Pittsburgh,Arizona governor stumps here for Obama today!

[Bravo Zulu]

Arizona governor stumps here for Obama
Sunday, September 14, 2008
By Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano -- in town today campaigning for the Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama -- received an earful today from Obama supporters worried the campaign isn't pushing back hard enough against attacks by Sen. John McCain.

"We've been through Dukakis, Gore and Kerry, and we've been disappointed to see that sometimes the candidate didn't have the same fight in him that we did," Georgia Blotzer, an Obama volunteer, told Ms. Napolitano at an event at Chatham University where the Arizona governor spoke. "It's frustrating to see so many lies perpetrated by the McCain campaign and not see a more forceful response," she added, citing in particular a recent Obama ad criticizing Mr. McCain for not knowing how to use a computer or email. "What about an ad on equal pay for equal work?"

The Arizona governor, who was speaking at a forum on pay equity sponsored by the school's Center for Women, Politics and Public Policy, said she understood Ms. Blotzer's concerns, but noted that "There is a balance to be struck between that ad and some advertisement that turns off an undecided voter."

Plus, she added, "We need to let Obama be Obama."

Ms. Napolitano then went on to characterize her relationship with Mr. McCain, her state's senior senator, as "professional," before tearing into him as "a big phony."

"This is not the 'straight talk express,'" said Ms. Napolitano, who has served two terms as governor. "This is the campaign that they ran against him eight years ago."

Another member of the audience complained that the Obama campaign too frequently frames issues in dry terms -- talking about the need for universal health care rather than for providing every family with their own family doctor, for example.

"I hear you, and I think Chicago is hearing the same thing," said Ms. Napolitano, referring to Obama's campaign headquarters in Chicago. "We all need to try to show more emotion. There's no harm in showing passion about your candidate."

The Arizona governor was the second prominent female Obama surrogate to visit Pittsburgh in two days. On Friday, California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer stopped briefly in the city to rally Obama supporters,

This morning, Ms. Napolitano visited a Mt. Lebanon Obama office filled with about 80 supporters and accompanied some of them on a voter registration drive in a nearby neighborhood, followed by brunch with women supporters at Tom's Diner on the South Side, where she greeted diners and urged them to support the Illinois senator.

One customer, Regis Dusch, 40, of Greenfield, told her firmly he was a McCain supporter, noting he'd served in the military and felt the Arizona senator would do more to keep America safe. But when he noted that Mr. Obama had voted "present" in the Senate more than 100 times, Ms. Napolitano countered by saying Mr. McCain was only present for 58 percent of roll call votes. "Look it up," she said, before moving on.

She didn't change Mr. Dusch's mind. "John McCain has proven himself. What's the other guy done?" he asked afterwards.

The day's first stop for Ms. Napolitano, actually, was in Baldwin -- where she lived for two years, from age 4 to 6, while her father, Dr. Leonard Napolitano, worked at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine. "I learned how to read in Pittsburgh," she said with a laugh, adding that many of the same neighbors were still there and remembered her family.

"You don't see that much in Arizona," she said, shaking her head.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08258/912209-100.stm

[slinkerwink]

1. So letting Obama be Obama means letting him be on the high road with no

response attack ads?

[elleng]

2. No; should not.

But response should be more responsive than attack, that is, FACTUAL!