The scariest thing I ever heard/read was a description of what it means to be the new guy in the White House when the parties change. Literally, you get the rooms, and the furniture. No one from the old administration is there to help you, no one is there to show you the ropes. The Rolodex with the names of who to call ~ that's gone, and you need to bring a new one. You, literally, start from scratch.
Yes, there is staff, which is why people like Linda Tripp aren't completely purged immediately. She was able to maintain continuity from the Bush administration, not on the basis of personal charm, but on basic knowledge.
That's one reason that politicians hang on for dear life to political hacks.
As for choosing advisors well, would that I had your faith in the process. It may be one's responsibility to chose well, but the choices are, inexorably, so limited. |
