From this point, for the next 48 days, Team Obama now has a HUGE tactical advantage in terms of covering ground: John McCain is beginning to pay the price for selecting someone who overshadows him in star-power, yet can only read from a script.
The McCain Stump Team: McCain-Palin.
The Obama Stmp Team: Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton. Plus Michelle Obama & Jill Biden.
Obama has the strategic advantage of being right and substantive on every single major issue (where McCain either has nothing to say, or is nuts). McCain tries to offset this by being willing to create controversies and non-issues, and go much, much further in character attacks and LIES.
However, from a tactical standpoint of covering ground and pushing the message, it's now Advantage Obama, Obama, Obama.
Consider this:
- McCain HAS to campaign with Palin, because otherwise he looks stupid with smaller crowds than her. That means, 2 campaign events a day, maximum, in the same state. Todd Palin can't campaign (since he knows nothing about politics), and Cindy McCain is a featherweight when it comes to the stump.
- Barack, Biden, Hillary, and Bill are all in the big leagues when it comes to stumping. Practically, that's 4+ events every day, spread out all over the country.
- Barack, Biden, Hillary, and Bill all attract different crowds, allowing them to very effectively divy up the battlegrounds -- Barack in the Rockies/Midwest; Biden in the Midwest/Florida, and the Clintons in Florida/Ohio. Each can spend 50% of their time in the areas where they receive the greatest return, and split the other 50% of their time in the other areas.
- Add on Michelle Obama -- she's a heavyweight when it comes to the stump. Remember the primaries? She was awesome. The campaign has to be careful about how they deploy her, but she's very effective, and is the only spouse on the ticket that is equipped to do anything goes town halls and substantive television interviews.
- Don't forget Jill Biden. She might not be ont he stump as much, but the event that she did the other day was excellent. And remember -- to the right crowd, she has an advantage: it's DR. Biden. That's a Doctorate of Education, too.
Now, the TV circuit:
- Biden can chase McCain wherever he goes on national television. Remember yesterday? First of all, Biden is like the Wikipedia of Congress. He knows more facts than, like, anyone else on the planet, and he can rebut anything, anywhere, any time. He's got passion, and he can play defence and counterpunch like nobody's business.
- Claire McCaskill is the uber-surrogate on TV, and fill in all the gaps. She is SO on message. McCain really has nobody that compares.
- This frees up Barack to push the campaign message, and keep himself above the fray.
ADVANTAGE OBAMA!