Michelle Obama to get unprecedented campaign team

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: June 19, 2008
Michelle Obama to get unprecedented campaign team

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is planning to beef up the team surrounding his wife Michelle Obama, to give her the kind of professional campaign veterans experienced in rapid response to negative attacks – the kind of staff that is usually only seen around an actual candidate, according to a senior aide.

The move is meant to address concerns within the campaign that Michelle Obama will be the target of significant attacks from conservatives this year. Their pre-emptive response is a team that one aide says is unprecedented in presidential politics. According to multiple aides, this team will work with Mrs. Obama to modify her stump speech — in part to include more stories from the voters she met during the primary season — in a bid to counter criticism by some conservatives that she is out of touch.

Former Kerry campaign Communications Director Stephanie Cutter has already been tapped as Mrs. Obama’s chief of staff, and additional staff will be hired in the coming weeks.

Aides say they expect Mrs. Obama to make occasional campaign stops over the next several weeks — including roundtables with military wives, and a womens’ event next week – before hitting the trail full time around July 4.

Michelle Obama has already become a target on the Web, with ads and e-mail rumors that criticize her as unpatriotic, elitist, and angry. But the campaign says Mrs. Obama is a net positive on the trail. For every conservative turned off by her message, they say, there are voters — especially women – who are drawn to her husband’s campaign, which describes her as the best surrogate he has.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/19/michelle-obama-to-get-her-own-war-room/#more-7985

[Captain Hilts]

1. A very good idea for a lot of reasons.

[islandmkl]

2. the Obama camp seems to know how to fight fires...

sometimes you have to set a fire to forestall the fire you are fighting...


(keep that comment away from Contessa Brewer)...

[kpominville]

3. Michelle's image

Didn't Michelle host the View a few weeks ago? How did that go? She needs more opprotunities like that to soften her image.
Has she been on Oprah lately?

This is good news, because the Republicans will exploit any weak links they find so they need a crack team around everyone they might target. I would not be surprised to see them go after Obama's kids now too.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Hi, kpominville -- welcome to DU! Michelle hosted "The View" yesterday...

and received rave reviews. The video is up on YouTube.

[kpominville]

7. Thank you!

Thank you! Im very happy to be here. :-)

I will check out the video and make sure it gets circulated!

[Captain Hilts]

8. Dog, how I hate to hear of women needing to 'soften' their image.

I know you didn't mean that's what YOU want, but it's so upsetting hearing this about any public woman who is not a bimbo.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. A woman called in to Thom Hartmann's show the other day

and suggested that all the prominent female Democrats, especially Hillary, Chelsea and Hillary's mother join forces with Michelle, Maria Shriver, Kathleen Sebelius, Jennifer Granholm, Janet Napolitano, Caroline Kennedy and others and do a Women of Strength nationwide tour to show solidarity. They would focus on John McSame's record on women's issues, while at the same time, get to know Michelle more. I think it's a brilliant suggestion, particularly in light of the disturbing fact that there are some women who are pro-choice who don't know McSame's views on women.

Think I'll shoot this message to the Obama campaign as a suggestion?

[kpominville]

6. Brilliant!

I agree! That is a brilliant suggestion.
I really hope the Obama campaign picks that up and runs with it.

[wvbygod]

9. Why is a makeover or personality staff needed?

She seems like a fine person as she is. Why not just let her be herself instead of some
other persons idea of what she should be and act like?

[Frustratedlady]

11. I agree with you! I don't want to see a "molded/remodeled" Michelle.

I like her just the way she is. Isn't she good enough for the elites?

[wvbygod]

12. I like her independence and speaking her mind

I hope they don't soften her too much.

[barack the house]

10. She deserves the best. Good for him.