Days earlier, the Obama campaign tapped Ira Forman, 59, longtime executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, as its Jewish-community point person for the Operation Vote program.
The campaign also launched a Web page for Jewish voters to promote Obama’s record on Israel. One recent post by strategist David Axelrod, titled “What Barak Said About Barack,” quotes Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak complimenting the U.S. president on his support for the Jewish state.
A women’s page features a photo gallery of high-level female administration officials under the headline “Barack Obama’s Strong Leaders,” including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Web pages for other Operation Vote target groups are forthcoming, and the campaign expects to announce a raft of additional staffers to be hired in the coming weeks to spearhead the efforts for each group.
Obama has stepped up his outreach to core supporters, as well. After months of criticism from black lawmakers that the president seemed reluctant to directly address the needs of struggling African Americans or even discuss the 16 percent jobless rate in that community, the president this month popped into a White House gathering where African American bloggers had been invited in to discuss the issue with senior aides.
Congressional Black Caucus officials say they are suddenly being showered with attention from the White House — even receiving a fact sheet after the president’s recent jobs speech calling the black unemployment rate “unacceptably high” and listing “targeted” help in the jobs plan, such as aid that would help 1.4 million African American families.
Addressing the caucus’s annual dinner Saturday night, Obama reeled off more statistics showing how he said his jobs bill would help millions of black Americans. He lamented the community’s steep economic troubles, telling cheering audience members that he needs their help, despite any discouragement they have felt.
“I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain,” he said. “I am going to press on. I expect all of you to march with me. . . . Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on.”
Likewise, amid criticism from immigration activists that Obama has pursued an overly aggressive deportation policy, White House aides and administration officials are meeting across the country with local Hispanic leaders to make a case that his economic policies are helping their communities.
Former congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), a Jewish outreach adviser to the Obama campaign, described the White House strategy as “proactive engagement with the base to explain the president’s record, not only why they should be pleased but should be excited and activated.”
“It is somewhat traditional politics,” Wexler added. “On the other hand, I think there’s a realization that the president’s opponents play hardball. And this is a manifestation of the president and his campaign’s decision to play hardball back. And, quite frankly, many of the president’s supporters are happy to see it.”
Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.
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