The results of the Massachusetts election have compelled the White House to appoint David Plouffe as an outside adviser. For a top Democratic strategist, the move to hire Plouffe is crucial as he is expected to rally those who brought Barack Obama to the presidential seat.
“You got to look at this thing in Massachusetts, and think that’s a real signal here,” said James Carville, President Bill Clinton’s former aide and a CNN political contributor. “If you don’t deal with it, it’s going to get worse.”
Plouffe, who designed the presidential campaign of Obama, emphasised in an email that Democrats must “regroup, refocus, and re-engage on the vital work ahead”.
“We’ve hit some serious bumps in the road recently in our march toward change… We always knew it would be difficult, but this past week has definitely been a hard one, for all of us,” he wrote, referring to the Massachusetts election.
The victory of Republican Scott Brown against Democrat Martha Coakley in a Democratic state surprised most Democrats and gave a boost to the Republican energy. For Nathan Gonzales, Rothenberg Political Report’s political editor, assigning Plouffe means the administration is “awake and wants to be more involved”.
Plouffe gave Democrats a to-do list which includes passing the health care reform and creating jobs. “Don’t accept any lectures on spending, No bed-wetting, ‘Change’ is not just about policies, Run great campaigns,” he added.
He also stressed that Democrats should have “more than just the brains to govern — that we have the guts to govern. Let’s fight like hell”.
Plouffe added, “Let’s remember why we won in 2008 and deliver on what we promised. If Democrats will show the country we can lead when it’s hard, we may not have perfect election results, but November will be nothing like the nightmare that talking heads have forecast.”
