In the beginning of 2007, Barack Obama entered this race as a little known Junior Senator of Illinois. While considered a superstar in Democratic circles, he was untested on the national level of politics and his senate race was considered a gimme due to his opposition being Alan Keys and his other opposition being shamed out of a race due to a swinger party in Paris.
When he was entering the race he was entering against seasoned faces who have done the dance before. Edwards, Biden, and Clinton were people who had experience in actual national politics. They believed they knew Iowa enough to win it. Edwards even camped his family there so he could come up with the win. Obama had tough competition and an even tougher nut to crack than he does now.
No pundit or blogger (except Kos) thought he had a prayer. By mid-August Obama was so behind in national polls nobody thought he had a prayer of beating the most dynamic family in Democratic politics. Nobody. He was collectively thirty points behind in pretty much every state of the union.
Every state in the union he was behind in name recongnition, party respect, and experience. His big advantage was the fact that he had a lot of internet support behind him and a ground game that wouldn't quit.
He was a black skinny guy with a funny name who said something stupid about arugula and everyone laughed at him because he couldn't connect with "common" folk. Or that he was a gaffe machine compared to the efficient and very traditional Clinton machine.
Obama didn't have a prayer in the press...but he did have a plan. He had a mission and he stuck to it even when he and his team were down and nobody believed in him. When everybody thought he was just flash and no substance or he was too high minded for people to understand or get. No matter the waves that hit his little boat that could he and his team fought, scrapped, and bled. And he won.
He won. He won against all odds against a team that had survived the worst of what the Republicans had to offer. Against the toughest the Democrats could offer. This team did that.
This is not me saying that Obama can't make mistakes. Or doesn't screw up. Or shouldn't be doing some of the things he's doing. But what I am saying is just give Barack Obama and his team the benefit of the doubt that they just maybe know what they are doing. That they have a good idea in how to win this thing. You don't have to trust them completely.
Just trust them a little. They should at least get that.