December 9, 2011
Mayor Emanuel’s Campaign Nominated for Best PR Move of 2011
Empower PR, CEO Sam Chapman: ”Best and Worst PR Moves of 2011″
2011 was a momentous year for those in the spotlight. Some celebrities used finesse and talent to work their way into the public’s good graces, while others made disastrous PR moves and crashed and burned as a result.
Sam Chapman, CEO of Empower Public Relations and crisis communications expert, shares his list for the best and worst PR moves of 2011:
…
The Best PR Moves
Mayor Rahm Emanuel: Emanuel served as President Obama’s Chief of Staff during the onset of the economic crisis, and offered a heartfelt resignation when he set his sights on Chicago’s mayoral campaign. Despite facing ballot setbacks, Emanuel’s team helped secure a successful election campaign.
November 9, 2011
Interim Mayor Ed Lee Elected to Full Term In San Francisco
Ed Lee, First Asian-American Mayor of San Franciso, Wins Big
Final numbers are in, and voters of San Francisco have shown overwhelming support for current interim Mayor Ed Lee, elected to his first official term. The first Asian-American to be elected mayor in San Francisco history, he walked away with 61 percent of the vote in San Francisco’s “instant runoff” voting system, the closest competition being more than 25 points behind.
AKPD produced the media for San Franciscans for Jobs and Good Government, an Independent Expenditure campaign supporting Interim Mayor Ed Lee’s campaign for Mayor of San Francisco.
“We were proud to support Mayor Lee’s campaign for a full term, based on his strong record of job-creation, balanced budgets and pension reform,” said John Kupper, AKPD Senior Partner. He noted that this was the firm’s third IE campaign in California in the past year, including work in support of Governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris.
November 8, 2011
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx Re-Elected to Second Term
Ed Lee holds large lead in race for San Francisco Mayor
CHICAGO–AKPD Message and Media congratulates Mayor Anthony Foxx on his resounding victory in Charlotte, North Carolina, where last night he was elected to a second term.
In what was the largest margin of victory in a Charlotte mayoral race in over a decade, Mayor Foxx garnered 67 percent of the vote. Charlotte voters rallied behind the Mayor’s record of creating jobs, reducing crime and expanding opportunity for young people, even in these difficult economic times.
AKPD Message and Media served as campaign strategists and ad-makers for Mayor Anthony Foxx. AKPD partner John Del Cecato said, “In 2009, Charlotte voters broke with the status quo and elected Anthony Foxx to lead their city. Because of the Mayor’s leadership in protecting education, improving after-school programs, enhancing public safety, and working to create jobs, they have re-elected him by a historic margin. We’re proud to be associated with the Mayor, and look forward to his continued leadership in Charlotte.”
Mayor Anthony Foxx and the city of Charlotte will play host to the 2012 Democratic National Convention, spotlighting the city and its leaders prior to the 2012 general election.
AKPD also produced the media for San Franciscans for Jobs and Good Government, an Independent Expenditure campaign supporting Interim Mayor Ed Lee’s campaign for Mayor of San Francisco. Lee received 31 percent of the vote in a 15-candidate field and holds a double-digit lead over his nearest opponent. The final outcome will likely be determined late-Wednesday, after second-place votes are counted under San Francisco’s “instant runoff” voting system.
Lee would become the first Asian-American elected mayor of San Francisco.
“We were proud to support Mayor Lee’s campaign for a full term, based on his strong record of job-creation, balanced budgets and pension reform,” said John Kupper, AKPD Senior Partner. He noted that this was the firm’s third IE campaign in California in the past year, including work in support of Governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris.
February 22, 2011
AKPD Congratulates Emanuel On Winning Chicago Mayor’s Race
State Rep. Will Burns Elected 4th Ward Alderman
CHICAGO–AKPD Message and Media congratulated Rahm Emanuel tonight on his resounding victory in the Chicago mayor’s race.
Chicagoans gave Emanuel 55 percent of the vote in a 6-way race, providing him the majority needed to avoid a runoff and win outright. Voters rewarded Rahm’s focus on the issues, including his detailed plans to boost Chicago’s economy, improve schools and put 1,000 more police officers on the beat.
