NY Times: Already, Obama and McCain Map Fall Strategies

[gristy]

By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JEFF ZELENY
Published: May 11, 2008

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are already drawing up strategies for taking each other on in the general election, focusing on the same groups — including independent voters and Latinos — and about a dozen states where they think the contest is likely to be decided this fall, campaign aides said.

In a sign of what could be an extremely unusual fall campaign, the two sides said Saturday that they would be open to holding joint forums or unmoderated debates across the country in front of voters through the summer. Mr. Obama, campaigning in Oregon, said that the proposal, floated by Mr. McCain’s advisers, was “a great idea.”

Even before Mr. Obama fully wraps up the Democratic presidential nomination, he and Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, are starting to assemble teams in the key battlegrounds, develop negative advertising and engage each other in earnest on the issues and a combustible mix of other topics, including age and patriotism.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/us/politics/11strategy.html?hp

[Selatius]

1. Avoid getting trapped into social wedge issues and blast the hell out of McCain on economic issues.

The Republicans offer nothing substantive in terms of economic reforms except tax cuts for the wealthy. Blast McCain on his 100 year war and on his economic platform, and the White House will belong to Obama. Obama must not let himself get trapped into Republican wedge issues.