Yesterday president Obama reconstituted his presidential campaign team to centralize control over Democratic party strategy and respond to the Republican win by Scott Brown in the Massachusetts special Senate election; growing public anger over unresponsive government and insufficient 'change', and Republican challenges in the coming midterm elections. This move by the president represents a response to the failure of his initial strategies for reform.

While the criticism being purported now by many conservatives that the president ignored the jobs issue is not supported by the facts, the presidents economic initiatives have not delivered as promised or met the expectations of many. The interests of citizens have always been in dire conflict with those of business and the wealthy elite, but what's new here is the appearance that the president is considering (or being forced to) shift the governments policy positions to directly side with citizens interests. "Instead of a government that works for the entitled and special interests, a government that looks out for Wall Street, they wanted a government that works better for them, a government that plays the role it should to help foster the security of the middle class.", said former Obama campaign chief David Plouffe in his recent Washington Post column where he characterizes the change voters demanded in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Amidst a sea of anger and rabid partisanship that has undermined every major initiative, it appears the president may now look to new courses to live up to that promise.

To date, the presidents strategies appear to have been based on an idea to grant those who broke things an opportunity to fix them. At least that would explain why the key strategists on his successful campaign team were not given key positions in the administration initially. A shift towards prioritization of citizen issues and initiatives that deliver them favorable policies and outcomes would be welcome and would appear to be necessary to balance rampant special interest influence. What's clear is that the campaign system can foster and actively engage citizen participation in our political processes. That has not been a tenant of American politics. Let's see what it can do.