The One Current Fatal Flaw in Obama's Campaign

[DemocracyInaction]

I truly believe the point is rapidly coming when Obama has to attack McCain--meaning exposing his record, his plans and his lies. I understand that Obama does not like to attack; but these are not vicious lying attacks (like McCain's). They are statements of fact.

The campaign desperately needs to compare/contrast Obama against the backdrop of McCain otherwise it's as though Obama draped a white sheet over his head and stood in front of a snow bank!

Example: McCain simply cannot be allowed to continue giving the fake impression that he is the "lover of Vets". If Obama does not through ads and speeches display McCain's record, then massive numbers of vets will vote McCain because they simply do not know any better. They assume a POW is their best friend. Obama cannot assume that they know the truth. He needs to tell them.

There are so many such things to expose. We Dems never seem to get it through our heads how totally ignorant the public is. If WE don't fill them in, trust me, the republicans will with any picture they wish to paint. I do hope Obama comes back ready to expose, constantly and consistently, the real McCain.

[my3boyz]

1. If he wants to military vote he does need to expose McCain's

record on that. Many military people will be voting via absentee ballot very early.

[sandnsea]

2. Obama Attacks McCain Over GI Bill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ-FMsxNLkE

Yeah We Dems really do need to get it through our head how totally ignorant the public is.

[jobycom]

3. Don't worry about Obama, he attacks quite well, thank you very much.

He may try to act like Gomer Pyle, but he's a shark when he has to be. He attacks in three ways, all of which allow him to maintain his "I'm a clean campaigner, I don't attack" image. First, he gets others to release his attacks, and then lets the attack run for a while, and then chastises the attacker (which of course brings the attack into the news again). He did this earlier in his campaign, where he had supporters calling Clinton untrustworthy, unfit, and all that. Second, he attacks anonymously by flooding the media with faxes and emails, like his famous "Senator from Punjab" email. This won't work as well against McCain because the media favors McCain and won't cover such stories on their own, but his campaign will still do it. People don't see this because it's a backstage strategy, and since the emails and faxes are "anonymous" the media can't say "Obama launched this attack today." The source is obvious, but still unidentified.

Third, he attacks by differentiation. Against Clinton, for instance, he would say something like "I have refused to take money from lobbyists. I voted against the war. I don't have experience but I have good judgement." He timed these statements to coincide with Clinton statements or commercials, so everyone knew that he meant "unlike my opponent" without actually saying it. These attacks were very effective, because they were positive statements, but they put the opponent clearly on the defensive, so that any response sounded like an excuse, and if his opponent actually mentioned him in the response, he could then attack his opponent as going negative. We've seen him try this, though not to his best effect, with the "dollar bill" speech. He responded to McCain tactics not by attacking McCain, but by making general statements about what his opponent might do (leaving off that the opponent had already done it). McCain got lucky on that one, in that when he attacked Obama and defended himself, the media sided with McCain, but that tactic has worked well for Obama, and will again.

There is a fourth way Obama attacks, and it's successful because of how rarely he directly attacks. He uses sarcasm, then sort of apologizes afterwards for losing his cool. It gives the appearance of a long-suffering campaigner who finally just snapped, and feels guilty for it. We saw this with his "Annie Oakley" comment. Ironically, this is a tactic Bill Clinton used a lot in 92 (anyone remember his Bush impersonation?), and tried to use for Senator Clinton this time around, though it backfired.

My point is, don't worry about Obama. I see a lot of "Oh my, poor sweet innocent Obama, he's a lamb who's going to be eaten by the wolves! We must protect him!" We don't have to protect him. He does pretty damn well on his own. Ask my first three picks in the primary whether Obama has what it takes. Those are the ones being fitted for cheerleading outfits on the sidelines, having underestimated Obama's campaign skills. McCain probably won't underestimate him, after he beat the Clinton machine, but he still won't find it easy to defend against.

[Whisp]

12. didn't Hillary herself call herself the "Senator from Punjab"

when she was promoting some trade deal with India?
I could be wrong, but this is how I remember it.

It that is so, then how is Obama quoting what she herself said supposed to be taken as underhanded?

This is what I dont' understand about accusations how Obama is playing dirty.
Hillary has said a lot of very very divisive things, on camera in her own words and when this is used against her somehow it translates into Obama playing dirty politics?

oiy.

[jobycom]

13. Chill. I didn't say underhanded, or dirty.

Clinton made a speech to an Indo-American organization, and took credit for work she had done to help India. She joked about being the Senator from Punjab. Obama then sent anonymous faxes and emails to the media, mocking the nickname and criticizing the work she praised as sending jobs overseas. Those are the emails I was talking about--he attacked her quite successfully, without muddying his positive image.

