Obama: McCain 'Doesn't Know What He's Up Against'

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Obama: McCain 'doesn't know what he's up against'

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 10 minutes ago
RALEIGH, N.C. - A combative Barack Obama said Tuesday that Republican John McCain "doesn't know what he's up against" in this election and challenged his rival to stop questioning his character and patriotism. Obama, campaigning in a state where he hopes to become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in more than three decades, implored his supporters to fight for the presidency.

"Our job in this election is not just 'win,' although I'm a big believer in winning," Obama said during the rally. "I don't intend to lose this election. John McCain doesn't know what he's up against." "He can talk all he wants about Britney (Spears) and Paris (Hilton), but I don't have time for that mess," Obama said.

His remarks carried forward a theme of feisty campaigning he debuted earlier in the day.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080820/ap_on_el_pr/obama

---

[AdvancedProgress]

1. Oh...Snap!

[marylanddem]

2. Brush those crumbs off, Obama - we've got your back!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Perfect!

Obama might just leave the bones after he is finished with McCain!

[msongs]

4. obama has to challenge mccains military creds....thats ALL mccain has going for his sorry self nt

[marylanddem]

6. Needs some really tough surrogates to do this job...

[krkaufman]

12. Wes Clark did a pretty good job a few weeks back ....

... highlighting that getting shot down doesn't equate to qualification for the Presidency.

[IA_Seth]

33. And was then left out to dry by the rest of the dems...

Which makes it less likely to happen again, unfortunately.

[Cronus Protagonist]

7. Well, he can't really do that without shooting himself in the foot

But a VP or MoveOn or someone else could do it very effectively. Especially since there are so many sources to prove he's a traitor.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. He can't do that...if he does, he's done.

Even Bush wasn't stupid enough to go after Kerry on his military service...he let a 3rd party do that.

[BklnDem75]

36. He did exactly that...

against McCain to win the nomination in 2000. He didn't go after Kerry because he didn't have to. Kerry was neutralized by the swift boaters.

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. Now we're talking!

More of this please. :)

[NoodleyAppendage]

9. Now, this is good...but it needs to be followed up by a throat karate chop.

I'd like for him to say, "I don't need to be chided about my patriotism. I voted to support our veterans with the GI bill, and Mr. McCain REFUSED to vote for funding for our returning troops. He will tell you that this is not so, but he would be lying. John McCain on date XX/XX/XX voted "No" for the GI Bill. This FACT is in the Congressional Register. I would encourage the media to look up this FACT and report it when confronted with McCain's obfuscation regarding this matter. Mr. McCain why did FAIL to support our wounded veterans? Is that your idea of patriotism?"

J

[katandmoon]

10. Unfortunately quite a large number of the electorate does seem to have time for "that mess"

So you'd better start fighting harder and dirtier than this, Obama. Feisty doesn't cut it.

[sendero]

47. Exactly...

.... Obama is misjudging America in a big way if he thinks he can stay out of the mud and win this election.

[Trajan]

11. Am I the only one ...

Who thinks the Democratic party AND Barack Obama's campaign have done a poor job of communicating WHY everyday Joes and Janes should vote for them ?

I am a Democrat because I heard JFK with my own ears .... I watched as LBJ declared a War On Poverty ... I learned how FDR brought a 'New Deal' to the suffering American people at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder .... The Middle Class has prospered ever since because of this ... (There is a LIE being mouthed by the Right Wing: That progressive Democratic policies are 'failures' ... They are NOT failures, but were unmitigated successes - the comparative success of our parent's generations prove that)

But now: With new generations being confronted with a choice: They do NOT know who FDR, JFK and LBJ were, and WHY there were .... Who is going to explain to them WHY it is important for middle class and lower class voters to support Democrats ? ... They think it has ALWAYS been this way ....

WHO is explaining this to them now ? ....

No one ..... With all the many tens of millions of dollars the Democrats have in the bank: There is no clear voice defining what the differences are, and what is at stake .... clearly and convincingly ....

I thought Obama, in his lucid and passionately offered orations, would annunciate what is at stake, and would provide a persuasive argument that would sway voters ACROSS THE BOARD to his side .... I thought the Democrats finally had a chance, after a disastrous period of conservative rule, to make the case for governance ....

Yet: The Democratic-led congress has surpassed this numb skull administration in unpopularity, and Obama seems (for the moment) to be adrift .. reacting .... and not expounding why HE should rule ....

It is not enough to say we are NOT republicans ...

It is not enough to simply counter the bullshit from the Right (though that MUST be a focus as well) ...

We need a FORCEFUL and CONVINCING narrative explaining why Democrats should control Congress and why Obama should be President ....

