Obama as Manager: Crisp, Even, Big-Picture Guy

Barack Obama's not a micromanager, he's not an obsessor, and he's not a blamer, the New York Times notes in a piece on the Democratic candidate's developing style as commander in chief of his campaign. After losing the Pennsylvania primary, he took a firmer grip on the wheel of his campaign, but tends to delegate the day-to-day. While the campaign has enjoyed grassroots success, it's tightly controlled by a few top advisers who Obama stays in close touch with by BlackBerry. 

Obama listens to a lot of viewpoints, but likes to keep debate crisp and, as one aide puts it, "un-Clintonesque." His priorities, the Times reports, are the policies and messages in his speeches and advertising. Elsewhere, he's willing to be overruled. “That’s one of his talents, his ability to distinguish between things that are absolutely essential and things that aren’t," says campaign chief David Axelrod. "He’ll give you some latitude based on your expertise.”

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