The Obama/Biden campaign: stay the course or course correction?

[lwcon]

In your considered opinion, is the Democratic Presidential ticket on-course to win in November?

If not, what would you have them change?

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Here's my two cents' worth: it's now a horse race. It's still possible that general disgust with the Republican brand will make this the can't-lose election it once looked like, or it's possible that we're in for yet another nail-biter. My crystal ball isn't that clear.

IMHO, it's time for a course-correction, and the first half of Obama's convention speech showed the way, hearkening back to the partisanship of that legendary October, 2002 speech when he said:

What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income - to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.

Whatever the merits of Obama's post-partisan spiel (with which he ended his convention speech) may or may not have been, it is neither energizing the parts of Democratic base that didn't fall in love with him to begin with, nor is it winning many converts at this point.

What I see is a scary repeat of 2000 and 2004, where Gore and Kerry ran campaigns that were hesitant about flying the progressive flag. When there has been a flash of partisanship from Obama or Biden, it gets walked right back. That's their strategy, and right now they're sticking to it. And maybe it will win.

Maybe third time's a charm, especially in this more-favorable year.

Maybe Obama's appeal to young voters will win the day.

Maybe Obama and Biden will smoke their rivals in the debates (and maybe the media, heretofore more favorable to Obama than other recent Democratic contenders -- though also, of course, very friendly to McCain -- won't perform instant revisionist history like when they built and amplified a montage of Gore's sighs to turn a clear win into a perceived loss).

Maybe you don't believe in any change for the campaign. Or maybe you do. Anyway, that's my take. What's yours?

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P.S., Please read Skinner's guidelines before you rip my head off for being a long-time Obama skeptic.

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The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy, now at my new home: Correntewire.com


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POLL-TAKERS: In the early voting, "small tweaks" is the clear leader. Please advise as to what you think those tweaks should be.

[mmonk]

1. The media runs national elections for the Presidency.

It really doesn't matter what your strategy is.

[lwcon]

2. I agree they wield awesome power

But ads and the debates do provide some direct access to the public (though choosing debate questions is another power the media has).

You don't think in a close race the candidates can do anything constructive to influence the outcome?

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[mmonk]

3. I don't know anymore. The people in this country are so propagandized,

reason doesn't figure into things anymore. I've fought harder than I ever have the last 7 years. The fact that this is the first time I've been so categorically ignored by elected officials whereby I could get conversation before is worrisome. You can't show anything truthful with facts to back it up with people because if they don't see or hear it in the media, they will not believe you. I think we're too far along the current path and probably a total economic collapse is the only thing that will get people to question things. The fact after the last awful 8 years have passed there are as many people out there that are still willing to give the presidency to the party that has been in power underscores what I'm saying.

[lwcon]

5. I give the public a little credit

They turned out in big numbers to vote out the Repubs in 2006, and seriously got screwed by the Blue-Doggy 110th Congress. It's not for nothing that the approval ratings of Congress are well south of 20%, and Bush's rarely if ever crack 33%.

I keep hoping Obama/Biden will increasingly tap into the clear and present opportunity to galvanize disgust at the Repubs. All the praise for McCain, Obama saying the surge succeeded beyond our wildest dreams, etc., IMHO does not bode all that well for November (though I still think it's advantage Obama, if only slightly, at this moment).

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The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy, now at my new home: Correntewire.com

[mmonk]

7. If we win, it will be won on the ground.

At least that is where Obama excels.

[lwcon]

10. I see a lot of youth GOTV, definitely his strong suit

Outreach to older and female voters, it seems, not so much.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. The debates are run by the same media who run the elections.

So forget the debates.

Seriously... I so hope people don't hang their hats on the debates because just like the disgrace that was the last debate during the primaries. I.e., the one with Stupidopholis and Gibblets spending 3/4 of the time on non-issues and gotchas. Then recall the phony religious nutjob "Saddleback forum", where there was cheating and fraud in the process with no "cone of silence" and responses by McLame to questions due to be asked but not yet asked?

They WILL "fix" it so that Obama takes a major hit with nonsense about Wright and Ayers and his wife's hairdresser, with allowances for McLame to have extra time to put out his own off-topic propaganda (DrillDrillDrill) as his rebuttal and pile-on... and they will throw softballs to McLame about POWPOWPOW, and will cut off any response that Obama might make in rebuttal because they have to go to commercial or their timer suddenly broke so they will give McLame the benefit of the doubt and will cut Obama off... They will exhort about how wonderful McLame's senile self did and how badly Obama performed. There is no other outcome. And YES Gwen Ifill has been a tool for RW lunatics for over 20 years.

[lwcon]

6. My brush with *coff* greatness with Gwen Ifill

http://www.correntewire.com/gwen_ifill_to_vastleft_a_million_dead_iraqis_4113_dead_americans_and_our_children_who_owe_3t_fuck_off

[lwcon]

8. As noted in the update...

In the early voting, "small tweaks" is the clear leader. Please share your thoughts on what those tweaks ought to be.

It would be instructive to see if there's consensus (or not) about the recommended adjustments.

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The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy, now at my new home: Correntewire.com

[lwcon]

9. New NBC/WSJ poll calls it a statistical dead heat

Obama's lead has disappeared. What are the "tweaks" that are supposed to make the difference?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26625154/