There's only one way to beat all the negativity raised by the McCain/Palin campaign: laugh at it.
- Obama's line "I've been called worse on the basketball court" should be used in every speech he makes about the other side. Every one. Rocky beat Apollo Creed in "Rocky II" when he tired Apollo out, taking shot after shot and saying over and over "it ain't so bad". Somebody cable - probably Matthews - will get the reference and probably would go for it.
- "Is that the best you've got?" Make them go further negative. Push them over the edge. Americans don't like mean people - make them look mean.
- The "They must think you're stupid" line is good too - as has been diaried, Republicans try to make Democrats out to be the "Elite" party who looks down on "real" Americans. Go from state to state, showing the people how it's really the other side doing it.
- I'm not Christian, but it would be pretty powerful for Obama to use Jesus' call to "turn the other cheek" line. It's Matthew 5:39 (hey, I'm Jewish, so I had to look it up):
But I say to you, That you resist not evil: but whoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
He doesn't need to use the "resist not evil" part, and probably shouldn't. Again, some talking head will know and indignantly ask "is Obama calling the McCain campaign evil?" At which point Barack can deny it, claiming he's ony focusing on how to deal with the negative campaigning done by McCain.
There are two ways to beat a bully - beat him down, or make everyone laugh at him. Everyone else can work on the former; Obama seems ideally suited for making the latter stick.