Obama also is a much better speaker than Paul, and he had a reputation behind him: after 2004, he was a rock star of a celebrity. So he had some advantages. Pau

Obama also is a much better speaker than Paul, and he had a reputation behind him: after 2004, he was a rock star of a celebrity. So he had some advantages. Paul, meanwhile, was virtually unheard of until after the primaries were underway. Obama had already begun consolidating his base and planning. Plus, Obama used the Internet. With Ron Paul, fans would plan things for him. Obama actively created a platform (my.BO) that let volunteers operate efficiently.