For David Plouffe, a top Obama adviser, a new strategy and old doubts
By Jason Horowitz,
WashPost
Published: September 27
They liked what they saw.
In early September, the morning after demanding passage of a jobs bill before a joint session of Congress, President Obama revved up the crowd in a packed University of Richmond gym as three of his top advisers watched from the wings. When the president responded to shouts of “We love you, Obama” with “Love you back,” senior adviser Valerie Jarrett dropped her head back in delight. The shoulders of press secretary Jay Carney heaved as he clapped.
And David Plouffe, the president’s unflappable chief strategist, seemed swept up in the moment.
As the president’s speech went on, Jarrett’s attention drifted to her BlackBerry and Carney rested against the wall. But Plouffe stepped closer to the stage. He folded his arms, pursed his lips and stroked his chin, observing Obama like a gymnastics coach monitoring the recalibrated routine of his star performer.
Often considered a cold, calm cyborgian number-cruncher who reflects his cold, calm cyborgian boss, Plouffe, 44, is in fact deeply passionate man, enamored with the success of the 2008 campaign that cast Obama as a transformational candidate who would change Washington from above. It was an insurgent strategy that bested Hillary Clinton, but it has failed Obama as an incumbent. While Plouffe appears to be pushing Obama toward a more partisan approach, doubts linger over whether he has sufficiently gotten over the last election to win the next one.
(More here.)
WashPost
Published: September 27
They liked what they saw.
In early September, the morning after demanding passage of a jobs bill before a joint session of Congress, President Obama revved up the crowd in a packed University of Richmond gym as three of his top advisers watched from the wings. When the president responded to shouts of “We love you, Obama” with “Love you back,” senior adviser Valerie Jarrett dropped her head back in delight. The shoulders of press secretary Jay Carney heaved as he clapped.
And David Plouffe, the president’s unflappable chief strategist, seemed swept up in the moment.
As the president’s speech went on, Jarrett’s attention drifted to her BlackBerry and Carney rested against the wall. But Plouffe stepped closer to the stage. He folded his arms, pursed his lips and stroked his chin, observing Obama like a gymnastics coach monitoring the recalibrated routine of his star performer.
Often considered a cold, calm cyborgian number-cruncher who reflects his cold, calm cyborgian boss, Plouffe, 44, is in fact deeply passionate man, enamored with the success of the 2008 campaign that cast Obama as a transformational candidate who would change Washington from above. It was an insurgent strategy that bested Hillary Clinton, but it has failed Obama as an incumbent. While Plouffe appears to be pushing Obama toward a more partisan approach, doubts linger over whether he has sufficiently gotten over the last election to win the next one.
(More here.)
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