Florida has proved to be a key state over the last 80 years, voting for the winning candidate in 18 of the 20 presidential elections during that time. Only John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Bill Clinton in 1992 have won the presidency during that span of time without winning Florida.

However, the Obama campaign has mapped out paths to the White House that do not include either Florida or Ohio (which has also voted for the winner in 18 of the last 20 elections), meaning a loss in the state would not necessarily prove as fateful as years past. Obama could become the first candidate to win without either state since J.F.K., but the campaign isn't taking chances and has signed up the top Democratic strategist in Florida.

The Miami Herald profiles today the head of Obama's Florida operations, Steve Schale.

As the Herald writes, the 33-year-old Schale "may be the savviest Democratic operative in the state. He helped his beleaguered party do something it hadn't done in more than 20 years: pick up a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. Under his steady hand, Democrats netted nine seats in the past two years."

Schale told the Herald that Obama is putting in place "the largest and most comprehensive organization that my side of the aisle has ever seen in Florida."