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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 4, 2008
/ 13 Adar I 5768
A neophyte looks like a pro, and vice versa
By
James Klurfeld
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I have been consistently skeptical that there's any correlation between how a candidate runs a presidential campaign and his or her ability to lead the nation effectively.
The whole process has become so long, drawn out and complex - so much an endurance test - that the only attributes it highlights are the ability to sleep in unfamiliar, uncomfortable motel-room beds, eat fast food, shake hands until they blister and still manage to smile. Are you really sure you want to vote for somebody willing to undergo so many months of unending indignities? And what does it all have to do with running the country?
But having watched this primary campaign, especially the Democratic race, I do find myself coming to some conclusions about the relative merits of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.
I'm impressed with Obama's strategic grasp of campaign strategy - and his ability to implement that strategy. In one sense, Clinton has seriously undercut her major campaign rationale: that she has the experience and is ready from day one.
Well, for all that experience - and she and her husband, God knows, have run a lot of successful campaigns - she looks as if she has been outstrategized and outmaneuvered on the ground by the neophyte. It's really incredible.
Obama spent time and money organizing to win caucuses in many of the small states that the Clinton crowd decided to ignore. That takes political savvy and organizational ability. Clinton obviously believed she could win enough delegates by Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, to deliver a knockout blow. When that didn't work, she didn't have a backup plan. Also incredible.
At the very least, it shows that he chose good people and let them do their jobs, a sign of a good manager. Clinton chose people who were loyal to her. I often had the impression her staff, especially the younger members, idolized her to the point that they couldn't even fathom she was screwing up the campaign. This is especially interesting because most of the political pros signed up early to work for Clinton, figuring she would win and they would get high-level jobs. Obama had to pick from the leftovers.
I'm also more impressed with Obama under pressure than Clinton. Her performance over the past week, when things have clearly not been going well, has been bizarre. One day she said she was honored to be on the same stage as Obama and the next she was saying, "Shame on you, Barack Obama," and then heavy-handedly mocking his lofty rhetoric. Clinton said it was meant to be a light moment in the campaign. Ouch!
In contrast, there seems to be a calm at the center of Obama that is reassuring. Obviously it helps to be the front-runner. And I believe he has become more self-confident and articulate in the debates as the campaign has continued. He has been able to parry Clinton's thrusts with grace.
Even at his worst moment of Tuesday's debate, when he would not come out and say that he not only denounced Louis Farrakhan but believed him to be an evil person, he managed to take a cue from Clinton and say he rejected his support. It's not that he has not made mistakes. He has. But he recovers from them and gets better.
Of course, not everything depends on campaign tactics. We pundits tend to make too much of them during the campaign. Voters are more interested in a sense of who is going to help them cope with their daily lives than who's running a brilliant campaign.
In the end, voters make a gestalt judgment that combines issues and character with a big dose of intuition. And that comes from watching the campaign, sometimes closely, but more often while distracted by the events of daily life.
But judgments are made. And for the past few weeks, those judgments have been coming down on Obama's side.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
James Klurfeld is a professor of journalism at Stony Brook University.
Previously:
02/22/08: The allure of Obama for young people
02/19/08: Obama sounds good, but words aren't enough
© 2008, Newsday Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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