First timer here. Be gentle.
I've been lurking on this site for years. I read it every day. I've never posted many comments or written a diary. All of the unbelievable horrors of the last 8 years and I was too lazy and too reticent to add my voice to this community that I've grown to rely on so much. Sure, I've freeped polls, signed petitions and clicked any link you guys asked me to click, but I haven't been moved to actually sit down, figure this out, and type out a diary.
Well, after watching the talking heads tonight and reading all the pundits and prognosticators, I have totally lost my mind and I have to vent. I don't want to type a screed, I want to contribute something substantive. Obama is getting swiftboated as we speak. This media hyperventilation, stoked by the campaigns of Hillary McCain and John McClinton (I can't tell them apart- can you?), is exactly like the swiftboat wave that sunk Kerry.
It is time for Obama to throw some real punches. He has to punch Hillary, Bill, Mcain and the pundit class. He has to hit them hard and he has to hit them tomorrow. Here's what I'd like to see.
Barack is being defined right now, in real time, today. The meme is being created. "Barack Obama is a left wing academic elitist who doesn't get real people". He has to take control of this fight and he has to do it with some fireworks of his own. He has to call out this whole carnival of tabloid politics for what it is. TOTAL BULLSHIT.
There's a bunch of punches being thrown at him right now and that makes it the best time for a little jujitsu. Take the energy of your enemy's attack and use it against them. There is energy in this issue right now and he can use it to take over the story line. It's risky, but if pulled off in the right way, he could flip this whole thing on it's head. But, he has to go BIG! He's got to throw the kitchen sink back at them and in doing so, define himself.
What do I mean by "going big"? B.O needs to same some fairly provocative things and needs to say a bunch of them all at once. He needs to make HEADLINES and he needs to say so many things that it drowns out everything else. Muddy the waters.
So, I humbly offer the some points and ideas that B.O. needs to hit in a speech about this current nonsense.
Revive the silly season comment- Directly state how stupid "gotcha" politics are and attack the credibility of this whole dust up. Explain that it is a sad attempt by his detractors to swiftboat him and define him as something he is not. Explain that they are after him because he represents real change, explain that they are the status quo. They are the real elites.
Call Hillary "Republican Light"- Tie Hillary Clinton's war vote, credit card bill vote and lobbyist dollars to John McCain's war vote, credit card bill vote and lobbyist staff. Suggest that the two of them might make an excellent ticket as Prez and VP for the Status Quo party. He just endorsed her after all.
Explain how Hillary's tactics and Rovian tactics are one and the same. Call her out for using these tactics and that if she continues to use them, SHE WILL HURT THE DEMOCRATC PARTY.
Question her electability- Ask how someone with such high negatives can win. Ask how the republicans will use her "mistatements" about sniper fire. Ask how she can be for fair trade when her husband and her campaign manager are lobbying for the Columbian deal.
Mock the pundits- call out the pundit class for what they are. Remind everyone how they helped to sell the war and how they helped to bring down two great Dem candidates in Kerry and Gore. Reaffirm your support for Al Gore and John Kerry. Ask if Hillary thinks they are elitist too. Tell the story of how some pundits thought that orange juice and arugula made you out of touch. This would be a good time to debunk those stories while making the pundits look stupid.
Take a shot at Bill- Remind people of the soap opera that was the Clinton Administration. Ask how she plans to use him and control him since he's so freewheeling with his comments on the campaign trail. Mention dynasties- Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton- sounds elite to me. Ask about all his money and library donors. Ask about his lovelife! (just kidding- too dangerous- but a real issue if he ever got caught again)
Close the sale- Directly ask the people of small-town Pennsylvania for their support. Enlist them in fight against the status-quo. Remind them that you are the real people-powered candidate and layout your agenda for the working class.
Well, I've run out of steam. Thanks for letting me get that out in the ether. I feel better.
GOBAMA!