Barack: Stop Stammering and Nuancing

[Jack_Dawson]

Please someone tell Barack to keep it simple. I get "nuance", but apparently swing states don't. You could see tonight K.O. imploring him to do the same thing. And he does...eventually. But he talks too much, and we all know how America hates parsing.

Talking points:

1) Are you better off now than you were then? If so, vote for JM

2) The Republicans think you're stupid.

3) Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a governor.


That's it. Wash, rinse, repeat. I'm not kidding.

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. And yet, strangely, none of us on this board ARE Barack Obama

Hmmmm.

[Life Long Dem]

25. That's not even keeping it to the subject

Never rmind keeping it simple.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. The world is nuanced.

Americans are not so stupid that they can't understand it.

[Jack_Dawson]

5. Agreed: But we live in California

And the media loves soundbites. Barack offers few.

:beer:

[ColbertWatcher]

7. "Barack offers few." Which is a good thing.

Although, he gave the freepers one the other day, when he didn't say "alleged" when discussing McCain repeating a rumor.

[KharmaTrain]

14. How About

Eight Is Enough
McGramps = Booooosh
More Of The Same
Time For Change

Those aren't soundbites? Guess not the ones you want. Why not offer your services to the Obama campaign since you've surely got the killers that will lead to a landslide.

Seems like DU is full of all these political operatives who know what will win elections...go and cash in on it. We'll be here waiting when you get back.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. Aren't those more like slogans than sound bites?

I think Obama avoids sound bites because he knows the GOP-controlled media will use them against him.

[KharmaTrain]

24. They Avoid Them...

The corporate media is as much our enemy as the GOOP is. You can come up with all sorts of slogans or soundbites (and honestly, they're the same)...but if they're shoved aside or dismissed before they even air, what good is it? The GOOP loads up the cables with their surrogates that throw shit, no matter how big the lie, no matter how false the claim and a Democrat doesn't get a word in edgewise. This deck has been rigged for a long time that has made it that we have to take the messages to the streets...and that's where some of us are.

I wish Democratic surrogates would hit harder, but they play with a stacked as the GOOPer always gets the last word and you have the Wolfies and Gregories who assume the GOOP talking points as gospel...the message and soundbites get burried, or Democrats are portryaed as being "whiners" or strident".

I've said the game here is to take it to the GOOP on the streets...one voter at a time and force Gramps onto the defensive...get under his skin...tweak his ego and let him get angry.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. You call it "the corporate media"; I call it the GOP-controlled media.

Regardless, the distinction I was making between sound bites and slogans is that sounds bites must be spoken. Slogans can be on t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc., but there might not be any video tape of Obama saying them.

[marauding liberal]

13. You're lucky if you are surrounded by bright critical thinkers.

Most of us are surrounded by lazy and uninformed couch potatoes.

[ColbertWatcher]

23. LOL! California has it's share of assholes, remember we brought America ...

... Reagan and Nixon.

We're not proud, just sayin'.

[riverdeep]

17. I think the OP is also talking purely style-wise.

On that, I agree. Look at Howard Dean (don't bring up the 'incident'- that was a hatchet job), he speaks clearly with authority and clarity and decent pace. That's what middle America likes and sometimes Obama gets too 'professorial', which I think is goddamned refreshing but makes Jane Sixpack's eyes glaze over.

When you're President you can um and stammer all you like, look at the current idiot in chief- one of the most painful speakers ever.

[stray cat]

3. I'm not sure but I think I nominated the thoughtful nuanced candidate

[dkf]

4. When he's trying not to say "LIARS!" he gets all hesitant and cautious.

When he's explaining something he knows well, he is very eloquent and smooth.

[Jack_Dawson]

6. My point exactly: If he said "They are Liars"...

it would dominate the news coverage and Dems may be perceived as having a backbone.

[dkf]

10. He's trying to keep from getting in trouble and saying all the words politicians aren't supposed to

say.

I never understood why that "l" word is taboo when these guys do it all the time.

[misanthrope]

16. I've never understood that myself...

...I think the average American prefers "blunt and direct."

[Mojambo]

8. Nuance will come in handy once he's governing, but to get elected you've got to simplify

I agree. Pick 3 or 4 simple basic memes and pound away.

Hartmann was pushing the same line today.

[marauding liberal]

9. The people he needs to reach are

the low information voters. You are absolutely correct. He needs to keep it simple. Remember, half of all voters are of below average intelligence.

[Jack_Dawson]

12. Hey Welcome to DU

:toast:

[marauding liberal]

15. Danke, baby!

[marylanddem]

11. They need to fight fire with fire. End of story.

[WillowTree]

18. Funny...

....how he managed to get the nomination without your expert advice. Amazing, really, when you think about it.

[Jack_Dawson]

19. You mean the one where all Dems voted?

:eyes:

Exactly.

:beer:

[creeksneakers2]

20. The Obama operation was on the right track today

calling out McCain/Palin for their lies. I wish they'd lost the "they must think you are stupid" line. Everybody who believes McCain will take that as Obama calling them stupid. Its hard to reach people after that.

[Tallison]

21. The problem is that OBAMA IS A GENUINELY NICE GUY

Having beaten a lot of odds himself, he's not the type to self-promote at others' expense and nurtures the hope of reaching a common understanding with everyone. Sorry, but that's not necessarily an asset in contemporary campaigning. God love O, but I hope his handlers can knock a little idealism out of the guy - for his and all our sakes.

[cliffordu]

27. OMFG!!! YOU NEED TO CALL THEM RIGHT NOW!!! i'm SERIES!!11!!1!1111