Politics | David Axelrod David Axelrod: Obama's Mastermind —and No. 1 Fan He gets passionate about his candidates By Kevin Spak Posted May 2, 2008 11:12 AM CDT Copied Barack Obama, D-Ill., shares a laugh with his staff and Senior Campaign Advisor David Axelrod, left, during a flight between Chicago and East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Feb. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) See 1 more photo David Axelrod isn’t just a political hired gun. Instead, Barack Obama’s chief strategist backs his candidates with the same passion he reserves for his beloved Cubs and Bulls, the Washington Post reports in a lengthy profile. “He loves his candidates when he starts. He’s usually let down when he finishes,” said one friend. “Obama is the one different guy.” Axelrod, whose success on behalf of his political clients is legendary, likes Obama so much that he ran his Senate campaign even though Obama was penniless. “My involvement was a leap of faith,” he once said. “If I could help Barack Obama get to Washington, then I would have accomplished something great in my life.” He sees in Obama a resurrection of the idealism of Robert Kennedy, the first politician to win his adoration. Read These Next Kate McKinnon shares her weird medical condition. She walked out on her gig due to JD Vance, doesn't regret it. Trump loses another legal fight to E. Jean Carroll. Baltimore QB 'forgot where I was' and shoved an opposing fan. See 1 more photo Report an error