Most impressively, Emanuel unified the city by attracting a diverse coalition of supporters from every neighborhood and among all ethnic groups across Chicago.
AKPD client Illinois State Representative Will Burns also won a sweeping victory Tuesday night, capturing 65 percent of the vote to become Chicago’s 4th Ward Alderman.
“Chicago has a bright future with Rahm Emanuel as mayor and Will Burns as alderman,” said AKPD partner John Kupper. “Their vision and leadership will be critical in making Chicago’s streets safer and its schools stronger.”
AKPD served as lead media strategists for the Emanuel and Burns campaigns, creating and producing their television and radio advertising.
January 25, 2011
Deval Patrick: 2010 Story of the Year
Bay State Banner
By most accounts, 2010 was not going to be a good year for Deval Patrick.
The economy was sour, the unemployment rate was too high —and then came along Scott Brown, the Republican state senator who used his pick-up truck to out-work, out-hustle and, ultimately, out-campaign Martha Coakley to win the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Ted Kennedy.
The national GOP was just tickled — and boldly predicted that Brown’s victory was just the start of more frustrated Americans voting against democrats in general and President Barack Obama in particular. They were half-right — as the mid-term elections saw Republicans gaining an edge in the U.S. House of Representatives and cutting the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.
But that didn’t happen here in Massachusetts for one reason — Deval Patrick. Understandable, he was in a very good mood to discuss his historic re-election and his plans for his next four-year-term. “It’s been a good year,” Patrick said. “It hasn’t been without its challenges and we haven’t fully recovered. But we are recovering.”
That’s saying it mildly.
Patrick defeated Republican Charles Baker, a former health care executive, Tim Cahill, the state treasurer and independent candidate and Jill Stein, the Green-Rainbow Party candidate.
He also withstood The Republican Governors Association, which had hoped to knock off Patrick by spending millions on anti-Patrick and anti-Cahill ads. Patrick ran on his record, and given the national economy, he had a pretty good one to out — despite more than $4 billion in budget cuts.
Quiet as it’s kept, it was Patrick who led a grass-roots campaign during his first election in 2006 that broke a 16-year run of Republican governors that included William F. Weld, Paul Cellucci, Jane Swift and Mitt Romney.
Since his inauguration in January 2007, Patrick has constantly pushed education. He knows of its benefits. He rose from childhood poverty, attended Massachusetts’ prestigious Milton Academy, Harvard College and Harvard Law on scholarship, and then went on to serve in the Clinton administration Justice Department.
After a corporate law career, he made his first bid for elective office in 2006 with the help of Chicago political consultants David Axelrod and David Plouffe, who would go on to run Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Of particular pride is his education reform bill that became law last year. In a vote Patrick called “historic,” Massachusetts lawmakers gave a final approval to an education bill that is designed to close the achievement gap between schools in richer and poorer communities.
The bill made it easier for the state to help struggling schools. It also lifted the cap on charter schools in the lowest performing districts. “This will give our neediest students more options and holding charter operations accountable for reaching the students left behind,” Patrick said at the time.
The bill also strengthened the state’s application for $250 million in federal funding through the Obama administration’s Race to the Top initiative. Massachusetts had the highest score among the nine states and the District of Columbia that won grants totaling $3.4 billion in the second phase of the Race to the Top competition.
Patrick knows that he has more work to do. But for now, he said it best during his most recent campaign.
“I’m grateful, and all I’m trying to do is give back the same better chance that I got,” he said. [more...]
November 29, 2010
Deval Patrick Gave His Party a Morale Boost
Politico
More than any other Democratic governor, Deval Patrick gave his party a morale boost by winning another four years leading Massachusetts. As a close friend of President Obama and only the nation’s second elected black governor, Patrick was viewed from the start of the cycle as a test-case for the 2012 campaign.
He faced a formidable opponent in Republican insurance executive Charlie Baker, whom state Republicans considered the perfect challenger. But Patrick also got an assist from state Treasurer Tim Cahill, a former Democrat who drew votes as a center-right independent candidate.
The governor won by 6 percentage points, giving Democrats — including the consultants he shared with Obama — the rare encouraging sign for 2012. [more...]
