This is what scares us about an obama candidacy

Time Magazine's Mark Halperin voices our concerns about what Barack faces if he gets the nomination. We hate to keep asking questions or being negative in the face of such innocent joy, and unbridled passion, but we've never seen a so-called "inspirational campaign" work on the national level, at least not since 1960,when circumstances and the political environment were much different.

While Clinton is deemed a mean and dismissive for nearly any criticism of Obama, Republicans will have no such restrictions.

We're afraid that this "Barack, the Magic Negro" business will effervesce after a fine-tuned avalanche of shit.

As analysis, not advice, Halperin offers this:

"The McCain campaign is staffed with savvy, experienced operatives who have closely watched the rise of Obama, and they have learned from Clinton’s failure to take down her Democratic rival."

Things McCain can do when running against Obama that Clinton has been unable to do well or at all:

1. Play the national security card without hesitation.

2. Talk about the Iraq War without apologies or perceived contradiction.

3. Go at Obama unambiguously from the right.

4. Encourage interest groups, bloggers, and right-leaning media to explore Obama’s past.

5. Make an issue of Obama’s acknowledged drug use.

6. Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama.

7. Exploit Michelle Obama’s mistakes and address her controversial remarks with unrestricted censure.

8. Play dirty without alienating his party.

9. Dismiss Obama’s brief national tenure from his own lofty platform of decades in the Senate – there will be no ambiguity about who has more experience as conventionally defined.

10. Use his sterling war record to reinforce his image of patriotism and valor – and contrast it with his opponent’s.

11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.

12. Employ third party groups like the NRA to hit Obama on issues that might turn off general election voters. Perhaps an ad such as this will run in Ohio: “So, what do you really know about Barack Obama? Did you know he supports meeting with the head of terrorist states? Do you know he wants to get rid of your right to own a handgun? Do you know he is calling for the repeal of the law preventing gay marriage? Do you know he is for a trillion-dollar tax increase? What do you really know about Barack Obama?”

13. Face an electorate less consumed with “change change change” (the main priority for Democratic voters) and keenly interested in “ready from day one” as an equally important ideal.

14. Link biography (experience/courage) and leadership (straight talk) to a vision animated by detail – accentuating Obama’s relative lack of specificity.

15. Give Obama his first real race against a credible Republican. (Clinton has always asserted that Obama would wilt before a fierce Republican assault.)

16. Confront Obama with a united, focused campaign absent of second-guessing, which hits the same themes and message every day.

Comments

[Duffman]

Yep, you itemized that pretty well. That's why we have to see Mrs Clinton deliver the 'knock-out' punch tonight. She can still do it if anybody can. It should be a doozie! :)

[abob]

Fear of a Black planet:

Obama is a Muslim
Obama's middle name is Hussein
Obama used a Koran to swear into the Senate
Obama was schooled in a muslim madrasa
Obama does not place his hand over his heart for the national anthem
Obama does not wear an American flag lapel pin
Obama's wife never felt proud of US until recently
Obama's wife wrote racist thesis at Princeton
Obama belongs to a racist anti-semitic church
Obama embraced Louis Farrakhan
Obama met with former Weather Underground members
Obama had gay sex with Larry Sinclair

[Bammer]

Boy oh boy how easily we are cowed. I can see Obama countering all of these attacks by retooling his Primary to a General campaign. I haven’t seen Barack Hussein Obama back down from a fight like previous candidates in the recent past. Besides McCain has myriad problems as noted by the right wing blowhards. And I’m sure some of Obama’s campaign booty has acquired “experienced operatives who have closely watched the rise of” McCain.

[Upton]

Sure, instead the Democrats should want, as their nominee, the big mouth broad with the fat behind.

Hillary is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of American politics with a negative rating straddling 50%.

Give me a break.

[cowpotpi3]

I thought Clinton already had landed the knockout in the last debate, DuffShill? I wonder if you take note of how the single poll you posted in support of her dominance has shriveled up and become exactly what I told you it had: a dead heat. Note that polling in Texas is putting him ahead. Tell me what that means for Clinton? Check with the Freepers on that one for your opinion (like your global warming links) and get back to me.

It doesn't look good for Clinton at all. If she goes too negative tonight or tries any more cheesy cut downs, she just cements the guy as the front runner and looks very desperate.

[Duffman]

No CP3...see, you don't listen or read properly. Last debate she 'wiped the floor with him' and tonight she needs to 'finish him off'; thus i.e. 'the knock-out punch'.
You're right on the polls tightening up in Ohio...I too read that. IMO tonight she has to drive home the points that she focused on (over the week-end), especially the one about BHO being similar to Pres Bush in terms of having no foreign affairs skills. And, as we know Mrs Clinton (& hubby) have plenty of 'foreign affairs' [both types...ha] skills. Capisca?

Always nice hearing from you cp3.

[cowpotpi3]

I understand you completely: you're immune to reality. Wipe the floor...finish him off...how about another lame cliche with no substance to back it up? Please explain how she could wipe the floor with him and be on the verge of losing Texas and possibly Ohio when she had a 15+ point lead in both states a month ago? Sounds like someone needs to read all right and it isn't me.

