Consolidation

Wow. Barack Obama is literally relocating huge swathes of the DNC to Chicago. Ambinder points out that this is more like a continuation of trends from previous cycles than a sharp break with the past, but it's still a noteworthy change.

In general, I think it's smart for campaigns to get out of the DC/Arlington that McCain (and Clinton before him) are operating in. Political junkies have a very distorted view of events (usually massively overrating the importance of everything that happens), and I would imagine that shifting to a location that's not lousy with 'em helps people keep some perspective on things.

Comments

Hey so what do you think of Euro 2008? Got some terrific matches going on. Croatia's beating Germany 2-0 as I write.

Posted by Gene | June 12, 2008 1:35 PM

I love the comments at the bottom of that article. Not only can you not find an intelligent Obama opponent, but half of them are pretending to be Democrats while recycling the hoariest of obsolete GOP rhetoric.

Idiots and concern-trolls: good enemies to have.
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Posted by Grand Moff Texan | June 12, 2008 1:39 PM

As a Clinton supporter who has decided to grudgingly (bitterly?) vote for Obama because he's far better than McCain, I must say that this is troubling stuff. It's gratifying because it confirms what Clinton supporters said about Obama all along, that he represented a messianism that isn't how we should conduct our politics, but it's still troubling. Especially when it treats employees like chattel ("it's a free country...move or be fired!") and is obviously designed to dismantle competing influences in the party. Maybe Chávez should move his party HQ from Caracas to his home town.

Posted by Rich | June 12, 2008 1:43 PM

I don't know, I don't really like how many people in DC seem to hate DC. If most of your operations really are based here (such as your leader having a full time job in DC still), then you're making hundreds of people uproot themselves just for a few media lines of "he's not DC". And very few at that.

Posted by Shock Mouse | June 12, 2008 1:45 PM

@Grand Moff Texan :

Politico is lousy with McCain trolls pretending to be Democrats. It's listed on McCain website as a site for McCain supporters to post comments and it isn't moderated so of course the Republican trolls are going to congregate there.

Posted by Shine | June 12, 2008 1:45 PM

Gene -- it's not cool to post spoilers of live sporting events.

Posted by David B. | June 12, 2008 1:48 PM

Idiots and concern-trolls: good enemies to have.

Case in point:

Maybe Chávez should move his party HQ from Caracas to his home town.

Posted by DMonteith | June 12, 2008 1:48 PM

Hell, Shine, we've got Rich at 1:43 sounding like a cut 'n paste job. Exactly what I was talking about.

And, in other news, Germany have less than 3 minutes to pull this one out.
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Posted by Grand Moff Texan | June 12, 2008 1:49 PM

Rich:

One, where do you see "move or be fired"? The article clearly states that staying in DC is an option.

Further, as was noted, this is about the mechanical operations of running a campaign. The DNC will be running a campaign for Barack Obama, as will the Obama campaign. Consolidating resources so as to not duplicate efforts (and as such waste money) nor lose message discipline (because two different HQs are coordinating two different campaigns) is not "messianism", it's called smart management. Not to be too condescending, but as a Clinton supporter, you might not recognize smart management, as your preferred candidate's campaign clearly lacked it.

Further, just to hit on the basic ignorance of facts that permeates your post, the idea that asking someone to move during a campaign is some sort of dictatorial move...is flatly absurd. Moving to new parts of the country is a generally run-of-the-mill, inherent part of being in a national campaign, and this one is no different.

This is fantastic stuff. The best part about it is the level of coordination this implies will be going on not just between Obama's campaign in the DNC (which will basically be one-and-the-same for the purposes of the election), but also likely the amount of cooperation between the campaign and local races as well. This will do nothing but amplify the "coattail" effect; Obama's campaign has some incredibly sophisticated machines in a lot of red states that can be of use to down-ticket Dems, as well as nicely cleaned voter file lists with ID'ed Dems that can be mobilized to volunteer, donate, and vote. In addition, of course, especially incumbents will have similar lists of their own to share with the campaign, and with months of organizers, volunteers, and date teamers working on combining and cleaning those lists, by the end of this campaign the Democratic party will be a stronger institution for the purposes of winning elections than it has been in my lifetime, thanks in large part to the unbelievable political machine Plouffe and Obama have built (w/ a hat tip to Tewes, Hildebrand, and Carson)

Posted by Michael | June 12, 2008 1:53 PM

Rich:

One, where do you see "move or be fired"? The article clearly states that staying in DC is an option.

Further, as was noted, this is about the mechanical operations of running a campaign. The DNC will be running a campaign for Barack Obama, as will the Obama campaign. Consolidating resources so as to not duplicate efforts (and as such waste money) nor lose message discipline (because two different HQs are coordinating two different campaigns) is not "messianism", it's called smart management. Not to be too condescending, but as a Clinton supporter, you might not recognize smart management, as your preferred candidate's campaign clearly lacked it.

Further, just to hit on the basic ignorance of facts that permeates your post, the idea that asking someone to move during a campaign is some sort of dictatorial move...is flatly absurd. Moving to new parts of the country is a generally run-of-the-mill, inherent part of being in a national campaign, and this one is no different.

