'The early states are critical,' Obama said before pivotal Iowa win in 2008

In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won the Democratic Iowa caucuses in a major victory for his insurgent campaign, pushing the early favorite, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to a third-place finish. "The early states are critical to us because, you know, I am not as well-known as Senator Clinton and some of the other candidates in this race," Obama told Meet the Press ahead of the contest. » Subscribe to NBC News: https://www.youtube.com/user/NBCNews NBC News Digital is a collection of innovative and powerful news brands that deliver compelling, diverse and engaging news stories. NBC News Digital features NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, TODAY.com, Nightly News, Meet the Press, Dateline, and the existing apps and digital extensions of these respective properties. We deliver the best in breaking news, live video coverage, original journalism and segments from your favorite NBC News Shows. Connect with NBC News Online! Breaking News Alerts: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/breaking-news-signup?cid=sm_npd_nn_yt_bn-clip_190621 Visit NBCNews.Com: https://www.nbcnews.com/ Find NBC News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBCNews Follow NBC News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBCNews Get more of NBC News delivered to your inbox: nbcnews.com/newsletters #Obama #Democrats #HillaryClinton