November 3, 2010
AKPD Congratulates Clients Around the Country
AKPD Clients Overcame Historic GOP Wave Election in Key Gubernatorial and Congressional Races Across America
AKPD Message and Media congratulated its clients today on hard-fought victories across the country, headlined by the historic re-election of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.
Voters rewarded Gov. Patrick for his work steering Massachusetts through the national economic crisis, with his state leading the nation in job growth and student achievement.
Other AKPD clients made national headlines Tuesday, including:
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE
AKPD led TV and online advertising efforts on behalf of California Working Families for Jerry Brown, providing Brown critical support as he faced an unprecedented advertising onslaught by Meg Whitman. California Working Families’ efforts allowed Brown to save his resources for the Fall and beat back Whitman’s unprecedented spending of more than $140 million of her own fortune.
Throughout the Fall, AKPD was instrumental in the Million More Voters project led by the California Labor Federation, targeting union and union-friendly households and helping turn out key support for Jerry Brown and the Democratic ticket.
CEDRIC RICHMOND–LOUISIANA’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
State Representative Cedric Richmond was one of only two Democrats to oust Republican incumbents Tuesday, defeating popular Congressman Joseph Cao by 30 points in the New Orleans-based district. Richmond’s record as a state legislator—passing tax breaks for companies to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina and working to keep guns off of New Orleans’ streets—stood in stark contrast to Rep. Cao’s votes with the Republican leadership in Washington.
BRUCE BRALEY–IOWA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Congressman Bruce Braley held on to his Eastern Iowa seat despite being attacked by over $2 million in outside spending by the Chamber of Commerce and the American Future Fund, one of the shadowy groups funded by anonymous donors. The race was the subject of a New York Times editorial highlighting the insidious role outside groups have played in this election. Both the New York Times and Politico noted that Braley was one of the few Democrats in competitive districts to run proudly on his votes for health care reform and the economic stimulus program, which was critical to softening the impact of the financial crisis on his district.
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL
Responding to a late wave of attack ads against Democrat Kamala Harris funded by outside groups, AKPD led an independent expenditure advertising campaign through the Million More Voters project to strengthen Harris during the final week of the campaign. The positive ads illustrated Harris’ record as a crime fighter and a leader who had taken on predatory lenders and corporate interests, helping propel her to a small lead in the yet-to-be-called California AG’s race.
TOM DiNAPOLI—NEW YORK COMPTROLLER
Tom DiNapoli beat back a stiff challenge from Republican Harry Wilson to win a full-term as New York State Comptroller, despite being outspent 3:1. A former hedge fund manager, Wilson dumped millions of his own money into the race and had the backing of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New York Times and nearly every major newspaper. But DiNapoli overcame widespread anti-Albany sentiment across the state, running a strong campaign on his efforts to bring transparency and accountability to the state pension fund and root out corruption
JIM MCGOVERN—MASSACHUSETTS’ 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Jim McGovern easily won reelection in the face of a strong Tea Party challenger and spending by outside groups. Rep. McGovern was rewarded for his focus on getting results for his district, highlighting his work to bring new companies and new jobs to Central and Southeastern Massachusetts.
May 25, 2010
AKPD Congratulates Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Historic Victory
Today, AKPD Message and Media warmly congratulates Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the People’s Partnership coalition for its historic victory in Monday’s general election in Trinidad and Tobago.
Persad-Bissessar will become T&T’s first female Prime Minister after her coalition won an impressive 29 of 41 seats in Parliament.
The multi-party coalition, comprised of the United National Congress (UNC), Congress of the People (COP), and Tobago Organization of the People (TOP), joined together against the current Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his PNM Party in an unexpectedly powerful rebuke against the status quo.
Manning had ruled the country for 13 of the past 17 years, and called a snap election last month when faced with a potential no-confidence vote in Parliament.
The Miami Herald called Persad-Bissessar’s victory a “crushing rejection” for the incumbent after his team was “hoping to catch the opposition off-guard.”
“Today marks the beginning of a new era of reform in Trinidad and Tobago,” said AKPD Managing Partner Larry Grisolano. “We are proud to have helped usher in a leader who will bring much-needed transparency and accountability to her government.”
