What Ails Obama

In a campaign, the candidate has two responsibilities -- smiling and dialing. For the former, it's a matter of greeting the public and soliciting votes. The second is to get on the phone and plea for money. Everything else is handed over to the staff to get done.

From this past November through January, Big Media was focused on the transition from Bush 43 to Barack. News in and of itself. However, the big transition was changing a campaign staff to a governing staff. At first blush, it looks like things haven't gone well.

As Obama had pointed out in a slew of interviews given the day that Tom Daschle stepped aside to be the HHS secretary -- he has erred.

In short, as a candidate he was dependent upon the staff. Now, he needs to play a more critical role in a host of issues -- otherwise, he will be at the mercy of his staff. He's pushing a stimulus bill that he didn't create; he's had to accept the resignation of potential Cabinet secretaries; and his administration looks silly when they can't accomplish the simple task of assigning an ambassador to Iraq.

If you take a look at the Presidents over the past 40 years -- those who didn't have executive experience --both Ford and Johnson -- reached the office through death and resignation. Johnson won "Kennedy's second term" and Ford -- well, he never won a Presidential race. (I'm giving Bush 41 credit as he ran the CIA.)

It doesn't help that his Vice President was never an executive at any level.

Rather than doing something he's good at -- getting on the stump and campaigning -- it may behoove the new President to focus on running the government. Otherwise, it will be left to a staff that seems not be ready for prime time.