This is fantastic stuff. The best part about it is the level of coordination this implies will be going on not just between Obama's campaign in the DNC (which will basically be one-and-the-same for the purposes of the election), but also likely the amount of cooperation between the campaign and local races as well. This will do nothing but amplify the "coattail" effect; Obama's campaign has some incredibly sophisticated machines in a lot of red states that can be of use to down-ticket Dems, as well as nicely cleaned voter file lists with ID'ed Dems that can be mobilized to volunteer, donate, and vote. In addition, of course, especially incumbents will have similar lists of their own to share with the campaign, and with months of organizers, volunteers, and date teamers working on combining and cleaning those lists, by the end of this campaign the Democratic party will be a stronger institution for the purposes of winning elections than it has been in my lifetime, thanks in large part to the unbelievable political machine Plouffe and Obama have built (w/ a hat tip to Tewes, Hildebrand, and Carson)

Posted by Michael | June 12, 2008 1:53 PM

And now Schweinsteiger is out.

Say g'nite, Gracy.
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Posted by Grand Moff Texan | June 12, 2008 1:53 PM

David
My apologies. Wasn't my intention at all. I just thought that ending of Democratic contest last week just at the moment that Euro 2008 was starting c alled for a small shift in coverage.

Posted by gene | June 12, 2008 1:55 PM

There is also the fact that the DNC is having a very hard time raising money. I believe they are still short a few hundred thousand for putting on the convention. Obama, with his incredible fund-raising ability, is in a position to tell them what to do.

Posted by Njorl | June 12, 2008 1:57 PM

David
My apologies. Wasn't my intention at all. I just thought that ending of Democratic contest last week just at the moment that Euro 2008 was starting c alled for a small shift in coverage.

Posted by gene | June 12, 2008 2:00 PM

Make that millions of dollars, not hundreds of thousands.

Posted by Njorl | June 12, 2008 2:01 PM

Nice--but may I offer a caveat? Al Gore set up his HQ right here in Music City in 2000--and he couldn't even win the state. Just moving here didn't give his people a finger on the pulse of this corner of flyover country.

Posted by Daid in Nashville | June 12, 2008 2:28 PM

The regular turnover from different administrations is probably a leading reason for high real estate prices in DC. My brother's house in Silver Spring doubled in value between 1999 and 2001.
Chicago is much cheaper for the young (and old) party employees and they get a much better bang for their buck in other lifestyle expenditures.

Posted by carsick | June 12, 2008 3:55 PM

Great move by BHO. ChicagoPolitics is world-renowned for being better than the DC version, and I'm sure the GOP won't be using this as a way to further define BHO. I know I won't!

Posted by TLB | June 12, 2008 4:19 PM

Looks like the Kindler Gentler Obamistas have reverted to their previous form. as for "move or be fired," my bad: from the article, "move or be marginalized" is the message, since the "hub" will now be Chicago. As for the benefits of centralization, perhaps the one-off project (Obama's 2008 presidential campaign) should move to the permanent project (the Democratic Party, which believe it or not existed long before Obama ran for office, although I can't be certain it will continue to exist after he's done), rather than the other way around.

Posted by Rich | June 12, 2008 4:20 PM

One wonders if the Clinton dead-enders would be expressing such concerns had Hillary Clinton won the nomination and then decided to centralize DNC operations in New York City or even Little Rock.

I find it highly amusing that people are criticizing Obama for moving DNC operations from DC to Chicago, because of Chicago's history of political corruption. I've got news for you people; politics in DC has a long history of corruption also. Moreover, the corruption you find in the Chicago of Richard M. Daley pales in comparison to the grotesque levels of corruption found in the DC of Dubya, Cheney, and DeLay.

By using his political connections, Dick Cheney by himself has enriched his associates to a greater degree than any Chicago mayor ever has. Even Republican Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson, who was one of Al Capone's friends, looks like a model of integrity compared to Dick Cheney.

Posted by eltoro | June 12, 2008 4:41 PM

Rich -- what is your point? This doesn't seem like a big deal either way, except that some DNC staffers get to keep their jobs (and not have them taken over by campaign staff) and get to live in a city that doesn't totally suck!

I like the idea of having a national party encamped in a major city (sorry, D.C.) and in one in the Midwest, to boot. Maybe the Republicans can move to Dallas, and Washington will be the real winner (addition by subtraction).

Posted by David B. | June 12, 2008 4:42 PM

Rich is a McCain troll. Ignore him.

Posted by Shine | June 12, 2008 5:50 PM

David B - The Democrats are running Dallas County these days and are gunning for Houston (Harris County). The Repubs could always go to Nashville or Salt Lake City, though....

Posted by Rachel Q | June 12, 2008 6:42 PM

SLC has a lefty Dem mayor!

I mentioned Dallas only because, as an Eagles fan, I associate that city with anything I don't like.

Posted by David B. | June 12, 2008 7:35 PM

The young nominee consolidates power far beyond his popular mandate.

I'm glad to see Barack Obama has a mentor in George W Bush.

At least Bush had a rationale: he had already been elected.

The Democratic nomination hasn't been worth much in the past 40 years.

Posted by Linus | June 12, 2008 10:39 PM

Yes, it is terribly unfair of Obama to run on a campaign of changing how the Party conducts itself, and then to actually make structural changes to that effect after he wins. Doesn't he understand that he just supposed to say those things, not actually do them?

Posted by DTM | June 13, 2008 9:14 AM