Like most people here, I've heard a lot of Obama's speeches and addresses on television or the Intertubes, or read their transcripts. Of course, they all have portions that are absolutely brilliant, and portions that are merely really freakin' good. There are a few passages, though, that I think could be built up over the next 2 months into tearing down McCain's candidacy as a disaster waiting to happen. To the fold!
In making a case for his candidacy, I think Obama is strongest when he goes beyond attacks on McCain/Palin, and focuses on the failures of Republican/conservative ideology; that is:
* The past 8 years have been a disaster NOT because Bush is a doofus, but because the governing conservative ideology is bad: massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, transforming this country to a two-tiered system of management and cheap labor, etc., has debilitated the country.
From the DNC Nomination Acceptance Speech. For over two decades, he [McCain] has subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.
* Very few people want this system in place. To sell it, the Rs have to lie ("You too can join the upper 1% if you work hard and vote Republican"; "if God had a vote (and proper ID), he'd vote Republican"; "Obama will raise your [our] taxes") and fearmonger ("A Democratic presidency means gay couples can get married, and that will turn you gay too.")
From September 6th in Terre Haute, Indiana. John McCain has said that, 'change is coming!' That's what he says. Now think about this, this is coming from the party that's been in charge for 8 years. They've been running the show! They've been up in the White House. John McCain brags, '90% of the time I've voted with George Bush. He and I, we're right there.' And suddenly, he's the change agent! He says, 'I'm going to tell those lobbyists that their days of running Washington are over." Who's he going to tell? He's going to tell his campaign chairman, who's one of the richest corporate lobbyists in Washington? Is he going to tell all the folks that have been running his campaign who are the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington? Who does he think he's going to tell that change is coming? I mean come on, they must think you're stupid!
[From the same speech.] And, I have to say, when John McCain says in his speech, that he wants to reduce the rancor in Washington, and I'm thinking, did you pay attention to the last two days of your convention? I mean, were you not watching it? There's gotta be some consistency in how you approach these things. There's nothing wrong with a vigorous debate, because the parties have very real differences. But when it starts getting personal, or you start focusing exclusively on trying to tear the other person down instead of what you are going to do on behalf of the American people to deal with this economy, that's not serving Democrats, that's not serving Republicans, that's not serving anybody, and that's the kind of politics we're going to put to an end when I'm president of the United States.
I think he's smart to stress community: we are all are brother's keeper, and I think people WANT that message, ultimately. But I think the real success will come if he can really show the difference between their words and actions, between what they say and who they are. It's risky, but I really like the "they must think you're stupid!" line: not only because yes, it's obvious that there a big gap between their words and actions, but also because, yes, they actually think we're stupid.
With all that in mind, I would LOVE to see a new line of attack: now that McCain has abandoned the "experience" angle for the "we're the real agent of change," it really allows Obama to hit McCain/Palin hard for that hypocrisy between what they do and what they say. It's a great opportunity to paint him and Palin as offering empty rhetoric --- they give a good speech, but based on their records, it really is "just words" (to quote HRC). He could even use their barbs about him and his soaring rhetoric against them: his message is consistent with his record, whereas John McCain, a 72-year-old with almost 30 years in the senate, calling himself an agent of change is absurd.
I think that's the angle to take, both in ads and in the upcoming debates. It will be hard to defend against, not when McCain had proudly stated he voted with Bush 90% of the time, and has the benefit of being, well, true.