What early risk is taken by the Obama campaign does Plouffe believe helped set the tone for a different kind of campaign?

Declining an invitation to the first nationally televised debate of the season in nevada, which all other candidates attended.-the obama campaign team knew from the outset that their chances for victory were slim and that theyd need to set themselves apart. an early test came months before the iowa caucuses, when the bulk of the democratic field agreed to a forum in nevada, breaking an earlier pact. though it would mean missing the first joint appearance between all the candidates, the obama team chose to remain in iowa and campaign on the ground. most first-time presidential candidates would have folded, plouffe writes. it speaks to obamas discipline that he went along, as well as to his belief that we should try to run our campaign on our own terms.