What should Obama's PA strategy be?--Obama supporters only!

[woolldog]

Any thoughts? I'd like to see a lot of smaller meetings with civics groups and small townhalls. I'd like to see the message tailored around economic issues: social security, jobs, foreclosures, unfair trade (steel industry has taken a big hit) and less of a focus on lobbyists/washington politics and the Iraq war.

Along with a strong GOTV and targeted registration effort in Philly. And some rallies there and in the other large cities, but only towards the end of the campaign.

Armchair strategists, what do you think?

[shraby]

1. I think he's doing quite well without kibitzing.

He and his staff seem to know exactly what to do to win. Far be it from me to even think about coming up with advice.

[Maddy McCall]

2. A concession speech.

[Renew Deal]

3. All you know is how to be a loser.

Switch sides and you'll know what it feels like to win again.

[Maddy McCall]

6. Tuesday night felt good. Winning primaries in three states felt great.

And it will feel good to win PA, too.

[Gore1FL]

21. How did it feel Today

When a tiny red state wiped 1/4 of the delegates form the Tuesday wins away?

[Maddy McCall]

24. Meh, could have been better.

[kid a]

30. nice to see you joining the Obama team! (see thread title)

[Maddy McCall]

37. Well, the OP edited after I had begun to post in the thread.

So, since he waited seven minutes to add "Obama supporters only," and since y'all keep talkin' to me and countin' on me to liven this thread up, I'll keep responding.

[Up2Late]

53. You mean the TWO delegate gain!?! WOW!

What Hugh victory!

12 Delegates - Obama 7 - Clinton 5

7-5=2

It's all about the Math, right? That WAS last weeks Spin, Right? Or is that only the spin when Obama loses delegates?

[Renew Deal]

26. 3 out of the last 16

Gotta love it. I wouldn't count on PA if I were you. Even if you win the battle, you will lose the war. Might as well stop wasting your time with Hillary.

[SKKY]

32. We know. We did it 11 times, remember?

[bigtree]

18. for DU supporters of Obama, winning is just an invitation to dump on the loser.

I've never witnessed such classless bores.

[Renew Deal]

27. hypocrite

[bigtree]

33. that means NOTHING, coming from you

[Renew Deal]

40. Yet you understand it so well

I don't pertend to be better than everyone else.

[Gore1FL]

35. It isn't dumping on the losers

as much as it is frustration with people who live in denial and refuse to see the bland reality.

It is frustrating to argue the same points again and again. I keep answering the arguments of of others,but never seem to get the favor back. It usually devolves into insults, then ends, and another thread with the same defeated arguments pop up.

I've gotten to the point where I cut and paste my longer posts over and over again that spells out the situation, and asks for a coherent rebut.

Know what happens? I get called a bunch of names, the thread dies, and within 5 minutes a thread posing the same defeated arguments pops up.

Hell, I could write a script to automate this.

[shraby]

5. Maddy, who quits when they're ahead?

[Barack_America]

10. Lol. Not even close. n/t

[angie_love]

25. and this is supposed to be one of the "good" hillary supporters. Please!

[Madam Mossfern]

28. Hey!

The OP says Obama supporters only. I was trashed in a "Hillary" thread for asking a simple question.
Now shoo shoo...be gone.

[pdxmom]

4. He's got to do a better job at playing the media game. He's not just

battling Hillary, he's battling the media, which he needs to get a stronger handle on.

I agree with you that he needs to go with some smaller events and focus on the economy. Except he has to make sure he keeps up his point about having better judgment. I want him to bring up Hillary's judgment on IWR, cluster bombs, Iran, etc.

He definitely needs to respond to Clinton's attacks, but in a way that is more subtle. Hard fist in a velvet glove approach.

[K Gardner]

9. Yeah, agree with this. Retool the speech, more media exposure, tougher. Gads, I do

hope they know what they're doing.

Because one thing I do have to agree with the MSM on: This has been a bad week in the perception game for Our Obama.

[woolldog]

17. that seems to be where the bulk of

HRC's experience lies. Not in foreign affairs or economic policy, but in manipulating and massaging the media.

They have a head start on that, for sure.

[Barack_America]

7. The Philly registration effort is in action!

Spent the past 2 afternoons registering folks in deep West Philly!

There are efforts throughout the city, to the tune of many hundreds of new registrations coming in EVERY DAY.

We're hitting the West Philly high schools next week!

