Unfortunately the Obama campaign has dropped the ball

[TheDonkey]

:(

After a stellar close to the 2008 DNC we've been caught flat-footed with this announcement. Granted this IS a surprise there has not been a concentrated effort to smack down McCain or Palin immediately after the announcement.

When Obama announced Biden was VP, McCain had attack ads out within a few hours.

We knew this VP pick was coming. WE can't afford to celebrate in the afterglow of the DNC. Time to begin the REAL fight. McClown/Garnish must go down.

Edit: Sorry if this sounds like a chicken little declaration but I've been at work all day fighting off coworkers who like Palin (I work in Los Angeles mind you, very blue) and it is aggravating/worrying me that we may very well be underestimating how little Americans understand how dangerous she is. When I finally left the office for lunch I was bombarded by every TV playing CNN Headline news showing RW MSM hosts squealing about how refreshing/brave/country she is :puke: We need some ammo, we can't afford to take her lightly. We can't let this newest gimmick wipe-out Obama's deserved bounce in the polls. ENOUGH.

[msongs]

1. sure shoved Obama off the news today didnt it?

[tekisui]

2. Only after 38 million+ watched it.

He got his speech in.

[my2sense]

3. Unfortunately it did

I expected surrogates to come out of the wood-works on news channels today to at least lessen the attention McStain is getting.

[LiberalHeart]

5. Sure did, and it'll only get worse as the media start putting out info about her...

They'll try to outdo each other with scoops and info, and it'll be coming out for days, weeks...dominating the news whenever there's something MSM thinks is worth discussing.

[bdamomma]

12. that's what they wanted to do.

desperate they are.

[LongDistanceRunner]

19. you like that, don't you?

Obama will win despite you.

[ClarkUSA]

I'm sure you're happy about that

A brief glimpse at your posting history on Obama is enough to know that.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. No, they didn't They know that between the newsdump and the hurricane this

is a bad time to say anything anyway. They have plenty of time yet to go after her. Just wait until the debates.

[LiberalHeart]

8. Yes, Obama's got a real challenge here...

He pissed off many women by not picking Hillary, and now with a woman on McCain's team he has to be careful how attacks are framed or they'll just be more pissed off.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. I am sure he and Biden will choose their phrases wisely and stick to

the policy and experience issues.

[mitchum]

51. Ya mean he's not gonna be able to call Palin "bitch" and "cunt" in his ads?

I don't think Obama pissed "off many women by not picking Hillary"
You saeem to have a very narrow view of women

[trudyco]

Just end every comment with "She sure is no Hillary" -nt

[MichiganVote]

6. Obama is not a republican. He attacks stances on issues, not the people themselves.

And baby, I intend to celebrate that convention for awhile.

[bdamomma]

23. we have alot to celebrate.

[MichiganVote]

45. Indeed.

[Cha]

7. You dropped the ball, Donkey...Obama

and his Team are doing just what they need to do and it's not some tit for tat shit that fuckhead mccain comes up with.

mccain made the news with asking a big fat fucking zero to be his VP..big fuckin' deal. And, his base..the corporatemediaWHore$ go Ape shit..what the fuck else is new:silly:

[1corona4u]

16. It was nothing more than a move to upstage Obama...

he had nothing else that could top what Obama has done. It was the last card in the deck. I truly believe that.

[Cha]

49. The card was the

Joker who's coming back to bite him his ugly a$$.

[GrizzlyMan]

9. Typical defeatist crapola

Moving on....

[stillcool]

10. What a shame..

Obama and Biden are too busy campaigning to play the trash and bash game on the tv. Boo-hoo.

[TheDonkey]

20. It is that sort of apologist crap that gets keeps us from the WH.

I've been with Obama and Biden since 2004 and I'm a donor so I am not trying to throw stones but the campaign DOES need to become more nimble. The sheer amount of attention this is getting with no official push-back is embarrassing.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

24. "I've been with Obama and Biden since 2004..."