AKPD worked with the People’s Partnership to develop campaign message and strategy, oversee opinion research and implement new media targeting. Their new media consulting work included online strategy, social networking (Kamla.tt and ManningMustGo.com), and placing voter-education Internet ads.
AKPD has a long history as media and message consultants to successful campaigns at every level of government. A partial client list is available here.
For press inquiries, please contact Larry Grisolano at (312) 664-7500.
May 5, 2010
AKPD Congratulates Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher on Ohio Primary Victory
AKPD Message and Media extends warm congratulations to Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher on his double-digit victory in Ohio’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
Fisher scored a convincing win over his opponent, earning 55% of the primary vote.
“Fisher handily defeated his primary challenger,” reports today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer. “Ohio Democrats nominated Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher to champion their interests in what will be one of the country’s most closely watched battles for U.S. Senate.”
“By staying focused on his message of standing up for Ohio values and fighting for Ohio jobs, Lee Fisher forged a connection with Ohio voters that sets the stage for a spirited general election campaign,” said AKPD vice president Isaac Baker. “Lt. Governor Fisher’s commitment to ending tax breaks and trade policies that ship Ohio jobs overseas while holding Wall Street accountable speaks directly to the concerns of Ohio’s hard-working families.”
AKPD serves as the Fisher campaign’s media strategists, helping develop the campaign message and generating TV, radio, and Internet advertising. Watch Lee Fisher’s final primary campaign ad here.
AKPD has a long history of serving successful Democratic campaigns at every level of politics. A partial client list is available here. [more...]
November 4, 2009
Foxx Wins Upset Victory in Charlotte Mayor’s Race
AKPD Message and Media extends its heartfelt congratulations to Charlotte Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx, who pulled off a stunning upset victory in Tuesday’s election, winning 51% to 49%.
Foxx will replace Republican Mayor Pat McCrory, who is stepping down after 14 years. Foxx will become the first Democratic mayor of Charlotte in 22 years, the second African-American in history to win that office. At 37 years old, Foxx is also the youngest Charlotte mayor in recent memory.
AKPD Message and Media served as campaign strategists and media consultants to Mayor-elect Foxx. AKPD partner John Del Cecato said:
“Just three months ago, our Republican opponent held a 3:1 cash advantage and a 16-point lead in some public polls. But by staying laser-focused on his message of expanding educational and economic opportunity for all Charlotte families, Mayor-elect Foxx overcame the odds and won a tremendous victory last night. We¹re incredibly proud to be part of the Foxx team.”
Watch the Foxx campaign’s television ad:
AKPD has a long history of serving successful Democratic campaigns at every level of politics including national, statewide, and local races. A partial client list is available at: akpdmedia.com/clients.
July 8, 2009
AKPD Congratulates Francisco de Narváez and the Union-PRO list for Stunning Victory
AKPD Message and Media congratulates Francisco de Narváez and the Union-Pro list for an historic victory in last week’s parliamentary elections in Argentina.
AKPD worked with Francisco de Narváez to create message and media strategies that helped defeat the long-standing majority in Parliament, headed by former president Nestor Kirchner. Neither Nestor or current president Cristina Kirchner have ever lost a major election, prompting the Associated Press to call the results “stunning” and the New York Times referred to it as a “crushing defeat” for the incumbents.
Larry Grisolano, AKPD’s managing partner, said: “The people of the province of Buenos Aires have chosen reform — putting an end to politics-as-usual, and rejecting those who put the interests of powerful insiders before the economic and security needs of ordinary people. De Narváez is an inspirational symbol of hope for people across the world who are using the power of their votes to hold governments accountable to their every day needs. ”
AKPD has a long history as media and message consultants to successful campaigns at every level of government.
June 27, 2009
Obama Campaign Wins Titanium and Integrated Prizes at Cannes
Adweek
“The marketing campaign that took Barack Obama, a little-known African American senator with only two years of experience in Washington, to the U.S. presidency was honored with the top prizes — the Titanium and Integrated Grand Prix — at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes on Saturday. The effort was created by a multi-agency team, including AKPD and GMMB.” [more...]
May 21, 2009
Congratulations to California’s No on 1A Coalition
AKPD Message and Media extends warm congratulations to California’s No on 1A Coalition for their victory in yesterday’s Special Election.
