Who Are the People Who Advise and Influence Barack Obama?
Team Obama has not really acquired the star status of its candidate. Finding background on these people is not particularly easy and I would encourage anyone with an interest to pick up the thread and continue the work. Axelrod and Gibbs have the highest profile, although Plouffe probably gets the most hits on a Google search. The best overall description I could find is as follows:
The political professionals who are Obama's closest formal advisers are careful, deliberate counselors, wary of unnecessary risks and no strangers to campaign street fights.
They're all just sort of doers. There aren't a lot of big personalities like James Carville or Bob Shrum," said Steve Elmendorf, deputy campaign manager for Kerry's 2004 presidential run.
After sifting through the clippings, I can vouch for the lack of big personalities. But judging strictly from the company they have kept over the years, one would have to agree with the "no strangers to street fights" assessment. Obama's Dream Team may not all be from Chicago but they can play the rough-and-tumble game.
The Inner Circle
David Axelrod - Campaign Strategist
His upbringing as the son of Jewish liberal parents in New York makes for an interesting counterpoint to Obama although there may be some deeper emotional connection related to both men losing their fathers at a fairly young age. Whatever the case, Axelrod has been an advisor to BHO since before his US Senate run and has attained the status of "trusted insider".
He got his start helping the last presidential candidate from Illinois -- Sen. Paul Simon -- lose to Mike Dukakis in 1988 and has strong connections to both John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. He was Edward's media advisor during the 2004 Presidential campaign but the HRC link is particularly fascinating.
Axelrod and his wife Susan have three children in their late teens and early 20s. Their eldest, Lauren, has developmental disabilities associated with chronic epileptic seizures and now lives in a group home in Chicago. Susan and two other mothers of children with epilepsy started a foundation, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), which Susan runs, to promote research and raise funds for a cure. Because of David’s political work, they have had political celebrities do fund-raisers: Bill Clinton, Tim Russert, Obama. But few have done as much for the foundation as Hillary Clinton. At her behest, the National Institutes of Health convened a conference on finding a cure for epilepsy. Susan Axelrod said it was "one of the most important things anyone has done for epilepsy."
Although Axelrod appears to have been able to forget the debt he owes Hillary, he has not forgotten his many other political lessons.
- From his experience running the antic, aggressive Rahm Emanuel’s campaign for Congress, Axelrod realized that the way to deal with your client’s perceived flaws is to embrace them and not run from them.
- When he ran Tom Vilsack’s campaign for governor of Iowa, he learned that the smoothest way to beat back a staunch social conservative message is to attack not the content but "the over-the-top negativism" that often accompanies it.
- From some advisory work he did for Bill Clinton during the 1996 campaign, when he wrote the memo that introduced the phrase "Bridge to the 21st century" into the political vernacular, Axelrod learned that for a Democrat the future always trumps the past.
- From a distance, he watched Karl Rove help George Bush win two terms as president by "understanding that every election is a reaction to the last president" and then in 2004 by "figuring out how to make Bush’s stubbornness into a political virtue."
- During the 2004 convention, he stood with Senator Chris Dodd, who told Axelrod that Democrats "were making a mistake by turning the whole thing into a giant V.F.W. convention and not mentioning the failure of the Bush administration on a wide variety of issues." The lesson he took was that the party shouldn’t get too wrapped up in the issue of the moment.
- Most of all, from campaign after campaign, and particularly in 2004 from the Dean and Edwards campaigns, Axelrod took the lesson that the problem with failed candidacies isn’t usually that the message wasn’t shrewd but that "unless a message authentically reflects the messenger, it’s likely to fail."
Robert Gibbs - Communications Director
It is hard to find much background on Gibbs. He went to high school in Auburn, Alabama and graduated from NC State. He and Axelrod were both at Obama's coming-out party in Boston in 2004 although Gibbs was working for Kerry at the time. Previously, he worked as the communications director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and as campaign spokesman for Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.) in 1998.
One writer called Gibbs a combination of "Northern ruthlessness and Southern charm". I can't vouch for the charm part but it's hard to argue with the ruthless label. Within the progressive community Gibbs is a lightening rod for the Obama campaign. He is notorious for his involvement in a widely decried Howard Dean attack ad that resulted in backlash from both Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas. Nonetheless Gibbs appears to have fallen for Obama's charms.
