Obama's PR firm hired to assist reorganization of Trinidad opposition
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| Published on Monday, May 25, 2009 |
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By Oscar Ramjeet
Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent
Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – US-based public relations firm, AXPD Message and Media, which successfully managed President Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign, has been retained by United National Congress (UNC) political deputy leader, Jack Warner, to re-organise and streamline the opposition party.
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| UNC Deputy Leader Jack Warner. AFP PHOTO |
The Guardian newspaper reported that a four man team of David Axelrod, John Kupper, David Plouffe and John Del Cecato arrived in the county on Saturday night and started to hold discussions with Warner at an undisclosed location.
Warner wants the opposition UNC to be united to defeat the ruling PNM headed by Prime Minister Patrick Manning. The UNC was divided two years ago when the Congress of the People (COP) was formed, headed by Professor Winston Dookeran. Now there is a rift with Warner, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and "Gypsy" Peters, with party leader Basdeo Panday and some of his top aides, including Kamla Persad Bissessar, a former attorney general and other party stalwarts.
During the last general elections in Trinidad and Tobago in 2007, Warner made several attempts to broker a unity deal. While he was able to unite several factions to create the UNC-Alliance, the Chaguanas West MP was unable to seal a deal with the breakaway COP. Sources claimed that resentment towards UNC political leader, Basdeo Panday, and party's present structure hampered any meaningful dialogue of unity between the UNC and the COP.
Warner feels that the AXPD team can bring about unity since the firm's work on the Obama campaign clearly defined what political change was all about.
The cost of the visit by the high powered team has not been revealed.
Obama thanked two members of the team, David Plouffe and David Axelrod, for their assistance in assisting him in the race to the White House.
The US National Journal, in its analysis of the 2008 US presidential campaign, stated: "Of those who deserve a place in history for helping Barack Obama win the presidency… atop the list is AKPD, which has offices in New York and Chicago.” | | | | Reads : 775 | | | |
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