Obama 2012 Campaign Re-Hires Digital Vets

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is re-hiring two of the top digital strategists from the 2008 campaign to assist with his 2012 run.

The Obama re-election team announced on Friday that Joe Rospars would be hired for the role of chief digital strategist while Michael Slaby would take on the role of chief integration and innovation officer. Both Rospars and Slaby helped Obama's '08 campaign score major breakthroughs in the areas of online politicking and digital outreach.

Each had declined to shift over to the White House, with Rospars going back to the firm he started, Blue State Digital, and Slaby working at the global public relations firm Edelman. But the opportunity to get Obama re-elected –- and, perhaps, adapt the campaign to even newer new media forums -- was apparently more alluring than the private sector.

The news, first broken by National Journal's Marc Ambinder, was confirmed by sources at the Democratic National Committee. A Democratic source familiar with the hires said that the news "has been in the wings" for some time, with the campaign just waiting for the right moment to make the announcement.

Rospars declined an offer to comment. A call to Slaby at Edelman was not immediately returned.

Comments

[Marie Russell-Barker]

07:05 PM on 04/29/2011

I hope that this time they bring along with them more expertise added to what they already know because this time it maybe a little harder. I am sure though that everything will be straighten out by the time 2012 rolls around. We will Follow suite and give help here on the grounds and phone calls, each State must use what ever hand that they have been dealt. As we all know some of our States are trying to take away the rights of some who vote and restrict some keeping them from voting by putting objects in their way to keep voter registration down because they believe that this will keep the Democrats from accumulating more voters. These People must be informed on how to get themselves registered what they need to do this and how to go about obtaining it. I am sure that these two people will be able to get that message out the way they did in 2008.

[Dancing Queen]

06:24 PM on 04/29/2011

for starters obama and the obamabots should deny that he's been president for the last few years

[anonopoly]

06:34 PM on 04/29/2011

Do we get our money back?

[Izzymeister]

05:31 PM on 04/29/2011

The GOP has shown their cards. Now they have to put up or shut up.

They have alienated women, seniors, gays, students, immigrants­­, minorities­­, poor and middle class. They also hate mother nature, and unions.

Crush & Flush the GOP 2012 !!!

[anonopoly]

06:06 PM on 04/29/2011

Can't deny that!
Crush and Flush !!
I like it

[drum950]

05:22 PM on 04/29/2011

How long before you admit that Obama was a MISTAKE?!?

[ruthinking]

05:41 PM on 04/29/2011

I will admit he is the best President in my lifetime. is that good enough for you?

[anonopoly]

06:09 PM on 04/29/2011

JFK was the best in my lifetime..for obvious reasons.
But I'd have to agree with you if you were born later than me.
(If he ever is able to provide a real birth certificate!)

[kizzie]

02:43 PM on 05/01/2011

You must not be very old. JFK did more good, or tried to, than anyone we've had since Andrew Jackson. Both had assination attempts for basically the same reasons, and they managed to kill Kennedy for standing up to the powers that be.
Read a book called JFK and the Unthinkable. It will open your eyes to the whole story---not just conspiracy theories.

[sophiajim]

05:50 PM on 04/29/2011

He has done a great job keeping us from a depression believe, it or not. Even Bush knew it was on our door step that is why he bailed out Banks

[Joshua Katz]

05:06 PM on 04/29/2011

Obama, the goof off forger president, has been busy campaigning since 2009..I feel sorry for the Air Force One not getting a break since Obama took office. I don't think Obama even notice that we got a $5.00 gas price right now...

[Craig WB]

01:48 AM on 04/30/2011

The President has a whole white house full of staff that likely still drive to work, I'm sure he's well aware of the price of gas.

[jwyman]

04:53 PM on 04/29/2011

So why are so many of my comments dropped? I don't swear. I did say that criticizing Obama is not racist any more than criticizing Isreal is anti-semetic. Did that do it?

[anonopoly]

06:03 PM on 04/29/2011

That would sure do it, so would saying the 'f bomb' you know F.O.r.g.ery

[scat]

04:41 PM on 04/29/2011

gas @ $4.00, the dollar continues to devalue, jobless claims up, economic outlook at 28%, etc...

We must campaign?????? Try doing something.

[bernbart]

04:41 PM on 04/29/2011

Don't believe those who say people are not fired up for Obama. I went to my first Obama 2012 volunteer meeting last night at it was PACKED with volunteers from 2008/10. We are getting FIRED UP and READY TO GO!

[MJV135]

04:45 PM on 04/29/2011

If you can afford the gas to get there, more power to ya.