Gibbs said working with Obama was clearly going to be different, as evidenced by the way his 2004 Democratic convention speech came together. Obama never asked him for a set of "talking points," which might have been the first order of business for others. Instead, he asked for audio and video of previous convention speeches to make his own assessment.
Obama then holed up in a hotel in Springfield, where the legislature was in session, and wrote the speech, Gibbs said.
Michelle Obama - First Lady in Waiting
As Barack's star continues to rise, Michelle Obama is getting more time in the public eye. Born and raised in South Chicago, she is an alumna of the Ivy League and Chicago City Hall. Michelle has been called the "true North" moral compass who grounds her husband in reality. She has also been referred to as "the closer" of undecided voters during this primary season and this response to a question about Obama's lack of experience is a pretty good example of her persuasion skills. Speaking personally, this defines the campaign for me.
Mrs. Obama has no interest in an ongoing quest for the White House. "To me, it’s now or never. We’re not going to keep running and running and running, because at some point you do get the life beaten out of you. It hasn’t been beaten out of us yet. We need to be in there now, while we’re still fresh and open and fearless and bold. You lose some of that over time. Barack is not cautious yet; he’s ready to change the world, and we need that."
Valerie Jarrett: Friend and Confidante
Although not a permanent part of the campaign team, Jarrett certainly qualifies as an insider. She was Michelle Robinson's boss at the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin where Michelle and Barack first met and Jarrett remains close friends with the Obamas. She was finance chair of Obama's 2004 Senate bid and once he was elected, was the treasurer of HOPEFUND, Obama's political action committee.
Jarrett brings two decades of Chicago political experience including as a former aide to Mayor Richard Daley and his appointee to head the Chicago Transit Authority. Jarrett now serves as chairwoman of the Chicago Stock Exchange Board and is also the newly-named CEO of the Habitat Co. Jarrett's resume and connections could make her a contender to succeed Daley.
Sept 21, 2007: "She's always been the other side of Barack's brain." That's how an Obama insider described Valerie Jarrett as an Obama campaign aide announced Thursday night the former CTA chief and current Habitat Co. CEO is taking on a larger role to help her close friend win his White House bid.
David Plouffe: Campaign Manager
A partner in AKP Media (along with David Axelrod) Plouffe has been referred to as "level-headed, low-key and one of the most well-rounded strategists." In the last presidential election, Plouffe served as a senior adviser to Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.). Prior to that he served as executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2000 cycle and as deputy chief of staff to Gephardt.
After a lot of digging I found this lump of coal from Plouffe's past. Some supporters may consider it a bit of a cheap shot or muckraking in old news but in the face of a complete lack of substantive biographical information on Plouffe this is the best I can do.
He also ran Bob Torricelli's 1996 campaign against Republican Dick Zimmer, and six people subsequently pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in that race, many for laundering contributions from Cresskill businessman David Chang. Published reports in 2001 said that Plouffe, Torricelli's former campaign treasurer, Adam C. Crain and longtime executive assistant in New Jersey, Roberta L. Sternand had been told by the feds they were targets of investigation. Plouffe, though the highest-ranking of the three aides, was also the one least tied to Mr. Torricelli and the fund-raising efforts that have been at the center of the federal inquiry, several former campaign staff members said.
The federal probe ended in January 2002 without any charges against Torricelli or his aides.
Basketball, the South Side, Harvard and South Dakota
Outside the inner circle, Obama has gathered an eclectic team with strong connections to his time at Harvard and his political base in Chicago. There is also an interesting tie to former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle. The basketball reference runs through a lot of Obama's relationships. Michelle Obama comes from a basketball family (she is 5'11" tall) and her brother, Craig Robinson, is the basketball coach at Brown University. Obama himself is 6'1" and for years played pick-up ball at the YMCA in both Chicago and Springfield.
Several other successful Chicago professionals are dinner and conversation companions. John Rogers, head of Ariel Capital Management, is a friend drawn into the family circle by Michelle Obama's brother Craig Robinson, with whom Rogers played basketball at Princeton University.
