TPM's Theda Skocpol-Mccain shaping the GE agenda-Is Obama ready for the GE?

[Politics_Guy25]

Do I need to take this post seriously? What do you all think? I'd need to go into Theda's past writings to see what kind of coverage she has provided of Senator Obama since he announced his candidacy. I take it with a grain of salt since I don't know her.

What do you all think? Is this stuff below just trash that I can disregard as I'm tempted to do? Not the thing that I would want to read over at TPM that's for sure.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/26/can_the_obama_campaign_shape_t/

Although Obama seems to be "up" in current national polls, McCain is actually doing a much better job of shaping the agenda to his advantage. He has used strong symbols (it does not matter if they are "gimmicks") to portray himself as activist on gas prices and the environment and put apparent distance between himself and Bush. And he has managed to paint Obama as an ordinary schemer on campaign finance. Abetted by the media's proclivity for dramatic gestures and horse race analysis, the McCain camp has done what it needs to portray their man as a fighting underdog focused on real-world issues. Meanwhile, Obama's "economic tour" has gone little noticed -- and his campaign seems not to understand how very difficult it will be to get the media to convey the economic stakes in this election to ordinary voters.

Baldly put, the last two weeks leave me wondering if Obama's campaign is prepared for the general election battle. Here are my questions:

Why did the Obama people roll out his abandonment of the "public" finance system without simultaneously orchestrating many prominent surrogates to attack McCain's abuse of that system in the primaries -- and highlight McCain's stated unwillingness to rein in 527s on his side? They allowed the narrative to become his flip-flop and, perhaps even worse, the expectation that his campaign would amass a huge bankroll.

[anonymous171]

1. Obama and his campaign need to learn how to play the media. nt

[Politics_Guy25]

2. I agree-No presidential candidate

has ever been treated as unfairly by the media as Senator Obama has been starting the day before the Wisconsin primary. It's been savage ever since.

[jefferson_dem]

3. I don't know about Skocpol's political commentary but she is a well-respected political scientist

at Harvard. Her academic publications mainly focus on social movements so she probably has a leftist tilt.

I can agree that Obama has been on the defensive a bit too much so far. He's handled that position well and not been damaged but I would like to see a bit more aggressive agenda-setting from Team Obama. Put Gramps on defensive, where he belongs.

[Me.]

4. Seriously?

So what exactly is McSame's agenda? I'm having a hard time telling as it flips with each passing day. And every time he sets a policy it goes bad. Today the stock market put paid to the idea of privatizing SS, and the monkey administration appeased the north Koreans. There is a meme going around that yes Obama is doing well in the polls but it could be the Dukakis/Kerry June polls and they're sure to go down.

The fact is that Mc Same is running a stinking campaign and the polls are the result of that and the desperation people are feeling. And while the American people are often branded as being dumb as mud, they're smart enough to know that the country is in a quagmire and that Cons are the ones who put us there and no amount of spinning is going to change that.