This isn't about me: I do not need to be convinced ... I have voted Democratic party all my life ....

After the last 8 horrible years: It should be a cakewalk to power for the Democrats .... but I swear: they are crawling headlong into the breach to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory ....

I am underwhelmed, and without confidence that they can close they deal .... They haven't even scratched the surface of the electorate ....

[calimary]

13. Nope. Not by a LONG shot.

This "you ain't seen nothing yet" stuff makes me yawn. I've been waiting for months already. I'll believe it when I see it.

Some woman called the Thom Hartmann Show today and expressed the wish that SOMEBODY would go gloves-off enough to remake that "Daisy" ad that LBJ used with such lethal force against Barry Goldwater in 1964 - even though the commercial itself ran only once. We should resurrect it for these times. It scared the pants off the electorate because it implied that a vote for Goldwater was a vote for inevitable and guaranteed nuclear war.

WE NEED TO DO THAT!!! WHEN are we going to start fighting back?

[katandmoon]

14. I think you hit the nail exactly on the head.

[stillcool]

15. This election has been going on for forever...

anyone who doesn't know Obama's policy positions about any issue they are concerned with, doesn't want to know.

[Trajan]

18. Nonsense ....

The length of time a campaign exists has no bearing whatsoever on the sufficiency of the message being provided ....

Yes, Obama has a set of policy positions, but, no, not enough people know what they are .... Your cavalier attitude towards this issue shows just how little is being done to win ....

Elections are a sale ... and this sale is not closed ....

It is up to the party to get out there and make their case, or they will lose .... This is an active process : Anyone who thinks they can passively participate deserves their fate, even if their constituents do not ...

[stillcool]

23. I suppose if you have been living under a rock..

you are unaware of Obama and his message. If you haven't heard about Reverend Wright etal, you never will. Sale or no sale.

[Trajan]

27. Simplistic ...

I know all about his message: I know of the messages of most all the Democrats who came before him, but what does that matter ? > I already support him : I supported him BEFORE he even entered the race ...

The way to win tight elections is to convince those who do NOT yet support you by persuading them to change their mind ....

You cannot win elections by being quiet while expecting people who do NOT know you to dig up information about your stand on the issues: People will find out about who you are from CNN and FAUX news .... Hardly a winning strategy ....

Laying back and waiting for voters to figure out who you are and what you stand for is pretty much ridiculous ....

[stillcool]

34. And how do you think John McCain is ..

getting his message out? I'm sure that you know, with every attack he makes on Obama there is a response..but I guess that isn't good enough? You would prefer that Obama, rather than campaigning in states, and talking to actual voters, he should take his chances and run his campaign through CNN? Maybe he can bribe Pat Buchanan, Fox, and CNN to spin his way? Kind of like they did for the Iraq War. I suppose that if people are still believing what they hear on the boob-tube, it doesn't make any difference anyway..does it? Why would self righteous, ignorant assholes vote for a President who can chew bubblegum and walk?

[Trajan]

35. Easy ...

They POUND IT OUT, day by day; at CNN, at FAUXNEWS, at MSNBC, at Rush's, Hannity's, O'Lielly's, Coulter's, Savage's, et al's media channels: A constant drumbeat within the American electorate for DECADES now .....

The final point is this: You cannot lie back and expect things to happen as you wish simply because you wish them .... ACTION is what is needed ..... and the Democratic party needs to DEFINE the issues and CONVINCE the voters ....

Nuff said ...

[stillcool]

37. no shit...

and when they don't win it the Supreme Court gives it to them or the likes of Kenneth Blackwell. This has nothing to do with Obama. This has to do with the Republican backed corporate strangle-hold on the media. Those Fox news viewers will be in the gutter and still voting for an Anglo Republican.

[Trajan]

39. .

[0rganism]

22. Hell, I'd be happy to see an Obama campaign ad or three

WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY? (and no, slapping a flash movie on a web page doesn't count)

Not everyone is making up their minds on Halloween. I don't have to go too far out on the proverbial limb to speculate that a fair bit of the electorate is forming an impression of the candidates right at this very moment that will last them through the debates, all the way into November. There's a reason the GOP gets its campaign machine started from day 1 and keeps it running for weeks after the election while all the irregularities are being sorted out in their stacked courts. The Democrats either haven't figured it out or never had the resources to pull it off before -- maybe both.

[stillcool]

26. Have you watched the Olympics?

[0rganism]

30. Not much, but enough to see a few McCain ads. ZERO for Obama

Granted, if the ad buys are area-specific, Obama's campaign may not be spending much in the PNW where I live; it's not exactly packed with swing states. But I've definitely seen McCain ads, so his bunch figures they have something to gain anyway.

