Barack Obama’s Media Enforcer

Barack Obama has a media strongman, according to a story this week in the Wall Street Journal. His name is Robert Gibbs, and his job is to wrangle the media into doing and saying what the Obama campaign wants them to say.

Here’s a snippet from the Journal story:

As the Obama campaign enters a crucial phase, beset by tightened polling numbers and the prospect of a tough race for the next two months, Mr. Gibbs has emerged as Sen. Obama’s advocate-in-chief with the media, and therefore the voters.

The 37-year-old is in charge of shaping his message, responding to the 24/7 news cycle, schmoozing with the press and fighting back when he disagrees with its reporting — which has won him the label of “the enforcer.”

Mr. Gibbs, who says he tries “to attract more flies with honey than vinegar” most of the time, confirms, “I work the referees a little bit if they’re unfair or inaccurate. The other side is working on them, too….I’m a protector of the image.”