Former aides to former President Obama have become concerned about President Biden’s election strategies for 2024 as polls suggest he is falling into deeper trouble.
Multiple Obama staff members spoke with Politico about their experiences in the 2012 election, noting how Biden’s is much different.
Meanwhile, some Obama aides said Biden’s team has a weaker ground game than the former president’s.
“The vibe was that the campaign didn’t have its sh-t together,” an anonymous Democrat told Politico.
“There wasn’t infrastructure in the states. There wasn’t a beefed-up campaign headquarters. And compared to where Obama was in 2011, the campaign was fairly anemic.”
A 2012 state director agreed:
“The big issue I have is Biden never had an organization before. He didn’t have much in the Dem primary. Then the general was during Covid and no ground stuff was really done.”
Others urged Biden to put White House advisors on his campaign team.
“There is a treasure trove of experience in that White House. I mean, one of the issues is it’s all in the White House,” Obama’s former chief strategist David Axelrod said.
“Probably some of it should be sitting over at the campaign.”
But others seemed less concerned about Biden’s organization.
“Your average swing voter pays attention to politics four minutes a week until the few months leading up to November,” Jim Messina, Obama’s reelection campaign manager, said.
“So the way they’re working to activate the base and get out their message — and the stakes of making the right choice in the inevitable Biden/Trump rematch — to other groups is smart.”
Biden spokesperson Kevin Munoz added:
“We invite everyone concerned about the existential threat that Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans pose to our freedom and democracy to channel their energy toward organizing, donating and talking to their friends about the stakes of this election and President Biden’s commitment to fighting these threats head on.”
The comments came following a Washington Post report on Obama’s concerns over Biden’s reelection campaign.
“Obama has raised questions about the structure of President Biden’s reelection campaign, discussing the matter directly with Biden and telling the president’s aides and allies the campaign needs to be empowered to make decisions without clearing them with the White House,” the Washington Post reported.
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NBC: It's "an all-hands-on-deck moment" for the Biden campaign as Obama tells Biden he has "deep concern" and as the American people increasingly reject them pic.twitter.com/ll7FSjobl1
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 7, 2024
READ: Obama’s Top Campaign Advisor Has Bad News for Biden in 2024
