Robert Gibbs
The Strategist
The long view, patient, analytical, playing several moves ahead.
Robert Gibbs is a seasoned political strategist and communicator who played a crucial role in Barack Obama's campaigns and presidency. This interview reveals his ability to navigate the intricacies of political messaging and his understanding of the importance of clarity and connection in leadership.
“Right. And so I said to Obama, I said, you know, let's just talk through this. Let's work through this. Let's figure out, you know, and I said, I remember I said, Are you having any fun? And almost as soon as the second I finished the question, he just went, No, not at all. Not at all.”
“So I remember in the Late fall maybe early winter. I'd have to go back and look at the exact date, but Bill Nelson, the senator from Florida, asked him to come speak to the Florida Democratic dinner, basically two or three thousand people in Florida.”
“And that sort of started this process of how do we get him, how do we structurally set him up to be successful? How do we get him to do what we need him to do and what he knows he needs to do? And some of it was scheduling and some of it was, again, getting his mind clear before he went into these events.”
“And I'm sitting in this room trying to convince him that he has to say he's sorry. Not something that Fritz Hollings does very well. And I never forget I'm sort of standing between he and a reporter when we come out of the room. And he kind of moves me out of the way with his elbow and puts his arm around the reporter.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Ep. 74 - Robert Gibbs
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