Fast response times to Bhutto’s assasination

One thing to remember about good campaign staffers: they can absolutely turn on a dime. They can respond to fundraising needs or current events with an almost unbelievable response time. Take, for instance, yesterday’s announcement of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. This morning, political news is full of reports of candidates’ responses. John McCain made comments after a speech yesterday that he had the credentials to deal with such a foreign policy crisis. One of Barack Obama’s foreign policy advisors pointed to past efforts by Obama to move Pakistan to center stage in U.S. foreign policy.

This ability to respond — to change campaign messages based on what else is going on in the world — separates out good campaign managers from the chaff. It shows which ones are worth paying big buck to keep on staff.