How so?

[TheDonkey]

27. I attended the CDA Boston 2004

Biden was our Keynote speaker and obviously Obama was the keynote speaker at the DNC. I've been a supporter of them since for president (because I knew either one would be running in 08, to my amazement they are BOTH on the ticket!)

[stillcool]

37. nice donor jab..

sorry I couldn't afford to donate this cycle, and you think that makes me what...less than you? The Republican candidate chose his VP. What did you expect from the media, silence? He and Biden are in PA, are you watching?

[Arkana]

46. This kind of concern-trolling has to fucking stop.

It's annoying, unproductive, and it just makes you sound stupid.

[Solomon]

48. I'm gettinhg tired of it too. Obama is running a campaign

that will be written about as brilliant, and everyday we have to listen to nobodies telling us that he dropped the ball again. Sure, you gys know more than Obama does. He's sooooo stupid.

[27inCali]

13. let the PUMAs stroke themselves over this

Palin was a weak choice, any Dem who knew anything was hoping that McCain would be stupid and not pick Mittens who was the only guy who might have given us trouble.

This is mana from the heavens my friends.

Let the press be dominated by stories on what an aweful choice he's made.

If you don't believe me, go over to Freeperville and get their reaction.

John McCain just lost the sexist vote, which is like half the Repug base.

[mattclearing]

14. It's hard to hold on to the ball when you're busy laughing.

There is no reason to combat this choice...it is obvious that it's a stunt pick, and it's unserious. McCain picked the devil-spawn of Ann Coulter and Katherine Harris to be his running mate. She's Dan Quayle on crack and steroids, only without a semi-compelling incumbent vice president on top of the ticket. It's like the powers that be told McCain, "you're taking a dive...here's your running mate!"

[americanstranger]

15. Oh, please. Not this crap again.

We're doomed. DOOMED!

Please. Grab an air-sick bag and breathe deeply.

- as

[CJCRANE]

17. Michelle, Hillary, Bill, Joe, Barack.

The Dems have had a good share of the limelight this week.

Let McCain/Palin have their 15 minutes of attention.

That's long enough for people to see through this Rovian stunt.

[depakid]

18. As another poster pointed out- it was a tactical success- the strategic fallout remains to be seen

That said, the campaign needs to keep on the offensive- and they've just been handed a TON of new ammo.

[Gabi Hayes]

41. exactly.....very bad strategic decision, example of typical RW short term thinking.

unfortunately, it's often worked, because the majority of the public has the attention span of a fruit fly on crank, but this is already producing backlash, which leads to your key point:

whenever you're explaining/defending, you're LOSING

the reason they picked her is that they thought a woman was the way to get disaffected Hillary supporters. Palin was the woman who they thought would produce the least negatives among a VERY thin crop of prospects: Hutchinson, Fiorina, and Whitman

they base ALL their decisions on political impact; it's that simple, and this time they didn't do a very good job of thinking past the short term effects, which makes sense, as it represents the essence of bottom line, quarterly accounting which characterizes modern American, Wall Street capitalism

they lose because they can't shed the onus of their economic philosophy.

[PermanentRevolution]

21. There's a difference between dropping the ball...

...and getting blindsided by a dark horse decision. Biden was high on the speculative list, so I'm sure the GOP already had ads for him ready to go well before the official announcement. I'm sure we have ads for Romney and Pawlenty that will never be shown, now, but were ready to air.

Credit to the McCain campaign for catching us off-guard, but it won't take long to turn it around.

[TheDonkey]

25. I hope that is the case and the staff is working furiously to come up with something

we got NO bounce from our VP decision because of McClown's attacks right after and the MSM fawning over it. For once I'd like to see our party have a concentrated attack campaign like that instead of dismissing it until the issue continues to grow.

[blonndee]

22. No, they're just waiting for the laughter to die down across the nation.

This selection speaks for itself. No need to comment yet.

