Obama's to do list: pick running mate, convention, vacation

[book_worm]

Looks like Obama will take a week vacation in mid August, probably to Hawaii (during the height of the Olympics).

CHICAGO--With 99 days until election day, and an overseas swing out of the way, Barack Obama's campaign has some big items on the "to do" list.

"It really is a sprint at this point," said Obama senior adviser Anita Dunn on Monday.

Top items:

• Select a vice presidential running mate. While the selection team is narrowing the choices to present to Obama -- Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was the latest buzz on Politico.com -- a team at the Chicago headquarters is getting ready for the rollout. The newly minted vice presidential hopeful will find waiting for him or her a chief of staff, Patti Solis Doyle; an advance team; press spokesman, scheduler and plane.

• Gameplan the Denver Democratic nominating convention. Obama's Aug. 28 acceptance speech at Invesco Field is in place, but the other elements have to be finalized such as the platform, other speakers and Obama's "grand entrance" in the run up to Denver. "All of that is being worked out now," said Obama top adviser Valerie Jarrett on Monday.


Obama's speechwriters are turning their attention to his acceptance speech. Obama's speech at the 2004 convention in Boston skyrocketed him to the fame he leveraged to be the Democratic nominee.

• Prepare for three debates with John McCain. The debates are Sept. 26 at the University of Mississippi at Oxford, Oct. 7 at Belmont University at Nashville and Oct. 15 at Hofstra University at Hempstead, N.Y. There is a vice presidential debate Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.


• Vacation. While in London, Obama said he planned to take a week off in August. Michelle Obama on Monday said yes when asked if she was looking forward to a vacation in Hawaii. The Honolulu Star Bulletin reported earlier this month that Obama will be in his native state for a fund-raiser Aug. 12.

The Honolulu visit will offer the campaign yet another chance to revisit Obama's "story" as the campaign moves to underscore his unique biography. "Many people aren't paying attention to the election until it gets closer," Jarrett said. "He still is a relative newcomer to the national stage."

• Define McCain. The campaign is deconstructing McCain's image as a maverick and reframing him as the conservative he is, but that is a big job because "a lot of people attribute to him all kinds of progressive values,'' said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Obama campaign national co-chair.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/07/obamas_to_do_list_pick_running.html

[Alter Ego]

1. Expect McCain's campaign to go into overdrive while Obama's on vacation

"HOW DARE OBAMA PRESUMPTUOUSLY TAKE A VACATION WHEN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE IN NEED! JOHN MCCAIN WILL TALK DOWN TO YOU 24/7! DO YOU NOT FEEL LEFT OUT BECAUSE OBAMA DIDN'T TAKE YOU ON HIS VACATION?!?!?!?!ONE"

[TwilightGardener]

2. Oh yeah, don't define McCrazy as a dishonorable, confused old liar--

define him as a conservative, not liberal. Sure, that'll work. Because we all know that conservative is a dirty word among the Great Unwashed. :eyes:

[Alter Ego]

5. "Conservative" and "neo-conservative" have been conflated

and the word is a lot more tainted now than you think.

[ikojo]

3. Straight out of John Kerry's playbook

Go on vacation and give the pugs and their media enablers a chance to bash him at every turn.

Hopefully he has better surrogates working while he's relaxing and recharging.

He IS vacationing in the US, isn't he? Imagine if he isn't....

[Jersey Devil]

4. Before or after vacation - he should stop off in Alaska

In fact, spending part of his vacation there might be a terrific idea.