Posted by: GSPM in Plouffe, obama, 2008 on
Jan 21, 2010
Political strategist and chief campaign manager for President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign David Plouffe spoke at the Elliott School Tuesday night, discussing how the Democrats could lose in Massachusetts, health care reform, and his new book, "The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory."
Huffington Post White House Correspondent Sam Stein moderated the question-and-answer discussion - hosted by the Graduate School of Political Management and the Progressive Book Club - during which Plouffe, Obama's adviser, took questions from both the in-house and online audience.
Van Jones, the founder of Green For All and the current Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, came to speak to the 80 Million Strong For Young American Jobs Summit this morning.
Among many topics, he spent a few minutes talking about the difference between governing and campaigning. As a member of the Obama team, his comments were uniquely insightful. Here is what he said:
Posted by: Bryce Cullinane in obama, Grassroots on
Jun 24, 2009
When he announced the formation of Organizing For America, President Obama commented that his viewers, the American people, "built the largest grassroots movement in history." In Iowa he proclaimed "you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do." In Grant Park on November 4th: "I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to--it belongs to you." He made it very clear that his campaign was not his, but the American people's. He created an image of an operation in which he was the mouthpiece of millions.
But this image of a "people led" movement was just that, an image. The truth about the Obama campaign, as far as I can see, it was the most effective "top-down" organization that presidential politics has ever seen. The message was tightly controlled, events were well staged and most moves were part of a grand and well executed strategy. Town halls were not used to hear people as much as to get them to vote and volunteer. Large rallies were not debates about issues, they were about supporting a candidate.
