Hillarysworld

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Obama seeks return to campaign-style discipline

by Julie Pace, February 16, 2010


Facing criticism that President Barack Obama isn't connecting with the American people, the White House is infusing its communications strategy with some of the ironclad discipline and outside-the-box thinking that made the Obama presidential campaign famous — and successful.

Sensitive about talk that the president was sometimes overexposed during his first year in office, the administration now is more discriminating about how and when the president deals with media — and about whom he talks to when he does.

Aides say there's no formal reevaluation of the administration's communications strategy as the president embarks on his second year in office. But with Obama's poll numbers flat-lining, his agenda on the ropes and Democrats increasingly worried about losing ground in November's midterm elections, the White House is taking an approach to getting out the message about the president's accomplishments and goals that is at once more aggressive and more streamlined.

That includes:

_ More direct, rapid response to criticism. Through blog postings on the White House Web site by a small cast of Obama aides and unsolicited e-mails from press secretary Robert Gibbs blasted to the White House's vast press list, the administration seeks to more quickly and widely counter perceived misinformation. And Gibbs has finally resorted to Twitter.

_ More events at which the president speaks directly to the public without the filter of the media, including town hall meetings around the country as well as such events as a recent online question-and-answer session streamed on YouTube and a televised live exchange with House Republicans.

_ Carefully choreographed interactions with the press. Instead of holding news conferences, which can cover many topics and put reporters in competition with the president for the spotlight, the Obama team is trying to place a premium on its media interactions.

It's an approach similar to the one employed successfully by the Obama campaign during the 2008 presidential race.

More . . .

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As if he ever left campaign-style politicking. What a shame!

I hope he realizes that people do not condone a president of inability to govern (from the center).

BTW, he is also hiring a media manager - someone to handle his tweeting and his Facebook page!!  The job is posted if you are interested!!!