2008 All Over Again: Obama to Base Campaign in Chicago

First reelection bid outside DC in recent memory

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 28, 2010 7:51 AM CST

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2008 All Over Again: Obama to Base Campaign in Chicago — Illinois State Representative Constance A. Howard, right, listens as President Barack Obama makes a final get-out-the-vote push for Democratic candidates, in Chicago, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Obama’s reelection campaign will likely be based in Chicago, not Washington—a rare move for a sitting president, and one that his advisers hope will help him rekindle the energy of 2008, Politico notes. Usually, campaigns are kept close to the president’s DC home, where they’re easily accessible, said a Democratic consultant: "In modern presidential history, this is kind of revolutionary."

“For people who have been in the White House the past two years, it's probably a good idea to get outside the presidential bubble,” the consultant added. It could also help prevent leaks, since staffers won’t be mixing with reporters so much. The tough part will be keeping the White House and the campaign staff in sync, said a former Carter administration official: "A campaign is a full-time job and running a White House is a full-time job, and the people have to be compatible with each other because events mainly determine reelection."
(More President Obama stories.)

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