Kos’ Jed Lewison tries to apply some strategic logic to Obama’s video roll out.
Probably the most notable thing about President Obama’s re-election launch video is that he doesn’t appear in it. Instead, the video features testimonials from supporters throughout the country on why they are working to re-elect the president, concluding with the tagline: “It begins with us.” As one of the supporters featured in the video says:
President Obama is one person…he’s got a job. You know, we’re paying him to do a job, so we can’t say, “Hey, can you take some time off and get us all energized?” So we better figure it out.
The underlying message: Unlike his opponents, Barack Obama doesn’t have the luxury of playing the political game on a 24×7 basis. He’s not just a candidate, he’s President of the United States of America. He’s got the responsibility to govern, and he’s not going to lose sight of that. The intended contrast with the GOP is obvious. While Republicans will nominate a candidate for whom winning will be job number one, President Obama’s most important job is and will continue to be leading the nation.
But this video isn’t laying the blueprint for a Rose Garden strategy. Instead, it hopes to reactivate the volunteer activists who went door-to-door and made person-to-person contact in 2008. As one of the supporters in the video said: “Politics is how we govern ourselves…at the grassroots level, it’s individuals talking to other individuals and making a difference.”
The video didn’t rattle off a list of accomplishments, nor did it offer up a set of policy promises. As you can see from the wrap-around ads on this and other sites, the other major pieces of President Obama’s 2012 launch rollout aren’t either. Instead of creating political laundry lists, the clear emphasis here is on rebuilding the network of volunteers who helped deliver victory in 2008.
There’s bound to be a fair amount of skepticism about this strategy. But it’s worth remembering there was a fair amount of skepticism the last time around as well. And we all know how that turned out.
Consider me a skeptic. I’d be much more charged up to hit the street again if every battle didn’t begin with compromise and surrender.