I cannot help but think that the Obama campaign strategists are paralyzed somewhat by the sudden change in tactic of the McCain campaign to match the Obama campaign themes, rather than contrast with them.
It started when McCain jettisoned "experience" in favor of "reform".
Obama, et. al., just don't seem to know what to do about that.
After at least two of McCain's faux tirades tonight, I couldn't help but think that Obama's riposte ought to have been, "Well, John, welcome to the Obama campaign, because I've been saying that for over a year now, including during a hard-fought primary in my own party."
Obama still has the momentum, for sure, after tonight, but he lacks a signature issue and he seems to be unable to have deepened and widened the basic and core themes of his campaign to the point that he is comfortable throwing punches, not just absorbing blows and deflecting criticisms.
He didn't tell the voters he wanted to win. He didn't ask for people's votes. He didn't raise the bar on McCain, in any confrontational or direct way.
We'll see if that soft-peddle works to his advantage (it certainly has so far), but the time to throw punches is when you are up in the polls. If you throw them later, if you are down, people will just say you are being scrappy, not doing it from a place of conviction, right?
For instance, I think Obama should have taken strong verbal offense at McCain directly saying that Obama wasn't ready to lead the country. He could have hit hard. He could have brought up McCain's choice of Palin, in a subtle way, right? Palin is McCain's self-indictment on national security. On another point, he could have popped in forcefully to say, I've got news for the Senator from Arizona, Hillary Clinton has wholeheartedly endorsed me, not him, not his campaign, not his party's policies, and not his choice for who might pick up a 3 a.m. call in his stead, a choice for Vice President that is his first national security duty to the nation.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Obama Campaign Themes Need Sharpening?
