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Margolis Joins Obama's Campaign
Sen. Barack Obama has hired Jim Margolis as a senior strategist for his presidential campaign, tasking Margolis with playing a lead role in the creation and development of the Illinois Democrat's media strategy.
The news, rumors of which were first reported on The Fix last month, was confirmed this afternoon by the Obama campaign.
"Jim Margolis and GMMB bring enormous depth and experience to our campaign and we're thrilled to have them join us," said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. "They bring a genuine passion for the cause of changing this country and they'll make a great team even stronger."
Margolis is a senior partner in GMMB -- one of the leading Democratic media consulting firms. He has considerable presidential experience having served as the lead media consultant for Sen. John Kerry's White House bid (until his departure in April 2004). Margolis also worked as an adviser to former Gov. Mark Warner during the Virginian's consideration of a national bid. He is also close to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.)
Margolis and fellow GMMB member Jason Ralston join David Axelrod as the key members of Obama's team of media consultants. Obama is also employing three pollsters -- Cornell Belcher, Joel Benenson and Paul Harstad.
By Chris Cillizza |
April 27, 2007; 4:07 PM ET
| Category:
Eye on 2008
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Get This Widget >>
Posted by: dopper0189 | April 29, 2007 3:22 AM
US President Tim Kalemkarian, US Senate Tim Kalemkarian, US House Tim Kalemkarian: best major candidate.
Posted by: anonymous | April 28, 2007 3:21 AM
Axelrod is the third best political consultant in the world right now. The first is the ragin cajun himself, then comes Rove then Axelrod.
This can turn very interesting very quick.
Posted by: George | April 28, 2007 12:46 AM
So, will another consultant help or hinder an already over-scripted and posturing Obama.
His most appealing trait was his freshness.... will he now become just another wind-up robo-pol?
Posted by: Truth Hunter | April 27, 2007 11:17 PM
Romney has the backing of the biggest spin doctor of them all in politics today...Bob Perry. For those who don't remember/know him, he funded "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth".
Posted by: reason | April 27, 2007 10:11 PM
proudtobeGOP: They all hire these folks and I can see reason in doing so, yet so many of them is what I have a problem with. These folks are skilled in the work they do, and with so many working on a campaign, with different ideas and styles, the canditate seems to be buying trouble in that whatever advice they follow, it would leave the other advisors a little put off or hurt, since they also have huge egos.
Posted by: lylepink | April 27, 2007 9:49 PM
Obama is going to need all the help he can get to prove to the country that he has substance, because so far, he's failed miserably.
Posted by: Peter Hewitt II | April 27, 2007 9:05 PM
Solid move.... and in the end, it will all come down to TV ads in Iowa and New Hampshire.... Obama has one of the best.
Posted by: William | April 27, 2007 8:59 PM
Where's our Friday Line??
Posted by: Sandwich Repairman | April 27, 2007 8:57 PM
any youtube links to some of their ads?
Posted by: will c | April 27, 2007 8:04 PM
Hooray! More consultants!
Posted by: 7:33 pm | April 27, 2007 7:34 PM
hilary is the ebst- if obama gets the nimenation america will lose- do i think the conmgress follwo obama rule i dont think so- they wont follow the black man in experience. the whites in this country wil prevail.hillary is the right onw u know it i know it.
Posted by: rea | April 27, 2007 5:53 PM
I'm sure Hillary is spending just as much, if not more, lylepink. Obama's got to keep up with the Clinton machine.
Don't act so surprised at the spinmeisters. What do you suppose they are spending tens of millions of dollars on?
Posted by: proudtobeGOP | April 27, 2007 5:39 PM
These consultants/advisors should be called what they really are hired to do, and that is to make your opponent look bad and you good. "Spin Dr.'s" would be more like it. I have no idea what they are paid, but they do not come cheap.
Posted by: lylepink | April 27, 2007 5:14 PM
Barack's got Axelrod. The rest of them are foot soldiers.
Axelrod runs media savvy campaigns. This should be interesting.
Posted by: Slats Grobnick | April 27, 2007 5:06 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
One thing I hope has changed, in the past Democrats paid their consultants a percentage of what they spent (10% I think) the GOP paid them for each job they did. The net effect was that in 2004 Kerry ran most of his adds on Network TV (running up large bills for his consultants) the GOP ran adds on Cable at a cheaper rate. Cable also allowed the GOP to micro-target adds more (Bush ran pro-immigration adds on Spanish TV, pro-war on terror adds on FOX, compassionate conservative adds on Lifetime). Micro targeting allowed Bush to reach Latinos say without saying (they could hear) things that angered lets say anti-immgration conservatives AT THE SAME TIME!
The GOP paid less to consultant in 2004 then the Dems even though they spent slightly more money THAT IS CRAZY AND NEEDS TO STOP!