Of course Clinton has said divisive things. So has Obama. That's how you campaign. My only point was a response to the OP, who thinks Obama can't play rough. Obama can play rough, he has played rough.

I posted a thread recently that sank like a stone, where I said that people were too sensitive to any criticism of Obama because they seemed to feel they had to protect him, that he wasn't tough enough to win this on his own. I see a lot of that sentiment--he needs to be meaner, he needs to attack more, he needs to go negative. Maybe he's not cut out for what it takes to win. He's too nice. He's too soft. Those aren't always the words used, but that's the attitude. Sort of a desperate coddling.

He's not soft. He's not naive. He's not too nice. He can play with the tough boys. He earned his shot at the title the old fashioned way. Give him credit where it's due. Sugar Ray Leonard was also known as a nice guy who respected his opponents and fought clean. But he punched like a mule-kick in the ring. He knew when being nice wouldn't get him what he wanted.

Obama knows how and when to punch. He can win this.

[Whisp]

15. then I guess we agree afterall.

Obama ain't no cream puff, for sure.

I sometimes do worry whether he can take on the msm, and they haven't even got started on him yet imho, but generally I can't have many advices for him, lol, (that sounds so ridiculous like I or most anyone here can do a better job that they already have done to this point) as he has proven himself to be a gentlemanly bulldog 3 steps ahead of most everyone else.

[JoFerret]

19. Heard of politics at all?

.

[Whisp]

20. why yes, that's why I much prefer the kind obama plays.

and the fact that he wants to change some of this.

arent' you getting sick of the same washington games that treat us all like short attention span children, or do you think it serves you well?

[JoFerret]

25. Hold that thought.

.

[Whisp]

29. Shame on You, Hillary Clinton! Shame on you!

can u imagine Obama standing there doing that, all in a flap with eyeballs bugged out, pointing at a flyer.

well I can't, because he doesn't use those tactics that Hillary did.
she is old washington, old politics, still believes we are the idiots we usually are.
obama is trying to change this kind of thing, and he proves it by actually not doing it.

I am guessing that 'hold your thought' meant that obama equally practices/practiced this kind of low brow campaign.
he doesn't

he quite clear to see that.
he has never made a commercial/comment etc to make himself look like a fool

[JoFerret]

30. What are you frothing about now?

Please - concentrate on democrats winning in November not on these imagined slights and crimes. Your fevered imagination helps no one. Stop being so silly.

[Whisp]

34. imagined slights and crimes

yes, it's all in our heads.

:(
time to change the litterbox.

[JoFerret]

37. Good plan

Cats above politics.

(At least you can see the results. Politics is rather more muddled and the litter boxes of politicians full of strange bedfellows - or some such muddled metaphor.)

[Phx_Dem]

14. Not sure about the Gomer Pyle reference, but

nice job. Obama knows exactly what he's doing. :toast:

[Whisp]

22. is 'oiy' a Gomer thing?

? it's been a loong time since I've seen that show.
:)

[jobycom]

24. Maybe that wasn't the best analogy.

:rofl: I was in a hurry.

[Phx_Dem]

33. Yeah, sure. We know you were watching

Gomer Pyle reruns while posting. :headbang:

And Sargeant Carter is NOT going to be Obama's running mate, so get that out of your head right now!

[sniffa]

23. Very sharp rebuttal

:thumbsup:

I've been saying it for months - Obama is ruthless.

[Connie_Corleone]

4. There is no fatal flaw. You just don't know the Obama strategy.

They will be doing this after the convention. Also, they've already done some of this in Ohio and Nevada with targeted ads against McCain. The media isn't covering this, which is fine with me. The Obama strategy is to win this election state by state, not by national polls.

And the Vets know the real deal. Read this article about McCain's speech to them yesterday: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/10/mccains-attacks-rival-fall-flat-vets-group/

[JackORoses]

6. Obama has to save this until after the Convention to make sure McCain is the nominee

If he destroys McCain now, the Repukes will have a chance to put up someone else.

He has to wait until McCain is certified to begin raining down the death blows.

[Quixote1818]

7. Your analysis is right on. Great stratagy too. nt

[KittyWampus]

8. They failed utterly to turn the "didn't visit troops" into a devastating experience for McCain

Obama's team should have IMMEDIATELY started demanding McCain apologise to the troops for using them as political footballs

[nc4bo]

5. It seems to me that

Obama is winning battles to win the war; McSame wants to win the war but is losing the battles.

The 50-state campaign plan has been brilliant so far.

