Obama Sharpens the Message

[jefferson_dem]

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008
Obama Sharpens the Message
By Karen Tumulty/ALBUQUERQUE



Barack Obama seems to have gotten the message about his message. In the past few days, amid growing concerns among Democratic allies, Obama has begun campaigning in a different gear, one that is more aggressive in attacking John McCain and more focused on the economic concerns of struggling Americans.

In a town hall meeting here on Monday, where nearly 2,000 people packed a high school gym, Obama acknowledged the worries within his party about whether he is up to what promises to be a brutal general election campaign. "Everywhere I go people have told me, 'Oh, I'm getting nervous. The Republicans — they're so mean. What are we going to do?'" Obama said. "They did it to John Kerry. They did it to Gore. They tried to do it to Clinton, they did it to Dukakis. That's what they do. That's their politics. They don't know how to govern, but they know how to run a negative campaign. But I'm here to tell you in Albuquerque, that it's not going to work this time."

Ironically, the very things that helped Obama win the Democratic nomination are unsettling his party now. Democrats fear that his lofty style of politics will be little match for a Republican opponent who is looking to be tougher than they had thought, and they worry that his message of hope — which has drawn crowds in the tens of thousands and inspired record primary turnout — is not specific enough for people who are trying to figure out how to pay for the next tank of gas and hold onto their homes. And they are anxious, too, about the toll that McCain has been taking with his television ads that portray Obama as nothing more than an empty celebrity along the lines of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

But as he prepares to name his vice presidential running mate and formally accept the Democratic nomination next week in Denver, Obama is clearly campaigning in a different mode. Where he would rarely even mention McCain in the past, Obama now openly mocks him. McCain boasts of putting country first, Obama said, "but I have to say, it's not an example of putting country first when you say George Bush's economic policies have shown 'great progress.'" As for McCain's contention that Obama would be "an economic disaster," he retorted: "Mr. McCain, let me explain to you. The economic disaster is happening right now. Maybe you haven't noticed."

There is also a more populist tinge to Obama's message, as he tries to draw a clearer and more detailed distinction between his policies and McCain's, particularly on taxes. McCain, he says, is promoting "$300 billion worth of tax breaks for the same folks who've been getting tax breaks under George Bush." And he told the crowd that a top McCain economic adviser (a reference to comments by former Senator Phil Gramm) "is calling you whiners...This guy obviously doesn't pump his own gas. He obviously doesn't do his own shopping. He's obviously not paying his own bills."

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http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1833849,00.html

[polichick]

1. Good - time to take it to him! (No namby-pamby veep, please.)

[dkf]

2. They don't know how to govern, but they know how to run a negative campaign

That is a good one! Perfect!!!!

:bounce:

[dkf]

3. He's obviously not paying his own bills. lol. Smack between the eyes.

[Undercurrent]

4. I watched it today,

via live feed. Obama was great in delivering a strong populist message. I get weak in the knees listening to his soaring oratory, but it stiffens my spine to hear a tough Democratic speech! Love it! I'm heartened that he is showing more of that side.

[Triana]

5. "Democrats fear..." WHAT Democrats? That passel of DLCers who lambasted Obama recently...

...instead of supporting their/our own candidate? If not them, WHO?

It isn't ME. Why don't they NAME those Democrats who "fear"...or is this just a media meme put out there to instill doubt into undecided voters about Obama?

I don't trust the lame$tream propaganda. Do you?

I thought he was plenty hard-hitting recently and I saw that NM video. What Obama DOESN'T do is tell lies and smear his opponent like McShit does. But he DOES hit McShit plenty hard on his bad policy and HIS lies.

[Alter Ego]

6. McCain's been asking for it and Obama's just punching him in the face.

It's about damn time. They deserve open ridicule for the crap they pull and then back off and claim "JUST JOKIN FELLAZ!"

[babylonsister]

7. Rec'd. He's doing great, even with a cold. nt