AKPD worked with the No on 1A Coalition to produce television and internet advertising which helped defeat California’s misguided Prop 1A by a vote of 65.9% to 34.1%. Prop 1A had powerful proponents, including Governor Schwarzenegger, but paid media such as “Accounting Professor” helped to clarify an otherwise complex issue so that California voters learned that Prop 1A was flawed.
Larry Grisolano, AKPD’s managing partner, said: “We’re proud to stand by the No on 1A Coalition of teachers, faculty, nurses, health care providers, seniors and public employees, who fought so hard on behalf of real budget reform.”
The Coalition included participation from citizen and labor groups, such as the California Faculty Association, the California Federation of Teachers, SEIU California State Council, the League of Women Voters of California, Congress of California Seniors, Health Access California, California Nurses Association, Consumer Federation of California, and Older Women’s League of California.
AKPD also implemented the campaign’s advocacy website, VoteNoOn1A.com, which conveyed the Coalition’s perspective to those wanting to learn more after viewing the Coalition’s television and internet advertising.
AKPD has a long history as media consultant to successful referendum and issue expenditure campaigns. A partial client list is available here.
May 12, 2009
Thomas DiNapoli Hires AKPD for NY State Comptroller Race
Newsday.com
“Ramping up his 2010 election campaign, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli today hired a veteran of Barack Obama’s presidential bid to advise him on media matters. John Del Cecato, a partner in the firm AKPD founded by Obama media guru David Axelrod, will serve as a consultant to DiNapoli 2010…“AKPD and John Del Cecato know how to run a campaign,” DiNapoli said. “More importantly, they know how to win.” [more...]
April 13, 2009
Lee Fisher Hires AKPD for Ohio Senatorial Campaign
The Plain Dealer
Lee Fisher
“U.S. Senate candidate Lee Fisher confirmed today that he hired media consultant AKPD Message and Media, whose strategists ran Obama’s presidential campaign.
The Plain Dealer first noted in early March that the campaign was talking to the firm.
Since Obama’s victory, AKPD founder David Axelrod, formerly the Obama campaign’s chief strategist, has sold the firm and is now a senior adviser to the president. Axelrod oversaw Fisher’s attorney general media campaigns in 1990 and 1994.” [more...]
March 27, 2009
David Plouffe Wins Campaign Manager of the Year
The Association of Political and Public Affairs Professionals
David Katz/Obama for America
President Obama credited AKPD’s Senior Advisor David Plouffe for running the “best political campaign in the history of the United States of America.”
The American Association of Political Consultants agreed, awarding David Plouffe with its 2009 Campaign Excellence “Pollie Award” for Campaign Manager of the Year. [more...]
David Axelrod Wins Campaign Strategist of the Year
The Association of Political and Public Affairs Professionals
AKPD Founder David Axelrod was the architect of Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate and Presidential campaigns, serving most recently as Obama for America’s Chief Strategist. The American Association of Political Consultants recognized David Axelrod with its 2009 Campaign Excellence “Pollie Award” for Campaign Strategist of the Year. [more...]
February 26, 2009
Kasim Reed Snags AKPD for Atlanta Mayor’s Race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“But when it comes to Obama infrastructure, much of that has been snagged by state Sen. Kasim Reed, according to my AJC colleague Eric Stirgus. Reed announced Thursday that AKPD Message & Media will serve as his camp’s media consultants. Some of the firm’s better known names include David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager; John Del Cecato, who produced many of the presidential candidate’s TV ads; and John Kupper, who helped the president-to-be as a message and advertising consultant.” [more...]
February 25, 2009
Obama’s Campaign Shows That Brands Can Be Inclusive
Media Week
“He has two heroes of the campaign (outside of Obama himself, who certainly came across as the most authentic brand in the contest). Those heroes are David Axelrod, the chief strategist and visionary, and David Plouffe, the campaign manager.” [more...]
February 10, 2009
The 2009 Creativity 50: David Axelrod and David Plouffe
Creativity
“Since teaming up in 2004 to orchestrate Obama’s senatorial bid—the same year Plouffe became a partner in Axelrod’s firm, AKPD Message and Media—each has served as the yin to the other’s yang. Axelrod, the former columnist and veteran of Chicago politics, became the voice of the campaign, while the younger Plouffe—a college dropout with years of electoral experience—stayed behind the scenes and crunched the numbers, famously devising a path through the primaries that allowed Obama to upset the presumptive favorite Hillary Clinton.” [more...]
