Here's an interesting nugget from today's WaPo front-pager on Obama's general-election kickoff:
At his meeting with 16 Democratic governors on Friday, the participants, including some of Clinton's most politically important backers, gushed about the degree to which his campaign staff had sought their input, inviting them to Chicago for dinner, putting them onstage with Obama at a briefing and asking each governor to bring in a top political aide who can be involved in planning as the campaign progresses.
This strikes me as a pretty savvy move--consistent with the campaign's broader interest in hearing from people with detailed local knowledge. (Though it would be savvy to make these governors feel welcome even if their input were completely ignored.) Also, it's sure to warm David Broder's heart, which never hurts.
That said, some of the governors may be going a little overboard with their praise:
"This isn't about 'I'm coming to your state, and can you go do a photo op,' " said Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Another Democratic governor, Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan, said the level of contact from the Obama campaign has surpassed any she has ever received from a presidential candidate. "We've never been reached out to in this way," said Granholm, a former Clinton supporter.
My understanding is that Granholm was elected governor in 2002, which would give her exactly one Democratic nominee to compare this to. (She was elected Michigan attorney general back in 1998, so that's two if you want to be really generous.)
--Noam Scheiber