Obama Campaign Leader Takes His Austerity Pushing Abroad

Probably not satisfied that Obama was only able to enact the sequester rather than even more severe ways of hurting the economy on purpose, Obama Campaign manager Jim Messina is taking his talents to England to help the Tories:

The Conservative Party has hired Barack Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina for its general election campaign team, BBC Newsnight has learned.

Sources confirmed that he would act as a campaign strategy adviser to the Conservative party.

A lifelong Democrat, Mr Messina masterminded the US president's successful 2012 re-election campaign.

The political parties in Westminster are readying themselves for the general election, now under two years away.

The Conservatives hired Australian strategist Lynton Crosby, known as the Wizard of Oz, in November. The Conservative Party hired Australian strategist Lynton Crosby in November.

The Tories are hoping to emulate Mr Obama's re-election against a backdrop of economic problems. Many other governments that have sought re-election during economic turbulence have been punished by voters at the ballot box.

The Conservatives are also thought to hope that Mr Messina will bring to their operation the same binding marriage of social media and political organisation that many in the US credit with securing Mr Obama a second term.

Speaking of his appointment, Mr Messina told Newsnight:

"I have long admired Prime Minister Cameron. While I will not be moving to London, nor will I be managing any type of day to day political operations, I will be offering strategic campaign advice leading up to 2015."

The Conservative leadership will have to work hard to ensure their 2015 campaign does not fall victim to the same issues as the 2010 general election strategy, when, observers believe, there was a problem with too many important voices at the top of the campaign, including Steve Hilton, George Osborne and Andy Coulson.

In fairness, how could Messina not admire Prime Minister Cameron? All he's done is purposely hurt the British economy for no reason, leading to misery for many, many people. If he helps them win re-election despite them trying to destroy the economy on purpose, he can hurt more people, for many more years. A noble cause if there ever was one.