The only appropriate response to the Ayers smear: laugh it off and dont get into it. Relax....

[Essene]

Even engaging in counter-smears with keating stuff and trying to flesh out the details of the ayers stuff is a distraction.

It gives the matter more air time than it deserves.

Just laugh it off, folks.

[usregimechange]

1. That is what Kerry did

[ClassWarrior]

2. Are you Obama?

NGU.

[GarbagemanLB]

6. bingo. He should respond like he has, by claiming McCain is erratic and trying to change the subject

[seabeyond]

7. no, that is not what kerry did. he addressed it as a lie and his fellow soldiers stoood beside them

made up history.... get the facts. quit spreading rumor and lie.... swiftboating the same

[Essene]

19. It's the difference between being on defense and being on offense.

Obama should avoid their talking points... avoid making headlines about this stuff.

Wait until the debate, and then we'll see how polls are going...

[Jennicut]

9. That was also 2004. People are more fed up with Rethugs.

This attack was also not a 527, it was from Phalin's own lipsticked lips. Never attack a candidate in an ugly way directly from your campaign.

[Essene]

13. This isnt 2004... and Obama isnt sinking because of the smears (atm)

If obama sinks in the polls, THEN you react.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Just like when Clinton and her supporters did it.

[LiberalEsto]

4. They say Ayers, I say Keating 5. nt

[azureblue]

5. the appropriate response

Did you know Ayers is white?
Did you know Obama was 8 years old at the time?
Now tell me about McCain and Hagee...

[adamuu]

8. Wrong. You should watch Rachael Maddow's interview with Michael Dukakis

Aired on Friday 10/3

Here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x207003

No "laughing it off" Respond to every attack swiftly and decisively. Don't take anything for granted.

Edit: Posted in Video forum instead.

[Apollo11]

10. Rahm Emmanuel just followed your advice on CNN (Late Edition)

"Barack Obama was only 8-years-old when these things were going on" - or words to that effect.

Folks - let's get serious. Obama needs to address this. He has to reject and denounce Bill Ayers beliefs and his recent statements (made in 2001) about how he has no regrets - confirming that he still supports the idea of using violence to achieve political objectives.

Bill Ayers is TOXIC. Obama needs to wash his hands NOW.

Trying to laugh it off WILL NOT WORK.

[ClassWarrior]

11. Is the OP talking to Obama? Or to us?

Frankly, I'm rather comfortable trusting the campaign to do the smart thing.

NGU.

[Essene]

14. Us. The flood of nervous threads on this stuff is disturbing...

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Hello? Obama already went through this with Hillary during the primaries.

Old old old news. 53% of the population was born after 1970. Time to get out of the '60s!

[MNDemNY]

12. Great, the "Kerry" stratagy.

:spank: :spank: :spank:

[Essene]

15. Wrong.

[MNDemNY]

16. Yes, it is wrong.

[Essene]

17. Obama is gaining. Getting dragged into the mud is not the right response. This isnt 2004.

The independents are not biting at the smears.

IF THE POLLS START TO SHIFT, then Obama's campaign must do what it has to... including going aggressive.

But we have no reason to be freaking out about these ayers claims.

[MNDemNY]

20. Don't "feak" but respond with the truth, quickly, or better yet, preemptively.

[seabeyond]

22. but that isnt true. it is a lie that is continually repeated by people like you

oh, ... hey.... swiftboating.

get the facts

[Overseas]

21. No, let's help the Republicans promote it by starting lots of new threads on the topic. //nt

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

23. Social Security and Health Care

People aren't going to make up their minds based on something that William Ayers did when Obama was eight years old.

[TwilightGardener]

25. No--and Ayers is white, and no one is afraid of an old hippie radical from the 60's--

I fail to see why this shit would stick as an attack.

[TwilightGardener]

24. I agree--to pay attention to this bullshit is to make it a big deal, and it

allows McLoser to take attention away from the economy. Obama's people need to call these attacks old news, ridiculous and desperate, and then immediately pivot to how McLoser is inept on the the economy and health care. They might also get a dig in about how McCain learned nothing from his associations with Charles Keating and the S/L disaster.