He also lives in Hyde Park and has occasionally played basketball with Obama--most recently at the 40th birthday party of Martin Nesbitt, president of Chicago-based PRG Parking Management and another informal adviser. Also at that party was Jim Reynolds, chairman and CEO of Loop Capital, who also provides regular counsel
South Side of Chicago: The Legacy of Leroy Brown
Bill Daley: Advisor
Brother of Chicago mayor Richard Daley and former Secretary of Commerce to Bill Clinton, Daley is Midwest Chairman of J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One Corp. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of Boeing, Merck & Co., Inc, Boston Properties, Inc., and Loyola University Chicago. He also sits on the Council on Foreign Relations.
"He brings stature and experience," said lobbyist Steve Elmendorf. "He can get on the phone with elected officials around the country."
Emil Jones Advisor
State Senate President (D-Chicago), an early mentor, continues to give political counsel. Jones gave Obama political cover early in his career when he was vulnerable to internal rivalries within the Illinois Democratic caucus.
To Jones, Obama represents "the future," someone who "embodies all that I dream and work for." The two met on a street corner years ago when Obama's South Side community group coincidentally convened an outdoor meeting just doors from Jones' house. They have been close ever since.
Denny Jacobs, Larry Walsh, Terry Link: Advisors
Fellow representatives in the Illinois Senate, these three veterans of the weekly Commmittee Meeting (read Poker Game) helped Obama reach out to the "Caucasian community", including the party insiders of organized labor and other old-line Democratic pressure groups.
Closest to Obama was Terry Link of Waukegan, who also was Lake County Democratic chairman. Both entered the Senate the same year, sat next to each other on the floor and shared office space. "We were just polar opposites," said Link. "He won easy, I had a difficult race. He was Harvard Law, and I was lucky to get out of high school. He was backed by the independents and here I was, a party leader."
Peter Giangreco: Direct Mail
Giangreco, a Chicago-based media consultant and veteran of the Iowa caucuses, is on board to do the direct mail as is his West Coast partner Larry Grisolano.
Jim Reynolds: Advisor
Chicago financial executive
John Rogers: Advisor
Mutual fund executive and major Chicago Democratic fundraiser
Harvard Law: Brains AND Money
Cassandra Butts: Senior Policy Advisor
Butts was a law school classmate of Obama's at Harvard. She is a former senior policy adviser to Dick Gephardt and currently works at the Center for American Progress -- a progressive think tank.
Michael Froman,Julius Genachowski,Broderick Johnson: Advisors
Fromin was a Harvard Law classmate, financial executive and former top aide to Bob Rubin. Genachowski was also a classmate at Harvard Law and is now a technology executive and former top aide to FCC chairman. Johnson is a former Clinton White House aide and telecom lobbyist.
Froman and Julius Genachowski first knew Obama as colleagues on the Harvard Law Review. Both men have since combined success in Washington and in business. Froman went from Rubin's Treasury Department staff to an executive position at Citigroup. Genachowski, a former chief counsel to then-Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt, is now a technology executive and investor.
Together they have helped guide Obama in the ways of Washington. Though not a law school classmate, Broderick Johnson, a former congressional liaison for the Clinton White House and now a lobbyist for AT&T, also joined them. So did Don Gips, former chief domestic policy adviser to Al Gore and now a telecom executive.
South Dakota: "Under God The People Rule"
Steve Hildebrand Early States Advisor
Hildebrand should be applauded by all Obama supporters for being the one "who got this party started". He was the key Iowa adviser overseeing political and field operations and traveled with Obama when he made his first Iowa visit for the Harkin Steak Fry in Sept. 2006.
No one has stronger Daschle ties in Obama's new political world than Hildebrand. A South Dakota native, Hildebrand managed Sen. Tim Johnson's (D-S.D.) successful 2002 reelection race and two years later led Daschle's unsuccessful bid for a fourth term. Hildebrand also has considerable expertise in presidential politics; he ran Al Gore's 2000 Iowa caucus campaign.
Julianna Smoot : Finance Director
Smoot is one of a series of top Obama aides who has strong ties to former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.). Smoot was finance director for Daschle during his time in the Senate, and she held the same role for John Edwards in his 1998 Senate race.
