Americans Away From Home

Boy, I don't know about Gail Collins.  I know some people swear by her column, but her latest makes me feel she's just plain wrong.

First she notes that Obama's ahead by almost every conceivable count, while Hillary goes on and on. 

Then she says,
Might be true.  But nowhere does Collins also admit, or even suggest, that given the same set of facts, Obama, too, would still pick up the phone. 

The implication's unfair:  what does Collins base this on - that Hillary keeps going despite the bloodying effect she's having on the person most likely to be the nominee?  Collins concludes that Hillary's the one who'd answer, making the implicit accusation Obama wouldn't also answer that phone.

Now be fair, Gail.  Why not consider that Obama, too, would answer the phone.  Has he given reasons to think he wouldn't be able to manage all that - and still answer the phone?

What do we know about either candidate's ability to juggle a lot of things at once?

As an executive running a huge campaign, we now have information on how both Hillary and Obama are leading their respective campaign staffs.

Hillary has a staff with infighting so loud the press writes about it; it's known that she keeps staff out of loyalty even if they're not competent.  Hillary's finances were run so poorly she had to lend money to the campaign. The campaign doesn't pay its debts, renting offices without paying, forcing vendors to go to court to get paid.  Money in, money out, everyone agrees Hillary's down to 3 million left, after debts owed are paid, not a healthy financial for a person aiming to be President.

Hillary, and the people she picked, had no strategy planned past February, causing them to play a catch up game ever since just to get staff on the ground in the next primary States.  When confronted with definitive proof that she lied, instead of apologizing, Hillary merely claims she "misspoke." 

Despite everyone seeing that she lied on YouTube, she's dishonest with voters and worse, denies she lied.  She still refuses to admit her vote to authorize the Iraq War was a mistake.  She's getting bad advice and it's getting worse: by refusing to release tax returns until mid-April, whatever she didn't want people to see will be released to the public just before the Pennsylvania primary.

I'm wondering what April surprise Hillary has up her sleeve to take the spotlight away from that!  She's had a surprise for each set of primaries, from the tears to the red phone ad, from NAFTA's leaked memo to a bag of other tricks.  Which will she pull out to take the heat off when her tax returns come out? 

What striking contrast the Obama campaign provides: staffers stay, the campaign hums, there's money in the bank, debts are paid. The staff's happy, the campaign's demonstrably beautifully managed.

Obama wins in every category when you compare executive ability, judging from leading huge campaign organizations.  Look at the way Hillary's run her own campaign and ask yourself:  Is this the way you want the White House and the cabinet to be led?

Yet Gail Collins writes:
Based on what?

A good executive also knows when to fold.  A good columnist, especially one trying to make points, might value as well, an appearance of being fair. (Gail Collins column here).

Carole