WP: A Spokesman So Close, He's the 'Barack Whisperer'

[Pirate Smile]

A Spokesman So Close, He's the 'Barack Whisperer'


Robert Gibbs
Robert Gibbs, a senior campaign strategist for President-elect Barack Obama, will likely be appointed press secretary in the Obama administration starting Jan. 20, 2009. Gibbs was formerly the press secretary for Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004 and was previously communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

When a CBS correspondent reported last month that Barack Obama's campaign had a malodorous airplane and a dismissive attitude toward the media, Robert Gibbs, the candidate's top spokesman, was not pleased.
"Robert wrote a rather tendentious note to me," Dean Reynolds says. "He would get in your face, not in a very heated way, but he would question your stories."

Gibbs, who transition officials say is in line to become White House press secretary, can be funny, gossipy and an invaluable source of information about his boss, journalists say. He also monitors coverage intensively, pushing back against the smallest blog post he considers inaccurate.
"This is not someone who stays above the fray," Newsweek reporter Richard Wolffe says. "His manner allows him to do tough stuff in a softer way. He could deliver a harsh message, but do it with a little sense of humor, so you'd feel punched in the stomach but not in the face."

-snip-
While he can be combative in private, Gibbs is affable and smooth-talking on camera, often deflecting uncomfortable questions with a quip. Colleagues say Gibbs channels the president-elect in a way that goes beyond their shared passion for college football. Obama had an initial tendency to overanswer questions, but Gibbs has taught him how to pivot back to his scripted point.
"He's the last person Barack talks to when he's thinking about how to handle reporters' questions," says Linda Douglass, a campaign spokeswoman. "We call him the Barack Whisperer. He completely understands his thinking and knows how Barack wants to come across."

That quality was not lost on journalists covering the highly disciplined campaign. "A huge asset that Robert has is that he's in the room with the president-elect," says Jake Tapper, ABC's senior White House correspondent. "He has his trust and his ear. He's not just a press flunky who gets handed a piece of paper with talking points."
Gibbs lives in Alexandria with his wife, Mary Catherine, a lawyer, and their 5-year-old son, Ethan. He has spent little time at home since hitting the campaign trail, but is grateful that his son has a relationship with Obama, who was photographed last month giving Ethan a fist-bump at Dulles airport.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/11/AR2008111102866.html?hpid=topnews

Here is Gibby's son, Ethan, and Barack:



I think Ethan and his Dad flew with Barack when he went back to Hawaii to see his Grandmother for the last time.

[tularetom]

1. He's the guy who punked Hannity a few weeks back

Don't have a link but it was great to watch.

[wildflower]

2. Hmm, "He also monitors coverage intensively, pushing back against the smallest blog post"...

I wonder what his DU username is? :)

[crispini]

3. LOL!

Indeed. Heh.

[ecstatic]

4. Someone who is extremely pro-Kerry & pro-Obama

:shrug: A few names come to mind...

[Tatiana]

7. ProSense????

:spank:

[madfloridian]

5. There is a lot of that here and at Kos, especially.

It takes a while to catch on who the emissaries are, but the bruises remain for a while.

:evilgrin:

He was also the leader of the group who made the scary Osama bin ladin ad against Dean in Iowa.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1526

Here's the You Tube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1DqOwP3Xzc

[BlooInBloo]

8. (whistles innocently)

[madfloridian]

6. Remember the Osama ad against Dean?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1DqOwP3Xzc

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1526

Gibbs led the group.

He's a good spokesman for Obama though.

[Pirate Smile]

9. kick

[JI7]

10. i think it will be fun to watch him, especially after watching him with Hannity

[DevonRex]

11. He sounds like a great pick for the job. And what a cute little boy!

I'd love to see pictures of him playing with the Obama children.