[stillcool]

31. I've seen both..

I would have thought they would be national. I don't watch much television, so unfortunately I see most of his ads on the net.

[Trajan]

32. Hey Mr. J ...

Nice to see you ....

As the other respondent mentions; Obama ads have had some airtime during the Olympics, and they touch on the main themes that I spoke about up-thread: Jobs, Wages, Health Care, Pensions .... But it is too little, even if not too late (yet) ....

The MSM has talked about the 'damaged' GOP brand, and rightly so, because they have truly fucked up in so many ways : The republican party has destroyed it's credibility on many fronts ....

But what of the 'Democratic Party' brand ? ... Who are they ? .... What do they stand for ?

Given the troubles of the GOP, this is an IDEAL TIME to acquaint young voters with the planks of the Democratic party platform, and to show what is at stake in THEIR future when comparing the Democrats and the republicans ..... Yet: Crickets rule the big arena .... Young voters should be educated BY Democrats as to what is at stake, NOT the MSM .....

Obama is a wonderful candidate, and will make a GREAT President, but I should not be a target for the Democrat's persuasive arguments .... The new voters and disgruntled older voters need to be convinced ... Not you or I ...

THAT is where the Democratic party has dropped the ball ... They are NOT capitalizing on the 'damaged' GOP ..... They need to get out there and explain the differences ....

BTW: I still have your serving dish ....

[0rganism]

45. Hey Mr. G

It has been a while, eh? I still have your coat! We should meet to arrange an exchange of hostages. ;)

meandering back to topic...
WRT the Olympics, advertising there alone doth not a balanced outreach make. A "Democratic Brand" would follow along with some notion of a Democratic platform combined with engaging personalities, but it's as you say: nonexistent. Even while ascendant, Democrats have very little national presence, from what I can tell. Sad to say, the Republican congressional minority has done a better job of representing their sour grapes constituency at all costs than the Democrats have done as a majority, let alone their years as a minority. It's very disappointing, very wasteful.

Who carries our standard? Is Billary the best the Democratic party can do? We put Obama on the marquee, but he's hard to find out there in big media land! He'd better start moving and shaking, or he'll go down in electoral history as "the guy with the weird name who reminded us about proper tire pressure."

I'm not too hopeful about the convention changing things, especially with Fox providing the coverage. Sad to say, we've let the MSM take over messaging; the gatekeepers are far too active to let a strong Democratic message pass through unscathed. For a moment or three, candidate Obama will have a great opportunity to speak to the nation, without the burden of censorship. It's the only "golden" opportunity he's had in months, so he has to make the most of it, but I'm just not sure he CAN.

We do need a strong relevant leader. Right now, that means someone who can tell us, the American people, the story we want to hear about the future we want to see, starring ourselves. A solid storyteller could win the hearts of America in a few hours, with the right words. But as you say, the crickets aren't going to do that job for him.

[JerseygirlCT]

29. No, I agree. That narrative hasn't been fully formed - into the bite-sized

pieces that will be required for the easy digestion most of the American public demands.

I like intelligent, I like someone who speaks like a very educated person. But sometimes, you have to bring what you're saying back down to an 8th grade level if you want a great many people to pay attention. The GOP has been good at this since Reagan. (I suspect they go to a 4th grade level though - don't want to get above the boss now)

Think bullet points: here's what we're going to do: 1, 2, 3. Here's what's in it for you: 1, 2, 3. Here's how we get there: 1, 2, 3.

Just my 2 cents.

[Ka hrnt]

46. Agree with you....

Particularly this part:

"they are crawling headlong into the breach to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory"

Yup--just like the last two Presidential elections. And just like the aforementioned elections, there seems to be this "we've got it in the bag" mentality amongst many. McCain's a terrible candidate; why are his poll numbers even in the ballpark of Obama's?

"I am underwhelmed..."

I think that might be the best word to describe my attitude toward Obama. And, again, given that McCain's close in the polls, I'd say I'm not alone. It's going to be interesting...

Updated for clarity.

[MasonJar]

16. I totally disagree that people know. Many of the voters whom O could

snag are striving to live without going under. They have not been paying attention. Also many who could become enthusiastic proponents are not yet engaged. It is time to hit hard. I am tired of the McCain lies and I am tired of worrying that Obama is going to lose. He is up against the Rovian cheat machine. I am not sure (even though warned by Hillary) that Barack is capable of comprehending the audacity and cruelty of this ghastly crew.

