Obama plans general election team

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama is quietly planning to take over the Democratic National Committee and assemble a multistate team for the general election, the latest sign that he is putting rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and the nomination fight behind him.

Top Obama organizer Paul Tewes is in discussions to run the party, several Democratic officials said Tuesday.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said no final decisions have been made on general election plans and that such decisions would be premature with Obama yet to clinch the nomination.

Tewes is one of the leading architects of Obama's success in the marathon Democratic primary race. He engineered Obama's critical victory in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, which gave Obama the upper hand and Clinton was never able to fully overcome.

DNC executive director Tom McMahon and DNC political director Dave Boundy traveled to Chicago last week to meet with Tewes and other campaign officials to discuss merging efforts. The party officials have held similar meetings with Clinton campaign officials and last week got an agreement with both campaigns to start raising money that will benefit the eventual nominee.

The Obama campaign also is in discussions with staffers who will be dispatched to various swing states, but holding off on making announcements until Obama has won the nomination. Officials who spoke to The Associated Press about the discussions insisted on anonymity because the campaign wanted to keep the deliberations quiet.

Obama needs 2,026 delegates to clinch the nomination, and he moved within 100 of that goal after contests in Kentucky and Oregon Tuesday. Clinton was more than 250 delegates back.

The staffing decisions are a natural progression for Obama, who still is engaged in a primary campaign while Republican candidate John McCain has been free to prepare his general election team for months. Obama will have to hit the ground running to make up for lost time when, as expected, he dispatches Clinton.

Story continues below

Democratic and Republican nominees traditionally install loyalists at their party committees even though it is technically headed by its chairman _ in this case Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and a presidential candidate four years ago.

McCain has put his own team at the Republican National Committee to operate a Victory Fund Committee that is corralling top GOP donors and plotting strategy for the general election. McCain took the steps shortly after locking up the nomination after primary wins on March 4.

But Obama can't afford to move too quickly toward the general election, or he will risk alienating Clinton supporters who are already emotional about the likelihood of their chosen candidate's closely fought defeat.

There have been other steps toward the Democratic nomination. Obama has been campaigning in general election battleground states. Fundraisers for the two campaigns have held quiet discussions on working together in the fall campaign. And Obama's campaign reached out to former Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle about joining forces for the general election, although several other top Clinton staffers said they have not been contacted.

___

On the Net:

http://www.barackobama.com

Comments

[CocteausTwin]

I am sorry but didn't the headline read something about an Obama lead taking over for Howard Dean? I saw nothing in the article referring to this.

[PKSSK]

Read second paragragh pertaining to Paul Tewes.

[the964kid]

Hillary needs to stop putting herself above the party. It's all fine to let her exit on her own terms, and I feel like the public gave her that chance. Since, as reported by numerous sources, the race has basically been over since Obama won those 12 contests in a row. That was back in February! How many bonus months are Dems going to give to McCain to organize?? We can't waste another day - Hillary get out of the race now, for the good of the Democratic Party.

[citadelgrrl05]

I hate the fact that we are having to baby her supporters, they are getting in the way of this process and I am ready for them to get over it!! But I do understand that they have to mourn the loss of hillary's candidacy, but can yall please hurry up cuz we want to get on with it!! I know I know it is a bit insensitive.. you HRC people for give me...Take all the time within the next two weeks to heal and then we can get together as dems and take on the fight of ourlives against this huge mountain called John McCain

[Fabienne]

This is a political campaign, not the death of a family member. It is not up to the political process to deal with Senator Clinton's mourning supporters. The Democratic Party didn't hold my hand when I was appalled at so many of its members in Congress voting to give sweeping war powers to a man with the emotional make-up of an adolescent boy and the judgment of a toddler. Time to move on from these people. They will do what they will do. We need a new party that stands up for the values of the citizenry rather than for corporations and the military. If they don't want to get on board, it's their prerogative.

[GinnyinCO]

I have been totally impressed by the national campaign the 'rookie' has pulled off. This has been an issue for years. Can the individual, no matter how experienced in local/state elections, transition to the astronomically bigger national scene.

Dean's 50 state strategy played into Obama's strengths just as it should have. Add Clinton's team building skills and the result is no surprise. The ' liberal wing ' of the party did our damndest to support Bill and Hillary from the GOP goons, even though sometimes we learned a lot of empathy for ACLU lawyers who have to defend creeps to protect the Constitution. The payback felt just like, payback. Ok then, we think the country, as Arianna has written, moved left while everyone was watching the GOP shrink. Progressive suits me better than liberal right now - because we want CHANGE.

