My stomach has been churning since the Republican juggernaut started spinning the press into pretzels as Senator Obama managed a magnificent series of visits and meetings in the Middle East and Europe. (This was the same time four years ago when Kerry was converted from war hero to coward) Senator Obama and his campaign were forced to justify his trip and its success over and over again...and it has not stopped. How would this scenario had played out if McCain has the same level of success in a like trip? I am sure the press would not have accepted the same kind of whining from the Obama camp. They would celebrated the trip for the triumph it was.
This is the beginning of the Republican machine making their move. They want to make election about Senator Obama and his supposed shortcomings. The press will spend their time simply discussing the extent that Senator Obama matches RNC talking points. Is he: too popular, not one of us, too soft, too young, too inexperienced, too arrogant,too effete to be our leader and protector. In short, a game plan that worked brilliantly on Kerry and allowed a light weight like Bush to slip in. After four more weeks of this, without a powerful response from the Democratic Party all the dollars in China and Saudi Arabia, will not help Senator Obama.
People are convinced by logic and motivated by emotions. These brief and rather stupid ads, such as the Britney/Paris number, are perfect for the level of political discourse in America. Race card anyone? Let's face it McCain gave Obama a drubbing not only by getting away with using two young blonds (who had nothing to do with Obama or the Presidency or anything really) in his ad to subliminally feature the racial differences and to then accuse Obama of benefiting from racism. ( How would it have played if Obama had an ad with two very hot African American girls doing anything and saying anything with old man McCain?) This was the same successful drill used during the lowering taxes on the rich and then attacking anyone who differed with class warfare. Not convinced yet then please stick with Bob Johnson and the diarists of hubris found on Dkos.
I remain convinced that the Obama campaign is blinded by the success they have had in fund raising, the shellacking they gave the Clintons and the unbelievable success Obama had abroad. Most Americans don't pay attention to Politico, don't read the WAPO or the NY Times and really don't get fully engaged in politics but rather sense what is being said and form their opinions with the masses. (Many, of course, just vote straight party line and the goal is to get these folks to that polls.) A great number sadly are informed by late night comedians, the daily buzz and this decides elections. There are really only a small number of voters that truly influence the elections and they are not partisans on either side. They are the real targets of these ads defining Senator Obama.
What is being said on TV is not good for Senator Obama and the dollars spent by McCain are multiplied by the repetition of these moronic negative ads on the news sites. Many people don't know who Obama is and are just now forming their opinion on the quality of the man. These superficial impressions will be hard to reverse once formed. (Try getting rid of "maverick" as an adjective for McCain!)
What is being said on the networks, in the newspapers and on the radio is everything false the Republicans want to be said about Senator Obama: He is perhaps too arrogant, too presumptuous, too rich, too different, too isolated from the real America, too liked by foreigners...to be President.
What is Obama going to do? Is he going to pull a Kerry and just smile and assume that it will all turn out? Does he believe that a majority of good-hearted Americans will just see through all of this. That reason will win out? I hope he is more savvy then that because he will lose the election without prompt action.
I remain concerned as to where are his supporters that can punch back directly at these lies and mis-characterizations that he can't engage directly on himself? Where are the ads that the press can talk about to counter the daily barrage of McCain misinformation? Why is he still almost not dealing with the lies being spread about the KIND OF PERSON HE IS?
A fifty state strategy is fine if he is still in the game in four weeks.