Uber Hires The Man Who Put Obama In The White House For Its 'Campaign'
For Uber, the biggest challenge hasn't been getting its technology working or convincing customers to try out its taxi-alternative service. Instead, it has been convincing governments that its efforts to make 'transportation as reliable as running water,' as CEO Travis Kalanick wrote in a blog post today, are in the interests of their constituents. The company has clashed with cities across the world as it has rolled out service to 170 of them. Hoping to change the narrative, Uber today announced the hiring of David Plouffe, the man who ran President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, as its senior vice president of policy and strategy. At the Code Conference in May, Kalanick described Uber as a candidate up against an opponent he called 'an asshole named Taxi.' Plouffe will be Uber's campaign manager as it attempts to unseat that rival.
The message
Plouffe's hire, which is effective next month, comes at a time Uber has made some inroads on the political front. Along with rival Lyft, the company successfully fought back regulations in Seattle that would have capped the number of drivers each could have on the road. effectively rendering them both non-players. Similar political success was also achieved in Houston. The right to enter markets legally - and operate with minimal restrictions - is critical to Uber's business and the hope is clearly that Plouffe's political savvy will make smoother work of battles both future and ongoing. Notably, in those recent cases, Uber and Lyft - fierce rivals in the market - were on the same side politically.
Because the two companies offer essentially the same service, that will often be the case. And despite an ongoing price war, it should be clearer than ever that at least for the next several years, Uber benefits from having Lyft around in the 'campaign.' In Europe, where Lyft doesn't currently operate, Uber takes the blowback on its own in what often amounts to an even more hostile political climate. Plouffe will have his work cut out for him there. Just last week, Uber was briefly banned from operating in Berlin, though the company reported yesterday the ban has been suspended.
The messenger
For his part, the man who has been in the political arena for more than a decade, including a stint in the White House from 2011-13, sounds excited. 'I am thrilled to be joining Travis Kalanick and the great team at Uber. As Uber succeeds like I believe it can, it will spur the creation of hundreds of thousands of small businesses and directly create millions of jobs ... make our roads safer, drastically cutting down on drunk and distracted driving; and give those who choose not to purchase an automobile a more viable way to live their lives day to day,' he wrote.
Uber has touted things like the reduction in drunk driving as one of the positive externalities from its service. As this spcr.org report notes, others are skeptical of the impact. 'We have seen a decrease in the number of DUI arrests made,' said Drew Fowler of the Seattle Police. 'If part of that can be assigned to the introduction of Uber, fantastic. But I don't think proving the veracity of that is going to be very easy to do.' Expect part of Plouffe's effort to be doubling down on using Uber's data experts to show all the good its service is doing. If, in fact, the company is the job and safety engine it claims, Plouffe's team will make sure you know.
And he appears committed for the long haul: 'Uber has the chance to be a once in a decade if not a once in a generation company. Of course, that poses a threat to some, and I've watched as the taxi industry cartel has tried to stand in the way of technology and big change,' he wrote. 'I look forward to doing what I can right now to ensure drivers and riders are not denied their opportunity for choice in transportation due to those who want to maintain a monopoly and play the inside game to deny opportunity to those on the outside.'
This isn't the first time Uber has looked to government to help. The company hired Ashwini Chhabra, a top official at New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission, earlier this year. Tech companies have come to realize the benefits of playing within the system. Earlier this year, the Washington Post detailed Google's lobbying efforts, noting it had become a major player in dealing with government after initially mostly ignoring it. Uber's rapid growth and city-by-city assault has seen it butting heads with officials early and often in its lifespan. Kalanick, for his part, understands that making the process run more smoother will allow him to focus on building out the rest of Uber's business. He found a savvy operator in Plouffe to deliver his message. Now it's up to Plouffe to deliver the kind of results he became famous for.
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