Can Obama really pull it off?

[DeepModem Mom]

Politico: Can Obama really pull it off?
By: Roger Simon
September 17, 2008

....On Tuesday, I spoke to four prominent Democratic strategists, all of whom have had major roles in past presidential campaigns....

...Steve Elmendorf, who worked on Dick Gephardt’s and John Kerry’s presidential campaigns...said he is “not contemplating an Obama loss,” but “this is a closely divided country.” He also said that the Obama campaign may have lost a little of its edge after winning a hard-fought primary campaign against Hillary Clinton and growing a little overconfident....“I think we have a slightly better than 50 percent chance to win the election,” Elmendorf said. “Ultimately, we have more paths to get to 270 (electoral votes) than John McCain does. He really has to thread the needle.”

Bob Shrum, who has worked on eight presidential campaigns, said, “Sure, we could possibly lose. Do I think we will? No. The whole tactic of the McCain campaign is fundamentally one of distraction. They don’t care if we talk about how their ads are false or about Sarah Palin, as long as the country is not talking about the economy and health care. But that can’t last until Nov. 4.”...

Shrum believes, however, that Obama needs to win the presidential debates in order to win the election....

***

Chris Lehane worked in the Clinton White House and on Al Gore’s presidential campaign, and while Lehane believes certain trends favor Obama, he also believes the campaign will come down to a question of character. “And the core character issue is who you can trust,” Lehane said. “People don’t want PowerPoint presentations, but a candidate who speaks directly to their hearts. They don’t want a 32-point plan on health care that goes over their heads; they want to know which candidate will stand with them.”...

Donna Brazile....believes that the race is “essentially tied” and that Obama’s media strategists “need to sharpen their ads so they are more memorable and have a shelf life of more than 24 hours.” She also worries that the Obama campaign is “insular.” She said: “It doesn’t feel like a family with all voices at the table are as diverse as the party itself. It still feels like a primary campaign with some additions. It doesn’t feel like all hands on deck.”

She believes Obama “should get back to issues, instead of talking about change.”...She said that at times “Obama’s voice is strong and articulate, but people don’t feel attached to him, and they have got to feel attached to him. That would answer some racial aspects that simmer below the radar and sometimes percolate over the top.”

“He has had some moments where he seems unsure of his own voice,” Brazile said, “but I still think he can pull this off.”

And if he doesn’t?

“If he doesn’t, then Obama didn’t lose,” she said. “The country just wasn’t ready.”

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=6E5EB01A-18FE-70B2-A836424C6BFDD9AD

[WarbirdForObama]

1. Damned Right He can Pull It Off!!!!

Damned Right he can!!!

[samuraiguppy]

2. very interesting article--thanks for sharing it.

[orwell]

3. Translation...

...four losers give Obama advice on how to win.

:rofl:

[DeepModem Mom]

5. That's true!

I guess for winners, they would have had to go all the way back to Carville and Begala.

[DesertFlower]

4. great article.

“If he doesn’t, then Obama didn’t lose,” she said. “The country just wasn’t ready.”

very interesting comment. it could have several interpretations.

[Project Grudge]

6. Donna's translation

"It doesn’t feel like a family with all voices at the table are as diverse as the party itself. It still feels like a primary campaign with some additions. It doesn’t feel like all hands on deck."


translation: No one is calling me asking for advice and I don't like it--it's not fair. Why doesn't anyone want to hear from someone who can't run a campaign and gives terrible advice consistently.

[chknltl]

7. More accurately: Can WE THE PEOPLE pull this off?

We are back to square one: Having enough votes for Obama to beat voter caging and electronic voting machine fraud. Imo, we have a little bit more than a 50-50 chance. Keep pushing your neighbors, your friends, folks you meet at the store, folks you meet online. Every vote is important right now!
Let everyone know that a change is needed in our government-how mCcain/palin is more bush/cheney. Discredit repuke memes where you find them. It is up to us. We can look to Obama for winning this but he would be the first to say that he is looking to YOU!

[DeepModem Mom]

9. Well said, chknltl -- thanks! nt

[Triana]

8. If Obama doesn't win,this country will NEVER be ready and is insufferably stupid.

I can't say I'd be totally surprised. The question would be - what to do then?

[thewalll]

10. Senator Obama needs to expose the McCain hypocrisy about the military

Senator Obama has been accused of many things, but the one
that seems to resonate with the public the most is his
perceived lack of recognition of the "Victory" (?)
in Iraq resulting from the surge. This is what I recommend
that he do:

Sometime during the first debated he should make a proposal to
Senator McCain, while at the same time assuming that Senator
McCain shares his idea, and says; Much has been said about the
successes and failures of the war in Iraq. However, the
absolute truth remains to be determined. However, as we
participate in this debate an share our different perspectives
of how we as a country should move ahead, I propose the
following and I believe I can speak for both of us on this
point. Because many of our heroes have not been properly
advised of issues facing the country, I think we should have a
Town Hall meeting that illustrates the support shared by both
Republicans and Democrats for our troops, our blood and
treasure, and limit the attendance to our heroes that have
been blinded, lost their hearing, have become mentally and
psychologically unstable, and those who have had parts of
their bodies amputated for the United States' unyielding
position for a vibrant democracy in Iraq.

It would help the American people better understand the true
cost of war. I dare say John McCain would have a hard time
refusing to recognize our heroes in the political sense.
Moreover, it may help the American people realize that if
there is the slightest shred of truth that the war was
fabricated, President Bush should be tried for war crimes.

Being old, I remember when I was a college student during the
Nixon era. There were these, what may now be called a young
neocon, advocating invading an oil rich country for America's
long-term energy needs. Given that perseverance furthers, it
took until the presidential election of 2000 for that same
group to convince a sitting president that the time was right.
If you lived in that time, you probably know the main ones
that advocated this position: Dick Cheney; Donald Rumsfeld;
and the lesser known by most fervent advocate of a war, Paul
Wolfiwitz. Recently, I heard John Kerry speak, and it was the
first time I ever heard a public figure mention Wolfiwitz as
the main proponent of the current war in Iraq.

Finally, to give some insight into my character, after seeing
the Michael Moore movie about the Iraqi war, I wrote a letter
to Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld to determine how much
money Wolfiwitz received for his role in the movie. As you
might expect, I never received a reply. However, if you saw
the movie, before Woliwitz addressed a small gathering, he
took out his pocket comb, spit on it and then tried to drag it
through his greasy looking, laden with dandruff, thick hair. I
said no one would do that without getting paid, would he?

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Thanks so much for a great first post, thewalll -- welcome to DU!!!

[Eyal]

12. Looking for a PAC supporting Obama

Hi all,

I have recently created a short film supporting Obama. The film was created in Israel and it's meant to convince Jewish voters in general, and specifically in Florida, to vote for him. I am looking for a PAC to post the film on. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Eyal

[drlefty]

13. If Something Happens

That we lose this election, I think we all know precisely what the reason will be...White racism! If Senator Obama loses this at the polls in November it will be because of White racists who just couldn't bring themselves to pull the lever for him in the privacy of the voting booth.