January 18, 2005
HE'D HAVE TO BE BETTER THAN THE LAST PRESIDENT THEY GAVE US:
Reed said to see Georgia as path to White House (Ralph Z. Hallow, 1/18/05, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Word that Ralph Reed plans to seek the lieutenant governorship of Georgia signals what friends say is the former Christian Coalition executive director's ultimate ambition — 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.A Bush White House favorite, Mr. Reed would have to give up his lucrative campaign-consulting business in order to run for a relatively minor office in his home state.
Associates say Mr. Reed, 43, whose picture first appeared on the cover of Time magazine nearly 10 years ago, hopes to use the lieutenant governor's job to position himself to run for Georgia governor. Friends also say the Atlanta-based consultant's long-held ambition is ultimately to win for himself the Republican presidential nomination that, as a campaign adviser, he has helped others to seek.
His biggest obstacle may be that he l;ooks like he's about 12 years old. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 18, 2005 9:50 AM
He won't win.
Posted by: Sandy P at January 18, 2005 10:33 AMHis biggest obstacle will be the 15+ years of political baggage he's collected.
He might achieve statewide office in GA, but that's as high as he climbs.
Posted by: AML at January 18, 2005 11:33 AMHe's a GREAT organizer, but like the others, I have my doubts about him heading a ticket.
Posted by: kevin whited at January 18, 2005 12:03 PMHe's a GREAT organizer, but like the others, I have my doubts about him heading a ticket.
Posted by: kevin whited at January 18, 2005 12:04 PMWhat's a chief executive but an oraganizer?
Posted by: oj at January 18, 2005 12:17 PMWell, he'll probably do better than Gary Bauer, but political advisors/consultants-turned-politicians tend to be eyed warily by the general public, and also tend to have long paper (or digital) trails their opponents can use against them.
Posted by: at January 18, 2005 1:27 PMMr. Judd;
A leader. Reagan and Bush are leaders because they have a set of big ideas which then organize other people to achieve.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at January 18, 2005 1:31 PMAOG:
Yes, they organize people around the ideas. That's all leadership is.
Posted by: oj at January 18, 2005 1:46 PMMr. Judd;
Yes, organization and ideas. That's why Bush 41 was a mediocre President at best. Good organizer, bad leader because he didn't have any strong ideas. A classic example of why being a good organizer isn't enough.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at January 18, 2005 2:00 PMGood organizer? He had bad staff and no idea what to do with the organiztion.
Posted by: oj at January 18, 2005 2:08 PMYep, it's official: I've seen daycare students who look older than him.
Posted by: Matt Murphy at January 19, 2005 2:40 AM
Old Bush was neither a good organizer or a good leader. Reed is both.
A few years ago I saw Reed at a presentation at the MetroWest Jewish Center in NJ. His presentation and ease with a polite but hostile audience was remarkable and he greatly impressed me with his ability to find common ground where one would think there was none. Even the local fishwraps, the Star-Ledger and the Bergen Record, remarked about his success. IOW, Gary Bauer he ain't.
It is difficult for me to imagine that he can become a serious presidential candidate in the age of the 30 second sound bite. His issue positions will matter and he'd never carry Metro Atlanta. But it is easy to see him as a dominant figure statewide in Georgia for the next 3 decades and a person that GOP Presidential candidates will have to deal with for the foreseeable future, like Richard Daley in the 50s and 60s was for Democrats.
Posted by: Bart at January 22, 2005 6:38 AM