Obama Wins With Discipline
While most of the attention was rightly directed to what was said in last night's debate, what wasn't said provided as much insight.
Barack Obama was given every opportunity to slam John McCain in the way McCain had been criticizing Obama, and he didn't do it. Obama, in essence, won by pulling his punches.
Take, for example, the question on the selection of a vice president. Obama lauded Joe Biden's long experience. That question practically begged for a lesser person to take off on Sarah Palin's inexperience, her ethics problems, her incompetence and her abuses of power. The opening was there, and no one would have blamed Obama for taking it. By staying positive, he provided a sharp contrast to yet another McCain slashing attack --an attack which, like others last night, went unanswered when moderator Bob Schieffer moved to other topics leaving McCain's last words hanging.
Obama could have used old JTP (Joe the Plumber) to remind people he had more in common with JTP than McCain did. He could have said, "Joe, if you're like me, you have one house and one car, not 13 cars and so many houses you can't remember how many," before launching into a defense of a health care plan that McCain obviously hadn't studied. Obama didn't do it.
He could even have brought up McCain's record of 90 percent support of the Bush Administration as part of the discussion, but didn't.
He could have brought up, as part of the William Ayres discussion, the McCain's assocation with the Charles Keating scandal, or Todd Palin's association with the Alaska secessionists.
He could have countered the McCain claim of fighting the special interests by counting off all of the lobbyists involved with, and running, the McCain campaign, including someone who was hired by Saddam Hussein.
Obama passed up all of those to focus on his message. It was an extraordinary display of discipline and maturity, which is probably one reason he's so far ahead in the polls.
From a devoted McCain-ite who tried to "warn" the McCain campaign not to "go there" with Joe the Plumber.
"Joe the Plumber Wurzelbacher related to Charles Keating. Oops.
..... of the Keating Five scandal! They thought they had a real live Joe Six-Pack whos spurned Barack Obamas tax plan.
But what they forgot to do was check on Joe Wurzelbachers background. Turns out that Joe Wurzelbacher from the Toledo event is a close relative of Robert Wurzelbacher of Milford, Ohio.
Whos Robert Wurzelbacher? Only Charles Keatings son-in-law and the former senior vice president of American Continental, the parent company of the infamous Lincoln Savings and Loan.
The now retired elder Wurzelbacher is also a major contributor to Republican causes giving well over $10,000 in the last few years.
Does any of this make Joe the Plumber a bad guy? Of course not. But on a night when McCain accused Obama of guilt-by-association, this isnt going to look good for us.
This might remind you of the Paris Hilton scandal - where one side of the McCain campaign attacked her in an ad, not realizing that her family were huge donors. "
http://www.eisenstadtgroup.com/
October 16, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, Senator McCain, are you telling us that you have throughout your entire life been very unhappy with your government funded health care which is why you're advising the rest of us to be against adopting it?
And, Senator McCain, do you see a conflict between your disdain of government on the one hand while your other hand has been collecting a paycheck from some entity of it for your entire adult life?
October 16, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm inclined to agree. Sen. Obama has a certain genius for understated restraint, and he has used it for good effect against a number of 'hotter' and perhaps better-informed opponents.
It ties into a theme I'm sorting-out that sort of guesses and stabs (I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "theory")at the notion that Sen. Obama and (strangely enough) Gov. Palin actually SHARE certain very modernistic and effective political traits. I don't how to articulate more fully on that at the moment, except to say that it is highly PERSONALITY-based, and seems somehow to insulate them from having to play by precisely the same rules that govern more conventional politicians.
The gift they intangibly and somewhat mysteriously possess is a powerful tool. In the right hands (Obama?), it can do a lot of good. In the wrong hands (you fill-in the blank), it can be dangerous.
October 16, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree Obama played all of the debates in a very low keyed manner and that was probably the smart move.
But I thought there were a couple of moments in the debates where he could have done better-Last night when McCain brought up class warfare he should have said that the only party that embraces class warfare is the GOP. Why is skewing wealth distribution to the top not class warfare? He could have opened with tying M. to the Bush tax cuts. Why is income from capital gains bad to tax when income from labor is not?
