what Barack needs to do

I've written a couple of these diaries in the past and they made me feel better.

I woke up thinking about the situation. The Field has some great points.

Here are a few from me - let me know what you think.

The campaign has entered a new phase. Everyone who has an interest has gotten a pretty good idea of who Obama is. It is now in a rapid fire positioning and response phase. Here are a few things that will help Obama:

1. Get the central campaign to set a goal every morning for press coverage and then push this story hard, intriguingly, and clearly. Be proactive in getting coverage, don't wait to respond. Why do we read/hear "Wolfson said" every morning?? Where's Axelrod??

2. Muzzle the nonpolitical experts etc. associated with the campaign. Twice now they have walked into it. Perhaps Goolsbee was sandbagged, but it does seem he did talk to people. At this point the only thing that matters is winning the nomination and clarity is essential. People only really want to hear from BHO himself.

3. Obama should never appear to shrug off the insults and attacks. It looks like he doesn't really care. People want him to be offended and respond seriously. Hillary is great at this. She beetles around being VERY OFFENDED all the time. It works.

4. Address these concerns very directly on the website. If people hear something that is troubling they may look for a response from Obama. They aren't going to spend all day searching. Right now the you have to find the "Know the Facts" button and when you click it you get this. It looks anemic. The header is almost unreadably small. People want a clear forceful presentation that directly adresses the issue of the day. Eg: Samantha Powers resigns. My position on NAFTA. We won Texas. Sen. Clinton's lack of judgement. Real news headlines! Not information.

Obama seems to be running an effective campaign in the primary states that are coming up. The trouble is even people in WY and MS watch the national media. The campaign has to focus on both the local and the national with very different approaches.

Well - good luck to Obama. Writing this made me feel a bit better. And thanks DKos for providing a place for me speak.

•  true

  Obama should never appear to shrug off the insults and attacks. It looks like he doesn't really care. People want him to be offended and respond seriously. Hillary is great at this. She beetles around being VERY OFFENDED all the time. It works.

  Yes, it does work, and that's because Clinton either understands power better or has better instincts for it.

  by NYCO on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 05:02:18 AM PDT

•  THE WAR

  He needs to hammer Clinton on the war, by tying it to every other issue out there: the economy, lost jobs, the healthcare catastrophe, social security in peril, the plundering of the public purse by war-related corporations, the decay of the country's infrastructure, the stress on military families, National Guard families, and ordinary families trying to make ends meet in an unforgiving, three-trillion dollar debt economy, and every other issue out there. It's his signature issue. It's the one he trumps her on every time. I don't understand why he isn't pounding this, and this only! This is how he would defeat John McCain, and since she's decided to be McCain lite, that's what he needs to defeat her on. It beats getting down in the mud with her, which will just disgust and turn off new and independent voters.

  by Barcelona on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 05:23:26 AM PDT

  •  wasted time

    I don't understand why he isn't pounding this, and this only!

    Probably because his campaign wasted too much time over the past couple months soaking in rock-star adulation that was based mainly on the divine inscrutability of his backstory and His Person.

    They severely underestimated Clinton's tenacity and also failed to tailor their message to certain blocs of voters in certain states that had yet to vote.

    It's called "inexperience with national campaigning," I'm afraid.

    by NYCO on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 05:45:50 AM PDT

•  Not much time

  The Obama camp has to stop listening to the pundits who have said he becomes a regular pol if he fights back.

  He's gotta take the fight to Hillary's front door.

  by wisconsin girl on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 06:08:22 AM PDT