REASON HILLARY IS GOING
TO WIN AFTER BEATING US IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE IN A BIG SURPRISE.
SO BY WRIGHT REALLY THE WAY WE
WERE TIB NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT,
WAS BARACK OBAMA HIMSELF
DECIDED TO GIVE THAN AUN
CONVENTIONAL PEACH AND WROTE A
BEAUTIFUL SPEECH THAT HE
DELIVERED IN PHILADELPHIA.
HE HANDLED IT IN A THOUGHTFUL
WAY.
HE SEEMED A LITTLE DIFFERENT
TO PEOPLE.
THAT'S NOT THE SPEECH THEY
WOULD HAVE EXPECTED FROM MOST
POLITICAL FIGURES.
>> WE IN THE MEDIA ARE ALWAYS
PARSING ENDORSEMENT AND HOW
IMPORTANT THEY ARE AND WHETHER
NEWSPAPER ENDORSEMENT MATTER
OR UNION, POLICE MEN, FIREMEN.
BUT TED KENNEDY'S ENDORSEMENT
AND CAROLINE KENNEDY'S ENDORSE
NOT, DO YOU THINK THAT WAS
SIGNIFICANT FOR PRESIDENT
OBAMA?
>> ABSOLUTE.
WE WERE A CAMPAIGN THAT DID
NOT BELIEVE ENDORSEMENT
MATTERED A GREAT DEAL, WE
WEREN'T GETTING MANY OF THEM.
BUT WE WERE A GRASS ROOTS
CAMPAIGN.
BUT THE KENNEDY ENDORSEMENT
MATTERED FOR A VARIETY OF
REASONS.
WE LOSE NEW HAMPSHIRE.
WE'RE NOT SURE WE HAD THE
MOMENTUM TO SURVIVE SUPER
TUESDAY, WHERE MASSACHUSETTS
AND 21 OTHER STATES WERE
VOTING.
BUT WE WIN SOUTH CAROLINA IN A
FASHION AND WITH A MARGIN THAT
WAS UNEXPECTED.
THE NEXT DAY CAROLINE KENNEDY
WRITES THE MOVING AND
BEAUTIFUL OP ED IN THE "NEW
YORK TIMES" ABOUT BARACK OBAMA
AND WHY SHE'S SUPPORTING HIM.
THEN HER UNCLE OBVIOUSLY THE
VERY NEXT DAY ENDORSED US.
BUT IT WAS WHAT HE SAID.
A LOT OF THE CRITICISMS THAT
WERE BEING OFFERED ABOUT
BARACK OBAMA, HE TOOK HEAD ON.
AND IN MANY RESPECTS,
PARTICULARLY IN THE ATTACKS ON
EXPERIENCE HE LINKED THEM TO
THE SAME CRITICISMS THAT WERE
MADE ABOUT HIS LATE BROTHER
JACK IN 1960.
IT WAS VERY POWERFUL.
THAT GAVE US A BIG BOOST
HEADING INTO SUPER TUESDAY,
AND SUPER TUESDAY WAS THE DAY
WE FEARED, WE JUST WEREN'T
SURE HE'D BE ABLE TO CAME IT.
AND I THINK BECAUSE OF SRK AND
THE KENNEDY ENDORSEMENT AND
OUR GRASS ROOTS SUPPORTERS, WE
WERE ABLE TO WIN THE DAY.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF --
OVER WHETHER THE NEWS MEDIA
WAS PRO BARACK OBAMA.
DO YOU THINK THEY WERE?
AND ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT,
SOME OF THE NEGATIVE COVERAGE
WAS LARGELY COMING FROM THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF THE
NEWS MEDIA, THE FOCUSING ON
BILL AYERS AND SOME OF OBAMA'S
FLUBS LIKE THE GUNS HUGH IN
PENNSYLVANIA.
BUTOVER ALL DO YOU THINK THERE
WAS A TILT?
>> I DON'T.
I'LL MENTION TWO.
FIRST OF ALL, THE MOST
DAMAGING THING IN ANY CAMPAIGN
IS INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM.
AND I THINK WE HAD MANY MORE
STORIES AND FOCUS ON OUR
BACKGROUND THAN HILLARY
CLINTON DID OR-YEAR-OLD OR
JOHN McCAIN.
