Advice for the Candidates: Is James Carville Right About President Obama?

James Carville may be right: Obama ran on hope and change. And right now we desperately need change.
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With Ron Suskind's Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President debuting on Tuesday, and a media blitz set for Monday, the press for President Obama looks even gloomier. How is this possible? Have you seen some of the quotes?

Summers walked in, slightly late, but not impolitely so, and met Orszag at the table. And then it was the two of them. Orszag hoped that this time the White House would be less fraught with strife than the last go-round during the 1990s. Summers said it kind of came with the territory. This talk of their shared history seemed to thaw things out. They both grabbed for the plate of flatbreads ... and tore corners at the discus-sized breads. 'You know, Peter, we're really home alone.' Over the past few months, Summers had said this, in a stage whisper, to Orszag and others as they left the morning economic briefings in the Oval Office. ... 'I mean it,' Summers stressed. 'We're home alone. There's no adult in charge. Clinton would never have made these mistakes.'

James Carville wants Obama to fire his staff. Politico wrote a tough piece on Thursday about Chief of Staff William Daley.

Who spins whom? No one spins Carville. He speaks from his gut. But does the White House want stories about Daley to distract from Obama? Change the narrative -- make the problems about Daley not about Obama; in the end, they fire Daley.

But does this really fix the problem?

James Carville may be right: Obama ran on hope and change. And right now we desperately need change. Or else it seems that Suskind's narrative from the quote above will bring even bigger change in 2012.

Let me know your own thoughts below. You can also visit www.DavidHelfenbein.com or www.AdvicefortheCandidates.com for David's political prognostication entitled "U.S. Choose Reports."

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