A suggestion to the Obama supporters - lower your expectations

[Politicub]

Or at least keep some of your unbridled enthusiasm to yourselves. And I don't mean this in a bad way. The way Obama has been propped up lately, there is no human being alive who can live up to the expectations that have been place on him.

I remember this happening in 2000 - except it was Bush vs. Gore, and Gore was being positioned as a fantastic debater before his first match up with Bush. While at the same time, Bush's expectations were lowered as to be non existent. So the first debate happened, and the general public was left scratching its head, thinking "this is it?" about Gore. I thought Gore wiped the floor with Bush personally, but I'm kind of wonky like that.

In Hillary vs. Obama matchups, Hillary comes across as having a better command of the facts than Obama. In an Obama vs. McCain matchup, McCain will play the affable old man (think Reagan - "there you go again.") while the expectation for Obama will be beyond anything anyone is capable of. My observation of Obama is that he's fantastic when giving a speech - maybe the best dem speaker out there today.

My suggestion isn't without being self serving - If Obama is out nominee, I want to win against the GOP in November, and I would like to go into the fight having expectations set as low as possible -- then exceed the heck out of them.

If you haven't noticed, there's a real concerted effort by the Clinton campaign, in its outbound communication, to try and tame the zeal of high expectations. What's working in her favor is the fact that she's running in parity in Obama, when earlier in 2007 it was looking that she was the party's heir apparent.

This is only my .02, and I could be completely off my rocker. But at my job with clients, my rule of thumb to set expectations low and then exceed them, instead of setting them high and not being able to make the mark.

[mikekohr]

1. Set Low Expectations - and you will meet them-

That is a proven tactic in business,management, and consulting, but politics, is not business. Thank God.

In nearly every contested caucus and primary Senator Clinton out polls Senator Obama among Democratic party regulars. Senator Obama's strength is the proven ability to inspire and engage first-time voters, independents and cross-over Republicans. The Republican base will fall in line (as they are now behind Senator McCain). Our party regulars will get behind our nominee, regardless of whether that person is Senator Clinton or Senator Obama.

But it will be the swath of the demographic that Senator Obama is energizing and inspiring that will decide who wins the White House. This same demographic shows affinity for Senator McCain, as it has shown in the past for Ross Perot, and Ronald Reagan. It's support put RapMaster Ronnie over the top in 1980 and 1984 and it's support for Perot in 1992 and 1996 allowed Bill Clinton to slide past his Republican competition.

I live in a county that has been dominated by the Republican Party since 1832. Senator Obama is attracting support among people here, and across the nation, that have never shown desire to support any Democrat.

We will make big gains in the Senate and in the House this fall. But like it or not, to win the White House, and to lift the entire ticket even higher will require the ability to attract support among independents, moderates, and to be able to peel away that thin sliver of reasonable Republicans. Senator Obama has demonstrated that ability. Senator Clinton, not so much. And as Democrats we must acknowledge, face, and deal with this fact. The inability to face this similar reality in the past is the primary reason we have lost 7 of 10 of the last presidential elections

[UALRBSofL]

2. If I were an Obama supporter I'd be ecstatic

because I would have the mindset he is gonna win.

[awaysidetraveler]

3. No, I think we'll need high expectations to meet his demands for hope.

It won't be easy to accomplish what he's set out for us.

My Latino-American and African-American students needed high expectations of them, when I taught in ghetto schools in
California and Texas. As a white, male teacher, I also have high expectations of myself.

It's better to fail at something great, than it is to succeed at something mediocre.
That's part of Obama's message of hope.

No, I think it's better to set the bar high, and--in looking at the in-depth substance of Obama's message--I'm happy to see that Obama set the bar high for all of us.