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| Tearful Obama thanks campaign team as Democrats ponder next moves | Tearful Obama thanks campaign team as Democrats ponder next moves |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Barack Obama welled up with tears while delivering an emotional speech to his team at campaign headquarters in Chicago the day after he was re-elected as US president. He spoke about how he got into politics and thanked those present for their work. | |
| "You are so much better than I was, in so many ways," he said. "You're smarter, more organised, more effective. I'm absolutely confident that all of you are going to do amazing things." | "You are so much better than I was, in so many ways," he said. "You're smarter, more organised, more effective. I'm absolutely confident that all of you are going to do amazing things." |
| "Even before last night's results, I felt that the work that I'd begun by running for office had come full circle because the work that you've done means that the work that I'm doing is improved. And I'm really proud of that. I'm really proud of all of you." | "Even before last night's results, I felt that the work that I'd begun by running for office had come full circle because the work that you've done means that the work that I'm doing is improved. And I'm really proud of that. I'm really proud of all of you." |
| "Whatever good we do over the next four years will pale in comparison to what you guys end up accomplishing for years and years to come. And that's my source of hope." | "Whatever good we do over the next four years will pale in comparison to what you guys end up accomplishing for years and years to come. And that's my source of hope." |
| Obama's first campaign famously left offices open in swing states after 2008 to boost his re-election effort in 2012, but it is unclear what will now happen to the infrastructure that helped secure him two terms in office. | Obama's first campaign famously left offices open in swing states after 2008 to boost his re-election effort in 2012, but it is unclear what will now happen to the infrastructure that helped secure him two terms in office. |
| Democratic political advisers, in a conference call with reporters on Thursday, said they would be discussing with his supporters how to move on, but suggested that potential party candidates in future elections could not assume the Obama ground apparatus would automatically be at their disposal. | Democratic political advisers, in a conference call with reporters on Thursday, said they would be discussing with his supporters how to move on, but suggested that potential party candidates in future elections could not assume the Obama ground apparatus would automatically be at their disposal. |
| "You just can't transfer this," said David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser who managed Obama's campaign four years ago. | "You just can't transfer this," said David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser who managed Obama's campaign four years ago. |
| "People are not going to spend hours away from their families and their jobs, contributing financially when it's hard for them to do it unless they believe in the candidate." | "People are not going to spend hours away from their families and their jobs, contributing financially when it's hard for them to do it unless they believe in the candidate." |
| Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager, said his team would initiate a process with the volunteers who made up the multistate infrastructure that turned out voters for Obama. | Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager, said his team would initiate a process with the volunteers who made up the multistate infrastructure that turned out voters for Obama. |
| "We're going to go through a process with our supporters and have a conversation with them about what they want to do next, and we've always listened to the ground game, listened to our supporters," he said. | "We're going to go through a process with our supporters and have a conversation with them about what they want to do next, and we've always listened to the ground game, listened to our supporters," he said. |
| "We are going to spend some time learning the lessons from the other night before we start thinking about 2014 or 2016." | "We are going to spend some time learning the lessons from the other night before we start thinking about 2014 or 2016." |
| The much-heralded ground game is considered one of the keys to Obama's victory, in which he won nearly all of the major battleground states. | The much-heralded ground game is considered one of the keys to Obama's victory, in which he won nearly all of the major battleground states. |
| Democrats who are considering running for president in 2016 would be delighted to tap into the lists of names, technology, and knowhow that the Obama team amassed, but Plouffe warned that it was not as simple as taking over such assets. | Democrats who are considering running for president in 2016 would be delighted to tap into the lists of names, technology, and knowhow that the Obama team amassed, but Plouffe warned that it was not as simple as taking over such assets. |
| "For candidates who want to try and build a grassroots campaign, it's not going to happen because there is a list or because you have the best technology. That's not how this works," Plouffe said. | "For candidates who want to try and build a grassroots campaign, it's not going to happen because there is a list or because you have the best technology. That's not how this works," Plouffe said. |
| "They have to build up that kind of emotional appeal so that people are willing to go out there and spend the time and their resources and provide their talents because they believe in someone and in what you're offering," he said. | "They have to build up that kind of emotional appeal so that people are willing to go out there and spend the time and their resources and provide their talents because they believe in someone and in what you're offering," he said. |
| "The only reason that all this happened on the ground - whether it was 08 or this time … was because they believed in Barack Obama." | "The only reason that all this happened on the ground - whether it was 08 or this time … was because they believed in Barack Obama." |