February 2, 2009
The Man Who Made Obama
Esquire
“Campaign manager David Plouffe got the first black president elected. Now he’s moving on to something even more difficult, and potentially more important.
“It was Plouffe (rhymes with bluff) who gathered the president’s unprecedented thirteen-million-name contact list, which has grown into a fulsome pulsing beast, and it is Plouffe who now owns it and keeps it under lock and key. Plouffe sent those thirteen million people an e-mail in mid-November and they replied, Yes, I still want to be involved, and yes, David Plouffe, I’ll have house parties when you tell me to. Here is who I am socioeconomically and socially. I am boxers; my next-door neighbor is briefs. Now the president has instructed him to make that list a new lever of government.” [more...]
January 22, 2009
Axelrod’s Firm
Crain's Insider
“David Axelrod, formerly the Obama campaign’s chief strategist and now a senior advisor to the president, has sold his consulting firm, AKP&D Message & Media, to longtime partners John Del Cecato and John Kupper, as well as Larry Grisolano, who joins as a partner.” [more...]
January 3, 2009
Top 10 Political Newcomers of 2008
Politico
“David Plouffe: An unlikely celebrity, the Obama campaign manager usually attracts distinctly un-glitzy adjectives like ‘soft-spoken’ and ‘camera-shy.’ But as the operations guy behind the Obama phenomenon, Plouffe cultivated a reputation as a no-nonsense political chess master.” [more...]
December 15, 2008
People Who Made Their Mark
Advertising Age
“1. David Axelrod: Chief strategist of the Obama campaign as well as a close friend of the candidate, the former Chicago Tribune reporter played a dual role in the campaign, also serving as its highest-profile spokesman. Behind the scenes Mr. Axelrod’s AKP&D Message & Media brought campaign chairman David Plouffe to the table. Working with GMMB in Washington, Mr. Axelrod and AKP&D had a major role in the Obama campaign’s advertising.” [more...]
November 10, 2008
The Team That Brought You the New President
Advertising Age
“The genius of Obama’s team, led by Mr. Plouffe and senior adviser David Axelrod, and ad group GMMB, headed by Jim Margolis, was its recognition that brand integration has transcended mere marketing to become a blend of technology, targeting, staffing, outreach and fundraising.” [more...]
November 8, 2008
Obama’s Polling And Media Teams Went All In
National Journal
“To the list of those who deserve a place in history for helping Barack Obama win the presidency, add the many firms on his polling and media teams. Atop the list is AKP&D Message and Media, the Chicago-based political consulting firm that includes partners David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist; and David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager.” [more...]
November 7, 2008
Obama’s Inner Circle Shares Inside Story
60 Minutes, CBS News
“When Barack Obama began thinking of running for president two years ago, he turned to a small inner circle of political advisors from his 2004 Senate campaign. Like Obama, they were talented, laid back and idealistic with limited exposure on the national stage. But with the candidate’s help, they orchestrated what some consider one of the most improbable and effective campaigns in American political history. They took a little-known senator with a foreign sounding name and almost no national experience and got him elected as the 44th president of the United States.” [more...]
November 5, 2008
Barack Obama: How He Did It
Newsweek
“Plouffe reflected the cool self-discipline of the candidate, and the two of them set the ethos of the campaign, which staffers dubbed ‘No-Drama Obama.’ Plouffe also had a clear and simple plan: concentrate on four early states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.” [more...]
Transcript: Obama’s Victory Speech
New York Times
“And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe — (cheers, applause) — the unsung hero of this campaign who built the best — (cheers) — the best political campaign I think in the history of the United States of America — (cheers, applause) — to my chief strategist, David Axelrod — (cheers, applause) — who has been a partner with me every step of the way, to the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics — (cheers) — you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.” [more...]
