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I find myself in complete agreement with Caddell with regard to the role (and performance) of the Republican consultants.
Steve Schmidt is a particular pain in the butt. If you've been in business for any period of time, you've run across people like Schmidt: the lawyer who's more important than his client, the salesman who is more important than his product, the actor who is more important than his lines.
In short, Steve Schmidt is the asshole who's more important than his alimentary canal.
Pompous and arrogant, he pronounces nonsense as if he was the Oracle of Delphi.
Most Democrat candidates have spent their life in politics. They know how to run a campaign...and the Democrat consultants are effectively cast as technicians -- second-rate hacks working for a first-rate hack.
Most Republican candidates, however, have spent their life in some other walk of life than "career politician". As a consequence, Republican consultants assume a more prominent role in the campaign. In Republican party politics, the second rate hacks are elevated to "consultants" and "experts"
The consultant class should be viewed with real concern by future Republican candidates. Schmidt and his ilk should never be allowed to run another campaign -- unless it's for a Democrat.