Obama: Bring out the Brass Knuckles. America wants you to.

I realized that some of the shock and disgust we've seen from the Hillary Clinton camp was exactly what some Americans want to see.

So let's give it to them.

I was listening to post-mortems on the recent primaries, & among the comments I heard was that some men were obviously boisterously supporting Hillary because she'd "fight" for them.

It reminded me of so many memes - Kerry windsurfing, Dukakis, Gore in the aftermath of 2000.

America Wants a Junkyard Dog Fighter.

Hillary went all junkyard dog brass knuckles on Obama, and it worked.

Because many Americans think that somebody who will stab at their opponent from the heart of hell to win the election at least in principle will be able to fight for them.  Not necessarily willing to fight for them, or competent to know when to fight for them, but able to fight for them.

So, yeah, I detest the DLC, don't like Hillary, and she went in to the gutter.

Obama will have to do the same and worse to secure the nomination.

It goes with the territory.

So, frankly, if Obama were to channel Rush Limbaugh saying the only reason Hillary Clinton got her Senate seat had to do with Monica Lewinsky, it'd be just fine with me, as long is it was said loudly and often.

Don't worry about "unifying the party." It's bunk.  The party will unify as long as people realize the simple truth that politics really ain't beanbag.

Just don't do crimes like Rove & Bush. That's my limit.

•  Tip jar

  as long as no criminal stuff is happening...

  by Mumon on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:06:06 AM PDT

  •  I don't think

    Obama has to "go in the gutter."  I think he just needs to tell the truth, and he is doing so.  Check out the diary on the Rec list about Bradley's comments last night.  He kicked some ass!

    by nisleib on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:11:00 AM PDT

    •  I think he needs to evoke the same kind of shock

      we felt with the "blacker Obama" ad, not because it's overtly racist (it is, and it's reprehensible) but because the average American respects reprehensible tactics.

      Or at least tactics that in any other venue would be reprehensible.

      by Mumon on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:13:16 AM PDT

      •  No, I disagree

        If it is true that Americans respect reprehensible tactics (which I'm not sure of) Obama won't have to actually do the reprehensible acts, they just have to think he is doing said acts.  

        Sorry, let me explain.  Right now we have Howard Wolfson comparing Obama to Ken Star for asking Hillary to release her tax returns.  Uneducated voters (who I assume are more likely to respect reprehensible acts) will think, "Wow, he is a fighter."  Smart voters will see that Wolfson is full of shit and that Obama is not really doing anything out of line and will not be turned off by Obama like they might be if he really sank to Hillary's level.

        Now as to Wolfson's claims:

        1.  Yeah, great idea dumbass, remind everyone of Ken Star and the fucked up mess our government was during the last Clinton administration.

        2.  Yeah, great idea dumbass, I guess you are counting on nobody remembering Hillary doing the following during her Senate run:

        The campaign of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, criticized the delay, asking whether he was hiding something. The State Democratic Party even sent a young campaign worker dressed as Uncle Sam to Mr. Lazio's campaign events, to shout at him to disclose the returns

        .

        http://query.nytimes.com/...

        by nisleib on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:28:02 AM PDT

•  Brass knuckles?

  I thought he would be more of a sock full of quarters kind of guy.

  by greatn on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:13:25 AM PDT

  •  LOL!

    Baseball bats.

    by Mumon on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:29:10 AM PDT

•  You have no evidence America wants

  any such thing.

  America wants a different kind of politics. There are all kinds of dynamics in going negative on Hillary so be careful what you ask for. Going negative could lose him more votes than it gets him. Trust the candidate. What you're seeing is a carefully crafted campaign to be a little more aggressive.

  I'd say that if Obama wants to have more effect on the electorate, the thing to do is start giving media interviews, go on any show that'll take him, which is all of them. It's risky, but not as risky as going negative on Hillary given his message.

  by Travis Stark on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:14:30 AM PDT

•  No poo flinging

  When necessary, hit her square between the eyes with FACTS in evidence.

  DO NOT lower to her standards of smears and lies and flinging poo!

