Obama campaign hires longtime Dem strategist to "recraft" Michelle Obama's image

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: June 16, 2008
Former Clinton Campaign Manager Joins Obama Team
By Adam Nagourney

....The Obama campaign also is strengthening the team working for Michelle Obama.

Later today, the campaign is set to announce the hiring of Stephenie Cutter, a longtime Democratic strategist who worked as Senator John Kerry’s communications director in 2004. Ms. Cutter is scheduled to begin soon, with the first task of re-crafting the image of Mrs. Obama, who has come under intense criticism by Republicans and even some Democratic rivals. She also will lead a war room to fight attacks against Mrs. Obama.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/former-clinton-campaign-manager-joins-obama-team/

[Kerrytravelers]

1. I can't believe it's come to this... I wonder if he'll have to get the same thing for the girls.

The rethugs never understand what is off-limits.

[NashVegas]

3. I Can Believe It

But I have to wonder if they chose the right person.

[Kerrytravelers]

13. I think a lot of lessons were learned from the Kerry campaign in terms of responding quickly and

directly. The Fight the Smears campaign and the campaigns general practice of pouncing directly on smears has been pretty decent so far.

[MNDemNY]

5. Off limits??? It's a campaign, you can cry "off-limits"

But that doesn't make it so.Quit hand-wringing and deal with what, right or wrong, was become SOP in presidential campaigns.

[Kerrytravelers]

11. I realize there is no "off-limits" anymore, and I think we all know which party to thank for that.

Of course we have to deal with it, and clearly Obama is taking the steps in order to deal with it. I just think it is terribly sad that now of first spouses have to have an image machine. I understand why they went this route, but it is just so ridiculous.

I only hope that people on our side don't go after Cindy McCain the same way they have gone after Michelle. It is against what Obama is trying to do, although may be force to do on some level if the wingers keep going after his family. I think he made a suggestion to that fact when he made his statement to the Tennessee Republican party.

[MNDemNY]

15. Don't you think the character of one's spouse....

is a valid reflection of a candidate? I do. We should go after Cindy with what ever will stick.

[Kerrytravelers]

17. To some degree, yes. But to go all out on personal attacks is just a way of avoiding the real issues

Cindy McCain's past addicition problem is not part of the issues. I wouldn't hate to see attacking her as something embraced.

Michelle Obama's Princeton thesis is not part of the issues, and it is especially troubling when only snippets of her writing is being printed and then interperted out of context.


Personal attacks are simply a means of avoiding the issues.

[MNDemNY]

26. Good or bad, the "real" issues are ANY issues that effect the election.

[Kerrytravelers]

31. Well, I agree that any issue that effects the election certainly becomes a real issue.

I am just reacting to the lack of balance paid to issues. I am far more concerned with issues that hit my bank account, my students education, my rights to reproductive freedom and this mess in Iraq than I personally am with Cindy McCain's past addiction issues. (And by saying this, I am in no way implying that you care less about any of the above issues. Please don't misread me here.)

While there is validity to looking at the spouse, I agree with you, it seems that the balance is focused more on things outside of what really affects Americans and the rest of the world. Cindy McCain's past problems don't matter as much to me as her husband's horrific standing on so many positions. I'd hate to see any attacks on her by people on our team as vicious and mean, and thereby giving McCain a "pass" in the media, as attacks would seem the opposite of what Obama is advocating. This would be seen as hypocritical, and possibly earn McCain sympathy points- we all know he already gets enough of a pass.




P.S. I always get effect and affect mixed around. :crazy: But, you know what I mean! :)

[ashling]

24. you can misspell "Quit" as "Quite", but that doesn't make it so

not quite, anyway, so quit it!
:rofl:


just kidding :hi:

[MNDemNY]

28. Gotta love the "spelling" police!

[demokatgurrl]

6. Yeah, if we see the braids go away that means trouble.

It's bad enough the candidate has to worry about "image" but the family too?

[Kerrytravelers]

16. Bwaaahhhh... snort...

[Benhurst]

12. Michelle shouldn't be off limits. She is a highly-educated, professional woman

who has chosen to be a spokesperson for her husband, and a most effective one at that. I'm sure she is perfectly capable of taking the heat of a presidential campaign.

If she had opted out of the campaign, then she, like her children, would not have been a legitimate target for criticism.

