Obama Looks at Chicago for 2012 Campaign HQ
Politico reports:
Never in modern history has a U.S. president attempted to win reelection with a campaign operation based beyond the Potomac.
But that's what President Barack Obama is apparently proposing to do. It's a daring move that strategists hope will enable him to recapture some of his 2008 magic.
Obama's top advisers have concluded that potential drawbacks to locating the headquarters in his home base of Chicago are outweighed by the benefits they anticipate from a break with precedent. And with Republican contenders already circling, there's a sense of urgency toward beginning to set up the reelection effort.
The campaign is expected to take shape in the next few months, and insiders are operating under the assumption that it will do so from the Windy City. Sources with knowledge of the campaign planning said that while no decision has been made, a Chicago location is a near certainty.
"Reelection campaigns are typically based in Washington because that puts the leadership closer to where[the candidate] lives," said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic consultant and veteran of multiple presidential campaigns. "In modern presidential history, this is kind of revolutionary."
George W. Bush's 2004 campaign, Bill Clinton's 1996 campaign, George H.W. Bush's 1992 campaign, Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign, Jimmy Carter's 1980 campaign, Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign and, of course, Richard Nixon's infamous Committee to Reelect the President were all based in suburban Virginia or Washington.
David Axelrod, now a senior White House adviser, is scheduled to leave the Obama administration on Feb. 1. He's expected to take a few weeks off — and move home to Chicago — before getting the reelection planning underway.
Meanwhile, Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, is scheduled to take his place in the White House early next month, while current Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina is scheduled to rejoin Axelrod on the campaign team.
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