Obama Campaign Manager Plouffe Speaks On Campus

[caption id="attachment_2576" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Campaign Strategist David Plouffe talks about the role of young people in politics.   Jesse Regis / WRGW News"][/caption]

By Jesse Regis

David Plouffe, veteran political strategist and President Obama's former Campaign Manger, spoke about the 2008 Presidential campaign and weighed in on issues facing the country at the Jack Morton Auditorium tonight in an event sponsored by the GW College Democrats.

Disagreeing with the sentiment that young people are lazy and apathetic, his speech largely focused on the role of young people, and the importance of message and strategy in mobilizing support in a campaign.

"Your generation sees the world as a community," he said. "You have the talent, drive, and creativity."

Plouffe, ran his first Congressional, Senate, and Presidential campaigns at ages 24, 28, and 41 respectively. He used his success at such a young age to encourage the students in attendance to get involved.

"We need your leadership now," Plouffe said. "You can't wait until you're 30. Take the reigns now. We got big issues in front of us. You can't assume that my generation will handle things properly."

Plouffe said that of the approximately 6,000 staff members on the payroll during Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign, some 5,000 were under age 25.

While he couldn't say that young people were the difference in the general election because of the large margin over Republican candidate Senator John McCain, Plouffe said that President Obama would not have gotten the Democratic nomination unless it were for young people.

Plouffe said that many young people encouraged those who were not politically involved to register to vote and to get to the polls. "People talking to people, there's no substitute for that," he said.
In response to a question from the audience, Plouffe, having worked in many parts of the country said that if there was one piece of advice he would give himself as a young person it would be, "Never go work in New Jersey."

In regard to his interaction with Senator Obama during the campaign, he credited Obama's calm demeanor and "incredible normalcy" with "grounding" the campaign. Plouffe said it was nice to be able to interact with a "normal person" amidst controversies like during the period when Jeremiah Wright was an issue, or after loosing the New Hampshire primary, which based on a number of polls, the campaign had expected to win.

On current issues, Plouffe also said he disagreed with former President Jimmy Carter's sentiments that current opposition to President Obama is based on his African-American race. He hesitated to answer questions in politically uncertain territory, dodging a crass statement aimed at Republican strategist Karl Rove but Plouffe did say that Fox News commentator Glen Beck was "fairly reprehensible."

Future ambitions may have prevented more blatant answers. Plouffe implied it was inevitable that he would one day work for the White House. He said he is currently finishing a book and spending time with family.