Trailhead: A campaign blog.

PRINTDISCUSS

• « Prev | Main | Next »

  
  

  The New Success

  A few years ago, the Boston Globe Magazine declared billion the new million. Previously unimaginable, it was the new yardstick of an expanding society—the new standard for what it takes to make you say whoa.

  Now the same spirit of growth has pervaded the Democratic contest, which often resembles an arms race more than a political race. Fundraising is booming, crowds are swelling, and YouTube has raised the bar for what makes a successful campaign video.

  Here are some of the new benchmarks, falling short of which now constitutes failure:

  • Fundraising: $1 million a day ($32 million a month)
  • Crowd size: 20,000
  • Margin of victory (primary): double digits
  • Margin of victory (caucus): fourfold
  • New superdelegates: 2 a day
  • Superdelegates stolen from opponent: 1 a week
  • Campaign stops: 12 a day
  • Conference calls held with reporters: 4 a day
  • Debates demanded: 1 a week.
  • Facebook friends: 588,537
  • Full-time familial surrogates: 2
  • YouTube views for campaign ad: 465,000
  • YouTube views for attack ad: 4.6 million
  • Songs about candidate: 3 a week
  • Clothing designs: 1
  • Internet memes: 1 an hour
  • Day on which you’ll be ready to lead: 1
  Published Tuesday, February 19, 2008 6:07 PM by Christopher Beam
  Email jcbeam@gmail.com

  Filed under: 08 election

About Christopher Beam

• Christopher Beam is a Slate political reporter.