The Power of Passive Campaigning (NYT)

[PretzelWarrior]

This is a really good article discussing how Obama has been a sturdy shelter in the storm. It bodes well for how things go this last week.

http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/the-power-of-passive-campaigning/?em

[tblue]

1. I'm so glad he didn't follow the advice of a lot of us and go on the attack.

Man, how I wanted him to eviscerate McC in the debates. But he never did. How did he know his strategy would work so brilliantly? And Obama is the one who comes off as more mature and reliable and even fatherly. He is nothing short of amazing.

Thanks! That's a really good read.

[democracy1st]

7. Chris Matthews calls it the Barack Obama technique and that is

too just allow your opponent to continue speaking and they will hang themselves. Even though Chris was joking at the time he's recently used it on a big mouthed republican congresswoman from MN

[depakid]

16. "How did he know his strategy would work so brilliantly?"

He didn't... and it wasn't.

Not until McCain & Palin AND the financial system had unprecidented meltdowns.

Prior to that- even with the unpopular resident of the whitehouse- and the deline of the Republican brand, he'd been trending downward duing the summer- and was behind in early September.

Had the Republicans nominated competent candidates and the economy kept limping along, we'd have been looking at another nail biter like 2000 and 2004.

[PretzelWarrior]

17. it's funny how many items you ignore about the race

I mentioned some down below. I'll even discuss them here again. Palin bump was undeniable. At first blush, Palin seemed attractive to some bummed out Hillary voters and independents. The only thing Obama had to do was not panic and ensure Americans found out about this disaster of a woman to change the tide. Mission accomplished.

I guarantee Obama would still be reaping rewards from that horrible pick even without the financial collapse.

I will also say something I didn't below. Obama had not yet crafted a good response to the "Drill baby drill" mantra that gained a lot of traction with some voters due to high oil and gas prices. You have no idea what would have happened differently.

I am actually going to say there was NOTHING. I repeat NOTHING guaranteeing the financial crisis would accrue benefits to Obama. It was the leadership and political styles of the 2 men that separated them. We could easily have seen a less drastic slide of the economy and it would have netted the same results.

EVEN if it hadn't, you are assuming the agile campaign of Obama wouldn't have adjusted their strategy for the issues of the day.

You give Obama and his GET OUT THE VOTE efforts way too little credit. Let's just compare notes on November 5 when we see how convincingly Obama crushes McCain. Then let's talk about how much room to spare he had.

[depakid]

18. All I'm saying is that the style worked in context of what occurred

and likely wouldn't have worked (based on both past campaigns and on the direction of this campaign up until early/mid September) with the twin meltdowns (Palin's insane pick being part of McCain's epic meltdown, the likes of which no one's ever seen before).

Of course the voter registration efforts (and the long primary season) are key factors- but would they have been enough to carry the rust belt against two more competant nominees, like say Romney/Ridge? Especially if the economy had kept limping along, instead of crashing?

As a general rule, faiure to define one's opponent(s) for the length of time the Obama campaign did- while at the same time remaining passive (and on the defensive) while the opponents run roughshod and press their narrative, isn't a formula to electoral success. This time, fortune and circumstances shined on us. Next time- or in other races, they may well not.

Something that dandidates wishing to emulate the "passive strategy" should consider.

[tblue]

22. I don't think of it as 'passive.' More like passive aggressive.

I see it as measured and calculated.

You had me going for a minute. I thought for you were channeling the ghost of Pat "Obama would be nothing if the economy hadn't collapsed" Buchanan.

[Triana]

2. from the standpoint of a victim of abuse, there is a LOT to be said for NOT getting into...

...the "arena" with an opponent/abuser, where HE defines the parameters of the relationship/battle/conversation/dispute/whatever. NOTHING exasperates them more than their NOT having that kind of control over their opponent/victim.

It CAN work to simply NOT engage in the bullshit.


