Comments on: When Obama Attacks

By: kritter

kritter — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:17:18 +0000

It can done if done with finesse and humor. Obama should start using the red phone as a prop, and come up with a few routines that would be SURE to get soundbite coverage…suppose the phone rings and he answers the phone…Hello?

And then he looks up at the audience and says “Yeah, I know how to answer the phone.” Follow up eye roll gets Big cheers and laughs. Then he returns to call and says “What? Invade Iraq? No, don’t do that. Concentrate on Afghanistan. That’s where the terrorist training camps are, not in Iraq.”

Further, he can legitimately go negative on Clinton if it’s in response to her attacks. Then he can say all sorts of awful things about her behavior like this:

“You’ve all been telling me that I have to hit back hard because Hillary Clinton is attacking me with negative campaigning and dirty tricks. But you know what? It’s OK. Politics can be dirty, and everyone will get something on them. So that’s fine. Some folks need to play that way because it’sthe only way they know, and the only way they can win. But that’s not what I’m about.

And it’s not what YOU are about. I’m not going to play like that. THAT is NOT how WE roll. Is it?

I’m not going to suggest that my opponent is dumb and inexperienced, even though her political experience only includes a few more years in the senate than I do. I’m not going to float rumors about what my opponent’s advisors are saying, to make it look like my opponent speaks with a forked tongue. I’m not going to agree to follow the party’s rules and then complain later that they need to be changed, just because circumstances have turned. Because I want to talk about the future….blah blah blah.

See, you can make all those criticisms even while you’re saying that you aren’t going to take the low road. And it’s a fair tactic because Hillary started it.

By: Alan Stewart Carl

Alan Stewart Carl — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:06:19 +0000

You know, I’m really not sure who would be the tougher challenger for McCain and I think it would be foolish for any McCain supporter to assume one nominee would be better or worse than the other. Whoever comes out of the Democratic side is going to be very formidable.

Ben, I don’t know if you’re commenting about Brooks or me. I can’t speak for Brooks’ motives but be assured that I don’t use my posts on the Democratic race as a surreptitious way to advance McCain. If I feel like promoting McCain, I do so openly. Otherwise, I’m just a political junkie riffing on the topics of the day.

By: axt113

axt113 — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:35:19 +0000

Well Obama himself has managed to stay relatively clean in his attacks, his request for her to release her tax returns and his comments about her not being truly vetted or having real experience were rather mild.

Really its been mistakes by his aides/advisors, like the monster comment that have been damaging, granted it does hurt him when that happens, but unfortunately you can’t control all the words that come out of the mouths of your supporters

By: BenG

BenG — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:15:44 +0000

Good post from a respected source as long as you understand that he wants to see Hillary run against his candidate b/c he knows it’s McCain’s only chance. That’s why so many on the right are doin whatever they can towards that end.
What kind of desperation is Hillary showing when she promotes McCain’s superior experience as a leader? Does that mean she’s gonna steal Barrack’s approach and take the ‘high road’ in the general election, if she gets that far? Or is she just that desperate that she’ll say anything to get there and worry about it later? It’s very strange!!