Expert Advisor Is Handyman in Kerry's Camp

[Feanorcurufinwe]

He arrived in Iowa on a cold day in December and helped lift a long-written-off Sen. John F. Kerry to a surprising victory in the state's caucuses Monday. Kerry's Iowa campaign manager says Whouley parachuted into the state and identified weaknesses in the campaign's outreach to veterans. He directed staffers to approach not only registered Democrats but also independents who served in the Vietnam War. The goal: expand Kerry's identification with all former armed forces personnel.

"He identified the trees we hadn't shaken yet," said Iowa campaign manager John Norris. "He not only expanded our vet universe, but identified how we could reach beyond prior caucus voters. He jumped in and hired new people and personally trained our field staff. His contributions were just invaluable."

<snip>

This week, Whouley helped turn Kerry's would-be Iowa defeat into victory. Their work together began on Thanksgiving weekend when the candidate called Whouley following a meltdown within his campaign staff, which was wracked by internal rancor and competing strategists.

In early October, Kerry fired his campaign manager. The next day his chief spokesman and the deputy finance director quit in protest. Kerry brought in Mary Beth Cahill, chief of staff for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), as campaign manager. And he called the fix-it man.

Returning from his first trip to Iowa in December, Whouley ran into an old friend, Kerry strategist John Sasso. "He said Kerry was going to surprise people because he was connecting with both veterans and women,"

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-whouley22jan22,1,1835197.story?coll=la-home-politics

[blm]

1. Veterans and women. November, here we come.

.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. That's just what I thought when I read that n/t

[Karmadillo]

3. Whouley has some good advice for all of us

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-whouley22jan22,1,1835197.story?coll=la-home-politics

<edit>

Returning from his first trip to Iowa in December, Whouley ran into an old friend, Kerry strategist John Sasso.

"He said Kerry was going to surprise people because he was connecting with both veterans and women," Sasso said. "I told him, 'I don't know, it looks pretty tough to me.

Whouley responded: "It is tough. But I couldn't live with myself if didn't go out and make an effort."

[CWebster]

4. The shadowy "fixer"?

Heard a passing mention of him and that he is so secretive, he allows no photos to be taken of him.

Wonder what exactly it is he does?

Maybe it's Dean time to hire him.