LaBolt dissects '08 election

Author: Jaime Fuller

Former Press Secretary for Barack Obama Ben LaBolt '03 dissected the President-elect's successful campaign strategy in a lecture sponsored this Friday by the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs and the Career Services Office. LaBolt's remarks, titled "What It Took: Reflections on Barack Obama's Unlikely Path to the Presidency," provided an inside glimpse into the 2008 election season, and were especially relevant in light of Obama's approaching Jan. 20 inauguration.

Leng Professor of International Politics Allison Stanger introduced LaBolt, informing the audience of his unique distinction of being one of two students who decided to take an oral examination in lieu of a written one in her course on American foreign policy. He aced the exam, and Stanger noted that she was not surprised that LaBolt now made a living by speaking.

"The dirty little secret about the oral presentation was that I just couldn't write another paper," LaBolt replied.

LaBolt's lecture focused on a topic that even politically attentive audience members may not have been familiar with, the high level mechanics of running a successful political campaign, which he acknowledged is "not something you learn at Middlebury." His remarks served as a quick course of "Campaigning 101" for the crowd of students, faculty and community members, and as an exclusive look into "one of the unlikeliest campaigns for the presidency in U.S. history."

LaBolt acquired much experience in campaign management after his graduation, working as press secretary and legislative assistant to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and spokesman for then-Congressman Sherrod Brown's (D-Ohio) successful race for the U.S. Senate. He also learned how a healthy campaign could fail suddenly while working for Vermont Governor Howard Dean's unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2004. LaBolt's role as Obama's spokesperson has lifted him to the eye of a national audience, and he is often quoted by such political news standbys as Politico, CNN, MSNBC and The New York Times.

Obama's win in the Iowa caucus was described as being instrumental to his victory in the Democratic primary, and LaBolt said that the win was "part of the original strategy that [we] would have incredible momentum out of the Iowa caucus that couldn't be stopped."

The New Hampshire primary helped give the campaign some perspective - they realized that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was still a formidable opponent and that Obama's victory was not inevitable.

LaBolt remembered thinking that Obama's high popularity among college students in Hanover would not necessarily deliver victory, especially when they had failed to support the young senator at campaign events on the day of the primary.

The campaign had sponsored an event at Dartmouth College, but the college population in attendance was sparse while the overwhelming number of approximately 550 journalists was daunting, especially with the forecasted victor's foreboding sense of defeat permeating the state race.

"I'm in the room with all the media, and none of the staff are there," said LaBolt. "I'm starting to get less and less information, and the press is getting more and more hungry for numbers or something concrete … and they start surrounding me. I get a call back from headquarters, and they say 'you should probably get out of there, we're not going to make it.'"

Less time was spent on analyzing the general election, with LaBolt conceding that "while the primary election felt epic, the general election felt like a plateau." According to LaBolt, Obama's message of change, while never faltering, had to be supplemented with responses to the sometimes negatively charged remarks provided by the Republican Party and its candidate.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), he said, was the Republican Party's perfect choice for an opponent for Obama because of his place as "every Democrat's favorite Republican." LaBolt also noted the problem of McCain's strategy of rallying the base when the base was considerably smaller in this election cycle. Because this strategy was unsuccessful, he had to resort to the tactic of saying 'I will win this election by making Obama appear toxic.'"

After LaBolt finished his remarks, Professor of Political Science Matt Dickinson took the podium to challenge some of LaBolt's statements, "pointing out the very few instances where [he] thought [LaBolt's] analysis was wrong.

"A lot of the things you cite are things that journalists find important but things that political scientists … find less important," said Dickinson.

Dickinson believes that the general election outcome was fixed after the conclusion of the Democratic primaries, and that the Florida and Missouri controversies - involving the disputed allocation of delegates between the two primary candidates - were part of the reason Obama was able to defeat political behemoth Clinton.

Dickinson also said that McCain had the opportunity to change the course of the election with his vice presidential pick, and if he had refused to get involved with the first incarnation of the bailout of the failing financial sector, the election could have turned in his favor.

LaBolt answered that McCain "took experience off the table [when he picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin]" and a less aggressive role for the vice presidential candidate featuring "softened lipstick and less pig" could have helped close the gender gap.

After the lecture and a period of questions and discussion, LaBolt took part in a career conversation with students interested in politics. LaBolt had two recommendations for students: get involved locally and take advantage of Middlebury's international connection.

"Students can get involved right here by supporting initiatives they'd like to see passed in the next four years, and by helping their members of Congress," LaBolt said. "Also, leave Middlebury and find where you can make an impact, either in a small community or through the entire country's challenges."