▁two ▁years ▁of ▁Ob ama ' s ▁term . ▁Gib bs ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁gu iding ▁Ob ama ▁through ▁those ▁first ▁years ▁and ▁m old ing ▁his ▁rise ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁scene . ▁According ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁Gib bs ▁ad vised ▁Ob ama ▁on ▁politics , ▁strategy ▁and ▁mess aging , ▁and ▁spent ▁more ▁time ▁with ▁Ob ama ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁ad visor . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁President ial ▁election , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁▁ ▁The ▁appointment ▁of ▁Gib bs ▁by ▁Ob ama ▁to ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Communic ations ▁Chief ▁was ▁met ▁with ▁m ild ▁controvers y ▁by ▁some ▁critics ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Committee , ▁who ▁c ited ▁Gib bs ' ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁ag gress ive ▁campaign ▁tact ics ▁used ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁nom ination ▁of ▁Howard ▁Dean ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁race . ▁Ob ama , ▁however , ▁referred ▁to ▁Gib bs ▁as ▁his ▁" one - person ▁Southern ▁focus ▁group " ▁and ▁wel com ed ▁him ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁close - kn it ▁team ▁that ▁included ▁strateg ist ▁David ▁Ax el rod , ▁campaign ▁director ▁David ▁Pl ou ffe , ▁and ▁research ▁director ▁De vor ah ▁Ad ler . ▁In ▁his ▁communic ations ▁role , ▁Gib bs ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁enfor cer " ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁ag gress ive ▁rapid - response ▁methods ▁for ▁counter ing ▁dis information ▁tact ics ▁from ▁oppon ents . ▁Gib bs ▁assumed ▁responsibility ▁for ▁" sh aping ▁the ▁campaign ▁message