ETA: I should mention that there is so much registration going on that there have been nearly "turf wars" between registering groups!

[woolldog]

23. thank you kristi.

Question: is the steel issue and Nafta a big deal in PA?

[blue neen]

48. The steel issue is huge in this part of PA (southwestern),

and the citizens are very aware that Bill Clinton pushed NAFTA 'til he could push no more.

Obama SHOULD NOT give up on rural areas of western PA, like Westmoreland County. We are not that far-removed from Pittsburgh and people in this area are very concerned about jobs and health insurance.

He should have a campaign office closer to this area than just in the city of Pittsburgh. Westmoreland County has a Democratic registration edge, but has gone red the last several presidential elections.

Whoever concentrates and campaigns on the economy issues in this area will win some valuable votes and delegates. This is Jack Murtha territory.

[woolldog]

51. thanks for your input (nt)

[DJ13]

8. I think the Clintons are planning part deux of their Ohio NAFTA smear

NAFTA should be a Hillary deal breaker for the economically depressed Pennsylvania, so I expect the MSM to take any mis characterizations of Obama's positions on it and run it for days on end just before they vote, much in the same way they conned Ohio into believing Hillary is better on that issue than he is.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. How is PA

economically depressed? PA =/= Ohio. The industry is much more diverse and there isn't that huge house foreclosure rate like in other states. This doesn't mean there aren't pockets of problem areas but we certainly aren't MI or OH.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

11. I'd say have the biggest rallies ever. With Springsteen performing.

Break the all-time world record for attendance at a political speech. His events drive the Clintons crazy with envy. She'll call another embarassing press conference or something to get some of the media back.

[youknowmenotdlc]

12. He needs to do one thing

Play Hillary ball and attack her leadership meme head on by tying her and Mclame to the failed Bush foreign policy of the last 7 years.

Hillary showed poor judgement voting for the IWR and he needs to not only hit her hard over the head with it but tie her directly to Mcain and bush using her own talking points of Mcain being more qualified to lead.

It works on a number of levels and it's not dirty pool, it's telling the truth about her.

[monmouth]

20. I like it, you should mail your idea to the campaign. n/t

[woolldog]

29. See I think the foreign policy/Iraq argument

doesn't have much resonance with working class voters. And neither does the open government theme. They want to know about the economy and health care...and trade issues as well.

Iraq seems to be more effective on the west coast; and open government in the heartland, imo.

[KittyWampus]

13. He MUST start talking about Open Government- it gives him a positive way to attack Hillaryn

AND McCain.

He must make subtle jabs at Hillary's gross exaggeration when it comes to foreign policy.

[bigtree]

14. poop

[XemaSab]

15. It's the economy, stupid

NAFTA, NAFTA, we got teh shafta.

That and the war. Which she supported.

[bluestateguy]

16. Suburbs, suburbs, suburbs

Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware and Chester counties. Those suburbs are tailor made for him. He'll kick ass along the Main Line.

In Philadelphia, I expect that he will win, but not by commanding majorities.

He should hit the suburbs around Pittsburgh, but western PA could be a real problem for him.

I'm sure he'll also do well in Centre County (Penn State).

I'll be honest here: the odds are against him.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. Oh he will win by a commanding majority in Philly.

No doubt about it. The city has the potential to deliver 300,000 - 400,000 excess vote over any other opponent per precedent. The burbs may be a little closer in the tally, particularly the further west you get, as the rim portions of those counties have been turning more blue but exburbia is still purplish to red.

[Barack_America]

39. Why wouldn't you expect...

him to win a "commanding majority" in Philly?

[woolldog]

44. thanks

I've also heard that bit about focusing on the suburbs.

[blue neen]

49. If the concentrates on the economy and NAFTA in western PA,

he will have a chance. BUT, he must have substantive ideas on what to do for jobs in this area.

Either candidate is at peril if they dismiss the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

[Up2Late]

19. Why does he need a strategy? According to the Obama Fanatics here, he's already won...

...so I guess just staying home would work for them. Right?

I guess, by their "logic," counting every Democrats vote is just enabling John McCain and the Republic Party.

[KittyWampus]

34. to shut down the monster that Hillary Clinton has become before she makes it impossible for our

nominee to win the election.

