Monday, October 25, 2010

Where the bodies are buried.

Carl Palidino is a candidate for NY State governor and his hometown paper just endorsed his opponent, Andrew Cuomo. The paper stated that an old politician is sometimes a good thing because they know the ropes and know "where the bodies are buried". That last part refers to metaphorical bodies, of course, but it's the part that intrigued me. Every deal in politics is predicated by back office handshakes, a nudge here and a wink there. Are new politician at a disadvantage by not knowing the history of how certain things "got done"? By the time they figure out the lay of the land, have they missed their opportunity to be effective? The American public only gives you a short window in which to do what you said you would do before they start looking for your replacement. President Obama is an example of how difficult it can be to be a virtual Washington outsider and try to effect change. He's finding it very difficult to form coalitions with Republicans and I believe it's because he doesn't know where the bodies are buried.

These are my thoughts ....what are yours?

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