Johnson's Out: First Thoughts

In many respects, the times and the man just didn't jibe. Johnson is extremely well-liked and well-respected, and is a Washington insider, and a man very much identified with mortgages. And Obama is an outside-Washington change guy. The veep choice is extremely important.

Something changed; yesterday, this was a "game" and irrelevant; today, it was important enough to accept Johnson's resignation. Was he pushed? Did he resign voluntarily?

Will the team of lawyers that Johnson uses to vet the candidates -- the usual suspects who've done this for cycle after cycle -- stay on board? If not, what's the cost of finding a new team of trusted folks?

Republicans have their head. Payback time for all those folks who were forced to leave their positions on the McCain campaign. This war of attrition saddens folks in both camps.

Comments

or how about obama takes ammunition away from republicans?? or how about johnson wanted to resign?

or how about marc likes to get giddy about obama's "contradictions" while mccain still has lobbyists up the wazoo running his campaign and crafting his policy?

Posted by booya | June 11, 2008 3:02 PM

This war of attrition saddens folks in both camps.

You'd think they would be less eager to attack each other, then.

And booya, in all fairness to Marc, he does explicitly mention the possibility that Johnson voluntarily resigned, in his post above.

Posted by Darius | June 11, 2008 3:05 PM

Something changed; yesterday, this was a "game" and irrelevant; today, it was important enough to accept Johnson's resignation.

The media environment changed. Journalists showed a lot of interest in making Johnson a centerpiece of their coverage. I don't think a VP vetter has ever received as much scrutiny; though perhaps the Cheney experience validates this novel interest. The Obama campaign doesn't really care about Johnson's loans and whatnot, but they care a lot about their own news cycle.

Posted by southpaw | June 11, 2008 3:05 PM

If this is a "war of attrition," the media is a combatant. Perhaps "folks in both camps" wouldn't be so saddened if things like this weren't blown so wildly out of proportion.

It's already reached the point where both camps are being held accountable for blog comments. Next up: each voter must be fully vetted before he's allowed to cast a ballot!

Posted by MR | June 11, 2008 3:06 PM

Slight difference between a mortgage company and a military junta.

Posted by James | June 11, 2008 3:07 PM

it doesn't really change much, it was a lot of BS anyway. No one is talking about McCain's veep vetter, who is a former lobbyist for lockheed martin and time warner. But the media doesnt like to go after McCain, he gets the Senior discount, kinda like a free bus pass.

Posted by Dude! | June 11, 2008 3:07 PM

"Was he pushed? Did he resign voluntarily?"

Hmm. I'll ponder that for awhilHE WAS PUSHED!

I try to stay neutral, so I just want to say to the Obama supporters on this thread who are suggesting Obama was being attacked unfairly -- you're crazy. Johnson was one of the most unjustly overpaid, conflicted pigs at the trough of our times. In no way should a candidate with Obama's rhetoric have chosen him. It was a big fat blunder. It contributes to his image for naivete, at a minimum. But it also suggests a thorough disconnect between the inspiring messages of hope and change that are said to be fundamental to his appeal to new voters, and his actual day to day conduct as a politician. Added to Rezco, this story could have been FATAL to Obama's campaign, and it has already done permanent damage.

I would argue it was a mistake for Obama to have even allowed Johnson a dignified resignation. He should have been literally kicked to the curb, with Obama saying he had no idea Johnson was getting unacceptable and deeply corrupt personal deals from Countrywide at the same time Fannie Mae was doing business with Countrywide, and that had he known, he would never have asked him.

Posted by Vail Beach | June 11, 2008 3:19 PM

Since Obama has said to judge his choice as VP and the VP Pick process as how he would governor, we can now judge him as a failer.

Posted by Paul8148 | June 11, 2008 3:30 PM

Added to Rezco, this story could have been FATAL to Obama's campaign, and it has already done permanent damage.

Are you drunk on the beach Vail? Because this is stand-up-fall-down drunk STUPID.

Posted by Jake | June 11, 2008 3:31 PM

This post, I think, perfectly illustrates the concerns many readers have about Marc's perceived biases. For instance, here are Marc's first thoughts:

Will the team of lawyers that Johnson uses to vet the candidates -- the usual suspects who've done this for cycle after cycle -- stay on board? If not, what's the cost of finding a new team of trusted folks?

Is there really any reason to think that the team would need to be broken up? And if they did, other than the inconvenience and time lost finding a new team, is there really any reason for the hand wringing about the "cost of finding a new team?" Both of these questions are classic concern trolling. The fact that Marc has candidly admitted that these are his first thoughts, I think says a lot.

Posted by drjimcooper | June 11, 2008 4:15 PM

Good morning,

I figured you would be interested in viewing this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXfiOSCfY44

Kristofer

Posted by Kristofer | June 11, 2008 4:48 PM

Good morning,

I figured you would be interested in viewing this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXfiOSCfY44

Kristofer

Posted by Kristofer | June 11, 2008 4:49 PM

Good morning,

I figured you would be interested in viewing this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXfiOSCfY44

Kristofer

Posted by Kristofer | June 11, 2008 4:49 PM

Don't you get it. Obama is NOT an outside Washington DC guy. Oh he says he is but everything he does screams differently. Sadly, DC insiders like yourself are easy to fool.

Posted by Kate | June 11, 2008 5:13 PM

I find it amazing how big a deal politicos like you, Mark, can find such a thing as this to be.

Really, get out and take a walk. Get some sun. Get out of politics for 1 or 2 days. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Go to a concert. Anything, really.

Jim Johnson is a big deal? Really? You really think that?

Posted by buzzrd | June 11, 2008 11:11 PM

To anyone who read the damning article about Johnson on the WSJ this morning, there are an amplitude of reasons for him to want out of the spotlight, and PRONTO. It was devastating.

Posted by marybel | June 11, 2008 11:28 PM

Here's the link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121314375651462773.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks

Makes sense to me, Johnson wants to stay out of jail. If Obama had any testosterone and wasn't indebted to Soros, he'd have kicked him out...saying, of course, "This isn't the Jim Johnson I knew..."

Posted by marybel | June 11, 2008 11:46 PM