Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Times: Kerry's Own Aides Criticize Him as Manager
NewsMax.com ^ | 9/27/04 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 09/27/2004 6:10:16 AM PDT by kattracks

John Kerry is trying to convince Americans he is more qualified than President Bush to lead the nation, especially during a time of war.

But Kerry’s own aides are complaining his has difficulty managing his own campaign.

According to a report in the New York Times this weekend, which described Kerry as "a four-term senator with comparatively little management experience," aides say Kerry too often deliberates even the smallest detail, leaving himself little reaction time to a much swifter Bush-Cheney campaign.

The paper noted that Bush’s background as a business executive and then governor of a large state has allowed him to manage his own campaign with greater success.

Of course, the Times still played Kerry up – quoting some aides as describing Kerry as "uncommonly bright, informed and curious. . . "

But the paper also paints a picture of "analysis paralysis” within the Kerry operation.

Some aides complain their boss gets bogged down in the details, making him slow to take action as he struggles to process and use information.

One aide told the Times he has figured out to influence Kerry: he doesn’t say anything until the very last moment. The waffling Kerry tends to take last minute advice.

Case in point: His staff was recently asked to find out all it could about certain details regarding the Bush administration's Medicare plans.

After his staff did all it could to provide the information, Kerry didn't even use it in a speech on the subject.

His staff says such a waste of their time makes it difficult for them to prepare their boss for the positions he wants to take against his Republican opponent.

". . . The downside to [Kerry's] deliberative executive style, they said, is a campaign that has often moved slowly against a swift opponent, and a candidate who has struggled to synthesize the information he sweeps up into a clear, concise case against Mr. Bush," says the Times. "Even his aides concede that Mr. Kerry can be slow in taking action, bogged down in the very details he is so intent on collecting."

Aides have other complaints, too. Like when Kerry spent more than a month trying to decide on his campaign logo. He was mulling over the font of the logo and whether it should have an American flag. Eventually Kerry decided to keep the flag.

Even diehard liberal the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has traveled with Kerry's campaign, says although the Massachusetts liberal is a "thinker" by nature, "a boxer needs a manager and needs a cut manager in the corner and needs someone to handle the towels. But once the bell rings, a boxer needs his instincts."

Other Democratic Party stalwarts and officials complain Kerry is more interested in the "finer points" of politics, but doesn't seem too concerned with the mechanics of the business.

"Scott Maddox, the chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, said he could not recall getting a call from Mr. Kerry checking in with what was going on in that critical state," the Times said, in one example.

Florida is considered a "battleground" state; it is headed by George W. Bush's brother, Jeb, but polls indicate the state is still in play.

Aides also say Kerry isn't one to delegate too much power to any one person. There is no "Karl Rove" on his staff, say aides.

"I am always in charge," says Kerry.

Kerry's also not afraid to upbraid his staff – even longtime friends and associates – as well as let staffers go if he feels his campaign is running "off the tracks."

As a result, few loyalists of his 1972 campaign are still around. Now, few who consider themselves friends are currently on his campaign staff.

Meanwhile, President Bush takes advice from a small – and unchanging – gaggle of staffers. His most senior campaign staff hasn't changed in 18 months.

"He's not involved in the details," says Rep. Ted Strickland of Ohio.



TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kerry
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

1 posted on 09/27/2004 6:10:16 AM PDT by kattracks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: kattracks
"...uncommonly bright, informed and curious. . . "

They used the same exact words to describe BJC in 1992.....Deja-VU.........what do they do, re-cycle their stories, just change the names?.....

2 posted on 09/27/2004 6:13:11 AM PDT by Red Badger (If you shoot from the hip enough times, eventually you'll shoot yourself in the a$$......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
yeah right!
And when he fouls up, he blames the speechwriters for putting it in there!
3 posted on 09/27/2004 6:15:39 AM PDT by 1john2 3and4 (Proud member of PAJAMAREPUBLIC)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
The dems have to ask themselves.... "If this guy can't beat Bush then how's he gonna defeat Bin-Laden and Al-Zarquowi?"
4 posted on 09/27/2004 6:16:18 AM PDT by blue jeans
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

Kerry has completely snubbed half the states in the Country , with his campaign. Only aiming for what he thinks are key states. And evensome of those states he has pulled out of.