From "The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists":

The narcissist generally has an endless repertoire for delivering criticism; by the time you are well into the relationship or have grown up in the relationship, defending yourself and your position has become a knee-jerk reaction. This pattern, however, only further undermines your self-esteem because you have already fallen into the trap of validating the criticism by defending yourself. Countering the criticism with an explanation or rebuttal also serves to encourage the narcissist’s desire to pursue his critique all the more because you are now fully in his arena, debating his issue in terms of his original premise. Unless you are prepared to take “his” course in logic and debate, you are better off walking away from the argument.


Brack Obama, on some level, knows this. And he knows when and how to stay OUT of the arena with his opponent. VERY wise man.

[hootinholler]

8. He would have learned those skills growing up

He's my age within a couple of months. I can't imagine being biracial growing up, it was hard enough being 'white trash'

-Hoot

[Cronopio]

20. Very true. Staying out of the narcissists arena is always a win on the personal level.

It may or may not win Presidential campaigns (fortunately for the nation/world it's working in this one), but it always makes the narcissists work harder at their rationalizations, which is always fun to watch. It's a tactical advantage, because when they work harder, they're more visible and they make more mistakes.

McCain and Palin are textbook cases of narcissistic personality disorder.

[Triana]

23. "McCain and Palin are textbook cases of narcissistic personality disorder. "

Definitely. And bu$h/Cheney too. (actually, I think bu$h/Cheney are outright psychopaths)

[FrenchieCat]

3. Thank you for that.

Very much enjoyed that read.

[juno jones]

4. K&R

A very worthwhile article. Thank you.

[snot]

5. anyone care to explain how this appplies to Kerry in 2004?

just askin'.

[mucifer]

6. Kerry had np ground game. He wasn't around in 50 states. He wasn't as talented

of a speaker. He didn't have 8 years of w behind him.

[depakid]

9. Obama has been the luckiest politician I've ever seen

and to paraphrase Napoleon- I'd rather have lucky generals than tactically skilled ones.

Had McCain AND the economy not melted down, we'd have been in an entirely different race. Yet Obama's campaign was just about right for the events as they unfolded.

In most other years, with competent Republicans candidates, we may well have been looking at another disaster.

[PretzelWarrior]

11. well, I hate to tell you...but it did involve more than luck

there's a certain zen quality or "it" factor to how Obama wades through all the turmoil to come out looking the way he does. Yes, the times we are in make it easier for him to overcome natural hurdles like 24 hour news cycles, the fact that he is African American in a somewhat racist country and has a funny name that the wingers can play off the terror fears.

But on balance I'd say the situational advantages and the demographic disadvantages of Barack as a candidate cancel each other out and he is running away with this thing because of his political savvy and demeanor.

[depakid]

12. The trend over the summer and into early September speaks for itself

Under the circumstances- with an extremely unpopular resident of the Whitehouse and a party in disfavor, a more skilled campaign would have been leading substantially and trending up- not down.

Fortune in this case (as well as utter incompetance by McCain & Palin) were the big factors here. Without them, we'd likely have been in a nail biting replay of 2004- or maybe even worse.

[PretzelWarrior]

15. the only trend was after the nomination of Palin

even then, the bump only brought McCain about even with Obama. Unfortunately for McCain, his Palin choice was like Icarus flying too close to the sun in his mavericky ways. He got burned and he's crashing to earth.

THe slide would have been just as inexorable even if the financial crisis hadn't taken place.

P.S. Some luck around the Palin VEEP pick went McCain's way too. The Russia/Georgia flare up was a crisis that clearly benefited McCain and his poll numbers reflected that.

[ACTION BASTARD]

14. I feel this is why the Republicans keep harping on Obama not

being able to close the deal. He doesn't fall for their bait to attack them like (in their eyes)a "typical angry black man".

"When your enemy is committing suicide, do not interfere. " Obama is just making McCain crazy enough to lose discipline and Obama just steps back and watches it all go down in flames. Just like he did to the Clintons.

[Cronopio]

21. The timing may be partially a matter of luck ...

... but anyone who has read a history book knows that tyrants (and networks of tyrants) always screw up their own game, given enough time.

[GreenEyedLefty]

10. I love it... Love the reference to Milton, too!

:)

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. Obama exudes a level of authority Republican politicians at the highest levels

can only dream of.

[hay rick]

19. The rope-a-dope strategy

LOL