McCain sought to paint Obama as a tax and spend politician and Obama should have done more to show McCain as a borrow and spend (on war) politician.
It could still have remained at the level of a policy debate without bringing up McCain's trophy wife, the fact M. has never had to interview for a job in his life, multiple houses, etc.
October 16, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with you. A few well-placed policy jobs would have given Obama an even stronger win.
October 17, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree.
I thought Obama won this fight. McCain had his moments -- although they only consisted of two cheap shsots -- the plumber and the $5,000 health care voucher. Obama had more like 10 to 20 solid punches, none of which I thought were cheap shots.
So in my book that is 2 bouts for Obama to 0 for the fighter pilot, while Biden vs. Palin was laughable and was not even a contest.
Obama gets points from me for being respectful of Palin when he could have mentioned her questionable ethics as Governor of Alaska (the personal vendetta railroading of the law enforcement officer because he divorced Palin's sister.) The lasst thing we need in Washington is more personal vendettas. Bush's personal vendetta against Hussein has cost the Country 700 billion and counting and thousands of dead and wounded patriots.
In some cases I thought McCain, as usual, delivered his own punches towards himself just by opening his mouth.
In conclusion, while the plumber propaganda I am sure has scored some points with average Joes, if the plumber is making $250,000 after all business expenses, he is doing very well, and he can *afford* to pay his fair share of Dubya's deficit off. It is the patriotic thing for Joe the plumber to do. Multi billionaires like Bill Gates always say that they would not have been as successful had they started their companies in a different country, and as a result they agree that the Nation deserves a fair piece of their pie. So why is Joe the plumber worried about paying taxes on a quarter of a million dollars in gross profit before taxes? I am sure he isn't making 1/4th of that in wages working for the same company.
I just wish Obama would have answered more like my answer above as the average Joe didn't fully understand the point about Joe the plumber paying extra taxes if he has $250,000 in gross profit I don't think. A major slip up for Obama -- but hopefully it won't effect who gets elected President.
October 16, 2008 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Message power. McCain is not offering $5000 as a voucher, although it sounds that way. It's a tax credit, and if you didn't pay $5000 in taxes you won't see any bucks, or help.
October 17, 2008 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree with some of this, but I understand completely why you feel that way. I think Obama, being much smarter than say, me, kept his cool and purposefully avoided letting McCain change his demeanor. There were a couple of times when I wished last night that he would've inserted a zinger or two. The fact that he didn't, however, only showed the difference between himself and McCain (the violently angry pallid white man)
October 16, 2008 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think McCain also managed to nuke a few of his important bridges.
His incredibly cynical and heartless take on the "health of the mother" exception alienated women (and men) across the country, no doubt.
He took pains to point out he is against ethanol subsidies -- so long, Iowa! This is especially notable since he has spent an inordinate amount of time and money in that state in recent weeks.
And then there was the "I'm sure we can handle nuclear waste" riff -- so long, Nevada!
I can't wait for McCain to drop a gratuitous comment on Mormonism. Maybe we can pick up Utah too!
October 16, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I’ve been extremely impressed with the restraint Senator Obama has used in the debates. There were times when I felt anger at the distortions or outright lies that Senator McCain told about Obama’s positions. Surely, Obama felt that too. But he never showed it and stuck to his message.
Perhaps it would have been momentarily satisfying to reply in kind to McCain. But it probably would have been counterproductive. There are those who would have felt (even if they didn't articulate it) that Obama was not showing proper deference to an older white man, and a war hero at that.
I believe that Obama's discipline, his ability to maintain his composure, and to work toward long term goals will serve him well as our President.
October 16, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
About Joe and his desire to buy the plumbing biz that makes $250K/yr profit (not gross income).
How much do you have to borrow to buy a biz that makes $250K/yr profit?
In this time of tight credit, who's going to pay a guy in arrears on his taxes this amount of money?
Nobody in the media, left, right, or center, seems to grasp this simple set of facts.
Pepper Dog
October 19, 2008 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink