In private, Obama has developed what his advisers say is becoming a familiar response to new allegations, rolling his eyes in disbelief and asking how his staff plans to counter them. Several senior advisers said in interviews that they are more focused on getting legislation passed than trying to manage the “right-wing noise machine,” convinced that voters will react most positively to measurable improvements in their lives…

Officials who were interviewed said the goal is to anticipate the conservative attacks and be ready to respond the moment they threaten to balloon into a major story. They acknowledge, however, having limited success so far.

“In a world with Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and the Drudge Report and everything else that makes up the right-wing noise machine, nothing is clean and nothing is simple,” a senior administration official said. “You don’t stomp a story out. You ride the wave and try to steer it to safe water.”…

Dunn played down the role that race could have in fueling the rancor. “I think that is less a part of it than some other people might think,” she said. “If you look at the history of this country, you see that in times of great stress and change, there are people who are concerned, who are threatened, there are people who are scared.”