Howard Schweber (Huffington Post): "Message to Obama: SAY SOMETHING"

[brentspeak]

(Schweber hits the nail on the head)

Message to Obama: SAY SOMETHING

It is difficult to imagine a campaign reacting to events any worse than the Obama campaign in the past week. Today the announcement was that there will be a new, more aggressive tone, exemplified by some new ads. I have only seen one of the ads, but it is enough. The new "e-mail" ad is the worst thing of its kind that I have ever seen, the absolute nadir in political advertising. It is guaranteed to offend anyone over the age of 50 - among whom there are rather a lot registered voters. It is likely to irritate if not insult blue-collar workers worried about their economic futures. It is smug, condescending, and just the teensiest bit elitist. It is also silly, trivial, and distracts from any consideration of policy issues.

The Obama camp claims to be unconcerned with recent shifts in the polls, including a 20-point shift away from Obama among white female voters. They say, for example, that recent national polls are only a blip, that it's what goes on in the 18 battleground states that matters. Well, I've been watching the polls in those states, and they aren't pretty. At this point, the GOP is even seeing substantial gains in generic match-ups at the congressional level. (Note: just today there is some indication that the Palin boost may have maxed out, at least for the moment, but it is way too soon to tell.)

Now, I realize that the Obama campaign is getting an earful of suggestions from a variety of quarters. Here's one more: SAY SOMETHING. Give undecided voters something substantive to chew on. Tell us all the substance of how you will be president - and something of the substantive case against John McCain.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-schweber/message-to-obama-say-some_b_126047.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. You know, do Republicans bash McCain for his ads, even if they don't agree with them?

Not really. Jesus, let up on our own, people--this is getting tiresome.

[FrenchieCat]

2. No.

They know how to win.....

We only know how to criticize!

[TwilightGardener]

5. Unbelievable. This is a war for our country's future, and our side

is busy taking potshots at our candidate instead of the other guy. It's not like Obama ran a McCain-style dishonorable, lie-filled, character-assassin ad that should deeply aggrieve us. This is just one small part of his entire advertising--not worth bashing him over.

[brentspeak]

8. It's called "valid, constructive criticism"

Understand this: Unless the campaign is run the way it ought to, with effective TV ads, we will lose yet again.

[TwilightGardener]

9. This asshole above isn't simply saying why the ad isn't effective--

that would be OK with me. He's using all sorts of fatalistic melodrama and hyperbole that simply DO NOT APPLY to this one particular ad. He's flexing his creative writing muscles at Obama's expense, and nothing more. He has obviously not seen many campaign ads.

[EC]

3. I don't think so, most ordinary people over 50 and 60 are still

working and have had to learn to use a computer, he has staff to do it, so he just never learned out of indifferance....I'm over 50 and can use the computer, my Mom can use one etc. This is just an out of touch, myopic opinion...It will show people that are over 50 who have had to learn how to use a computer or loose their jobs just how out of touch mccain is with ordinary people....

[DefenseLawyer]

4. You know I was just saying to myself

I wonder what some political science professor from Wisconsin that I have never heard of thinks about the campaign? And now I know.

[brentspeak]

6. Some small indication that Obama is finally getting it:

"So when American workers hear John McCain talking about putting 'Country First,'" Obama said, "it’s fair to ask – which country?"

Now he's just keep repeating it, and repeating it, and repeating it; and national Democrats have to begin echoing it.

[firedupdem]

7. Senator Obama's Campaign is doing fine. He's making adjustments

as necessary. They are trying to show Obama as weak and McCain as strong because he spews garbage. That guy can go to hell!