Over the last week I have begun to see a developing "offensive" strategy coming from the Obama team: "Celebrity vs. Liar". Rather than a"defensive" counter to the "Celebrity" frame coming from McCain, the Obama team seems to be developing a contrasting frame "McCain the Liar".
While a lot of the cable pundits, DC chattering class and arm-chair quarterbacks have been bemoaning the lack of a counter-punch by team Obama to th "Celebrity " ads, I think the Obama folks have been developing their fall "offensive" strategy in plain sight.
Start with Obama's response to the "tire gauge" as energy policy put down:
"They know they're lying...
Then comes the Obama team response to the "Family" attack ad:
"This ad is a lie, and it's part of the old, tired politics of a party in Washington that has run out of ideas and run out of steam."
"Even though a host of independent, nonpartisan organizations have said this attack isn't true, Senator McCain continues to lie..."
Next came team Obama's framing of the DHL controversy in Ohio:
"He was there a month ago in this community and was asked a question about this DHL issue and did not say one word about his role in this or the role of his campaign manager. That is the furthest thing from straight talk that we can imagine," said Plouffe. "John McCain can become an emblem for people about what is wrong with Washington."
Factcheck.org, in this week's Newsweek has said of the latest three McCain negative ads,
"McCain misrepresents Obama's tax proposals again. And again, and again."
McCain has tattered his "Straight Talk" reputation and now the Obama team is poised to shred it completely in the fall.
Update: This from the National Ledgerr, was just too funny to omit:
"A celebrity has been defined as a person famous for being famous, but that is not all bad in politics if it attracts attention, crowds, money ... and votes."
And if you win, nobody calls you a celebrity. They call you Mr. President.