You don't want to make enemies with AS. He's a good talker and he's a ... "learning opponent".
Case in point. This morning he appears to be "going positive" on Obama.
It's early to tell, but maybe one could make the case that he's figured out that "bash Hillary" isn't going to bring home the bacon, even in the home stretch.
OBAMA - TRUE EXECUTIVE TALENT
AS does good work outlining what he sees as Obama's executive talent, covering the ability to efficiently and effectively mobilize a disparate group of people to a selected task.
We've seen ACT I, in Iowa and New Hampshire and the lead in. It was very impressive. We've see ACT II, and it's been ... not quite to the standard/idea I set (LOL), but still quite good in other ways. Now, we'll get to see ACT III, to see if there is a progression in the message, a widening and deepening of the themes we saw in the prior acts.
One way to accomplish that is through the theme that AS just picked up..
SOME DETAILS - WHO IS THE NEXT 'GREAT COMMUNICATOR'
I've looked at more Executive talent that the average Joe in my years, and I have to say that I see signs of true excellence in Obama. He's got Newt's "listen, learn, lead" thing down, pretty well.
So far, the one campaign failing that comes to mind was his rhetoric that went a little ahead of itself on lobbyists, when Edwards (or someone) pointed out that one of his campaign people was either a former lobbyist or whatever. For her own part, Hillary's weakest moment was with the "staged leadership" role, in which questions were planted (I believe that is also the week her poll numbers started to skid pre-Iowa ...).
Who will be better at taking up even unpopular legislative items, because they relish the challenge of trying to change opinion, not just follow it?
The Bureaucracy
Who can manage the bureaucracy better? I think that is a draw. Hillary probably knows it better - and that counts for a lot, in terms of being effective. But, she has a penchant for loyalists that could be a blindspot (as it has been for Bush). Also, there is the horrible matter of travelgate in her past. Clearly, not the finest hour for an Executive, but there is a lot of water under the bridge since then.
The Great Communicator
Most importantly, who can get out there and sell ideas? Ronald Reagan had years of doing this for GE (and for the picture shows).
Bush-43, fault him as you will, for his smirk and his bogus simple-rancher-man-of-faith routine, is good at formulating a message and getting out and driving it home, of dominating the terms of the debate eventually ("fund the troops" comes to mind as The bogus message that really caught fire).
Bill Clinton was good a "just talking" to people. He didn't rely on inspiration. He just was really good at the old art of rhetoric, of reeling people in with an hypnotic series of statements and conclusions.
Much more to say, but think it over for yourself. Who will be better at gussying up popular support for a legislative agenda, Hillary or Barack? Who will be better at taking up even unpopular legislative items, because they relish the challenge of trying to change opinion, not just follow it?
