If Obama fights dirty, his whole message will blow up

[sampsonblk]

I have switched to Obama, and will support him regardless. But his main crossover appeal has been about changing the way politics is done. In my view, that's mostly hogwash. But he's still a very qualified candidate for other reasons - a lot of other reasons.

Nonetheless, if he goes nasty I don't see it doing him any good. He may damage Clinton a little, but in the long run, what will be the state of Obama's message if he goes old school on Hillary? I think he will turn off a lot of his supporters.

Just my opinion.

[NDambi]

1. He has to call Hillary out but not get nasty and dirty...there are ways to do it..

He has class, he can pull it off.

[caledesi]

37. I agree! NT

[bigtree]

2. kinda of like the 'politics as usual' he decries in his speeches?

Could you get over that if it was a good fight, a virtuous one?

[sampsonblk]

32. I've yet to see a good fight that was also virtuous-nt

[jakem]

3. Obama doesnt need to go dirty-

he can just apply the truth against clintons.

[beezlebum]

4. but when truth is applied here

you get called sexist clinton-hatering obamatons.

hope it works better for obama.

[jakem]

5. people in here like to hear themselves talk.

obama has done a brilliant job of defusing the tripe and offal that has been thrown his way

all he needs to do is take it up a notch in exposing the other teams lies.

[babylonsister]

6. I agree to a certain extent; that's one of the many reasons I've

also been drawn to him. However, he does have to defend himself. Hopefully he'll choose to do that in a way that will enable him to still remain above the fray.

If he says nothing and lets the attacks continue without responding, he's toast. Too bad it's come to this. I'd be a lot happier if they both went after this admin and McCain, but that's not what's happening.

[mmonk]

7. Let Axelrod do it tactfully.

[tekisui]

8. He can go negaitve without being "dirty".

[Vinca]

9. He doesn't have to go nasty, he only has to point out truths that

are being distorted.

[depakid]

10. How will he fight Republicans?

Oh, that's right - he can't.

We lose again.

Big, bad Hillary has nothing on the far right and their machine when it comes down to doing what it takes to win.

[babylonsister]

12. How do you know he can't fight rethugs? He's been so preoccupied

fighting another Dem he hasn't had much chance now, has he. :eyes:

[BumRushDaShow]

13. The repuke legacy

speaks for itself. The U.S. economy is destroyed. The dollar is worthless. Energy costs are in record territory. The U.S. military is decimated. The world is bogged down in unwinnable civil wars stoked by repuke neocons. The argument against the repukes writes itself and is what has generated the record turnouts during this primary season. McCain has nothing but a crumbling American empire to stand on even if he yells terra terra terra.

[moobu2]

18. He's weak and they'll eat him alive in the GE

[nebula]

35. Obama has more in common with John Kerry and Al Gore.

Candidates that are highly intelligent but lack streetsmarts and grit.

Those are weaknesses that eventually contributed to the latter's defeat.

Effeminate, too politically correct, timidness, apologetic, these are not great qualities to have in a leader.

[Olney Blue]

11. It is clear that he hates this part of campaigning. And I really admire

that about him.

I know I live in a fantasy world, but I hope this campaign does not disintegrate into a pissing match.

[sampsonblk]

33. I never thought of it that way. I agree with you 100%.

At least he doesn't prefer, even as a first (or even second or third) option. That's a very very good sign. He had to be pushed to this point.

[City Lights]

14. Pointing out the truth about Hillary isn't fighting dirty.

I'll be concerned if he starts making up shit about her, which he won't because there's enough truth out there to bury her.

Oh, and one thing we'll never see is Obama waving something at the cameras while shouting into the microphone about Hillary, complete with bobble-head in the background intended to give the words yelled more weight. That's not his style. :-)

[ObamaWinsWH09]

15. I disagree..

part of his message has always been that he will tell us the truth, no matter what. It won't be going dirty, it will be fair game. Truths need to be told whether we want to hear them or not. He will do it in a way that has factual truth, and not in a myth telling mode to see what sticks before an election.

[bdamomma]

16. oh the powers at be, want him out just like Edwards.

and these thugs who run the WH will have their clone in there for another 4 years to complete their PNAC wetdream/nightmare.

[DemzRock]

What's his message again? Oh... it's "Yes, we can hope there might be some change of some sort...."

..."maybe"...

[DemzRock]

17. Ugh! I gotta fix this double posting problem - sorry.

[dkf]

19. He can show that Hillary is not interested in the transparent government

that he is.

She won't release her taxes showing how much Bill Clinton received for speaking to a whole lot of foreign entities who wouldn't be able to donate to a Presidential candidate.

Her health care task force was shrouded in secrecy, including who was involved in them. (prototoype for Bush Energy secrecy)

She was found to have made factually false statements in the travelgate case.

[niceypoo]

21. You cite 'travelgate'?

OMG, Ken Starr talking points...

[niceypoo]

20. What message?

Obama hasn't had any message and is basically hiding behind his Mommy's (the media) skirt. He is running as an anti-Hillary and has failed to define himself otherwise. His 'message' as far as i can tell is let the media do his ranting and raving and say nothing outside of his stump speech and some 1-2 word slogans.

[Saturday]

22. He's got his wife to do all the dirty nasty work for him. nt

[Fresh_Start]

26. and his Kenya grannies as well

Obama seems to like to hide behind skirts

[BeyondGeography]

23. Asking for Clinton to be vetted and calling them on their secretiveness isn't nasty

because it ties directly into positive themes of his campaign: government transparency and openness.

It also goes directly to policy, as in health care, where he promises to expose drug and insurance industry arguments to the light of day, and where Hillary ran a closed process that was at the heart of her failure to produce a result back in the 90's. She is a top-down, insider-oriented, secretive person, and Obama needs to continually remind people of that.

I don't want to hear about Whitewater, TravelGate, the stained dress and that shit. But focusing on the tax returns, her records as First Lady and the Clinton Foundation donor list, which is still shrouded in Bill-imposed mystery, is more than fair game.

[Medusa]

24. The media is handling her with kid gloves

especially after her endless whining about them being "unfair" to her and how "sexist" it is if anyone asks her a tough question. But these are questions that need to be asked about her and asking them isn't being either unfair or sexist or fighting dirty in the least. It is in the public interest for the American people to KNOW the facts about her.

[my3boyz]

25. So he is supposed to stand there and allow them to punch him in the face

repeatedly and do nothing?

[sampsonblk]

34. Not at all. Its just that a nice guy message is very hard to stick to

Politics is a rough business, and folks are going to throw sucker punches. Guaranteed. So if you go with the nice guy message, soor or later you're bound to have to strike back. No more Mr Nice Guy. Then what is your message after you do that?

[thereismore]

27. He can do it gracefully, just watch. nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. His Whole Mystique Will Be Gone. But That Won't Mean He Couldn't Win,

it just means he would no longer be a messiah.

[easy_b94]

29. FIght Clean and HARD

[DemGa]

30. He'll send out his surrogates while he does he preacher routine----NT

[TwilightGardener]

31. Actually, I think it helps him--people want to see if he has a harder edge

and can fight. He's been a gentleman for too long.

[RememberWellstone]

36. Said the Spider

to the fly...he is wuss but he did come from Chicago, I look forward to see how low he wil go. He pretends so well to be above the fray..he will probably slink to Chitown politcs.