Axelrod Out, Plouffe In

I take this as a good piece of news. David Axelrod is leaving the White House. The political strategy and messaging of the Obama administration has been a disaster. I don't blame that entirely on Axelrod. A New Republic reports that Axelrod has become increasingly frustrated with the direction Team Obama has been going. Axelrod can best serve Obama by laying the groundwork for Obama's 2012 campaign.

The good news is David Plouffe is taking over Axelrod's job. Plouffe was Obama's presidential campaign manager. Plouffe didn't join the White House team because he had a child. Plouffe has advised Obama without holding an official White House role. James Carville had a similar working relationship with the Clinton administration.

Plouffe is the best hope Obama has to get his political strategy back on track. Plouffe carries more weight because he doesn't need the White House job. Plouffe can make vast sums of money as a consultant and on the lecture circuit. My hope is that Plouffe can get Obama out of neoliberal mode and reshape him back into the populist of 2008.