What if Obama sprung a trap on McCain?

[GrizzlyMan]

Sorry for another trap thread. But I would like to raise a theory that may have already been brought up.

I've watched Obama's pig/fish comment about 10 times. At first blush, I enjoyed the theater of it and the fact that it felt good to watch Obama hit back.

But after watching it several more times, it's clear Obama chose his words very carefully. There is a subtle deliberateness to it. Now maybe it's nothing, but is there any chance that they intentionally threw this out there in an attempt to get the McCain camp to react, overplaying their hand and getting called on it?

I just find it interesting that the entire MSM, including O'Reilly of all peaople, are unified in chastising McCain for pursuing the issue in the way they have. And with all the talk of McCain's anger problems, would it be plausible for the Obama camp to take the calculated risk they would over react damaging themselves, blunting their momentum?

The price for that on Obama's end is two lost days in the news cycle to talk about issues, so it's not without its holes, and I don't know if the current backfire trend will keep up and open new questions about McCain.

[villager]

1. and yet I've heard Obama talk about McSame's "phony outrage," and *dodging* of the issues

in every radio soundbite reporting on the faux-controversy today...

[GrizzlyMan]

4. That would actually be the point from the Obama end

The strategy hinges on generating a reaction from the McCainiacs.

[tularetom]

2. If that's true I admire Obama and his advisers even more

If they were clever and sneaky enough to use the lipstick on a pig remark in order to get McPOW to take the bait and make an ass of himself there is no fucking way they are gonna lose this election.

[vaberella]

6. Well I was seeing it a lot like the OP did...

Mainly because Obama himself has never used the phrase until now. That's what tipped me off into wondering why the sudden usage; I figured maybe it was slightly intentional. It also manages to mitigate this whole thing on sexism as well. Now people see McCain as over using sexism in every case where it's not. Further more, you don't hear the media still touting that Obama or Biden needs to be careful with Palin. It's opened the door for a free for all on her views, as it should have been, without the cloud of sexism or agism in their way. The McCain camp turns into a joke and every thing works for the O camp.

[POAS]

8. McCain and Obama have both used it

but not recently. Obama was about a year ago, I think. McCain's usage is more recent and I'll bet they have it on tape ready to plug into a new "counter-punch" ad.

[vaberella]

9. Ahh okay. I know McCain said it earlier this year.

I didn't know Obama has used it, although I've been listening to his talks more closely starting in March of this year, so I've missed quite a bit. That would be a great advert, although I get the feeling he won't. Tweety did a great job of an advert for him on Hardball. The Dem spokesperson I remember as Jenny was worthless today. If not for Tweety the Repub would have ate her alive.

[POAS]

11. Obama was good on Letterman on this also.

[Marsala]

3. It certainly seems like it could have been a trap

Personally, I find it hard to believe that Obama wouldn't make the connection between "lipstick on a pig" and Palin's lipstick joke, or that the McCain campaign wouldn't hysterically thrust it forward as an example of "sexism". On the other hand, it does seem very risky; there was no way of knowing exactly how it would play.

I think that if it was a trap, it succeeded brilliantly; it seems like the straw that may have finally broke the back of the media's tolerance for these distractions, and it made the McCain campaign look collectively ridiculous. Also, it blunts future accusations of sexism. The loss of two days seems like a small price to pay; the issues rarely ever get serious play in the media.

[writes3000]

5. Yes, I think it's plausible. The coverage today has been about the shameful McCain campaign.

With this as the centerpiece and the sex ed ad adding fuel to it.

With the 9-11 coverage tomorrow, I suspect Obama takes back the media momentum until Palin's ABC interview.

[TheKentuckian]

7. I'd agree, except I find it hard to actually EXPECT

ignorance of this proportions. A zealous, cynical, false outrage over a statement that literally cannot logically be converted to even a personal attack in a direct sense, much less a sexist comment.

I guess, knowing that something like this was coming Barack was drawing a bead on them.

The Republicans have nothing to offer but smoke, mirrors, hypocrisy, lies, bullshit, and a very genuine disrespect for the American People.

BRING THEM DOWN!

[CakeGrrl]

10. Sure it could have been deliberate

Obama knows the McCain campaign is hanging on his every word looking for a distortion to whip up into a phony issue, especially where Palin is concerned. She was put there to keep criticism from the Dems at bay. Try to go after her and McCain camp would cry 'sexism' at the drop of a hat.

Obama probably guessed correctly that "pitbull" and "lipstick" were buzzwords to anyone following the media saturation of Palin coverage, and it's not hard to predict how the McCain team would seize on his use of a term, no matter how commonly it's used, and try to turn it against him.

This gave him the perfect opening to come back on both the McCain camp and the media. The Dems need to make the point Obama made every chance they get: with all the REAL issues that exist in America, THIS is how the Republicans want to spend their campaign time? Make them look like the petty, uncaring, out-of-touch fools that they are whenever McCain's camp gets the media to chase down stupid issues while people are stuggling with their jobs and cost of living and while the country is fighting two wars.