5 posted on 09/27/2004 6:16:30 AM PDT by AmericanMade1776 ((John Kerry is now in full retreat))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
"....describing Kerry as "uncommonly bright, informed and curious. . . " ..."

Of course, this description could also apply to Benedict Arnold.....

6 posted on 09/27/2004 6:16:34 AM PDT by Psalm 73 ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here - this is the War Room".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

He is a dumb as a post as far as common sense goes. Where do they get this bright stuff? Which is harder, driving a boat down a river or flying a F-102 which was also known as the "Widow Maker"?


7 posted on 09/27/2004 6:17:16 AM PDT by Piquaboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

KERRYTHINK.


8 posted on 09/27/2004 6:17:32 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 1john2 3and4
And when he fouls up, he blames the speechwriters for putting it in there!

Or his aids for misspeaking, or his SS men for getting in his way....

9 posted on 09/27/2004 6:17:38 AM PDT by kattracks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
If even his hardcore leftist followers are complaining about his campaign management style;


What kind of job do you think he would do as Commander in Chief?
10 posted on 09/27/2004 6:18:00 AM PDT by dagoofyfoot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

The last President we had who was crippled by his obssession with minutia was Jimmy Carter. What a disaster that was! Remember Jimmy's controlling the keys to the White House tennis court?

Times now are far too dangerous to put a Mr Whipple in the White House to spend his time squeezing the Charmin.


11 posted on 09/27/2004 6:18:25 AM PDT by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

Hopefully, he will run his own debate preparation and not accept advice from anyone.


12 posted on 09/27/2004 6:19:04 AM PDT by no dems (Saddam Hussein, himself, was a Weapon of Mass Destruction.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
"I am always in charge," says Kerry.

Accept when I fall down. Or when my staff makes errors while impersonating me during interviews with Outdoor Life. Or when Joe Lockhart talks to the wrong people. Or when ...

13 posted on 09/27/2004 6:20:02 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (I have two words for John Kerry: "YYYEEEEAAARRGGGHHHH!!!!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

"...uncommonly bright, informed and curious... "< > "They used the same exact words to describe BJC in 1992..."

...bet they'll use the same exact words to describe Hillary! in 2008. (Okay, they may replace "bright" with "brilliant".)


14 posted on 09/27/2004 6:21:10 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

This was exactly my thought. If he can't manage the campaign, how the hell is he going to manage the gov't etc???


15 posted on 09/27/2004 6:23:33 AM PDT by chris1 ("Make the other guy die for his country" - Gen. George S. Patton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

sKerry can't even manage to choose between two identical red ties, much less manage a company or a country.


16 posted on 09/27/2004 6:24:55 AM PDT by GailA ( hanoi john, I'm for the death penalty for terrorist, before I impose a moratorium on it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
"...uncommonly bright, informed and curious. . . "

But ties his shoes with great difficulty.

His curious nature is reflected in the rather obtuse and disinterested way he prods his foie gras around his plate with his fork.

Then there are the occasions where he accidentally steps on his hands as he walks.

17 posted on 09/27/2004 6:25:30 AM PDT by JesseHousman (Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dagoofyfoot
"I am always in charge," says Kerry.

Dont you mean always in change Mr. J. F(lip flop)K?

18 posted on 09/27/2004 6:25:32 AM PDT by Phrostie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: kattracks
On terrorism, John Kerry thinks if he gives them a hug or listens to with them, then they'll like us......this is "uncommonly bright, informed and curious. . . " ???

If they manage to get their hands on a nuke, chemical agents, or even some anthrax - Kerry will wish to God we had hunted them down and killed THEM while we had the chance!

John Kerry needs time to deliberate? Sort of "stop the world while I think"??? "analysis paralysis” is an apt description of the Senator, yep, suits him very well.

20 posted on 09/27/2004 6:28:55 AM PDT by yoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson