McCain's Presidential Transition Gaffe

There are many things about Sen. Barack Obama's campaign that seem presumptuous, not the least of which is his seal of office. But yesterday's announcement that he will soon launch a transition planning operation is not one of them.

The question is not why Obama made the decision, but why Sen. John McCain has not. Instead attacking the Obama campaign for "dancing in the end zone," McCain should have appointed his own planning team long ago.

Obama has plenty of historical precedent to draw upon. On the Republican side of the aisle, Ronald Reagan began his 1980 planning effort in early spring under a senior confidant. The planning produced the fastest transition to governing in modern history, which translated directly into Reagan's victories on budget and tax cuts only six months into the term.

George W. Bush also began his planning early, which produced a remarkably disciplined transition that laid set the stage for another round of tax cuts. It is hard to imagine how the transition could have succeeded without it. Given the Florida impasse, it is hard to imagine how the Bush transition could have succeeded without the pre-election planning.

On the Democratic side, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton also began their planning early, but waffled when it came time to use the plans. Under intense pressure from their campaign staffs who rightly complained about a lack of consultation, both decided to start planning again all over again the morning after the election.

With no playbook to work from, Carter and Clinton quickly over-spent their political capital, Clinton was particularly hard hit by transition infighting, which produced the fitful search for an Attorney General, which in turn laid the foundation for the health care debacle and the Republican sweep to power in the 1994 election.

Whereas Obama seems to have learned the importance of at least some pre-election planning, McCain has missed it. Having questioned Obama's fitness for office, one can understand McCain's pique at any sign that his opponent might be serious about getting ready for Day One. But Obama cannot hit the ground running if he does not know where he is going.

McCain seems to assume, for example, that the presidential appointments process will somehow bend to his will. Having watched it all these years, he should know better. The process is nasty, brutal, but not at all short.

Nominees are battered by 60 pages of forms that contain questions that cover every conceivable embarrassment and more. Nominees must list every school they have attended and give the name of a chum who will vouch safe for them. They must also list every job they have held, addresses and phone numbers of past and current neighbors, the birthdays and birthplaces of their parents and in-laws, and every international trip they have taken, including short visits to Canada and Mexico.

The process is hardly over once they submit their forms. The FBI must vet their answers, the Office of Government Ethics and each department and agency ethics office must certify their financial disclosure filings, the White House must make a formal nomination, and the Senate must act. Given the inevitable delays and detours along the way, the next president will be lucky to have his team in place by mid-2009. In a first-come-first-served process that can only handle so many candidates at a time, the president-elect better know just who comes first.

McCain also seems to believe that his legislative priorities will be easily sold. But he is neglecting the need for fast action on a host of household chores. He will almost certainly want to submit revisions to the final Bush budget as part of his broad attack on congressional earmarks. He will also want to develop an executive order or two for early release. Even after his truncated transition, George W. Bush was able to launch his faith-based initiative only eight days after Inauguration Day. McCain will even need to pick a White House computer system, a rather daunting task for someone who has only just discovered "a Google."

Obama's greatest challenge now is to find a leader for his planning effort. Although he may be tempted to appoint a Clinton's staffer, academic, or think tank president, he cannot forget the Carter and Clinton experience. The last thing he will need on November 5th is a battle for supremacy between the transition and campaign staffs.

The best compromise may be former South Dakota Majority Leader Tom Daschle. He is not only intensely loyal to Obama, but has the throw-weight to command respect after the election is over. Transition planning is not a plumb to be awarded to a political technocrat.

McCain's greatest challenge is obviously different. He must find a way to back out of his ill-advised attack on transition planning. He cannot wait until November 4th to start thinking of November 5th. Doing so not only endangers his administration, but the country as a whole.

The decision not to plan for the transition is not just presumptuous on McCain's part, it is irresponsible. The next president faces a huge agenda of national problems that must be addressed as soon as possible. Instead of criticizing Obama for planning, McCain should congratulate him for taking an essential step toward governing. If anyone should have moved first, it should have been McCain. He is the one with the long resume after all.

Paul C. Light is the author of A Government Ill Executed. He is not affiliated with any campaign.

Comments

[repearwo]

One major reason Obama Won the Nomination was the fact that he had a plan. Hillary did not - past Super Tuesday. One major reason why Obama may win the Presidency is has a plan, John McCain does seem to, except to smear Obama. Obama has a plan for that as well.

So why would it surprise anyone that Obama is planning a Transition, just in case.

I am a little perplexed about calling Obama presumptuous. Is it not presumptuous to think that one can run a country of 330 million people at a time when US stock is down. That was true of all the candidates for President. So presumptuous is fine with me, when so far Obama seems to make good on his presumptions.

[S1m0n]

If John McCain ISN'T doing his homework and preparing to win if the people of america pick him, how can he stand up in public and say he's ready to be president? Clearly, he isn't ready and isn't taking any steps to become so.

[egal]

You know how there are these people who work in a place for decades, never getting promoted, never rocking the boat, never seeming to do anything productive? And then the new manager is surprised by this fact until she or he gets to know that employee, who is yet again--for good reason--brushed under the rug or finally let go?

Yeah, 'nuff said.

Anyway, why plan for what won't happen?

