David Axelrod
The political architect who helped shape Barack Obama's historic presidential campaigns and brought a narrative-driven approach to modern politics.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American political consultant·Birthday: February 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Axelrod emerged from the gritty world of Chicago journalism to become one of the most influential political strategists of his generation. Cutting his teeth as a political reporter for the Chicago Tribune, he developed a keen sense of the stories that connect with voters. He left journalism to found a political consulting firm, where his talent for crafting compelling narratives first attracted notice. His partnership with a young state senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, would change American history. Axelrod's strategy for the 2008 campaign centered on themes of hope and change, effectively framing Obama as a transformative figure. He served as a senior advisor in the Obama White House, his voice a constant in a period of economic crisis and legislative ambition. After leaving Washington, he became a prominent media commentator and founded the nonpartisan Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, guiding a new generation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as chief strategist for both of Barack Obama's successful presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
- Founded AKPD Message and Media, a influential political consulting firm based in Chicago.
- Served as Senior Advisor to President Obama in the White House from 2009 to 2011.
- Founded the nonpartisan Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago in 2013.
- Hosts 'The Axe Files', a popular podcast featuring interviews with political figures.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a political reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
His father was a psychologist and his mother was a journalist for PM, a left-wing New York newspaper.
He has spoken openly about his family's struggles with mental illness and epilepsy.
He is a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox.
““The most powerful force in politics is the power of a story.””
