Does he need more game?
It's hard to say. They've been at it a long time. Do they need an infusion of new energy?
They have certainly mixed it up a little bit. He's giving more discursive speeches, and that's a good thing. They appear to have shaken up the ground game, a bit. I don't get the sense that they are taking risks though, do you?
THE PARTY OF IDEAS
There are parts of McCain's foreign policy speech that have flanked the Democrats (do you find many Dems in Congress are too willing to 'play defense' rather than take up the substantial burdens of leadership?). Now, Obama's campaign will look like they are responding again, instead of leading on the "idea curve" (although that is probably not true among the general electorate...).
Obama's one speech on foreign policy was a good start... Put another way, if he is doing a rapid-follow strategy, then he may need to rapid follow.
NEXT ASSAULT
The next assault is likely to be abortion.
Are they ready?
I'd say "no".
Obama appeared on The View and he didn't set the stage for it, at a time when he could control the dialog and pre-empt the upcoming challenge, in whatever way he chose.
Does Obama have trouble putting tough things off until he must deal with them?
Maybe whatever they are planning is the right campaign strategy; but my instinct says, if you know a challenge is coming, you try to shape the battlefield early and often, right?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Obama Campaign
