Obama may run re-election bid from Chicago

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- President Obama apparently will attempt to win re-election in 2012 with a campaign based in Chicago, political aides said.

No modern president has attempted to run a re-election campaign away from the Washington area, Politico reported.

Democratic strategists hope the Chicago location will help Obama recapture some of his 2008 magic, the report said.

"Re-election campaigns are typically based in Washington because that puts the leadership closer to where [the candidate] lives," Jamal Simmons, a Democratic consultant and veteran of multiple presidential campaigns, told the newspaper. "In modern presidential history, this is kind of revolutionary."

He added, "For people who have been in the White House the past two years, it's probably a good idea to get outside the presidential bubble. Being in Chicago is a good way to do that. It's just real life."

Politico reported Phil Singer, campaign spokesman in 2008 for candidate Hillary Clinton, said in Chicago campaign staffers are less likely to mingle with Washington political reporters, cutting down on leaks.

The challenge for the Obama team will be to keep administration and campaign staff on the same page, said Gerald Rafshoon, former White House communications director for President Jimmy Carter, particularly if the president is forced to respond to a crisis or other unforeseen developments.