Martin's advice had proven immensely valuable to Barack Obama.
Those two wars were indeed a sore spot for the American public.
Hillary's crushing defeat came swiftly. She soon announced her withdrawal from the primaries and, in a surprising turn, declared her support for Barack Obama.
At the same time, the slogan Martin had coined—snappy and impactful—greatly boosted Obama's approval rating among Black voters, sending his popularity soaring to near-fanatical heights.
This made Obama take Martin's opinions even more seriously. He would now call him regularly.
"Hillary surrendered. I've now secured enough primary votes to clinch the nomination," Obama said over the phone. "She's even expressed willingness to be my running mate and help energize the base. Her support in Florida is huge—she might help bring in a ton of votes."
Martin frowned slightly.
He'd dealt with Hillary before. She wasn't someone who gave up easily. Obama's victory felt too smooth. Something's not right, he thought.
He asked, "Did she introduce her donors to you?"
A beat.
"No," Obama admitted.
Martin's brow furrowed deeper. "So her donors haven't even pledged support to you?"
Silence on the other end.
"Barack," Martin warned, "you need to be careful. She might have another agenda."
"You mean... she's not joining me to help—she's using my spotlight to boost her own visibility?"
"There's an old saying: Better safe than sorry. Keep your guard up."
Another pause.
Finally, Obama said, "Thanks for the warning, Martin."
"Always happy to serve, Mr. President," Martin said with a grin.
Obama laughed.
———
A few days later, Martin began rallying support for Obama in California—but with a flair uniquely his own.
He and Obama orchestrated a bit of theater.
First, Obama made a formal statement to the press, expressing his desire for Martin to become his image consultant.
"As a national icon and symbol of American youth, Martin Meyers embodies fashion, charisma, and cultural appeal. I sincerely hope he will serve as my image advisor, guiding me on body language, public speaking, and overall presentation."
Shortly afterward, Martin publicly accepted the offer.
Then came the media blitz, fueled by Martin's own grip on the press.
"According to reports, 22-year-old Martin Meyers has been in frequent contact with Barack Obama, primarily offering insights on personal image and public speaking techniques. A close friend of Martin's shared that he has always crafted his own public persona with great success, and is now helping Obama shape an image that resonates at home and abroad." — Los Angeles Times
"Sources within the Democratic Party reveal that beyond image consulting, Obama and Martin have discussed foreign policy strategies in depth. Martin is said to have advised Obama on adopting a more balanced stance regarding U.S.–Israel relations." — California Daily
"Martin Meyers, a prominent figure in Hollywood's inner circles, has rallied an impressive list of celebrity endorsements for Obama, including James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, and Jessica Alba. Their support could provide a powerful boost to the campaign." — California News Post
With Martin in play, Obama quickly gained the upper hand.
Among young Americans, Martin's influence was unmatched. Thanks to his maneuvering, Obama's polling numbers ticked up by 1.02%.
But the Republican camp wasn't just sitting on their hands.
McCain soon made a dramatic move of his own.
Just one week after Martin's media storm in California, McCain—who had struggled to find a suitable running mate—finally made his pick.
It was a classic hunger marketing play. He kept the public guessing, amping up anticipation.
And when he finally revealed his choice, the entire political world was stunned.
Sarah Louise Palin.
"Sarah who?"
That was the immediate reaction from over ten thousand attendees at McCain's campaign rally when he announced her name.
Palin had less than two years of executive experience and had never appeared on any of the known shortlist for VP.
But McCain's selection was clearly a calculated counter to Obama—a deliberate move to introduce a "female version of Barack Obama."
Back in their private discussion, Martin had said, "I've got to hand it to him—McCain's move is both brilliant and incredibly risky."
He analyzed: "First, by picking a political unknown, he's guaranteed to capture the media's and the public's attention. Before this, McCain kept complaining that the media favored Democrats. But now, with a surprise VP pick no one expected, he's shaken things up and made headlines."
"Second, by choosing a woman, McCain introduces a fresh dynamic. It could break the historic male monopoly on the presidency and vice presidency."
"Remember the buzz when Hillary and Barack were seen as a dream team? The media and voters were ecstatic. If she hadn't had ulterior motives, that combo might've worked out."
"McCain seems to have picked up on that energy. He saw the Democrats leave a gap—and now he's seizing it."
"Apparently, McCain only spoke with Palin once on the phone before picking her. Sounds impulsive, but it's working."
"Third, Palin is a direct counter to Barack's strengths. By pairing himself with someone young and energetic, McCain hopes to offset his own age and appeal to younger voters."
"She's even three years younger than Barack, with the same political outsider image—fresh, untainted by Washington politics."
"Fourth, Palin brings multiple advantages to the table. She's a working woman, a capable professional, and a mother of five. That's going to resonate with conservative family voters. She's a walking, talking voter magnet."
Obama, in hindsight, did feel a bit of regret. Before picking his own running mate, Martin had suggested he consider keeping Hillary on board—not out of trust, but to neutralize any sabotage she might attempt. If her schemes were already exposed, she couldn't do much more damage.
Unfortunately, Obama wasn't quite magnanimous enough and ultimately turned the idea down.
Looking back now, he had to admit—Martin had seen it coming all along.