Brick by brick

[babylonsister]

Brick by brick

Today Barack Obama continued laying the groundwork for his overseas trip next week, offering his foreign policy vision in a speech in DC, and releasing a new ad focused on the threat of loose nukes in the hands of terrorists.

Yesterday, I took a SWAG at the road ahead for the campaign. I think looking at that calendar helps to explain what's going on right now in the campaign, especially for those of us who are chomping at the bit to see the full fury of the Obama campaign unleashed upon McCain.

What's going on right now is that Barack is establishing his commander in chief credentials. Obviously, we know that Barack is more than capable, but this phase of the campaign really isn't about us -- it's about winning over undecided voters. Like it or not, you can't become president unless Americans think you are capable of being C-in-C, and he needs to convince them of that, especially after HRC's attacks on this score during the primary.

If this week and this trip go well, Barack will be in a much stronger position than he is now. In fact, once he has that C-in-C aura about him, he might be unstoppable.

As I wrote yesterday, I suspect that shortly after returning from his trip, he'll select a VP. Then we'll go through the dog days of August leading up to the DNC. One important point about this period is that unlike in 2004, the Democratic convention happens in late August. This means that even if McCain's folks swiftboat Barack, he'll be able to respond with the convention. Imagine if Kerry had been able to use the convention to dismantle the swiftboater memes? It would have been a completely different election.

Wrapping up, as much as I'd like to see some fireworks right now, I think what we're seeing is the Obama campaign methodically constructing a path to victory, brick by brick.

It might seem boring, it might seem plodding, but the real sparks will come between September 5 (the first day after the GOP convention) and September 26 (the first debate). I think that in those three weeks, the campaign will be either won or lost.

And my bet is that we will win.

http://www.jedreport.com/2008/07/brick-by-brick.html

[Egnever]

1. Obama plays Chess

I would think people would have realized this by now after the primaries. Good article though.

[willing dwarf]

2. Just so the bricks on victory don't become a wall

I guess there are a lot of us on the farther side of left who sense that the C-in-C look thing depends on creating a double brick fire wall around the status quo.

It's going to be hard to run on a "change" agenda and yet need the acceptance of the middle. That's where I see problems ahead.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. The biggest change is to show the middle that the left is correct.

Instead of moving to the center, he is playing to center to get them to accept the left.

That is a HUGE change.

[willing dwarf]

6. That's a very helpful point. Thanks!

[Selatius]

3. They said back home in Illinois that he was a master at playing poker, that he was methodical.

The "brick-by-brick" observation seems to match those of his state legislature colleagues back home whenever they played with him.

[babylonsister]

5. Also, looking at his ground game during the primaries, he certainly

seems/ed methodical. He built his winning campaign slowly but surely.

[kevinmc]

7. K&R ... n/t