[alamacTHC]

Seems likely to me that the reason McSame isn't planning a "transition" is that, if he wins, a transition won't be needed any more than one was needed between Bush's first two terms. McSame would just be Bush's 3rd term, no "transition" necessary.

[MyAudacity]

Someone has mentioned that people are being fed visual misinformation by the media, and I agree. I no longer watch news on tv because after being able to go online and see the difference in the reporting.

I'm very thankful for Huffington Post, and really wish other people who don't have access to computer's could be priviledged to the news reported here. It really balances the negatives.

I've spoken of my Mom before who is 80 years old, was so enthralled with Fox News, but confused by their hatred of Senator Obama and for Black people in general. I guess in 2008, we were all deluded into thinking we had made more progress than we actually have, and the GOP seems determined to take us backwards instead of forward, with gleeful help from the media.

Now, re: this topic, it seems McCain is more interested in being President for the sake of being President, than giving any real thought to leading the country, you would think all a President has to do is fight and win wars.......has anyone pointed this out......does he have anything else that he plans to do as President of the United States....he most certainly have no concerns or consideration for uniting a divided country.

[CalexenderJ]

There 's no question that McCain's administration would be a disaster, without somebody much smarter than him pulling the strings. Take a look at his campaign, it's unorganized, unfocused, doesn't have clear structure, it's a mess. McCain is showing on a daily basis that he has no idea how to govern, and Obama is showing that he does.

I'm beginning to believe that a McCain administration would actually be worse than Bush.

[BlueInARedState]

McCain and staff are spending all their energy attacking everything Obama does. First they attack Obama for not traveling to Iraq to understand the war on the ground. Then they attack when he does travel to Iraq. First they attack by saying he isn't presidential enough. Then when he looks all too presidential, easily communicating with the world's leaders, they attack that too. In fact, attacking Obama's every move is pretty much all McCain is doing.

And with the help of the media, the vast majority of the American public - which gets all its news from television - gets a very skewed picture of reality. A picture shaped only by the right wing.

Yet, there is hope. Every candidate who spends his energy attacking his opponent is by definition, working from behind. Reacting, not acting. Such candidates lose.

[barackobama4prez]

Doesn't need a team. He will just send more troops and tell us about the surge. As for economics and education, well we're on our own. We better not expect ANY type of healthcare either.

Lower Taxes for the rich and more war is all this guy is about.

O B A M A / B I D E N 2008-2016

[cdub1991]

McCain prefers to be the underdog. He'd probably rather wait for the government to collapse before he starts planning.

[mlaiuppa]

McCain doesn't need a transition. He'll be continuing all of Bush's policies so he can even keep all of the staff too.

[harriscrl3]

Good point maybe thats why its not a priority for him.

Carol

[pclight]

Most presidents dump their predecessor's staff no matter what the party is. McCain shares many things with Bush, but they won't be sharing White House staff or executive branch officers. Look for new faces, but not necessarily any new ideas.

[barackobama4prez]

Oh i'm sorry..I thought that read "Look for new feces"...

O B A M A / B I D E N 2008-2016

[JennyJay]

Lately, everything out of McCain's mouth is about Obama. . . McCain simply does not have the time, nor the the energy, to think about anything else. . . Transition planning? . . . Not a chance!
He has such a huge obsession going on about Obama, I am surpised if he gets his shoes to match each morning.

[harriscrl3]

It never fails to amaze me how silly our arguments can get. I mean during the Primary Hilary kept harping about how Obama wont be ready from day one that the Presidency is not a place to do training yada yada. 55% of the American people think that he is a risky choice and he is trying to allay their concerns by saying I'll be ready I'm going to have my team in place. Lets not even forget that we have two wars, a 4 trillion dollar deficit, global warming, energy crisis etc and we are worried about whether someone who can be the next President is planning too soon I mean seriously that some messed up crap how the heck can you plan too soon considering the stuff thats going to come at you from day one.

I mean we need to stop this silliness and get serious there is a lot of problems we face.

Carol

[HypeFreeZone]

C A I N doesn't need any transition planning operation - remember he has the "experience" and it is also "presumptuous" of B O (who Repubs say doesn't have any experience) to start planning just about 100 days to an election that would usher in the person responsible for the lives of 300 million people and an economy in excess of $11 Trillion.

What's there to plan?

" I know how to win wars" - that takes care of Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Milk is now more than $4" - that takes care of the economy.

"We removed that ban on drilling and within days the price of crude dropped by more than $10" - that takes care of high price of crude.

So what's there to plan? We are in good hands.

[mesut]

that about takes care of it. (the paper work to follow in Jan 09)

[blueinannarbor]

Shoot, all that's left is to figure out who's going to pick up the patty melts for lunch. This is a piece of cake for someone whose vast experience allows him to eloquently discuss ongoing diplomatic relations with countries that haven't existed for 15 years.

[ThePeacemakers]

McCain doesn't have to plan. Does it ever occur to many that if he's President he would use many of the same people Bush has already vetted? That's why he's not in any hurry, he just thinks the current administration needs a "little tweaking" and not an overhaul.

[Grunty1]

A 'little tweaking", as in B'ush didn't start enough wars for Mc'Cain's liking.

[BassMent]

It seems the message of the McCain campaign over the last week has been reduced to "Obama is bad and wrong." That, and of course "The media is being mean to me because they love Obama."

Hardly the sort of positions that inspire American voters to rally for you at the polls.