August 31, 2004
The Press Corps Obsession...
Posted by Chuck Todd | 05:48 PM
So every political reporter worth their salt is pursuing one story right now: the rumored shakeup at the top of the Kerry campaign. Wall Street Journal legend Al Hunt started the ball rolling this a.m. with his report that Kerry was "bouncing off the walls" in frustration over the state of the campaign.
Ironically, if Kerry makes the change in the hours before Pres. Bush finishes his convention, Kerry could actually distract the press corps and step a bit on the GOP event. And if Kerry does make a change, it only makes sense if he does it before the weekend.
What's not clear is whose head actually rolls and if titles actually change. It hasn't been clear for months whether Mary Beth Cahill is really in charge of the campaign or not; she's clearly THE traffic cop and she clearly knows everything that goes on (except for the calls her candidate himself makes WITHOUT her knowledge).
But of all the folks at the top of the campaign structure, she's the one with the fewest defenders, both inside the campaign and in the press corps. Unlike Kerry's first campaign manager, Jim Jordan, Cahill has made little effort to handle the press and, apparently, little effort to assert control over the consultants. Jordan's strengths -- good relations with the press, tenacity to force decisions and being unafraid to challenge any of the chief consultants (including Bob Shrum) -- might actually be what the campaign needs right now. Of course, Jordan's ties to the leading Dem 527 nix that and Shrum and Jordan, well, don't get along.
Names that Hunt bandied about to take control: Joe Lockhart (who just signed on to take over the traveling press duties) and John Sasso (who ran the Dukakis campaign when it was winning). Let us suggest two others: Jim Johnson, the man who ran a flawless and nearly leak proof VP vetting operation; and John Podesta, the former Clinton CoS who is currently running a non-controversial policy-oriented 527.
BTW, without the Kerry staff shakeup rumors, the top political reporters trapped at the GOP convo, would be climbing the walls.
 |
I'm sure they are climbing the walls. All this talk about policy and issues, Presidential character and Republican party unity, what self-respecting political reporter wouldn't be desperate to write a nice safe process story that grateful editors will place on front pages.
Posted by: Basil Valentine at August 31, 2004 08:50 PMIf this shake-up (with good timing) is as successful as his pre-primary shake-up, then Kerry will do well. Kerry seems to have mastered the art of being behind until it's time to be on top, and then he seems to do it with good people and smart politics.
Posted by: Hiram Wurf at September 1, 2004 12:29 AM
