... Now more than ever we have to WIN!
4th quarter a few points down. We were up, but there's been a bit of an unexpected gamechanger. The adrenaline's pumping. The coach is mumbling about some Palin play. Some players on the team think it's a good idea and keep mumbling "Palin" over and over again. But, it's a bad play. And it's getting us nowhere....
Let's get back to basics.
Economy: The economy is tanking. Hit Michigan, hit Pennsylvania, consolidate the base, remind struggling single-moms and minimum wage voters how McCain's campaign thinks the only recession America is in is a "mental recession."
Apologies: Never apologize. Never go on defense. The best defense is a strong offense. They want to play dirty? We play dirty back! They want to twist shit around with their "lipstick on a pig" crap? Well, bring up McCain's jokes about Janet Reno being Chelsea's father. Use surrogates who will play down and dirty. Never Obama. And not Biden. Have Biden solely attack McCain.
Abortion: For independent women or PUMAs who may be tempted to switch to McCain because of the Palin pick, let's turn abortion from a losing issue for the Democrats into a winning one. Remind them that Sarah Palin is anti-choice, even in cases of rape and incest. Also while you're at it, throw in the fact she believes the Earth is 6,000 years old and dinosaurs never existed. Hillary Clinton would be the best surrogate to hit the trail to talk about Palin. Most importantly, only use women to go after Palin.
Iraq: Get Wesley Clark, Jim Webb, John Kerry and Max Cleland out there as surrogates talking about how McCain has flip-flopped on torture, Gitmo and how long our troops will stay. Hit him hard and don't apologize for anything. Being tortured for five years doesn't make you a brilliant military mind. It just makes you unstable and liable to explode faster than a cluster-bomb.
"Moderate" Positions: Get the centrists out such as Bob Casey, Jon Tester and other blue-dog Dems talking about how McCain has cynically sold out his so-called "moderate" positions from his 2000 campaign in order to appeal to the religious right, the very same who put Bush in power. He has now picked a VP who stands in contrast to all of his views such as stem-cell research and ANWAR drilling for starters. He has basically sold out his own views in order to achieve the most cynical power-grab of all. He has also sold out his honor.
Let's get back on message. And let's get back on message strong! Enough dairies about Palin, pigs, lipstick and lipstick on Palin pigs. More diaries about Obama and where we go from here! We have ground to make up. Now more than ever, Obama needs us.