A Close Reading of Obama's New Campaign Headquarters

AP Images
Erik Hayden 1,864 Views May 13, 2011

On Thursday, the Obama campaign opened its Chicago reelection headquarters to the media. Reporters and photographers were briefly able to scamper around a single-floor of the building and jot down nearly every poster, slogan and square foot as evidence of a potential political strategy.

Right from the get-go, visiting reporters were greeted with a sign that said "Respect. Empower. Include. Win," a catch-all slogan that will be dissected countless times before the campaign truly begins. In the same over-analytical vein, here's the other everyday office items that could be attributed more meaning than they might deserve:

 

  • The Chicago Location: "Trying to win re-election from outside Washington is something no incumbent president has done in decades," relays the Associated Press. Reading Into the Decision: The location could be a clear way to send a message that Obama hears "real people's concerns" as aides have said, rather than being beltway-centric. Or: Obama is just comfortable in Chicago.

  • The Size of the Office: "The office occupies 50,000 square feet on a single floor — up from 31,000 in the 2008 headquarters," observed PoliticoReading Into the Decision: Another tell-tale sign that Obama is looking to raise over a $1 billion dollars for his reelection. Or: since he's president now, he's just accumulated a little more staff over time.

  • The Layout of the Office: Only a few key campaign leaders have actual offices, the rest work in rows in the center of the floor. Reading Into It: The "space's organization reflects Obama's grassroots campaign style, which is open and inclusive," noted Reuters. Or: It was easier to build quickly that way, and convenient for staffers to communicate, like they're doing for the cameras below.

  • The Receptionist: at least five photographers gathered round the receptionist to document her sitting at a desk. Reading Into the Decision: She might just symbolize the campaign's "everydayness." Or: the photographers probably weren't allowed to go many other places.
  • Jim Messina's Office: the campaign manager greeted the press and "showed off an autographed jersey of Derek Jeter and an autographed photograph of Obama." Reading Into It: Mentioning Derek Jeter and showing autographed pictures is a sign that he will nab star endorsements for Obama early on. And if you look at the picture of his office below, there's a mini-football helmet--a clear sign of pandering to the electorate. Or: Messina just likes sports.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ehayden at nationaljournal dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Sources

Related Articles   More by Erik Hayden

Old Obama Fundraisers Pushed Aside by Clintonite 'Whores'

Obama's Having a Bad Polling Month

Obama's a Nice Guy But Not Good at the Economy

 

Remote, Polluted Lakes; Comet Crossbow

Jon Stewart Pleads with the GOP Not to Back Newt Gingrich

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App