[anonopoly]

05:04 PM on 04/29/2011

Don't get too fired up..the birth certicicate hasn't been confirmed to be a forgery yet but theres still a big chance he will get 'fired' before any so called 'election'

[Dancing Queen]

07:21 PM on 04/29/2011

He's done

[bernbart]

04:33 PM on 04/29/2011

Let me telyou a sotry I heard last night, In 2010 in CA republican used big outside coproate money to by ibll borads angisd Pelois, boxer, and Bronw ins spanish, When OFA called Sapnihs pskeing voters (citizens)in cetral Valley many of hes votrrs ahd gotten call thelling htme they cudl NOT vote in 2010.

Besides Big CORP money republicans will be using this same kind of voter supression around the country.

[cperr57]

04:55 PM on 04/29/2011

Put the drink down, stand away from the table.

[kizzie]

02:58 PM on 05/01/2011

Aoccdrnig to rseerach at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

PS: Hwo'd yuo lkie to run tihs by yuor sepll ckehcer?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's mre important than spelling is getting the mesage across---let up on the spelling thing. We all have our days and errors---I got the posters message and felt no need to be tacky about it.

[jakibaez]

05:15 PM on 04/29/2011

Gosh, what grade are you in? Learn how to write, please!

[noipaddress]

04:32 PM on 04/29/2011

so what makes him think that HE will be better next time around? it's all about personal aggrandizement with these guys; he actually thinks he can make a difference? I dont think so.

[goleafsgo]

04:40 PM on 04/29/2011

That is okay.  You have a right to be wrong.

[steve11407]

04:31 PM on 04/29/2011

It's a good way to reach the permanent underclass who are wholly supported by government. Democrat credo. Give em more, keep their vote.

[ChubsyUbsy]

04:29 PM on 04/29/2011

White House Threatens to Blacklist Paper for Covering Protest:

http://www.fair.org/blog/2011/04/29/wh-threatens-to-blacklist-newspaper-for-covering-protest/

The San Francisco Chronicle is apparently in trouble with the White House for posting video of a protest against the White House's treatment of suspected WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning. The Chronicle's Carolyn Lochhead reports:

The White House threatened Thursday to exclude the San Francisco Chronicle from pooled coverage of its events in the Bay Area after the paper posted a video of a protest at a San Francisco fundraiser for President Obama last week, Chronicle editor Ward Bushee said. White House guidelines governing press coverage of such events are too restrictive, Bushee said, and the newspaper was within its rights to film the protest and post the video.

[kizzie]

04:48 PM on 04/29/2011

Politics as usual---same as the repubs if you ask me.
WE need open media without threats
WE need transparency
WE need the truth
WE need a new direction and whole new set of people who aren't corrupted by lobbyists..

[anonopoly]

06:13 PM on 04/29/2011

I'm calling you a 'saner' !
You 'saners' are all B@tSh**t Crazie lunytiks and are laffing stoks for all us. You embariss me in front of evybody!
The whole world is watch you sto*pid 'saner'!!
LOL LOL at you 'saner'!!!

[Lifer2006]

02:41 AM on 04/30/2011

I think Bradley Manning is becoming Obama's Achilles tendon. We need top spread the word, that this administration is OK with torture.

[kizzie]

02:37 PM on 05/01/2011

The Bradley Manning fiasco is another scar on how hypocritical and two faced we really are---more shame on us. Saddening this administration has continued the policies of the past. So much for change, right?

[allahluvsu2]

04:24 PM on 04/29/2011

My heart goes out to all the families who have suffered because of the madness of our elected officials. If we had a "Pro Democracy" Movement in this country, they would be killing us in the streets, too!

[c2tc]

04:18 PM on 04/29/2011

not to mention the newly formed PAC's for anonymous donors again.
Visa better ramp up production of those pre-paid credit cards.

[antidemomarxist]

04:09 PM on 04/29/2011

Ras muss en reports that 24% strongly approve of Barry. Subtract the 12% AA population that would support him no matter what he did and you have 12%. This amount is easily explained as they probably represent government employee's and the entire city of Chicago...

[MSaxe]

04:22 PM on 04/29/2011

And yet a giant when viewed against the balance of the dwarves and racists on the other side of the platform.

Doesn't that just frost your b@lls.

[VirginiaJeff]

04:32 PM on 04/29/2011

Well, I don't strongly approve of Obama either.  In fact, I strongly disapprove.

But if you think I or a majority of the voters will elect a Republican president in 2012, you're delusional.

[antidemomarxist]

07:13 AM on 04/30/2011

Where did I say anything about Repubs?