11/28/06 Axelrod To Obama: "You will never be hotter than you are right now."

A Political Odyssey
How Obama's Team Forged a Path That Surprised Everyone, Even the Candidate
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670021113?ie=UTF8&tag=youwonnowwhat&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670021113
By Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson
Sunday, August 2, 2009

Adapted from the upcoming book "The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election"

Deciding to Run

...................................

In the days leading up to Obama's decision to run, Axelrod prepared a private strategy memo -- dated Nov. 28, 2006 -- that has never been published before. He wrote that an outgoing president nearly always defines the next election and argued that people almost never seek a replica -- certainly not after the presidency of George W. Bush. In 2008, people were going to be looking for a replacement, someone who represented different qualities. In Axelrod's opinion, Obama's profile fit this historical moment far better than did Hillary Rodham Clinton's. If he was right, Obama could spark a political movement and prevail against sizable odds. He also counseled Obama against waiting for a future opportunity to run for president. "History is replete with potential candidates for the presidency who waited too long rather than examples of people who ran too soon. . . . You will never be hotter than you are right now."

The second half of the Axelrod memo was more personal and pointed. "We should not get into a White Paper war with the Clintons, or get twisted into knots by the elites," he wrote. He argued that the issue of experience was overrated but said strength was not, and he conceded that Clinton, because of all she had weathered, was seen by voters as a candidate of strength. "But," he added, "the campaign itself also is a proving ground for strength."

The Washington Post runs a longer excerpt from the book that is worth reading.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073101582.html

...Is this to counter the earlier thread that talked about Axelrod telling Obama he needed to toughen up?

(Just wondering.)

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