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Obama and the Public Presidency: What Got you Here Won't Get you There
Obama and the Public Presidency: What Got you Here Won't Get you There
Obama and the public presidency: What got you here won't get you there
It's always nice to get out of Washington—at least for a little bit—and to come to places like this. The climate is nicer. So is the conversation sometimes [Laughter]. So I am looking forward to taking your questions and hearing about your concerns.
—President Barack Obama, Los Angeles, California, March 19, 2009
President obama's wry observation about the ways of Washington highlights an important presidential leadership strategy: getting out of town. By “going public,” in Samuel Kernell's phrase, presidents seek ways to go above and get around Washington insiders by establishing a direct relationship with the electorate.1 The White House's “permanent campaign” ...
