Obama Team Steps Up Attacks on Edwards

[DemocratSinceBirth]

by Todd Beeton, Mon Dec 31, 2007 at 02:20:58 PM EST


It's been clear for a while what arguments Democratic rivals would use against Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the primaries; accusations that Clinton takes both sides of issues, represents the status quo and is polarizing and hence unelectable have been ubiquitous, as has the argument that Obama lacks the proper experience to be president. But what vulnerability would John Edwards's opponents try to exploit to take him down? In one debate Clinton tried to make it about "flip-flopping," questioning his sincerity. I haven't heard that one lately, perhaps because Edwards has been effective in blunting that criticism ("I was wrong to support the war, it was a mistake" and all that) but also because Edwards really hasn't been in Clinton's or Obama's cross-hairs. Part of that, I suspect, is because Clinton wants an Edwards victory in Iowa (if she's not the victor that is...) and so has successfully engaged Obama in a two-way fight, allowing Edwards to sort of skate through without much criticism.

This has changed recently as Obama has increasingly gone after Edwards on the charge that he is, as a memorandum released by Obama campaign manager David Plouffe on Saturday put it, "relying on a former aide to run an unregulated 527 operating outside campaign finance limits to support his candidacy." The Edwards campaign has countered that interfering with the actions of the group would amount to coordination, which is illegal; the Obama campaign's charges against Edwards are explored at length by Marc Ambinder HERE.

The second front of Obama's anti-Edwards broadside is on the question of Edwards's viability beyond the early states, a charge cited explicitly by Plouffe in a conference call with reporters today during which he unveiled a Powerpoint presentation (TPM has it HERE) touting Obama's strength in Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond. Marc Ambinder was on the call and reports on Plouffe's framing of Edwards's viability problem:


http://www.mydd.com/

[gateley]

1. I have a general question - which I'm sure has been voiced before, but...

When one campaign (attacker) goes after another campaign on whatever issue (attackee) is there evidence that the attacker campaign actually draws new support as a result of that attack?

Just speaking for myself, I don't think it would have much of an impact. It's apparent that the attacker campaign (and the attackee campaign, when it becomes the attacker) are just playing the game as it's been played for years.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. The Conventional Wisdom Is When Candidate A And Candidate B Bash One Another Candidate C Is The

Beneficiary...

In a two person race the conventional wisdom is that bashing supresses turnout which can be to the benefit of one candidate or another...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. I'm thinking the Obama camp realized they were going to lose to either Edwards or Hillary in Iowa,

and are now essentially boosting for Clinton.

Losing to Edwards would sink Obama.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I Don't Know How You Feel But I Am Comfortable With Either Edwards Or Clinton...

This whole "Chosen One" phenomenon reminds me of the hype that surrounded LeBron James when he came into the NBA...James literally has the Chosen 1 tattooed on his back:


http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo/celeb-james_lebron.htm

[DemKR]

16. good stuff

[Franc_Lee]

15. I'm thinking Hillary attacking the Obama camp to force votes to Edwards has worked like a charm, the

problem now is Hillary will concentrate attacks back on Edwards which means she will end up kicking the boyz asses after all...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. Vote suppression is as much a part of the game as vote encouragement

It's always ugly, but it works.

[gateley]

13. It's like a chess game - all those strategic moves. It's fascinating. nt

[MethuenProgressive]

5. Obama clearly is frightened of finishing third.

Personally, I think one of the "top three" will finish fourth.
Keep up the good work, "top three"!
:kick:

[PurityOfEssence]

7. You can only ignore a threat so much...

They're all in rather tender situations here, but this particular dynamic is probably rooted in the endless definition of this contest as a two-way race, something that has helped Obama to no end. If he were to take a serious hit from someone who's endlessly touted as waaaay behind, it's a big problem.

As for the relative gain or loss of votes, it would seem that going negative knocks down one's opponent's support more than it builds one's own, but if the outrage is well enough kindled, it can also bring in new or converted voters. There should certainly be ample instances for statisticians to chew through from this race and it'd be interesting if they did.

Lurking behind threads like this is a wistful desire that negativity would stop. Sadly, it's part of human nature, and I am quite guilty of this myself: the McClurkin affair has me thoroughly disgusted, as does Clinton's endless simultaneously being on all sides of every issue while solidly standing with the corporatists and ths status quo.

The human being is a mixed bag, and many enjoy seeing someone being nasty: it's an impulse they have to sit on themselves as they maintain decorum in lives spent "getting along". Why are so many popular sitcoms virtually nothing but insults hurled between rivals? It's the same impulse that makes gangster movies so popular: people would like to vent their id like this and get a cathartic buzz from it. Taking that into account, going negative may garner more direct support than is generally admitted.

But enough of this gentle musing, back to the wars...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. We Have Had Our Battles But I Would Be Comfortable With Edwards Or Clinton...

The whole "Chosen One" meme was grating on me... I was a young boy from a politically active family when Bobby Kennedy ran for president... He was the brother of the martyred president and even he didn't receive the unquestioned support that Barack Obama did and his followers weren't nearly as quick to attack as the followers of Senator Obama are when anybody questioned him...

Obama was actually my first choice... I believed in my bones his election would be a redemptive moment for this nation but I became alienated by the messianism surrounding his candidacy...

Oh well, perhaps I take this all too seriously...

PEACE

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. DSB, did you see the rasmussen fav/unfav number?

With Obama least favorable of the top tier... with roughly the same numbers that were presented as instant death for Clinton a while back.

Not saying it's accurate, but if there is a sag in Favorability, it's in line with my expectation, which is that a phenomenon like Obama lasts about six months in America, and goes from avant garde to kitsch overnight. That's not a knock on his character. He rode to the top on fad dynamics, and there is a built-in down-side to the method.

I have always seen the precise Dukakis arc for Barack if nominated.

For all my problems with his philosophy and messianic presentation, I would support him if I thought he could win. But this has "set 'em up to knock 'em down" written all over it.

I'm with you on Clinton and Edwards. I don't like Edwards much (or Hillary either), but I don't need to. I am fine with either of 'em. Either one could win.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. I Am Almost Beginning To Miss Obama

His followers are what alienated me...He (represented) something that was pure and good in politics but he was corrupted and his victory ironically would have represented an undermining of the principles he ostensibly believed in... I think if you take an honest look at his campaign he attacked Democrats and Democratic sacred cows more than he attacked Republicans...

[hayu_lol]

10. DemocratSinceBirth, You presented your thoughts very well...

Much of what you say is probably about the way many of us feel about Obama. Starting with his blockbuster speech at the last convention, he seems to have lost the way--or just never really had a way at all.

This is not to knock Obama. He is bright, presentable, and did once, offer the opportunity to show that the 'glass ceiling' has been broken for all time. After this primary and GE, politics USA will be quite different.

This is not his time and it well could have been.

All that is left is to wait and see.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. I Used To Talk Him Up To All My Friends

I used to talk him up on neutral sites on the net...

My fiancee is from the Phillipines where they are used to female leaders... She's very much for Hillary...

[DemKR]

14. K&R

[MasonJar]

17. The Edwards' statement is true. In the Kentucky guv's race this Nov.

I worked for Move-on, which came in to support the Democratic candidate, Steve Beshear (who won going away.) Move-on could not co-ordinate with the campaign at all, and when I tried to take some info to the Beshear campaign headquarters, they acted as if I were radioactive.

[DemKR]

18. edwards rocks.