Grasshoppers v. Ants, the Power of Networking

Similarly, in Another Contrast, blogger John Cole explores the impact of the Obama campaign on organizational dynamics in today's politics and in Compare Speeches, the power of group movement v. identity politics orientation.

Time Magazine does a good job exploring the Obama campaign and its potential impact on politics in How Obama Did It.

More than seven months later, that faith has been rewarded. The 2008 presidential campaign has produced its share of surprises, but one of the most important is that a newcomer from Chicago put together by far the best political operation of either party. Obama's campaign has been that rare, frictionless machine that runs with the energy of an insurgency and the efficiency of a corporation. His team has lacked what his rivals' have specialized in: there have been no staff shake-ups, no financial crises, no change in game plan and no visible strife. Even its campaign slogan - "Change we can believe in" - has remained the same.

How did he do it? How did Obama become the first Democratic insurgent in a generation or more to knock off the party's Establishment front-runner? Facing an operation as formidable as Clinton's, Obama says in an interview, "was liberating... What I'd felt was that we could try some things in a different way and build an organization that reflected my personality and what I thought the country was looking for. We didn't have to unlearn a bunch of bad habits."

First, I'd reflect that having the ability to bring together a team and execute as Obama did with his campaign is a sign of strong leadership. Second, having the confidence to strike out in a new direction as Obama did, to "try some things in a different way ..." is the hallmark of an innovator and a leader, a bona fide change agent. The campaign is the first test and demonstration of a potential president's leadership style, character, and ability, so his execution in going down a different path and accomplishing a stretch goal in an unconventional way gives me confidence that he will be able to apply that same methodology to other problems that vex our society and have success.

I don't for a minute think that he will not suffer failures and mistakes along the way - the problems are too great to think that - but I admire his spirit, respect his abilities, and believe that this approach that he took with his campaign is about the best we can hope for in a political leader, given our current circumstances. Keep in mind - we may be electing a president (an individual), but we're getting an entire executive administration and an approach to governing (a team and a movement). His choices so far have worked out pretty remarkably. Let's hope that the trend line continues.

And for a rather different perspective on structural change, but somehow linked to this discussion when we think about the impact of digitization on culture, see NY Times Op-Ed Columnist Paul Krugman's Bits, Bands and Books, Paying for Creativity in a Digital World.

This year, it just keeps getting more interesting...