David Axelrod is something of a rock star too...

If it's true that Republican John McCain is planning a serious negative turn in the campaign - they it might be appropriate that Democratic chief strategist David Axelrod was something of a celebrity when Democrat Barack Obama came to Newport News on Saturday.

Axelrod was queitly walking around in the press section of the park on Saturday, but as locals started pouring out of the park a small horde clustered around Axelrod. Then they started snapping pictures with him and Axelrod happily obliged the souvenir seekers.

But really when was the last time you saw folks from a rally start mobbing a political stategist? The only equivalent would be Karl Rove the brain behind George W. Bush. Rove is no longer a White House adviser and now works as an analyst for Fox News.   

Axelrod is a former reporter for the Chicago Tribune, and he said Saturday he hoped the rally would emphasize the importance of Virginia to the Obama campaign. “We’re very pleased to be running on the same ticket as Mark Warner,” Axelrod said. “He’s done an excellent job in the state and it will only bolster the campaigns efforts in Virginia.”

Funny side note: As groups of people were huddling around Axelrod, one partisan man got out his camera and turned to what appeared to be his teenage daughter.

"That's David Axelrod," he said excitedly. "You want to get a picture with him?"

The young girl could not have been less enthusiastic. She gave her poor dad a look like he just asked her if she wanted him to chaperone the school dance. So apparently Axelrod's rock star aura only works on political wonks.