Today in Washington D.C., campaign manager David Plouffe gave reporters a unique look inside the ambitious 50 state strategy being developed for November. From the Boston Globe:
Plouffe, briefing reporters here today on the status of the campaign, shed light on Obama's aggressive, nation-wide plan of attack into not just battlegrounds but also reliably "red" states. ... It's the same ethos that Obama's campaign has expressed from the beginning: They will not be bound, they say, by the results of prior elections, the habits of candidates past, or conventional wisdom about presidential politics and how to win the White House.
"We ask you to reorient your thinking," David Plouffe explained. "Our strategic orientation here is to play offense."
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Among the key components of this strategy: massive voter identification, registration and turnout efforts, fueled by grassroots support in every state.
David Plouffe cited a recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll that found that:
Even among voters who said they planned to vote for McCain, more than half said they were "not enthusiastic" about their chosen candidate; 45% said they were enthusiastic. By contrast, 81% of Obama voters said they were enthusiastic, and almost half called themselves "very enthusiastic," a level of zeal found in 13% of McCain's supporters.
We've seen this enthusiasm first-hand for 15 months now, from caucus night in Iowa, to Philadelphia, Portland and beyond. It's the enthusiasm that's driven record voter registration and led to record turnout in states across the country. It's the work that our grassroots supporters have done organizing, canvassing, and calling that made the difference in the primary and will make the difference in November.
We're building one the largest, most widespread campaigns in the history of American politics because, as Barack himself explained, we have to win.
Part of the beauty of a 50 state strategy is that no matter where you are, you can be part of this campaign. You can take action. You can take ownership. You can get involved. No matter where you are, no matter who you are or what your past experience is, we need your help. Because we're going on offense.
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