Originally Posted by RichieLion

"The circle around Mr. Obama has grown exponentially since he arrived in the White House. An army of new assistants, deputies and advisers surrounds him, but it is Mr. Axelrod who sits the closest to the Oval Office. His proximity is a symbol, in a unique West Wing kind of way, of how close he remains to Mr. Obama."

"Mr. Axelrod has played a major role in framing the message of the domestic agenda, from the economic stimulus plan to health care. He has devoted far less time to foreign policy, given the amount of time the president spends dealing with the nation’s fiscal crisis."

I'm still not sure how you can downplay Axelrod's influence with Obama on his policy decisions. I'm also not sure why you want to.

I would say from this article it is clear that his job is exactly that of helping craft the message that Obama sends in order to put things in it's best light in care of Obama's image.

Is there another reason you wish to separate Axelrod from Obama's policy decisions?