In an article with the hype-free title "Obama warns Republicans about critical ads" the AP reports on the Republicans' failed strategy in recent special elections:
In recent contests in Louisiana and Mississippi, Republicans or their allies ran TV ads linking the Democratic House nominees to Obama, warning that a vote for them was a tacit endorsement of Obama's agenda, which the ads described as very liberal. In Mississippi, ads against Democrat Travis Childers also tied him to Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The efforts failed, putting Democrats in House seats the GOP had considered safe, and sending waves of panic through Republican circles nationwide.
"The same kinds of tactics that the Republican Party has been employing over the last several election cycles just aren't going to work this time," he told reporters on his charter plane after receiving former rival John Edwards' endorsement Wednesday. "I mean, they did everything they could, right? They ran Wright. They ran Obama. In Louisiana, they ran Pelosi. The same way that in previous election cycles they had run Hillary or other folks they thought would scare off voters. It didn't work."
I know it's just one article, but as the primary hysteria fades, I can't help but feel that the stage is being set for a new narrative this year: Republicans on the ropes, Obama the mature and sensible leader.
A few weeks ago, this headline might have shrieked "Obama slams GOP strategy" or some such silly thing. Instead, here he's calm and cool, "warning", tsk tsking the Republicans who are scrambling, agitated, frantic. Schooling them on what the public wants.
Word choice matters. Tone matters. Will this narrative hold? Only time will tell. Not much of a diary, I know, but I thought this particular report was a good example of a subtle shift in tone that I've been perceiving since Obama has taken hold.