AND WHAT REPORTERS WOULD TELL
US IS, WELL, WE'VE COVERED
THEM BEFORE, THIS IS ALL OLD
NEWS.
BUT THE MOMENT WE ANNOUNCED WE
HAD REPORTERS IN INDONESIA,
HAWAII, ILLINOIS, CHICAGO, L.
A., EVERYWHERE HE HAD BEEN,
CRAWLING ALL OVER US.
NOW NOTHING CAME OUT THAT WAS
TERRIBLY DAMAGING, BUT THAT
WAS TOUGH.
YOU LOOK AT MCCAIN, THERE WAS
VERY LITTLE INVESTIGATIVE
JOURNALISM ON HIM.
>> THE "NEW YORK TIMES" DID
SOME.
>> SOME, BUT THE SCALE OF IT
DID NOT COMPARE.
SECONDLY, HI TO GO BACK AND
REVISIT A LOT OF THE CAMPAIGN
AS I WAS WRITING ON THIS BOOK,
AND SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER,
NOVEMBER OF 2007, WE WERE NOT
BEING LIFTED ON THE SHOULDERS
OF THE MEDIA.
THEY SAID NO CHANCE, OUT OF
GAS, HILLARY'S GOING TO WIN 30
POINTS DOWN, END OF STORY.
SO YENLY WHEN YOU'RE DOING
WELL IN POLITICS YOU'D GET
DECENT COVERAGE N. THE YEN
ELECTION WE WERE DOING WELL
FOR MOST OF IT.
IN THE SUMMER THE PRESS JUMPED
ON THE LEND THING THAT MCCAIN
WAS DOING, OBAMA, BREERZ,
PARIS HILTON, NOT A GOOD
PERIOD OF COVERAGE.
AFTER PALIN WAS PICKED, SEALS
FUNNY NOW, BUT THE COVERAGE
WAS BRILLIANT CHOICE, OBAMA IS
OFF TRIED.
SO YENLY IF YOU'RE DOING WELL
THE COVERAGE IS REFLECTIVE.
>> SARAH PALIN, THAT'S A WHOLE
OTHER THING.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW
YOU'RE REACTING THIS WEEK TO
HER STATEMENTTHE COVERAGE OF
THE BOOK AND THE COVER OF NEWS
WEEK MAGAZINE OF HER IN THE
RUNNING SHORTS.
FAIR?
OR SEXIST?
OR IS THAT WHEN YOU GET WHEN
YOU'RE SELLING A BOOK.
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL I LOVE
HAVING HER OUT, THERE I HOPE
HER BOOK TOUR LASTS TWO OR
THREE YEARS, BECAUSE I DON'T
THINK THIS IS THE WAY FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY TO
REHABILITATE HERSELF FOR SARAH
PALIN TO BE THE FOCUS OF
ENERGY, AND RIGHT NOW SHE IS.
I GUESS SHE POSED FOR THE
PICTURE, ON THE OTHER HAND
MAYBE NEWS WEEK COULD HAVE
PICKED A DIFFERENT PICTURE.
>> SHE POSED FOR IT FOR
RUNNING MAGAZINE.
>> SO I'D RATHER THEM NOT ARE
RUN IT, FRANKLY SO, WE COULD
FOCUS ON THE SUBSTANCE. AND
THE SUBSTANCE OF THE BOOK IS
PRETTY REMARKABLE, IT'S
INTERESTING THAT SHE HOLDS
HERSELF UP AS THIS EXAMPLE OF
AMERICAN RUGGEDNESS, BUT THE
WHOLE CAMPAIGN IS BLAMING
OTHERS AND BLAMING EVERYONE
FOR HER PERFORMANCE BUT
HERSELF.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY,
HAVING HER OUT THERE LIMBAUGH,
BECK, THAT WING OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY IS DOMINANT
RIGHT NOW AND I THINK THIS
BOOK TOUR IS ONLY GOING TO
HELP PROVE THAT IT REMAINS SO
FOR SOME TIME.
>> ALL RIGHT, DAVID PLOUFFE,
LOVED YOUR BOOK.
THANKS FOR COMING.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.