People upset that Obama is not using the word "liar" himself should really be smarter than that...

[scheming daemons]

That's giving the GOP the soundbite that they want...


"That's not being presidential."


AND THEY'D BE RIGHT.


Surrogates should be doing it. NOT Obama.


If you think he should be actually using the word "liar" in a pissing match with the GOP's vice presidential candidate, then you are politically tone deaf.


Wise up.


He's acting like a President should act. Quit asking him to act like James Carville. There are people in the campaign who's job it is to do that. Let the Carville's of the world act like James Carville.


Sheesh.

[GrizzlyMan]

1. I agree.... negative ads and talking points never work

:sarcasm:

[scheming daemons]

2. Negative ads and talking points *DO* work.... you're missing the point entirely

Obama's campaign should be calling McCain/Palin liars.... but not Obama himself.


Come on... you're not really that obtuse.

[GrizzlyMan]

3. How did that work for Kerry?

Surely you're not that naive.

[scheming daemons]

5. Are you really that dense?

Kerry's PEOPLE could have (but didn't) go negative with Bush.


Obama's PEOPLE could and should go negative with McCain.


BUT THE CANDIDATE HIMSELF SHOULD BE ABOVE BOARD



You never hear McCain challenging Obama's patriotism.... only his "surrogates". Because he has to be "above the fray".

Same with Obama.

[Sensitivity]

8. You can stay out of the mud and speak the truth simply. Abe Lincoln did at it is appreciated

[scheming daemons]

12. Obama *IS* speaking the truth.... He's calling McCain/Palin what they are, without using the word

[GrizzlyMan]

10. You're pretty good at name calling, but a little out of touch with reality

The surrogates DON'T GET ON TV. That little fact sort of anhilates your "let the surrogates do the heavy lifting" argument.

Hillary campaigned for Obama today, and yet it got next to no play in the MSM. If the surrogates actually got on TV, then yeah, great, let them do the name calling.

But the fact is, nobody is going to carry a Tim Kaine for Obama rally on TV. The network newscasts won't spend a nanosecond talking about Brian Schweitzer stumping for Obama in Montana.

[scheming daemons]

13. Really? I saw surrogates all day..... Biden can do it....

But not Obama.


He's trying to craft a "McCain doesn't have the temperment to be President" theme.... and that goes out the window the first time Obama acts unpresidential....


which is what you are calling for.

[GrizzlyMan]

14. I hope you are right

If that is the strategy it is not bad, but the entire strategy rests on McCain coming unhinged at some point during this campaign.

I'm not willing to bet against it, but I'm also not sure I'd put a lot of money on him blowing his top either. We shall see.

[Marsala]

4. Negative ads do work - and we're using them

But shouting "LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!" tends to turn people off.

[Sensitivity]

6. At the right time using the right word "LIAR" is the right and fitting thing to do.

The option is to just look like you are also "playing politics"

[scheming daemons]

7. You're right... but not out of the candidate's mouth.... only his surrogates....

[Shine]

9. Agree 100%

let the surrogates do it. Like Rendell did today.

Let his audience members do it, like they did today in Flint. They called out the word "LIE!" as he said "distort and mislead" and he turned the mic towards them so it could be amplified.

He didn't specifically say it, but it's clear that's what he thinks, too.

Yes, he has to appear Presidential.

[EndElectoral]

11. Obama's new ad calls them liars. It's about time! That Straight Talk Express BS needs to crash

[EffieBlack]

16. This is much more effective than Obama going on national television and calling them liars

First, they are targeted to specific states and regions and tailored to impact certain segments of voters. Second, they do not show OBAMA calling them liars - the voiceover and graphics do it, but they leave Obama above the fray.

These may seem like subtle differences, but they are very important ones.

[Vattel]

15. I liked the way Obama put it today

I saw him on the Lehrer hour saying "You can't just make stuff up" or something real close to that.