Obama Centralizes

You report that following the loss of a Senate seat in Massachusetts, President Obama is moving to centralize next fall's election strategy (Obama moves to centralize Control Over Party Strategy, New York Times, January 23, 2010).

That is seem to me to be a big mistake. He has forgotten the wisdom of Tip O'Neill's "All politics is local."

The issues that candidates face in different parts of the country, and even in different parts of the same state, are unique and local. Such differences cannot be coordinated by a central office.

Decentralization is what is needed.


Sent to New York Times