No there is no rift between the President and the First Lady. The President's first campaign was filled with the excitement, and hope, of a courtship. His term in office, like a marriage, is more meaningful, but lacks the magic of a courtship. A marriage takes work. Obama is sparing no effort to save his union with the American people.
Timing is everything. Some argue that front ending efforts will leave Obama with too few resources to go the distance. An excellent analysis can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/us/politics/record-spending-by-obamas-camp-shrinks-coffers.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all . But Obama is wise to nip any flirtation with Romney in the bud. As a suitor, Romney has failed to discuss his background or his plans for the future. Obama has filled in the blanks.
There are two presidential campaign seasons--before and after the Olympics. Negative advertising is incompatible with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Obama won the first season. But equally important, he has laid the foundation to win the second. With the magic gone, he understands the need to use resources to develop an unprecedented, and admittedly expensive, organization to grind out every vote.
Romney, as he has in every campaign, intends, instead, to rely on omnipresent negative advertising in the fall. Negative advertising is good for rallying the base, but unlikely to change opinions about someone as well known as the president. Will the dislike of Obama on the right, be enough to woo the casual voter? If not, the marriage will last another four years.
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