Obama Looks To “Reaffirm” Message With Fast And Feisty Media Strategy

by Joe Coscarelli | 9:59 am, January 24th, 2010

» 5 comments

Acknowledging the omen of last Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts, President Obama and his team are repositioning themselves publicly in order to showcase the president’s “feisty side,” White House senior adviser David Axelrod told Politico. He was quick to note, though, that there will be “no reinventing” despite Washington’s desire for “a shakeup or human sacrifice.”

Call it what you will, but isn’t a new public strategy a form of reinvention?

“There’s a sense of impatience and frustration about the state of the economy, but also about the nature of how Washington works,” Alexrod is quoting as saying in Mike Allen‘s Politico Playbook. “That was true in 2008, and it’s true now. The president is as determined to deal with those things now as he was then.”

On Massachusetts, Alexrod was aware, but not panicked, as seems to be the administration’s overall line: “It just reminded us that we’ve got to be at the top of our game,” he said, reiterating, “There’s no reinventing any message here. It’s a reaffirmation of a message.”

The new push to reaffirm the message of this president was perhaps teased yesterday, when we noted Obama’s strong words for the Supreme Court in the wake of their decision on campaign finance, a ruling Obama called “devastating,” vowing to right their wrongs. As noted by Playbook, Obama “road-tested his message” at a Friday town hall in Ohio “when he said 20 times that he will fight for average Americans.”

The new push will be especially pronounced in the media today and through the first days of the week as the administration preps the press — and massages the narrative — in the lead-up to Wednesday’s State of the Union address. With a fire lit underneath them, and an apparently cohesive strategy, this week may signal a turnaround for Obama after a few too many rough news cycles and as the 2010 midterm elections approach.

Axelrod Interview, David Axelrod, Mike Allen, Obama's Media Strategy, Playbook, Politico, President Obama, State of the Union

disgusted

this “reaffirms” one of his MANY promises?
But –
The Supreme court’s JOB is to interpret laws AND “defend” the US Constitution!
ChrisNH

The president is NOT determined to ‘deal with the frustration of how Washington works.’ Otherwise, we’d have heard him strike back about the ‘Louisiana Purchase.’ Or Nebraska. Or the sweetheart give-back to the unions. No. Obama was SO invested in building a monument to himself over health-care that he couldn’t bring himself to do the right thing and rally against any or all of those three things…each of which added to and fueled the anger unleashed last Tuesday. Obama is nowhere near ready to deal with the frustration of Washington, because right now, he IS Washington. He doesn’t get a ‘do-over’ when it comes to being concerned.
blueblogger

ChrisNH I am so glad you are able to read the president’s mind and know exactly what he is up to. This administration but particularly this congress is not the first ones that have made backroom deals. It is the way it works in Washington and always has. It is just more open because the media covers it more than they did for many years. Now having said that I know Obama campaigned on CHANGE in Washington. I am questioning his ablilty to rein in congress. I had hoped he could do a better job. I am disappointed in Obama’s leadership. He is, however, a quick study. I am willing to wait and see what happens. What all of us need to do is vote all of them out of congress. BOTH parties. We need term limits so none of them become to big for their britches. Way to much money and not enough grassroots support for doing that. It always amazes me how people just go about their business and complain. What is it 40% of all people vote?
timzank

One thing I agree with Blublogger about, TERM LIMITS. As for Barry, he needs to give all the daily televised speechifyin’ and testifyin’ a break and do what the rest of us have to everday, go to work. It’s painfully obvious you elected a cheerleader, not a leader.
Moderate

“There’s no reinventing any message here. It’s a reaffirmation of a message.”

November is going to be a bigger massacre than Virginia, New Jersey and Mass.