Obama Team Missed the Chance to Set the Battlefield. ULITIMATUM was due before slime fest started

[Sensitivity]

Let's be honest, Plouffe and Axelrod seems to have missed the window of opportunity to set expectation regarding the kind of ferocious counter-attack that would come from the Obama campaign in responsive a McCain low-road strategy.

Once again the Rove minions are allowed to run their game without the fear of massive retaliation. We are in a bit of trouble.

The McCain team seems to have surprised the Obama team by beginning their “Celeb” insult-fest as soon as Obama returned from his international tour and their Obama Nation smear campaign before Team Obama has set the frame.

The Obama campaign now has to unload a major shit-bomb on McCain, and Axelrod should have been making it clear that this would be the precise reaction to slander and insult against Obama’s character and patriotism.

Instead of using apocalyptic language -- “they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” and “. .for crime upon crime, I shall grant them no reprieve” -- they chose to mutter platitudes about avoiding the issues and raising pointless questions about the validity or intelligence of the McCain/Rove slimy (and successful) strategy for defining Obama.

John Kerry seems to have finally taken point on a major counter offensive. Obama now desperately needs a fighter as the V.P. selection. Hope we can see a real BATTLE finally engaged.

TIME TO GET ANGRY.

[Radical Activist]

1. I don't know what you're going on about.

Obama responded quickly and powerfully. The celebrity theme is being turned against McCain. Over the top bombastics are not helpful.
You're stuck in John Kerry mode. This isn't '04.

[Sensitivity]

5. Response to a smear, no matter how good, are never as effective the smear itself.

Only a well planned counter-attack that draws attention AWAY FROM the thematics of the smear -- by being in itself monstrously newsworthy in its viciousness -- can create balance.

[Radical Activist]

19. No, that's the Republican game and it only helps Republicans.

Responding to ugliness with more ugliness makes people turn away form politics. That makes our voters stay home and the Republicans win. That's why the GOP always goes ugly. They know that it will always help them more in the long run to promote cynicism and disgust with politics.

[Sensitivity]

22. The way to prevent this SLIDE INTO SLIME was to TREATEN MASSIVE RETALIATION before the slime begins

[Radical Activist]

23. I don't think that's a realistic strategy.

And no threat is worth making if you don't intend to follow through.

[Sensitivity]

29. We should be following through with a valid but ferocious assault

[Radical Activist]

30. See post 19.

[liberalmuse]

2. I do agree about the attack VP.

I like how Obama is running his game, but where are the attack dog surrogates? A good, strong VP, who is not afraid to tell the truth and stand by it is exactly what we could use. I'm not all that warm and fuzzy for Biden, but he sure was able to shoot down Guiliani with a few well-placed words. Clark would be great, too. Even Clinton.

[FrenchieCat]

3. You sound like the media!

Why hasn't Obama responded forcefully? Is he another Kerry? Why isn't he winning by more? Boohoo!

That's the media's song....we don't need you joining that choir!

[FrenchieCat]

4. Fuck it! I'm hiding this chicken little the sky is falling piece of shit

of a thread.

[cliffordu]

12. Yep.

[Ichingcarpenter]

35. Yep......

[AtomicKitten]

6. No back seat drivers, please.

Obama has done a damn good job running his campaign so far.

[americanstranger]

8. Every few days, we have these anxiety attacks.

I recommend this: No Drama.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6629834

Here's the best bit:

And all of this hand-wringing is the point of the Obama camp's "no drama" policy in the first place. By demanding no drama from his staff, Obama himself is saying "we rise, we fall, on the strategy we lay out". Period. Because the classic case of drama killing a campaign...well, we've done that this year already. Exhibit 1: Hillary Clinton. Fact is, all the hand wringing in the world means nothing at this point, because the campaign really doesn't start until after Labor Day. With the Olympics on the tee vee and kids getting ready to go back to school, the average voter simply isn't paying attention at this point. Hate to say it, but it's true.

- as

[AtomicKitten]

10. I pledge allegiance to my Zen ... nt

[ericgtr]

7. Agreed, Obama is allowing the swiftboating in droves

It's time to get on it, he doesn't hit back fast enough and doesn't hit back hard enough. What happened to the Obama from the primaries with his crack response team?

BTW does anyone know if these ads on DU are permanent? I have donated a few times to this site and it sucks to have the plastered all over the place like this.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cliffordu]

9. I do believe there will be an avalanche of quiet, well placed, calm,

DEVESTATING ads from the Obama campaign just as soon as labor day is over.

The polls are basically static. Keep your powder dry.

It's going to be wall to wall McCain misstep here real soon.

[Alexander]

13. Clark will be a great attack dog for us. Just wait - the ass-kicking is coming.

[Sensitivity]

31. I cannot figure why Clark, it seems, was not even considered for V.P. by Obama Team

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[angee_is_mad]

16. I TOTALLY agree

with you and Barack is not a stupid man.

[JackORoses]

17. Concernitivity?

[cliffordu]

18. ROFL. Nice!

[Sensitivity]

20. There are words for Dem activists who are NOT CONCERNED at this point. I don't need to say.

[Tarheel_Dem]

21. May I ask how many campaigns you've successfully waged?

I say we leave it to the professionals. You sound like Thom Hartmann, which I never missed, but he is nearly unlistenable when he goes off on the Obama campaign for not "hitting back hard enough". If you've never run for office, or managed a campaign, I say we trust the people that Obama pays to strategize?

[Sensitivity]

24. 1 successful, 2 failed. I am a professional in many of the information campaign

and network-diffusion practices being well used by the Obama campaign.

They did miss the window during which they should have been vocally and clearly warning the McCain gang of retaliation if they went low-road.

The super-effective component in the campaign is the grass-roots ground game using viral social networking.

Unfortunately, the results of this good work should be already registering in the polls of registered voters.

[Tarheel_Dem]

28. Isn't Obama up by 6 in Gallup today? And Obama has won more than one

campaign, so I'd say his track record is a lot better than yours.

[Sensitivity]

34. Look at GALLUP AGAIN. Poll results are always "lagging" indicators

[A-Schwarzenegger]

25. Youre the genius always trying to shove Hagel4VP down DU's throat.

Yeah, advise on. :*

[Sensitivity]

26. Barack Obama is the NOMINEE. I have supported his right to choose his V.P., whoever it may be.

For that you and other concerned folk choose to besmirch and attack. Not sure why.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

27. Have you given up your Hagel Crusade?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

32. Not time to get angry. Time to get BUSY!!

So what are you going to do about the Rovians? Are you going to come here on DU to complain and whine; or, are you going to take action?

Donate. Make calls. Demand that the Democratic leadership stand with our nominee to fend off these false attacks. Register voters. Do whatever you can to work for the nominee.

Don't get angry. Get busy and take action!

That's how you fight--AND BEAT--KKKarl Rove and his minions!!!

[Sensitivity]

33. Need to be buzy figuring how to do great harm to McCain. Foot-soldiers can do that.