Obama reelection effort picks up speed amid noise of NH primary

By Amie Parnes

President Obama’s reelection campaign appears to be picking up speed.

Just days after administration officials said Obama wouldn’t be doing much campaigning, the president appears to be doing just that — and he's using the New Hampshire primary to rev up his campaign.

And for the first time this year, on Monday night, Obama took his first shot — albeit a light one — at Republicans campaigning in the Granite State: “The very core of what this country stands for is on the line. Don’t take my word for it, watch some of these debates that have been going on up there in New Hampshire,” the president said to laughter....

“The president and his team clearly recognize that all the attention is on the Republican side,” said Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University. “He wants to remind people — especially his Democratic base and independent voters — that’s he’s around, too.” ...