November 3, 2008
Axelrod, Powell, Even Hillary Prove Big Winners
Bloomberg.com
“BEST POLITICAL STRATEGIST: David Axelrod. He is the architect of the most remarkably cohesive and compelling presidential campaign in modern American history. Axelrod and Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, had a strategic sense of the times and the field. They ran circles around Hillary Clinton and McCain.” [more...]
November 2, 2008
What’s Next for David Axelrod?
Chicago Sun-Times
“Since the beginning of Obama’s White House run, Axelrod’s principal role has been to make sure the message of the campaign reflects Obama’s worldview, from TV spots to the spin room after debates. ‘The greatest gift that I have had is to be able to assemble the team of my dream,’ he said. ‘It was a little bit like ‘Ocean’s 11.’ I got to go around to the best of everybody and ask: ‘Are you in, or are you out?’’” [more...]
October 18, 2008
Obama Wins! … Ad Age’s Marketer of the Year
Advertising Age
“‘I honestly look at [Obama's] campaign and I look at it as something that we can all learn from as marketers,’ said Angus Macaulay, VP-Rodale marketing solutions ‘To see what he’s done, to be able to create a social network and do it in a way where it’s created the tools to let people get engaged very easily. It’s very easy for people to participate.’” [more...]
August 10, 2008
Why Polls Aren’t Worrying Obama’s Team
Chicago Sun-Times
“Axelrod & Co. can now include in its victory list the skinny unknown from Chicago who in one short year went from a mere 26 percent in the polls to toppling front-runner Hillary Clinton who was a full 22 points ahead of him last August.” [more...]
July 16, 2008
Barack Obama’s Super Marketing Machine
Salon.com
“About every week or so, you get an e-mail from Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, or top deputy Steve Hildebrand, or maybe Obama himself. They’re breezy and informal, addressing you by first name at the outset (before they ask you to donate money at the end). But that’s just the beginning.” [more...]
July 10, 2008
Obama’s Brain Trust
Rolling Stone
“But in describing the machine that Plouffe and his political team have built, the candidate was actually far too modest. By marrying online technology to grass-roots activism, Obama’s brain trust mobilized 1.5 million donors, raised more than $250 million, derailed the Clinton juggernaut and built something new in Democratic politics.” [more...]
June 16, 2008
Obama’s Aide Plouffe Plots Victory From Background
Bloomberg
“Plouffe’s expertise ensured that early grassroots enthusiasm for Obama translated into votes and became a vital fundraising source, said Berman, a veteran of six presidential campaigns. ‘You need that level of professional management to truly bring it together,’ Berman said. His colleagues said Plouffe’s methodical and quiet nature disguises the intensity he has brought to his 20-year career as field organizer, fundraiser, media strategist and campaign manager.” [more...]
June 9, 2008
Obama’s Campaign Chief Keeps a Low Profile
Chicago Tribune
“‘He’s the most disciplined and focused person I have ever met in politics,’ said Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf, who previously supported Clinton. ‘It is very easy to get distracted by the press and donors and activists. David just has a great filter and he doesn’t let any of the noise bother him. In a presidential campaign, that’s a rare talent.’” [more...]
June 4, 2008
How Obama Went from Underdog to Alpha
Los Angeles Times
“‘You had some tremendously talented people, but not a lot who were seriously tested in battle,’ said one Clinton loyalist familiar with the inner workings of her campaign. By contrast, key members of the Obama team — Margolis, Axelrod, national field director Steve Hildebrand, communication strategists Larry Grisolano and Robert Gibbs — had all worked in at least one presidential campaign. Plouffe knew the national landscape at a granular level from stints with the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees.” [more...]
May 19, 2008
The Details Man: David Plouffe
Newsweek
“It was clear from the start that Plouffe would be the campaign’s organizational mastermind. At a strategy session in December 2006, Obama asked about putting together a plan for the primaries. Plouffe had already worked it out in his head, and spelled out for Obama the state-by-state strategy the campaign would ultimately execute.” [more...]
April 26, 2008
Obama Guru’s Moment of Truth
Crain's Chicago Business
“Mr. Daley says it was ‘brilliant’ of the Obama campaign to run hard in nearly all 50 states instead of concentrating on Democratic strongholds — a strategy that Mr. Axelrod credits to campaign manager David Plouffe, his longtime business partner.” [more...]
