Campaigns, Candidates and Leadership

Amusing myself with the gaffes this week, made by the Republican-2012-Presidential-nominee-wannabees. What do they say about what kind of Presidents they would make?

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich lost his top fundraisers, just after a massive resignation of high-level campaign staff.

Embattled presidential contender Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that his "big ideas" and unconventional strategies were responsible for the recent departure of several high-level staff members.

"Philosophically, I am very different from normal politicians, and normal consultants found that very hard to deal with," Gingrich said in remarks to the Atlanta Press Club.

"We have big ideas," he added, of his team. "I just think that's part of how you campaign. You talk to the American people about big things."

Gingrich's campaign has, to date, been plagued by a series of gaffes and high-level departures: On Tuesday, less than two weeks after several top aides stepped down en masse, two of his top fundraising aides resigned.

I am envisioning a cartoon of President Gingrich speaking some dead language to a bunch of economic advisors, as they get up from the conference table and walk out the door….

The folks behind former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s campaign launch misspelled his name on the press passes they gave out.

Every detail of Jon Huntsman’s long-awaited campaign launch was meticulously planned, except of course for one minor detail: the misspelling of the candidate’s name.

Members of the media were handed a press pass that read “John Huntsman for President" -- adding an unnecessary H in the candidate's first name.

Now, I know Jon is usually spelled J-O-H-N, but really...  I shudder to think what will need to go into making sure nametags at State Dinners are correct.

And I know former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin hasn’t announced her candidacy yet, but there are conflicting media reports as to whether she has abandoned her bus tour – the one that started on the East Coast in May, was supposed to make its way to Iowa.

(CNN) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had another bone to pick with the media Wednesday -and that includes her employer, Fox News-this time over whether she has ended her "One Nation" bus tour.
Taking issue with reports she has abandoned the tour, she Tweeted, "I did? Hmm, glad I have media to let me know my plans." She then included, "Palin Ends Bus Tour" with a link to a Fox News article.

The Fox contributor wrote of the media, "They never cease to amaze."

Reports of the tour's end appear to have begun when RealClearPolitics posted an article Wednesday that the maybe-2012-presidential-candidate's bus trip was on "hiatus." It then caught fire on the internet with multiple postings trumpeting news of the tour's premature death.

Run out of gas? Like her tenure in the Alaska Statehouse? How long would she last in the White House?

Not that she will ever be elected.