No Straw Men

Why Malcolm Gladwell thinks we have little control over our own success.

Obama was leading in the polls, even in red states like Virginia. But McCain almost seemed to glory in being the underdog.

McCain bridled at reducing his opinions to sound bites. Obama prepped as if he were taking the bar exam—nothing was left to chance.

Obama's aides worried the Clintons might steal the show. McCain revved up his campaign with an impulsive choice—Sarah Palin.

McCain's inner circle altered the style, feel and direction of the campaign. The candidate's best hope was to bring down Obama.

The fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama turned into a grinding stasis that played out until the very last primary day.

A team of Newsweek reporters reveals the secret battles and private fears behind an epic election.

By late spring of 2007, John McCain's campaign was adrift, if not sinking. Then the candidate found a new narrative: the comeback.

Highlights from a seven-part in-depth look behind the scenes of the campaign, consisting of exclusive behind-the-scenes reporting from the McCain and Obama camps assembled by a special team of reporters who were granted year-long access on the condition that none of their findings appear until after Election Day.