“The Obama Phenomenon: What’s Next?” a President's Forum Lecture by Political Strategist David Plouffe

Release date: April 27, 2009 |

When Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination last summer, his longest thank-yous went to his grandmother and to his campaign manager, David Plouffe, whom he cited for having “built the best political organization in the country.” Plouffe will discuss American political strategy and “The Obama Phenomenon: What’s Next?” on Monday, April 27, at 8 p.m. in Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium.

This lecture, a presentation of the President’s Forum lecture series, is free and open to the public. Due to high demand from Goucher students, faculty, staff, and the greater community, no more tickets are available for this event.

Plouffe is credited for strategizing Barack Obama’s successful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination (primarily against then-Senator Hillary Clinton) by focusing on the first caucus in Iowa and on maximizing the number of pledged delegates, as opposed to focusing on states with primaries and the overall popular vote. He is also recognized for maintaining discipline over campaign communications by controlling leaks, releasing information about the campaign on its terms, and preventing the public airing of squabbles that frequently trouble political campaigns.

After winning the presidential election on November 4, Obama again specifically thanked Plouffe in his acceptance speech, calling him “the unsung hero of this campaign.”

Plouffe’s 20-year career as political field organizer, fundraiser, media strategist, and Democratic Party campaign manager began when he was a semester short of graduating from the University of Delaware. He went to work for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin’s 1990 re-election campaign and later worked as a state field director for Harkin’s unsuccessful 1992 presidential campaign. In the same year, he successfully managed Congressman John Olver’s first re-election bid in western Massachusetts.

In 1994, Plouffe managed Delaware Attorney General Charles M. Oberly’s unsuccessful campaign against Senator William V. Roth. He then worked as campaign director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1995. In 1996, Plouffe managed Bob Torricelli’s successful campaign to fill Bill Bradley’s New Jersey seat in the United States Senate.

From 1997 to 1998, he served as Democratic leader Dick Gephardt’s deputy chief of staff. From 1999 to 2000, as executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Plouffe led a national campaign that raised a record $95 million for House races across the country.

In the winter of 2000, Plouffe joined AKPD Message and Media but left briefly to serve as a strategist for Gephardt’s unsuccessful presidential bid. He returned to the firm and became a partner in February 2004. In 2003, Plouffe and fellow AKPD partner David Axelrod worked on Barack Obama’s 2004 Illinois Senate campaign, beginning Plouffe’s association with Obama.

The President’s Forum at Goucher College brings to campus notable figures from various fields and backgrounds for incisive discussions and lively debates on today’s most vital issues. Presented twice a year, the Forum is an open invitation to the members of our community—both on campus and beyond—to participate in the intellectual life of the college through open dialogue on topics both relevant and timely.