[angie_love]

31. Hit home on the economy, retool the stump speech, roll up his sleeves, and fight Hillary hard

[Ichingcarpenter]

38. Push the Tax returns and Presidential Records which concurs with the April Vote

It is essential that the Clinton campaign be pressed to fully disclose both their tax returns and White House papers now, and that the issue of disclosure be brought before Democratic primary voters. As the crucial Pennsylvania primary approaches, the Obama campaign must call for full disclosure; and Obama supporters can help to increase the pressure through media activism, letters to superdelegates, and on the ground in Pennsylvania and other primary states. The voters need to know what Hillary is hiding.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF2Nz_fyIlo

[fujiyama]

41. Focusing more on economic issues would be effective

especially in areas he's not favored to win in (blue collar working class places). He has spoken about the loss of manufacturing jobs for many years now. He needs to reiterate that...as well as NAFTA being passed under Bill. But going negative will go only so far.

And I agree he's effective in smaller meetings and town halls...His key is doing better with seniors and working class people. I hope he can do it. But the delegate rich areas are where he will do well - urban areas and suburbs of Philly and Pittsburgh.

[Jillian]

Quit.

[elfin]

42. Slice into the Labor segment by relating

his work with out of work steel workers in Chicago - along with some testamonials from those he supported.

The "Blue Collars" may see him as an "elite" due to his eloquence and smoothness as compared to Clinton's habit of dropping her g's in language and upping her scrappy stridency before these audiences.

They are really hurting and are fighting mad. Thus her appeal in the primaries to this group -- BUT they will ditch her for McPain in the general if he seems to speak their language, since he is branded as a "warrior" and a "maverick", thus giving them false hope he will deliver for them.

[IsItJustMe]

43. I think he should make as many appearances as possible in the rural areas of PA and talk about agri-

fuel conversion in the future. I notice that throughout the country he seems to fair poorly in rural areas. I think if he adopted the stratagy that I outlines, he would find the rewards at the ballot box most enjoyable.

[kentuck]

45. In the birthplace of our Constitution...

I think he should talk about our Bill of Rights, Habeus Corpus, torture, and severely criticize those that have broken our laws. He should tie John McCain in a Gordian knot around George W Bush and let it be known in no uncertain terms that this is not the type of "experience" that this country needs or the type of experience that can make us safer. He should stand tall and proclaim that we are a country of laws - not a country of men. What better place to make such a speech than in Philadelphia?

[Barack_America]

46. A couple of big events in big cities + tons of small events in the burbs/center state.

Focusing on specific policies regarding the economy, social security and Iraq.

If people get to know him well, they'll vote for him.

And press Hillary to fulfill her promise to release her tax returns by April 15. Then capitalize on that.

[BeyondGeography]

47. Compete hard, but carry on as if it's just another primary

Because, you know what? It is.

[stillcool]

50. Doesn't he have more time...

to spend in PA, than any state since Iowa? I think he'll do well there. That campaign of his has it's shit together.

[lastknowngood]

52. Same as always have his menions lie threaten and abuse anyone

who doesn't bow down the their ignorant fantasy that Obama could win against a white veteran right winger.

[rug]

54. Save his money.

[musiclawyer]

55. One thing not mentioned

Differentiate himself in the biggest way there is-- she is DLC and a sabateur

DLC wants NAFTA unchanged, wants a war-based economy unchanged, wants a debt based economy unchanged, would rather have McBush than be out of power. Why Because the DLC and McBush interest are aligned.

Then he needs to hit her on no transparancy

Finally on her experience (none relevant) and judgment(which aligns well with the GOP)

In short HRC is the agent of no-change, and no change for America means disaster

[Vinca]

56. I think they've got a smart strategy going into Pennsyvania.

It wouldn't be a bad thing if Rep. Murphy had some Iraqi vets campaign out in the hinterlands where it's considered Hillary country.

[EndElectoral]

57. Obama will do well in Philly. He needs to focus on Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton, Pittsburgh

He needs to interview on local news shows.

He needs to focus in HOPE rather than FEAR. On maintaining the higher ground rather than dragged down by inuendo and trivia. He needs to be specific on policy, PARTICLARLY Iraq, Health Care and Social Security.

PA is an BIG retirement state, and Seniors need to feel here SOc. security is SAFE.

[EndElectoral]

58. Obama needs to hit college towns like State College as well

[EndElectoral]

59. He has got to talk jobs particulary hit hard the failure of NAFTA begun during the Clinton admin.

[EndElectoral]

60. MOST OF ALL He must REASSURE PA Seniors on the security of Soc. Security and Medicare.BIG issue here