Peter Rouse: Chief of Staff
Former top aide to Tom Daschle. Known for caution and discretion, Rouse is a low-key institutionalist with an expansive knowledge of Senate folkways and a reputation for loyalty. In a presidential campaign, associates said, Rouse's role is to remain behind to watch Obama's back in the Senate, where rivals and their allies will have plenty of opportunities to lay political traps.
Dan Pfeiffer: Traveling Press Secretary
Another holdover from Team Daschle, Pfeiffer was communications director for Tim Johnson in 2002 and then deputy campaign manager for Daschle in 2004. Following that race, he signed on as communications director for Sen. Evan Bayh's (D-Ind.) presidential campaign-in-waiting. When Bayh dropped from the race late last year, Pfeiffer became a free agent.
And those not from Harvard, Chicago or South Dakota
Jim Margolis: Media Strategist
Margolis is a senior partner in GMMB -- one of the leading Democratic media consulting firms. He has considerable presidential experience having served as the lead media consultant for Sen. John Kerry's White House bid (until his departure in April 2004). Margolis also worked as an adviser to former Gov. Mark Warner during the Virginian's consideration of a national bid. He is also close to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.)
Paul Harstad : Pollster
Obama's pollster in 2004, Harstad is back on board for 2008. Based in Colorado, Harstad has had a remarkable run of success in the past few elections -- handling survey research for Obama, along with Sens. Ken Salazar (Colo.) and Clair McCaskill (Mo.).
Cornell Belcher : Pollster
Belcher is one of the rising stars in the Democratic polling community, serving as the de facto in-house pollster for Howard Dean at the Democratic National Committee over the last few years. He will share polling duties with Harstad.
Bill Burton: National Press Secretary
Burton served as communications director at the DCCC for the 2006 cycle and worked as a spokesman for Gephardt and then Kerry during the 2004 presidential race.
Devorah Adler: Research Director
Adler was the research director at the Democratic National Committee in the 2006 cycle where she gathered information about Republicans eyeing the presidency in 2008. She'll now turn her attention to the records of Obama's Democratic rivals.
Alyssa Mastromonaco: Scheduling & Advance
Mastromonaco, the political director at Obama's Hopefund PAC, will oversee scheduling and advance work for the presidential campaign.
Thanks to those who have read this far. I hope you will let me know about any errors or ommissions. If there is interest (and if I have time) I have accumulated another diary's worth of information on Obama's advisors in the important areas of foreign policy, economics, education and health.
Peace.
References:
Chicago Tribune
Obama's Inner Circle
By Mike Dorning and Christi Parsons
January 14, 2007
New York Time's Magazine
Obama's Narrator
By Ben Wallace-Wells
April 1, 2007
Illinois Periodicals Online
Political Pitchman
By Donald Sevener
December 1993
Rolling Stone Online Magazine
The Enemy Within
Tim Dickinson
April 05, 2007
Update
Jackie Grimshaw: Next Door Neighbor
Thanks to CityDem for this
Obama's neighbor on the less famous side of his house is Jacky Grimshaw who ran Harold Washington's successful campaign for Mayor. Her husband Bill is a U. of Chicago prof. The Grimshaws sometimes baby sit the Obama girls. Jacky and Michelle Obama are very close. Jacky is Vice President of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a Chicago based Environmental group at cnt.org. She is also vice chair of the Congress for the New Urbanism at cnu.org, a group focused on reviving traditional urban neighborhoods and transit.
Update 2
There have been a few comments asking for a follow-up diary on Obama's policy team. I am working on it but in the mean time will refer you to this 2007 story from the Chicago Tribune.
For those of you who think we may be getting ahead of ourselves talking about potential Cabinet Candidates, at least one Tribune blogger was in agreement. He wrote...
..."Obama's Policy Team Loaded With All-Stars," reads the headline, and ironically, that's a large part of his problem gaining lift-off. Obama supporters would feel a good deal more confident if there were a headline which read, "Obama's Speechwriting Team Loaded With All-Stars." Gifted policy advisers are great once you're president. But you first have to get elected and the way to do that is by showing people where you plan to lead them, not by releasing innovative policy papers.
Update 3
Here is a link to a wonderful article that I had not seen on Pete Rouse, Obama's Chief of Staff. Thanks to pb for the comment and link.
