Obama favors efficiency, deliberative style

By Caren Bohan - Analysis

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Barack Obama will bring a careful, deliberative style to the White House that differs from President George W. Bush's tendency to rely more heavily on his gut instincts.

The Democrat made history on Tuesday by becoming the first black U.S. president-elect and did so despite his Republican rival John McCain's efforts to highlight the absence of executive experience on Obama's resume.

But even critics of the 47-year-old Illinois senator credit him with having run a highly effective campaign that was marked by discipline and organization and honed by his long battle against Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic nomination.

That political operation offers insights as to how Obama will govern when he takes office on January 20 amid a financial crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One trait that his aides played up during the campaign was the calm demeanor that earned him the nickname among his staff of "No Drama Obama."

Staff members say they rarely, if ever, have heard Obama raise his voice, though he has ways of making it known if he is dissatisfied with a decision.

"His management style is to choose people in whom he has confidence and to give them a lot of authority and to hold them accountable," said Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod. "He wants to know what the plans are to achieve those objectives and holds you accountable for that."

Axelrod, known for his skills at shaping political messages, is one of a handful of top aides in whom Obama has put his trust.

Also part of that inner circle are David Plouffe, Obama's hyper-organized campaign manager who kept a zealous watch on campaign spending, and Valerie Jarrett, a lawyer and businesswoman steeped in Chicago politics. Jarrett is part of a team of three people who will head Obama's transition team.

For advice on press relations, Obama turns to Robert Gibbs, a tough-minded Southerner with a genteel manner who oversaw tight control of media access to the candidate.

Many of these advisers are likely to have senior roles in an Obama administration. Gibbs is tipped to become White House press secretary and Axelrod is weighing a role as senior counselor but has not decided if he will move to Washington.

'THOUGHTFUL, REFLECTIVE'

Obama shares two traits with Bush, a two-term Republican president -- punctuality and a devotion to fitness. The Illinois senator hit the gym every morning even during the busiest moments of the campaign.

Obama's steadiness was seen as helping turn the election in his favor when the financial crisis erupted in mid-September.

McCain reacted with dramatic gestures, such as vowing to suspend his campaign to help Congress negotiate a financial bailout package and calling for the firing of the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.