Barbara Lawton is not an afterthought. She is a talent on the stump and in the office. She's well-organized, focused, a natural recruiter. She makes things happen and makes things go. The Breaks Political campaigns are now and always have been more reactive than proactive.
Campaigns are fundamentally event-driven and chaotic.
The fantasy that a campaign is an orderly, scripted business where you plan your work and work your plan is something that people who have never been inside a campaign and most journalists entertain. Also, dumb luck plays a bigger role in campaigns than anyone likes or admits. Sending Lawton to get Mike Ellis's OK on the state of the state response was good sense and good luck. On the other hand, not being invited to join the President in La Crosse the week of the Monica Lewinsky mess was pure dumb luck. You don't have to be David Letterman, but a quick wit can be a plus.