Plouffe's New Role Isn't New And Isn't A Role. Discuss

The news that Obama campaign manager David Plouffe will spend more time designing the party's midterm election strategy is news enough, but one broadcast network chose to call it a major political "shake-up" by Obama himself. Disappointed at the DNC's performance, the narrative goes, Obama ordered a bow-to-stern review of the DNC's operations and is placing Plouffe at the top of the hierarchy. Hey, it's a nice narrative for the base, if you can get it.

But Plouffe has been a DNC consultant for a while. He's not going to replace anyone. The DNC, in fact, ordered the review on its own. And Plouffe's strengths aren't the strengths that some suggest: he's a very good synthesizer; he's an inductive thinker; he's neither a Rovian chess player nor a Ken Mehlman-esque minutia expert.  He's a brilliant guy -- but he's not a savior-type, and he's not going to play a savior-role.