Contrasting the Presidential Campaigns

"But in politics, everything that goes around comes around." That from an article on CBSNews.com by Dean Reynolds, on the campaign trail. Go there and read it before the Obama flock cries to Les Moonves about it and it is taken down.

We already know the candidate is thin-skinned and has no sense of humor.

It's a fun, light piece contrasting the two campaigns, from a reporter's viewpoint. The behind the scenes glimpse into the character of the candidate, from my take on it. I'm sure that wasn't the intention of the reporter, but that is what I took from it. Pulling back the curtain, an onlooker sees how others are treated. The top of the organization sets the tone, we all know that from the ordinary working world. The same is true in all walks of life.

Remember the Houston Press article I wrote about several months ago, the reporter having moved here from Chicago and covering the up and coming Barack Obama for many years? He provided an interesting look at the Chosen One, for whom the media cheerleads daily. He wrote an anecdote about Obama walking out of the Senate building and tossed a piece of wadded up paper into a trash can. It missed the trash can and he kept walking, glimpsing over his shoulder to see if a staffer would pick it up for him and put it in its place. It was a glimpse of basic arrogance.

The contrast from the reporter's viewpoint on the road with the two campaigns is interesting. The Obama campaign aides are not accommodating of the press in a considerate manner. He says the "Obama aides who deal with the national reporters on the campaign plane are often overwhelmed, overworked and un-informed about where, when, why or how the candidate is moving about."

"The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly." "When he is available, John McCain is friendly and loquacious. Obama holds news conferences, but seldom banters with the reporters who've been following him for thousands of miles around the country. Go figure."

Remember the contrast, too, between how McCain treats his Senate staff in Washington and how Obama treats his. McCain pays his women staffers, for instance, much better than Obama does. And, McCain has many more women on his staff. Interesting, no?

And, Obama's campaign plane smells bad.

"Maybe none of this means much. Maybe a front-running campaign like Obama's that is focused solely on victory doesn't have the time to do the mundane things like print up schedules or attend to the needs of reporters."

"But in politics, everything that goes around comes around."