The strategy that paved a winning path "The most striking data we saw early on was on the "understands problems of people like me" question," said a senior White House official involved in the discussions. Into the summer, Romney was in the teens in this category. The choice was made. The onetime campaign of hope and change soon began a sustained advertising assault that cast Romney as a heartless executive, a man who willingly fires people and is disconnected from how average Americans live their lives - an approach reinforced by Romney's mistakes along the way. While the Obama campaign bet it could set the campaign's course in the summer of 2012, Romney's senior staff in Boston put its their money on winning a decisive autumn, when it believed voters would tune in to the race in earnest and their jobs-first message would convince the nation it was time for a change. But, as the attacks mounted, so did concern within the Romney camp. "Ann would come to me and say, "Eric, what are we going to do about this? It needs to be addressed," " said Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney's senior adviser, referring to the candidate's wife. Romney's family longed to tell the story of the "real Mitt," but advisers told them that the time for that would come later, during the convention and debates. Another Romney adviser said: "The group think today is if we were to go back and change one thing, we'd spend more money and more strongly defend Mitt and push back on the "rich guy," the tax rate issue, the Bain Capital issue. We knew it was coming and we should've done more positive ads to get his favorables up. This account of how Obama won is based on more than two dozen interviews with campaign officials on both sides, advocacy groups and super PACs, and current and former White House officials. Obama advisers requested anonymity to speak candidly about the race in advance of Election Day. Several Romney advisers did the same. Obama's decision to focus on Romney helped set an angry tone for the multibillion-dollar campaign, the first presidential race since the Citizens United decision changed the financial calculus of U.S. elections. But among the most critical elements of his success was the quiet work his staff accomplished last year, not this one, in reviving and expanding a vast field organization that lay dormant for much of Obama's presidency. The turnout Tuesday of African Americans, Latinos, women, and young voters in swing states was a testament to its success. Obama, weighed down by a poor economy, also needed help - and he often got it from Romney. The Republican's brash condemnation of Americans who do not pay federal income taxes, his quick criticism of the administration for a spike in Middle East violence, and even his selection of a running mate that brought unexpected tension into the campaign all worked against his mid-fall effort to surmount Obama's lead.