  This is how he delivers what some people want from him without losing the "HOPE" thing.

  by broui on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:15:07 AM PDT

•  I'm really torn

  I am proud of him for taking the high road and I love him for it, but maybe responding to her attacks is not enough, because then he is always on the defensive. Maybe it's time to go negative, but I am afraid that if he lets her drag him into the mud he'll seem like just another politician and it'll weaken both of them going into the general. I guess the idealist in me would rather see him take the high road and keep his head held high even if it means waiting another 4 or 8 years to run for president.

  by democrattotheend on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:16:52 AM PDT

•  Disagree on a lot of levels ....

  I believe a majority of Americans wants change .... and that is different from wanting Obama. It is not so much Hillary hurting him in my opinion it is Barack hurting Barack. The Canada/NAFTA flap casts doubt. The removing of a lapel pin .... do you remove your kid's photo from your wallet if he gets a D in math? He is a cimmunity organizer but has problems with blue collar workers? How the hell does that come about?

  I also disagree that winning the primary means all the democrats will line-up in support of Obama. He lags McCain badly on issues of security and experience (as does Hillary). Another misstep or two and he will lag badly on trust. All the dem candidates are outside the majority on immigration and a majority may well prefer lower taxes to new programs in November. The idea that the democrats will support Obama is just not correct. Already the number of registered dems moving to McCain are 2X the number o republicans moving to Obama. He has to tighten up his campaign or it will worsen not get better. I also firmly believe the a portion of his votes today are anti-Hillary votes and not certain to stay woth Barack in the GE.  

  Last comment .... politics isn't beanbag - so far the democratic primary has not gotten past the marshmellow phase up to the beanbag level. The more you think about this the more you have to wonder if Obama is up to the task. And .... I would never vote for Hillary.

  by Savid on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:19:16 AM PDT

  •  America not only wants change

    America needs change & better get change.

    That's why I'll applaud literally anything Obama does to keep Clinton-McCain out of the White House.

    by Mumon on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:31:22 AM PDT

  •  McCain? Experience?

    What "experience" does being captured as a POW bring to the table? Seriously?

    What "experience" does being a member of the Keating 5 bring to the table?

    What "experience" does a guy who folded on all his "principled" positions tell you about what he's going to do in office?

    I'm not worried 'bout McCain, as long as we are ruthless about him.

    by Mumon on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:33:32 AM PDT

•  I think

  you can bring out the brass knuckles and take the high road at the same time.

  by environmentalist on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:19:24 AM PDT

•  i think the answer is somewhere in between

  he cant afford to be seen as bashing Hillary, because then he will pretty much lose the white vote..he needs to play it cool and come out swinging with tough answers and responses to Hillary smears..

  Having said that, he also needs to start whispering campaigns about Hillary tax statements, her triangulations during the White House etc..I mean really Hillary has been whining about press unfair to her..exactly what part of her past have they really probed???? or bought up?... he should do anything as long as its legit and doesnt overtly mimic Karl Rove

  by girlyman on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:19:51 AM PDT

•  there's a difference...

  ...between taking the high road and avoiding a fight when a bully is imposing him (or her) self on you; you have to stand up to them and take them on; if you lose, you lose, but you have your self respect and the respect of your onlookers, and the bully wins the fight and loses any respect they may have; do the right thing, barack, and hit her square between the eyes with every fact you have at your disposal; please; we're all wanting you to.

  by lawyerbyday on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:20:42 AM PDT

•  It's like they say in the Untouchables

  You can't show up to a gunfight with a knife. I think he has to go negative or he could attack Clinton on her corporate ties. Boy, would I love to see that.

  by fightorleave on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:22:58 AM PDT

•  I loved your closing remarks.

  by fightorleave on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:24:46 AM PDT

•  He should fight back attacks with withering

  ferocity.  She attacks him for something?  Deluge the media and the public with proof that she's worse.

  And don't worry, she is.

  by Pangloss on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:28:45 AM PDT

•  OBAMA CAMPAIGN RESPONDS

  by slinkerwink on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:28:47 AM PDT

•  Why can't we all just get along...

