Oral history interview with Karen E. Richardson, 2021
Abstract
Karen Richardson reflects on her involvement in the political career of Barack Obama, which she supported as deputy policy director in Obama's U.S. Senate office, in a variety of policy roles on the Obama 2008 presidential campaign, as policy director at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2008, as associate director of public engagement in the White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE) f rom 2009 to 2014, and as deputy assistant secretary in the State Department Bureau of Public Affairs. Richardson remembers her initial impressions of Obama, describes the organization and activities of Obama's Senate office, and narrates her experience on the Obama 2008 campaign, including discussion of key primary races, the evolution of Obama's celebrity and electoral viability, the role of healthcare policy to the campaign, the relationship between the DNC and the Obama campaign, and the significance of Obama's speech on race in Philadelphia in March 2008. Richardson also recounts her role in the Obama-Biden transition project, and sketches the design of OPE, which differed from previous White House Offices of Public Liaison. She shares memories of her work in the Obama White House, providing details about the role of OPE in the administration's healthcare reform effort, its outreach and engagement with relevant stakeholders, relation to the White House Office of Health Reform, role in the coordination of interagency processes, and use of livestreams and other digital tools for public communications. Also discussed are the significance of the stories of ordinary people to the administration's healthcare reform effort, the culture of the Obama 2008 campaign, and the policy emphasis of Obama's Senate office
Presidents--United States; Presidents--Transition periods--United States; Health care reform--United States; Communication in politics--United States; Richardson, Karen; Obama, Barack; United States. White House Office of Public Liaison
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
53 pages
Note (Biographical)
Karen Richardson is an American political advisor, policy expert, and public servant. She served as deputy policy director in Barack Obama's U.S. senate office, in a variety of policy roles on the Obama 2008 presidential campaign, as policy director a t the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2008, as associate director of public engagement in the White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE) from 2009 to 2014, and as deputy assistant secretary in the State Department Bureau of Public Affairs
Note
Interviewed by Terrell D. Frazier on November 9, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Karen E. Richardson, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023