Sage words from one of the sharpest political observers in town. By email this afternoon.
I don’t think fundraising is that important now. I’d look for how [Clark] deals with the press. Is he comfortable? Is he brittle? The precedent is not Hart and McCain, but Perot. If he wins over the national press, everything else will fall into line, but if he gets a reputation as touchy or distant or ill-informed, he’ll be in trouble regardless of how much money he raises or whom he hires.
Sounds right to me. My only addition to this would be that questions over how his tenure as Commander of the
United States European Command ended may show how he’ll do in comfort and brittleness terms. My sense is that he’s got a good story to tell. But the press is picky, a temperamental beast.