Not only does the National Journal finally have its snazzy online redesign out of beta, its cover story this week is one the best I've read in a long time. Ron Brownstein's thesis is this:
In scope and sweep, tactics and scale, the marathon struggle between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton has triggered such a vast evolutionary leap in the way candidates pursue the presidency that it is likely to be remembered as the first true 21st-century campaign.
Brownstein writes that Obama's campaign may well become the model for future campaigns, even though its kick -- the energy behind it -- is the unique result of a man intersecting with his time. Television remains a center of gravity, but more and more, the "the ability to inspire large numbers of supporters to work on your behalf—by contributing financially, participating in outreach programs organized by the campaign, or informally talking to friends and family—is joining and, perhaps, eclipsing those television-inspired skills in importance."
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