[Kerrytravelers]

14. I agree that she is highly education and professional... and damn smart!

I just see going after the families as a means to avoid the issues. I hated the way Hillary was a target during Bill's runs and time in office.

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Who are the Democratic Rivals? I haven't heard any.

And why bring a Kerry image person on? They SUCKED for Kerry.

[SteppingRazor]

7. I think it might help if you know Cutter's full resume.

Aside from Kerry, she's also worked with Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy and the DNC. So, I don't think you can necessarily dismiss her as one of those "Kerry image people."

[democrattotheend]

22. Not EVERYONE on Kerry's team sucked

Sure, he ran a pretty inept campaign, but that does not mean everyone who worked on the campaign was inept.

[politicasista]

32. And he didn't have party and media support, which Obama has now n/t

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[demokatgurrl]

4. May I ask just what the FUCK is wrong with

Michelle Obama's image? She's elegant, classy, and beautiful. And refreshingly straighforward (unlike the FAKE "straight talker).

[SteppingRazor]

8. Yes. The mission would be in showing people that she's elegant, classy and beautiful...

I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with Michelle having a better communications staff. The GOP has already said she's fair game, so it only makes sense to be prepared for what's to come.

[stray cat]

10. As a largely DC outsider it doesn't hurt to be advised about types of attacks to expect

[SteppingRazor]

18. Exactly.

An ounce of prevention and all that. :thumbsup:

[Ian David]

9. They're just doing this so they can release yet ANOTHER Michell Obama Action Figure.

It's all about the merchandising.

First, there's The Michelle Obama Action Figure.

And then there's The Michelle Obama Action Figure With Kung-Fu Dap.

And now the're going to release The Michelle Obama Action Figure With Battle Action.

Where will it end?

[Kerrytravelers]

19. Bwaaahhhh... snort...

... Kung-Fu Dap...

[karynnj]

20. I would question whether the Obama team listed her role as Nagourney defines it

I assume they hired her to an aide to Michelle Obama. It is beyond counter productive to state that she is "re-crafting" Michelle Obama's image. What is your first thought hearing that? Mine is that they are creating a facade they can market. I seriously doubt that that is their goal.

Adam Nagourney was AWFUL in 2004 - I suggest that people wait for the announcement from the Obama team.

[DeepModem Mom]

23. He was indeed, awful, and the description probably unfair. I've read...

in several other articles, however, that it's a pretty widely-held belief that Michelle's image needs work. The example usually given has been the statement about being proud of America for the first time.

[karynnj]

29. I agree with you on both counts

Though on her image, I think that she has had things completely taken out of context and blown up. Like THK, she is mostly known by a few comments that likely are not typical and in context would have been fine. It is hard to imagine how tough it is for any wife - with everything recorded every hour, every day and then played ad nausium. Think of the anything you said that came out wrong in the last month. Imagine it were taped and you had to hear it repeated with people giving it the worst possible interpretation.

After the loss in 2004, in addition to morning the loss for the country and world - I was really troubled that Kerry, a man who lived a public live with very little that anyone to attack had his reputation damaged for political expediency. Over time, I realized that he had had the debates, where people saw him for the brilliant man he is. His wife did not have that kind of platform. I saw them at a book tour event - nothing in the image the Republicans framed had anything to do with the soft spoken, beautiful, brilliant woman who spoke of environmental toxins. In her case, the Republicans knew her - they had been guests at her home during the many years John Heinz was a Congressman and Senator. By all accounts, she was very well liked by them then. It was not THK who changed.

That said, it is necessary to get enough good stuff out so people meet Michelle Obama before the Republicans further define her.

[DeepModem Mom]

30. That is very true. Michelle's remark was blown out of proportion -- even Laura Bush said...

she knew what Michelle meant! I guess someone like this "strategist" can help keep incidents like that -- no fault of Mrs. Obama's -- under control.

[MoonRiver]

21. "Recrafting" Mrs. Obama?

:wow: Bus, meet Michelle! :wtf:

[KittyWampus]

27. LOOK, McCain JUST SAID THE SAME THING MICHELLE DID about being proud of USA

as far as I am concerned it totally immunizes Michelle.

Where is the video or audio of this?

[polichick]

33. I hope "re-crafting" means clearing up the misconceptions of idiots.

[windoe]

34. Michelle Obama is so down to Earth.

How unfortunate that 'images have to be recrafted' because of idiots in the tabloid news network.