[stray cat]

26. Nothing ready for a micky mouse appointment?

[Avalux]

28. NOPE. DID YOU SEE THIS??

Obama's ad response - hysterical!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x177684

[TheDonkey]

32. ^ that's hillarious

not exactly the "attack" ad I'm looking for but it's funny. I know that isn't "real" too.

[renie408]

29. Actually, I don't think they need to attack her yet or maybe at all. She is going to do it for us.

Attacking her early just makes him look nervous. Besides, he has to stop laughing long enough to get the ads together.

[Median Democrat]

30. If McCain Turned Around And Mooned A Town Hall Media It Would Have The Same Effect

I don't think the Obama campaign would have a ready response. The reason why this pick is so surprising is because it is such a blatant gimmick and pander, which really undercuts any notion that John McCain has any real judgment.

Yes, it is a politically effective move in generating headlines like the above mooning example. However, now McCain is stuck with Palin as his VP choice. Yes, some people will vote for her merely because she is a woman regardless of how extreme her views are. However, I am sure that a lot of voters will also be turned off by McCain's pandering.

Of course, Big Media is gushing. It is exciting, but exciting like an accident. Keep the focus on the issues, and Obama's message, and we stand a good chance.

[blonndee]

44. "exciting like an accident"...EXACTLY! Perfect analogy.

I was just thinking that this would get them some attention for a few days, but it's really not the kind of attention they want. It kind of reminds me of Britney Spears or somebody flashing her hoo-hoo: shocking (the first time at least), which generates a lot of "attention" and buzz, and then lots of disgust and pity for the person who would resort to such a thing for attention.

[LongDistanceRunner]

31. fortunately, you are not in the Obama Campaign

they have been masterful in this election cycle, and it doesn't matter how many times chicken littles cry "doom!!!"

they will continue to impress.

[carpetbagger]

33. Ride it like the Miers express.

Let her get Quayled first.

This really, really reminds me of Mondale.

[tomg]

34. Actually, I think very little comment is the

best way to handle it. Think about last night: 75,000 plus, a stellar cast, brillant speech, and 38 million viewers ( minimum). Today they come back with Gidget in a small venue with McSame. No ( or little) comment is the best. The contrast is damning.

The guy's timing is impeccable. The dems will hammer tomorrow when the sheer weakness of Palin sets in.

[ClarkUSA]

35. Yeah, you know so much more about campaigning than Team Obama...

On the contrary, Obama/Biden not commenting much is better than attacking Danielle Quayle. Much better
to use surrogates (like Rahm Emanuel, Chuck Schumer, Barbara Boxer, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz) to savage
her.

[Awsi Dooger]

36. Short term means nothing

Who cares how Obama responded or didn't respond?

The only variable is whether Palin impacts the moderate female vote, if she grabs maybe 1 percent that otherwise would have favored Obama. That won't be impacted by anything Obama says today or soon.

[spanone]

38. i disagree. i think the media is dissecting this poor choice just fine

[grantcart]

39. you didn't talk to any coworkers who like Palin

they didn't know anything about her.

just wait.


If Obama had come in with a heavy hand it would have looked churlish.

everything is fine

[rufus dog]

40. How many times are we going to see these Obama Fucked Up Threads!

Obama can't throw a punch ... They aren't hitting McCain, Obama can't do it ... Obama isn't going after Hillary ....


Give it a rest!

[Peacetrain]

43. AH YEP

Thats how I feel also

[Bucky]

42. I'm a defeatist panic monkey and I think this OP is being too cynical.

McCain played this brilliantly. He timed a groundbreaking announcement just perfectly to interrupt our bump. It's okay, so long as the Dems go on offense throughout the Republican Convention just as they did. He just showed it was a gunfight; I don't think that means we're still just bringing a knife.

[H2O Man]

47. cluck-cluck-cluck

[knixphan]

50. Obama is in PA, running the ball up the field.

And he's got a defensive back with him.