Obama (or someone in the campaign) is now considering a plan that I can see no rhyme, reason or delusion for.

Hiring Patti Solis Doyle????? Did I miss something about this woman's competence? They have to promise me she will have no authority over anything more than $1000 at a time.

[realtalk]

Serving 8 years in the Illinois Senate, and 4 years in the US Senate is not a ``rookie``, as you put it, it is alot of experience, and the right experience. Obama has great insight into how the government works both at the State level, as well as how government works at the Federal level, that is the best experience any politician can have. Obama knows, and has seen first hand, how decisons made in Washington affects the constituents of a State.
Obama also knows first hand from being in the US Senate, the issues the government has been dealing with, including the war, homeland security, the economy, education, ect... He has sat on commitees, interviewed generals, and soldiers, CIA memberes, FBI members, economists, principals, and teachers. Obama has written legislation , and have had them signed into laws by the President, laws which directly, and positively affect the lives of the citizens of this country.

[jsarets]

Paul Tewes is the GOTV genius behind the Obama campaign, and the general election will be predominantly about turnout. McCain's coalition is made up of historically high-turnout demographics, whereas Obama is very strong among typically low-turnout groups. Demographic preferences are quite stubborn, but turnout can vary wildly depending on strategy and investment. The higher the turnout, the more likely Obama will win and the more seats Democrats will gain in Congress.

If there's anything that the primary campaign taught Democrats about electoral politics, it's that $1 spent on organization is worth $10 or more spent on advertising. Obama will have an org chart that extends all the way down to volunteer community organizers in every precinct in the United States. Every eligible voter should have a conversation with an Obama volunteer than starts with the question, "What do you think about Obama?" and proceeds to overcome objections.

Obama is going to take national politics down to the personal level. He will have a face-to-face dialog with every American through his organizational network. He won't be "exotic", he'll be the former Marine from down the street or your daughter's English teacher. That's the kind of bottom-up politics that will encourage us to take back our government, and that's what Obama is all about.

[whatgive]

Jsarets,

Excellent analysis! i concur

[TrueBlueMajority]

I love Howard but if he is ready to step down and let someone else fulfill the 50 state strategy I say he did his job well and deserves a rest.

[sanywhere]

that is not what the article said. if i am reading it correctly, obama will put his guy in on the committee, not at the chairman position-which dean chairs. so, dean would stay with obama's team on the committee.

[WRPrintz]

agree. Dean will stay as chairman until the election, and then go into the cabnet. You don't replace someone with his national presence and brain power. He is also a good verbal ass kicker...something that my party lacks.

[christieZ]

The article says that this is usually what happens, anyway. Dean stays as the official chairman, but candidates put a "loyalist" into the top spot, unofficially.

"Democratic and Republican nominees traditionally install loyalists at their party committees even though it is technically headed by its chairman _ in this case Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and a presidential candidate four years ago."

[jashbowie]

Obama winning the White House will put the final nail in the coffin of the ineffectual and stagnant DLC. I just hope he offers Dean a good job, like UN representative or Secretary of Health and Human Services.

[Spiriteddona]

Is it the Barack Obama party, now?
watch my hil comedy video
link http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2559101/76720833
thank you!

[ErnestineBass]

Progressive Democrats owe Howard Dean a debt of gratitude.
He REALLY HAS done "a heckuva job" rebuilding our party from the grassroots up!

Thank you, Dr. Dean! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! -EB

(Honoring him with the keynote speech in Denver might be nice...just a thought)

[Joyful]

There wouldn't be much of a change, Carol. Obama's been running the 50-state strategy that Dean came up with. The Obama campaign is amazing, though. I worked election day, and it's both organized and flexible. If he runs the country the way he's running the campaign, we may have a shot at fixing the mess Bush is leaving.

[GenXLiberal]

I can't help but be excited if this all materializes. Howard Dean deserves alot of credit for bringing back the old school mentality of the Democratic party. One thing overlooked in the primary election season was the internal battle between the DNC and the DLC. Hillary representing the corporations and Obama representing the liberal populace. This is the shot in the arm our party really needed.

[harriscrl3]

If he runs the party the way he ran his campaign I may fall lin love with the democratic party. Here we go again with he hasnt clinch the nomination. Obama may be in the white house and still say winning the nomination is premature.

Carol

[MM5]

LOL...HRC will freak out if he says he won so those words will probably never be uttered!

[sanywhere]

rachel maddow said that obama will have to shove her out tonight because she will never leave on her own. i was a bit surprised at that coming from her. but, this reminded me of that.