  It sounds so simplistic, but we really could.  We have the two best candidates, they have the exact same agenda, they are tied in voting, and neither can win all the delegates.  They can kill each other, or go together on the same ballot.   Pulls straws or toss a coin, it really doesn't matter... America matters.  

  We need them both.  Now, more than ever.

  by beancounter on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:33:56 AM PDT

•  It's a Trap

  Clinton is trying to draw Obama out of his narrative of hope and change into her narrative of experience.

  His message has been playing well, in part, because people don't want to see endless bickering.  He needs to call into question her credentials (like she did with his).  That's fair.  Dredging up old Bill scandals is probably going to be counterproductive.  

  It's a shame that he can't find a way to elevate the level of the campaign rather than sinking to her level.

  by Santarita on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:35:36 AM PDT

•  I think that Obama can swing at HRC

  without going negative AND retaining his change message.

  Americans deserve better than this.  They deserve better than the smear and the fear of the Clinton campaign.  The name calling.  The underhanded tactics.  The double-speak.  They deserve a candidate that has the conviction that Hillary said she had when she marched our young men and women into battle, but the judgement to know when and where they should go.  

  America is tired of politics as usual.  What's more, we cannot afford to play that way anymore.  Too much is at stake.  

  by genxerd71 on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:42:34 AM PDT

•  Obama should stay on message: Clinton was wrong

  about the Iraq War, which cost us 3 trillion and counting & over a million lives & increased hatred against our country, playing into the hands of terrorist recruitment.

  by CIndyCasella on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:48:32 AM PDT

  •  I think he has to do more

    He has to talk about his plan to revive the economy as that has replaced the war as the number one issue especially, I would think, in the minds of Pennsylvanians.

    by genxerd71 on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:50:41 AM PDT

    •  The economy took a nose dive due to the war

      and Hillary has been talking about attacking Iran, which means even more lives and dollars lost.

      Imagine what we could have done to spur economic growth had we not diverted 3 trillion dollars to create death and destruction.

      The American people need to understand that if Hillary tosses trillions of dollars into sending other countries into the Stone Age, she can talk about the economy all she wants, but there will be no money left for her plans.  There is a direct connection between the money we waste in war and the condition of our infrastucture, state of our schools, and our economic prosperity.

      3 trillion dollars is a huge amount of money.  Hillary and the others who voted for this war have a lot to answer for and should not be rewarded for their blunder by becoming President.  They should all be kicked out of office as Congressmen and Senators.  They are beholden to the military industrial complex, not the American people, and should not be re-elected, let alone become President.

      by CIndyCasella on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 11:19:07 AM PDT

•  Bring out the garlic, silver bullets,

  and a large wooden stake.

  by crankyinNYC on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 09:53:17 AM PDT

•  Harry Truman said

  tell the truth and they'll think it's hell.

  All Obama needs to do is tell the truth.  The truth about the Clintons contains plenty of smelly dirty crap-permeated mud.

  by TrueBlueMajority on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 11:00:40 AM PDT

•  Obama can't put on the brass knuckles.

  I know this will surprise some people, but you can fight someone while still holding respect for the other person - even if that other person decides to fight without respect for you - and still win.

  That's what Obama's been running on all along, and if he changes to the brass knuckles, his entire campaign becomes a fraud. His message of change becomes a hypocritical claim. He becomes what he's championing himself as not being - just another politician posturing to win an election. He destroys everything he's been working for, and there's no way he's gonna do that. He can still point out the differences between him and Hillary without resorting to crap-flinging.

  What BOTH candidates need to do is tell us how they would handle a race against John McCain - show the public how much of a slime the man truly is, and let the voters decide who they think is better equipped to defeat him in the General election.

  That, or figure out the damn hierarchy for a SuperTicket and just freakin' team up already. We need a unified Democratic Party going into November. Throwing spears at each other while McBush kneels at the Emperor's throne and asks for his master's bidding does not help us in any way, shape, or form.

  by RSRS on Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 11:28:23 AM PDT