[DainBramaged]

17. I wish we knew what he was up against

oh, did I say that, am I disappointed that McInsane is gaining or ahead of Obama, am I concerned that Obama is being too nice, and nice guys finish last, am I concerned that the American sheeple are too stupid to realize that the stunt McSame pulled on the oil well doesn't produce results for ten years, but the sheeple don't know that because the OBAMA CAMPAIGN won't tell them that.

I wish I knew where we stood.

[denverbill]

19. He needs an ad stating 'Which John McCain are you voting for?'

McCain has flip-flopped on some of the biggest issues in this race, including amnesty for illegal aliens and Shrubs tax cuts. He now opposes a bill HE WROTE on immigration, and supports the tax cuts he voted against. Americans don't want someone who sticks his finger in the political wind and changes his mind on important issues just score political points. Hell, McCain even changed his own religion.

[ryanmuegge]

20. I disagree. The RNC knows that, with the electoral map being what it is, they can always win

This election proves it. We can put our best and brightest out there, and they could literally run an elephant against us and beat win by taking advantage of those dumb motherfuckers in the South and Ohio. Or, if it looks like they're going to lose, all they have to do is cheat in one state.

[0rganism]

21. The question remains, does Sen. Obama know what he's up against?

So far, I'm seeing very little indication that he's taking this anywhere near seriously enough to win. He's up against the same RNC-owned media machine that turned Sen. Kerry's strong military background into a liability, and made VP Gore look like a pompous fool for mentioning his role in promoting internet technology. Obama's getting rolled and he doesn't appear to see it happening.

If he doesn't get why associating his image with those of Paris and Britney is a devastating tactic, he ought to go back and watch some replays of the ads that ran against Ford in Tennessee not too long ago. Doesn't have time for that mess? His cavalier attitude is going to put him 10 points down before he knows what hit him.

Another silent August will kill us all. Obama needs to get some attack dogs and 527s running on the airwaves RIGHT THE FUCK NOW, or it'll be president McSame for sure.

[hasssan1]

24. FOR GOD SAKE FIGHT BACK HARD AND NASTY

PLEASE HIT ASS-WIPE MCLAME HARD. HE NEEDS TO BE JUST LIKE THEM TO WIN. HIT THEM HARD AND PLAY DIRT JUST LIKE THEM.

CALL OBAMA OFFICE AND ASK HIM TO GET TOUGH [phone]

[bdamomma]

25. hit back Obama hit back hard.

[phrenzy]

28. He'd better fucking "find time for that mess"

Or he's going to lose. What the fuck is this obsession with "staying above it" - Clinton didn't win twice by "taking the high road"

I have to admit, this is the part of politics that Hillary is better at. The dirty part. The part that decides who will win the general election.

[stillcool]

38. yeah right...how is it that you think..

Obama won? Reverend Wright?

[democracy1st]

49. You're right there's no high road in this cess pool called American politics

Sooner or later after the Dems keep getting their butts handed to them they would learn

[Doremus]

40. Good. Start at the convention.

The repugs killed us at their '04 convention. They were forceful, confident, on-message and on the offensive. Our convention in contrast was happy-happy-hug-hug-don't get the powder wet.

To be uplifting is good, in its place, and used at appropriate times. Too much though and we look like saps, to say nothing of lost opportunities to put forth a STRONG message when there are some eyeballs watching.

[Peace Patriot]

41. Here's what I want Barack Obama to say....

"Organized money hates me--and I welcome their hatred." --Franklin Delano Roosevelt

[Doctor_J]

42. I think McSame DOES know what he's up against

he's gained heavily in the polls over the last two weeks, so obviously he's figured something out. Unless Obama's got something else up his sleeve it's all over but the crying.

[knixphan]

43. Biden can do it.

Biden can do 'message in a bottle'

Biden can do 'Offense'

Biden can do 'Bite-sized, for the vocabulary-deficient'

Biden rounds out Barack's game.

Let the GOP play defense for once.

[democracy1st]

44. Come On start kickin some GOP ass

[calimary]

48. Well, I'm waiting.

I want to see feisty campaigning in the flesh. THEN I'll believe it. So far I've seen a whole lotta milquetoast and people trying to maintain their dignity and be honorable and above-board. Hey, you do that in church and in the confessional. You DON'T waste your time with such weak-ass shit in presidential politics or campaigning. You have to get dirty, Barack. You have to take a flame-thrower to a gunfight, not a feather-duster. And if they bring flame-throwers then you better have a couple of nukes with you.

So far I don't see any of that. I see shades of Mary Beth Cahill and Donna Brazile. :eyes:

Yes. I'm getting worried. As another DUer posted here somewhere - so sue me!