The Democrats’ Content Problem Isn’t Just the Camera. It’s What’s In Front of It.
David Plouffe almost figured out what I’ve been saying since 2019
Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, published a piece in the New York Times this weekend arguing that Democrats need to overhaul their campaigns’ approach to be centrally focused on content creation. He writes:
A successful campaign in 2026 must operate like a full-time production studio.
Candidates and incumbents should center each day on content creation. That does not mean uploading the same video to every platform. It means creating output tailored specifically for TikTok or Instagram or YouTube. It means several hours a day filming in campaign offices — even candidates’ homes — offering a message that buttresses the argument they are trying to land.
A lot of people are nodding along. I am too, partly. But I also want to say something directly to David Plouffe: welcome to the party. We’ve been waiting for you.