Allies Ask Obama to Make ‘Hope’ More Specific: Party leaders in battleground states see tough fight

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Allies Ask Obama to Make ‘Hope’ More Specific
By PATRICK HEALY
Published: August 16, 2008

As Senator Barack Obama prepares to accept the Democratic presidential nomination next week, party leaders in battleground states say the fight ahead against Senator John McCain looks tougher than they imagined, with Mr. Obama vulnerable on multiple fronts despite weeks of cross-country and overseas campaigning. These Democrats — 15 governors, members of Congress and state party leaders — say Mr. Obama has yet to convert his popularity among many Americans into solutions to crucial electoral challenges: showing ownership of an issue, like economic stewardship or national security; winning over supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; and minimizing his race and experience level as concerns for voters.

Mr. Obama has run for the last 18 months as the candidate of hope. Yet party leaders — while enthusiastic about Mr. Obama and his state-by-state campaign operations — say he must do more to convince the many undecided Democrats and independents that he would address their financial anxieties rather than run, by and large, as an agent of change — given that change, they note, is not an issue.

“I particularly hope he strengthens his economic message — even Senator Obama can speak more clearly and specifically about the kitchen-table, bread-and-butter issues like high energy costs,” said Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio. “It’s fine to tell people about hope and change, but you have to have plenty of concrete, pragmatic ideas that bring hope and change to life.” Or, in the blunter words of Gov. Phil Bredesen, Democrat of Tennessee: “Instead of giving big speeches at big stadiums, he needs to give straight-up 10-word answers to people at Wal-Mart about how he would improve their lives.”

Obama advisers say he has made significant headway defining his positions on issues like tougher trade policies, the links between new energy sources and job creation and projecting American leadership abroad. At the same time, his trip last month to Iraq, Afghanistan and Europe helped reassure voters about his experience, they said, and his agreement to a roll-call vote on Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy at the convention should bring her disappointed supporters into the fold. Moreover, the Obama campaign has started running negative advertisements against Mr. McCain in battleground states — often without announcing them beforehand. The reason, Obama aides say, is to try to convince voters that Mr. McCain is barely different than President Bush through a day or two of uncontested advertisements — until the Republicans learn about them and begin to counter the ads.

Yet these advisers also acknowledge that the Obama phenomenon — the candidacy that helped inspire record voter registrations and turnout during the primaries — has come down to earth in a divided, economically stressed nation. Even though political analysts say that the economic conditions favor the Democrats in this election, and Mr. Bush’s unpopularity could hurt Republicans, Mr. Obama has not broken away from Mr. McCain in polling — a reflection, in part, of the huge numbers of undecided voters across party lines....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/us/politics/17elect.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=login&pagewanted=all

[DJ13]

1. They're missing the other way Obama could frame the hope issue

Point out that the Bush policies McCain wants to continue is hopeLESS in improving the lives of average americans.

[bluestateguy]

2. It takes about 5 seconds to cruise on over to Obama's website for specific policy prescriptions

This is a trap by the media to force Obama into changing his discourse into policy wonkish, dull, monotone lectures.

Then of course we'd hear the endless drivel from the MSM bobbleheads about Obama being "boring" and "uninspiring" and "uncharismatic".

They always find something to whine about. That's how it works.

[saracat]

3. Sorry to disagree but simple answers don't have to be boring andthe "average"

voter is not going to go over to the website. They aren't . And what about the many poor folks and seniors that either don't use computors or can't sfford either the computor or the time to go elsewhere? It shouldn't be that much of an "effort" to know where a candidate stands. Obama is more than capable of weaving in some simple answers that can be used as sound bites.