[jwirr]

9. Obama has been exposing McGaffe's short coming he just does

it in a polite fashion. He will be talking about and issue by saying "McGaffe says .......... but I would ........." I do not think he has to get dirty to be able to draw a line between himself and pugs.

[CreekDog]

10. Just because you don't see the attacks

doesn't mean they don't exist. :eyes:

[depakid]

11. That's an accurate observation- one that applies to Democrats in general

Republicans own the framing and the narrative- BECAUSE DEMOCRATS LET THEM and you'll see tons of people on this board who have no problem with that- or even encourage it, even though its proven over and over to be a losing "strategy."

Not sure whether to call that hubris- or self satisfaction in believing that they are "better than that" -or just plain stupidity.

Probably all of the above- but given the willful inability to learn or think critically about the past 10 election cycles (or bother to read any books or analysis) -I'm definitely leaning toward stupid as the best description.

[darius15]

16. I guess he will in October...

but at this point he doesn't really need to. He has a greatly anticipated convention looming ahead, people are tuned in to the Olympics, Obama has stable support in the polls (always 46-48 percent) no real need to expose McCain yet. Plus, McCain just looks desperate, which helps Obama.

[Radical Activist]

17. Obama already called McCain an ignorant liar.

Didn't notice? That's because Obama knows how to attack without it looking like an ugly attack. Its perfect. Obama needs to keep doing exactly what he's doing.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

18. Obama can use his surrogates to attack

Better to use surrogates so that the nastiness doesn't look like it's coming from you.


I have a feeling he is waiting till after the convention... then BOOM!


No need for Obama to personally do it.

Or maybe he can use his VP.

[Drunken Irishman]

21. Obama is winning.

The only way I could see this as fatal is if he were losing.

But that's just me.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

26. I think the strategy is to hit back hard when people are paying attention...

AFTER THE CONVENTION!!

Please stop underestimating our nominee and have faith in him. I'm so sick of the whining and crying. Just have faith in him. The Obama team knows what it's doing...

[Motown_Johnny]

27. This should all come out in the debates.. with 80 million voters watching

[AtomicKitten]

28. Obama obviously knows what he is doing.

[EnviroBat]

31. The Obama campaign need to create a series of "scare tactic"

ads. These types of ads are very effective, and the repukes have been using them for years. The ads should outline how McCain will utterly destroy what's left of our economy. They need to scare people that are already scared by a bad situation only getting worse. Throw something truly tangible out there and you'll get voters. People are struggling just to keep their heads above water, and McCain will continue to tax them to death. Obama's message should be clear. A McCain presidency would destroy our economy beyond repair.

[Fire_brand]

32. In Iowa, Obama waited before he attacked

while some of his supporters wanted him to "get tougher" he waited patiently

have patience, it's comming

[mokawanis]

35. Pateince, patience, patience...and these ads are hard hitting

Two new ads that hit McLame hard (link is to Daily Kos)

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/10/212716/278/547/565916

[Avalux]

36. There is no fatal flaw. Obama's camp is playing it smart.

Ordinary Americans are not paying attention to politics right now. Olympics, summer, back to school, etc. Once everything pivots and all eyes are on the campaigns (post conventions) - they will attack.

There is no point in wasting breath and money attacking McCain now.

[Political Heretic]

38. Not this again.

All of you people screaming "OMG HE MUST ATTACK" in the middle of "SUMMER" when NO ONE IS WATCHING EXCEPT POLITICAL ADDICTS need to take a breath.

WE Duer's are not NORMAL. Most people are not tuned into the nuts and bolts of the "Race" and are not spending their summer days glued to televisions.

Convention..... then day after labor day. That's when it all happens.

If McCains attacks were working, it would be different. But they aren't. They're rejected in the media, they are polling unfavorably against him. They have failed to make any dramatic dent in Obama.

The most important thing you can do right now is donate money to Obama. This campaign is going to come down to a spending war, pure and simple. I believe Obama will dominate the media, and the campaign GOTV ground game (he has 3:1 campaign offices to McCain)in the home stretch.

Best thing to do is help him raise record amounts of money.

[quaker bill]

39. There is a season for all things

Attacking now does not make sense. It is too soon and the ammunition would only be wasted.

In these matters, timing is everything. You want to peak on NOVEMBER 3rd, not September 3rd.

Obama has attacked, admittedly mildly, but sufficiently to maintain a consistent lead. The build starts with the convention and rises modestly through September. The hammer and tongs come out the last 3 weeks of October. Watch and learn.

[TheDonkey]

40. Obama needs to fight back against this new "tax increaser" smear. People will be sucked into it

if he lets it out there unchallenged. HIT McCLOWN ON THE ECONOMY!