Obama was clearly picked and groomed long before Axelrod got involved, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this NLP/manipulative focus to Obama’s communication—including to the level of supposedly self-deprecating but really aggrandizing jokes—comes from Axelrod.
At the very least it’s up his alley and consistent with his own very studied approach to ‘making’ political leaders. (Anyone who could get Deval Patrick elected to anything is a talented political consultant, and though I’ve not heard Patrick speak at length, his one acknowledged political strength is supposed to be his delivery of rhetoric as well.)
This is starting to sound like “The Omen III”.
A poster was right...you’d never believe it if you weren’t sitting here watching it happen.