Obama Takes Hold of Race: Five Days to Go

Five days out and Senator Obama has wrested control of the presidential race with his disciplined style and Senator McCain is going to have to scramble to take it from him. And Obama is not letting up; consider the long day he had Wednesday. Framed by 30 minutes of primetime television where Obama did not even mention the words "John McCain." It was also masterfully executed. Senator McCain would never go on TV for 30 seconds at this stage of the race without mentioning Obama. But that was just a warm up for Obama. He followed the 30 minutes up with a late-night rally in Florida with former President Bill Clinton. The pair, introduced as 'the 42nd president and the next president,' took the stage to cheers from a crowd of 35,000.

Senator Obama highlighted not just himself but the idea he represents. It delivered a message on a tactical level, with solutions for all the hot-button issues, yet mostly it worked on an inspirational level; getting voters to believe in something bigger than themselves, which made Obama's candidacy possible in the first place.

Wednesday may not be the night he clinched anything, but it may end up being the night he made the turn for home. Six days before the election, Obama's team produced a 'shock and awe' Wednesday, throwing up a stunning number of assets at McCain. Every single line during those 30 minutes was something that the campaign knows works and appeals to those undecided voters. It was a highly competent, professional, performance. The very fact that they could go 28 minutes in and hit live to a campaign rally in Florida and right down to the final Obama/Biden logo even showed how much planning and detail went into it. One of the things the campaign knows is that the most optimistic presidential candidate always wins. It aired on seven network and cable stations. He effectively knocked on every door in the nation Wednesday night.

It was in keeping with Senator Obama's strategic plan this year: Make voters comfortable with the idea of him in the Oval Office while at the same time presenting him as a candidate who can connect with everyday, middle-class voters struggling through the toughest economic times in generations.

Senator Obama’s goal is to maximize face time on local news broadcasts and to cover as much ground as possible before he votes Tuesday in Chicago.