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What Barack Did Today and What it Shows Us
McCain lost his moral compass and decided to try "celebrityboating"
et al and now he is getting hit back. Joe will hit his friend hard.
Politics ain't beanbags and Obama is from Chicago and understands that.
Now that McCain has laid his marker on the negative campaign the gun is
coming to the knife fight and Joe Biden will be wielding it.
So lets try a different list in looking at the way he addressed this key decision and what it shows about the man:
1) Responsibility - He chose a man ready to lead and be President if he
were thrust into that role w/ proven knowledge and credibility
2) Judgment - His self confidence is secure to bring in an older and
experienced expert, like Kennedy, Reagan, Bush and others have done to
join his team and advise him in an area that he needs help
3)
Management Discipline - it never leaked. Compared to the Bush White
House or the Clinton's this is amazing and speaks to Obama's skills.
4) Control - the campaign owned us all all week and did things their
way, again with total discipline, unlike anything I have ever seen.
5) Realism - he chose a man that will help build the voting majority he needs to win in certain states, demographics et al
6) Shrewd Politician - People are finally understanding that Obama plays to win and works that way.
7) Insider Politics - in order to govern and get things done Obama
needs to get work done on the hill and Biden can get that done as a
skilled legislator and insider.
The message of hope and change
is only worth anything if he wins and Obama has acted responsibly to
complete his ticket to accomplish his goal.
If you folks
haven't figured it out yet you don't go from giving a speech 4 years
ago to coming from 30 points down to beating the Clinton machine by
being shallow and inept. That requires brains, discipline and a
connection to the people that taps their needs.
Obama has done that and now he has put the last piece in place to sprint for victory.
Comments (25)
Good post, agree w/ everything you said! Rec'd I'm sick of all the bashing and handwringing...love the positive note and upbeat feel!
August 23, 2008 11:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agree with everything you said and everything stillidealistic said!
Recommended.
August 23, 2008 11:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you want the pink pom poms again tonight? I'm going to use the purple ones.
August 24, 2008 8:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Think I'll go w/ red, not really a pink girl!
August 24, 2008 8:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you do, stand away from me. Pink and Purple clash badly. Kind of like my pink and green tie that my wife won't let me wear. (looks good with a brown suit)
August 24, 2008 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with this post, too. Obama is running a very competent and professional campaign and people are going to figure out that he is going to run his office that way, too.
The contrast with McBush's campaign is palpable.
He should win over most of the Democratic base over the next four days.
After that, he needs to work on the Independents and maybe even a few digusted Republicans to put this race to bed.
August 24, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Celebrityboating = yachting?
Leave it to a man with 7,8,9,10,11,12 houses to mistake a yacht for a dingy...
August 23, 2008 11:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Biden checks so many boxes for Obama I can see this ticket doing a lot more than expected.
August 24, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Something that hasn't been commented on is that Biden's presence on the ticket dilutes the GOP smears of Obama being either a "terrorist-sympathizer" or a "Muslim" or even "exotic". It brings him into the mainstream, and it even helps nullify the "elitist" nonsense.
August 24, 2008 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Abso-fucking-lutely!!! Nice.
August 24, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good insights articulated well. I couldn't agree more.
August 24, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. And the timing couldn't have been better in this respect: Biden is the epitome of family values. McHomey has just opened himself up to the long-overdue scrutiny about his marriage (merger?) and family finances, and the quite relevant personal issues that flow from that, such as marital fidelity, shady real estate wheeling and dealing, conflicts of interest in legislating Arizona property laws, etc. Old guy Biden trumps grumpy old McHomey, and between the upstart AA youngster and the rapier witted Biden, I see some volcanic eruptions on the horizon for Grampy McTempertantrum.
August 24, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, but also keep in mind that Rove's nonsense about only "chit-chatting" with the McCain people tells me that Rove determined long ago that McCain has no chance to win.
He's enjoying giving them advice anyway, though, as long as he doesn't get his name associated with what he thinks will be a failed campaign.
He wants to reappear, IMO, maybe in 2012, but more likely 2016. He's addicted to the power, just like Kissinger still is to this day.
August 24, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for pointing out items #3 and #4... I took them for granted- which just goes to show how effective the campaign has been.
Good management and good decision-making ... What a refreshing change from other Democratic party campaigns!
Thanks again,
Jack
August 24, 2008 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
To your point a well managed campaign is new to the Dems.
Wait until the real results of the ground game show up on election day - the MSM and pundits are going to be speechless.
August 24, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree with this article. McCain's swiftboating attempt is having short term success but will result in long term damage for him and his brand. He won't be able to maintain any credibility on this path. His campaign will implode and run out of steam in the last stretch. But...what did we expect? This is all the Rove cronies know. But I think they know they can't sustain any real strength against Obama's Organization. Obama's machine is built to dominate. (nessage of change, money, organization, internet, marketing, grassroots mentality)
Thank goodness the Obama Team is back on its stride. Welcome back, Barack! It's great to see that cool swagger again and the forceful confidence we have all have come to love.
The text message strategy was absolutely brilliant! The Obama Team dominated the news cycle with that one for three days. BRAVO!
Biden is going to be fun to watch in action. Great pick! I hope they just let him rip with no muzzle on his mouth. Who cares about a few cuss words and some shoot from the hip outbursts. Ooooooooo....This is going get real exciting!!!!
Also, very good post by "Zentrails" at 1:18pm. I agree completely. Although I would rather see Rove in an orange jumpsuit with chains around his ankles for the rest of his life instead of staging a comeback for 2016.
August 24, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
One of the best summaries of the Obama campaign that I have seen.
August 24, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Biden: The Straight Talk Bullet Train
August 24, 2008 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a good point you make that speaks to all of the concern trolling about Biden (insider) negating Barack's message of Change.
A President needs an insider as Vice President. The Vice President presides over the Congress. Many of LBJ huge successes in social legislation (with him as VP and POTUS) are due to his prowess as an insider. (shame about the warmonger thing, though)
Being "inside" is seen as a bad thing, and usually it is used for personal gain or to further a personal or specialized agenda. So it can be used in a very bad way.
But it can also be used to further great common causes. It depends who's doing the inside jobs.
August 24, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the LBJ comment. That is spot on. He was Senate Majority Leader and could "roll logs" w/ teh best of them.
Also Kennedy picked him in 1960 as a man who was a credible President if we needed him and unfortunately we did, but his presence and strength helped the nation get thru that awful time.
August 24, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
You got it! ENUFF!
August 24, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agree here on all fronts as well. Let Biden loose so he can start nipping at McNasty's ankles.
August 24, 2008 9:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you so very much for saying this - it's true, and we need to remember. And use it to remind us to put in our own efforts to equal his and Biden's.
August 24, 2008 9:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Impressive it certainly was.
Best of all, was how the traditional media clowns were shut out and pwned by the Obama team. Totally in the dark. I loved watching Drudge flail day after day with totally made up bs and turn out to be wrong. So much fun.
August 24, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
All the negative on TV today was getting to me, so good to hear positives. CNN is really stirring the nasty pot, thank goodness the convention starts Monday.
August 24, 2008 11:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
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