Yes you can, Barack. Get Fired Up Tonight!

Barack,

You've inspired countless thousands of people with your campaign. So now it's our turn to return the favor. Not that you need it, but we're with you tonight and we're here to get you psyched for the debate.

You know you're the best candidate for the presidency. You know you're the one who can bring this country together and get it back on track. You know you can win in November. You're the best we've got. So go out there tonight and prove it to America.

More below the jump.

You thought the Super Bowl was on Sunday?  No way, baby.  It's tonight.  But you've talked about this before.  Now's your moment.  Now's the time.  Show us again why there's hope in America.  Show us again how we can change this country.

OK, fine.  You've heard this all before.

You know what John Edwards said - You've got to get into it.

You may have heard Roland Martin quoting Drew (Bundini) Brown on CNN - You've got to rumble, young man, rumble.

And I think you've heard what Hillary said - That you've got to win this one for the Gipper.

So go out there with the eye of the tiger and kick some butt.  We're with you all the way.

•  Go for it!

  by kosophile on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 09:47:37 AM PDT

•  biggest night of his life, tonight

  I like that! Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Rumble, young man, rumble...

  by Buffalo Girl on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 09:50:26 AM PDT

•  It's going to be interesting. My take?

  Obama needs to mix it up and make the debate very heated and argumentative. That way the commentary will be about who lost his or her cool, and Obama has a serious advantage there because the media is so quick to turn on a woman who displays aggression.
  If the debate is about the issues, Obama's going  to suffer badly.
  In previous debates he used the time when other candidates were talking to calm down, and sometimes simply to avoid responding---for example when Hillary mentioned that his NH campaign chief was a lobbyist.

  Big edge to Hillary, but it will be interesting, for sure.

  by BoringDem on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 09:55:36 AM PDT

  •  Interesting take. Here's mine:

    He needs to get his policies, and the difference between his and HRC's, down into media-friendly sound bites -- no more droning answers. He has an advantage here in a lot of key areas (in particular, Iraq/Iran).

    And he MUST take the high-road and not attack... he should stay calm, look presidential. She'll be on the attack, because she's worried about his momentum and needs to stop it cold.

    He needs to make her look desperate by smiling and remaining calm even when the mud starts to fly. He's not a great debater, but he is good at staying calm under fire, and he can use that to his advantage.

    FWIW, I think there are plenty of women who can be forceful and aggressive in a debate without being annoying. Thatcher was one. Hillary just isn't one of them.

    by chicago DEM on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:01:33 AM PDT

    •  The problem is that there is hardly any

      difference on Iraq and Iran!! On health care, Hillary is just right---at least from the Democratic point of view. His open government stuff is great, but a bit too wonky for mass appeal.

      by BoringDem on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:05:29 AM PDT

    •  This plays to both their strengths ...

      Which is advantage Hillary, because Obama is still the one who needs another shot of mo heading into Feb 5.

      Hillary so much wants an extended discussion of policy, because she is very good at talking policy on her feet. This is very powerful for her. It is not stirring, but it is like sitting in a plane and hearing pilot talk.

      For Obama it is frankly sucky - long enough for him to sound vague and windy, but not long enough for him to really orate. Obama has impressed me most when he says things that are no brainers, but no one in the Beltway-verse will admit.

      If he did more of it he might have hooked me. But he has been very inconsistent in delivering these. I don't think he realizes how many more people he might have pulled in if he had done more of that and less of the vague rosy glow.

      by al Fubar on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:19:54 AM PDT

  •  Obama could risk blowback ...

    If he goes in harsh, and the MSM gives him a tongue bath for it, there could be a Tweety Effect backlash among women.

    Note that - rather to my surprise - The Snub is still making the media rounds, and apparently even more on female oriented TV that most of us here don't watch. I don't make much of The Snub, but then, I am a guy, and in the political mediaverse, even the girls tend to assume boys' league rules.

    So if Obama comes on too harsh, he could play into a narrative that is largely invisible to the political MSM, but powerful with women voters.

    by al Fubar on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:08:21 AM PDT

    •  Thats's a good point. But look at the last debate

      Obama just got nailed time after time, and he ended up lying about his interview with the Reno journal.
      Did that hurt him? Not really, it seems, because most commentary was about how heated the debate was.

      by BoringDem on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:10:33 AM PDT

      •  True, but I believe that debate ...

        Hurt Obama indirectly, because it pulled him off message. It is hard to be the guy who will take us beyond divisiveness when you're lacing into someone, so he has not been building his brand.

        It shows in most of the polling - Obama made huge gains after Iowa, but since then the race has been pretty static. Here is a cool diagram of the polling in the Feb 5 states, from Pollster.com.

        Even if you spot Obama 5 points of late breakers, shifting everything 5 points toward Obama, Feb 5 is still a huge Hillary night, and the beginning of the end.

        by al Fubar on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:43:38 AM PDT

  •  I disagree

    I think he should stick to the issues,not take any flack from her but stay on the high road.

    Alot of people already like Barack more than Hillary, but they just don't know yet what exactly he wants to do because the media is so focused on the horserace.

    This is an opportunity to show the country that he has a grasp on the issues.

    by atlliberal on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:19:22 AM PDT

    •  Well, it should be highly watched.

      If he keeps his cool and doesn't look pissy, it would help him a lot. Man, he's bad at hiding it.

      by BoringDem on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:20:30 AM PDT

    •  Yup .... Every time she attacks with a low blow .

      He has a very basic generic answer that he can answer with.

      'Look Hillary, If you want to spend the debate wallowing in the mud over fill in the blank, that's fine but I have more important things to discuss in this debate. Everything you say like this gets debunked moments after you say them, and you are wasting our time.'

      by DrMicro on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:50:29 AM PDT

•  Good luck to Obama...

  ...I'm not going to watch the debate tonight...don't want to jinx things.  Might check out the liveblog on DailyKos though.  I'm super nervous about tonight...I hope Obama doesn't fall into any of Clinton's traps or framings.  Debates aren't his strong suit, but he should come out of this unscathed, still...I can't even breathe right today.

  It's like waiting for the timeout before the last shot in the NBA Finals.  Game seven, last timeout, one last shot with .9 left on the clock.  Time for one last dribble, pull-up, and jumper.  Will it swish, or clank out, or rattle around the rim before dropping in?

  Saints, I'm so nervous...might go out for drinks instead.

  by cybrestrike on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 09:57:59 AM PDT

  •  I'm nervous too

    I woke up this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, and I think it was partly because I was nervous about the debate tonight. This is why I should never become a politician...I think I'd be throwing up if I were in his shoes. So much pressure...

    by democrattotheend on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:03:57 AM PDT

•  As a Hillary supporter ...

  I agree this is make or break night for Obama. He needs a mo shot to break through Hillary's Feb 5 leads.

  And I certainly hope he lights into her. She'll hand him his ass.

  by al Fubar on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 09:59:11 AM PDT

  •  not so sure

    I think Obama is on a surge.  Not sure he needs KO type debate...

    by mrchumchum on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:33:01 AM PDT

    •  One thing's for sure...

      Hillary has no more victim cards left.

      I want O to take the high road, but I don't think H will have too many people crying foul if he lays a couple of punches (as long as they're solid, fact-based punches).

      If he lays low and looks presidential, forceful but not angry, I think the mo will continue. But he could really accelerate his mo if she is made to appear off-game.

      They both have a lot to lose. But Hillary still has a bit more to lose. Obama was never once inevitable, after all.

      by chicago DEM on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:38:08 AM PDT

      •  agreed n/t

        by mrchumchum on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:40:47 AM PDT

    •  Nor does Hillary ...

      Nothing she would like better than a high toned debate on policy substance - she shines when she is talking policy on her feet. It is not stirring, but it is vastly reassuring, like being on an airplane and hearing pilot talk.

      For Obama it is problematic - he risks having enough time to sound vague and windy, but not having enough time to really orate.

      by al Fubar on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:47:32 AM PDT

•  He has to do well

  If Sen. Obama "ties" tonight, I say he stays alive, but he will probably finish about 10% behind in earned delegates on Tuesday. He then teeters on the brink, as Sen. Hillary will immediately try to claim some form of Super Tuesday victory. People exhausted will want to end the process and coalesce around someone. While the remaining states are more favorable to Sen Obama, under this scneario, I predict a slow death through February.

  If Sen. Obama "wins" the public opinion tonight, gets Edwards and Richardson to endorse before February 5, then I predict he wins the nomination, even though he may tie in delegates on Super Tuesday.

  If any combination of these three things happen, then I predict a result somewhere in between.

  The path after Super Tuesday becomes more favorable to him. He just needs to maintain his momentum through it, when California and New York vote. He can't control if or when Richardson and Clinton will endorse him. He can, however, deliver a knockout performance tonight.

  We'll know pretty soon after 10:00pm... I couldn't sleep last night.

  by code blue on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 09:59:46 AM PDT

•  And speak LOUDER! nt.

  by djscincy on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:29:06 AM PDT

  •  His SC speech had a louder, more forceful tone.

    Some called it angry, but I thought it was just right, and it's the kind of tone I'd like to hear tonight.

    by chicago DEM on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:39:33 AM PDT

•  obama kind of slow

  in debates.  My take.  I feel like he needs time to build his case, because he makes rational arguments, which can't be summed up quickly.  I have no idea how he'd get that done, though.  Hillary fires policy details which always sound so good.  maybe mixing it up is better...i'm nervous...just no big screwups that's my main hope.

  by mrchumchum on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 10:29:27 AM PDT

•  May the wind be at your back

  Senator Obama...you will certainly have a lot of people supporting you.

  by valadon on Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 11:15:17 AM PDT