Now please resume your inane posting of something not germane to the issue (from some right wing source) while you pretend have things in common with Democrats. Always nice debunking your shill.

[Duffman]

Well cp3 all I can say is I will pretend all the way to the vote, because I'll write her in if I have to. So, have a nice day...I so enjoy discussion with you, even if it is somewhat one-sided (i.e. I discuss -you attack). With your smug and Holier-Than-Thou attitude is it any wonder you have so little support herein. :)

[coiler]

Hey aboob, it was the National Anthem, not the pledge, ok? I don't see people at Mariners games with their hand over their heart during the singing, key word here, singing of the national anthem.

[mercifurious]

CPP3: I think you are being too conservative (little "c") in your estimates. This is hitting HRC deeper than you think.

Here's a composite poll in Texas - Obama with the lead:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/tx/texas_democratic_primary-312.html

So not just one poll, but several polls averaged together.

And here's the same composite in Ohio:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/oh/ohio_democratic_primary-263.html

Again, in an average of several polls, Obama has trimmed HRC's lead by nearly 6 points in only 2 weeks. That's called big Mo

And here's the clincher: Under the math of proportional delegate allocation, HRC must win by at least 60-40 in both contests - and every one after that - in order to catch up keep things competitive

[artistdogboy]

Buck Up Blatherboy, It not even going to be close in November if Obama is nominated (yes you read it here) and runs against Skeletor.

I'm off to Texas on Friday to work on Barry's campaign in Tyler. I'll send you photos.

[cowpotpi3]

DuffShill, I'll start apologizing to you for my attitude when you back up one of yours with something factual. That said I think you're going to have to put up with me for a long time.

Support herein? News flash, oh dim one, I don't look to the comment section on a blog for validation. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Read Merci's post with the latest polling and try to understand what it means. Ignorance is bliss so I guess you're still smiling.

[blathering michael]

Good hunting, Dogboy! my best to little Jackie Paper, and Mr. Puff T. Dragon.

[MK]

Hillary is a fatass bitch cunt who would cut your dick off if you gave her a knife. Had enough of her nagging PMS crap. Get this over with so we don't have to listen to her.

[mere man]

Is this country ready for a woman president? I don't think so. No woman tough enough to run the country can make it passed guys like MK and many women I know. Personally, I'd be afraid she'd go hormonal with the button in her hand. I love seeing the evil bitch go down so spectacularly. No women in sight for years to come, thank God.

[joanie]

I think based on the fact conservative radio seems to have declining listenership that a-boob's list might just push people over the edge in favor of Obama.

Seems to me, the masses of normal people (unlike those like a-boob with an IQ under 95) are tired of exactly the crap he listed.

Those tactics might just have the reverse effect. Obama is like the shower you take after falling in a cesspool. Time will tell.

As for MK, like a-boob, he's probably out of viagra.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I know of no woman with the temperament, the intellectual depth or the capacity for policy to be president. T

[Bryan Styble]

Dame Margaret H. Thatcher would never be elected in the United States of America

[marty]

I want to thank the Republican Party for giving me the option to vote for a white male for POTUS. I will take it.

[sparky]

abob, thank you for listing all the lame right wing talking points which have all be summarily discounted, with proof, on numerous occasions...it gives us a little trip down memory lane on how silly the right can be.

I am an Obama supporter, but it is always amusing to read the manly men on this blog on how, when Hillary gets angry, she is hormonal and on the rag or menopausal, while when John McCain gets angry, he is being tough and "gritty"!! Arggghhhhh grunt grunt Uh!

Jesus...get out of the 1950's gentlemen.

[Ted Smith]

Barack Jesus Kennedy Roosevelt Obama does not have any experience and will not be an effective President. The Republicans will have him for breakfast.

[sparky]

You obviously are not watching the debate.

[bette]

There will never be a woman president, at least in my lifetime.

[joanie]

How old are you bette?

Sparky, I bet a-boob knows all of those things are lies. But he's the sort who understands that repeating lies works with people like him

I just hope there are more of us than there are of him. Hopefully, he is an endangered species and one that most of us are happy to see disappear.

[Duffman]

Well IMO it wasn't a 'knock-out' last night so we will now have to rely on the super delegates. I still believe Mrs Clinton will take Ohio and that it's a toss-up in Texas. I think she will take Penn and Vt. I wish John Edwards would come out with his support of her before next Tuesday. A real bonus would be if Al Gore came out for her.

[cowpotpi3]

Psst...Duffman...do you understand how delegates are allocated? If she wins either of those states she doesn't get all the delegates. It is proportional to the number of votes she gets. As Merci said earlier (you may have missed this) she literally needs to win all the rest of the states 60-40 to get there.

[YellowPup]

It's this kind of fear of the Republicans that has sabotaged the Democrats through the 00s. It compromised Gore's campaign in 2000 after he selected wet and lame blanket Lieberman to run with instead of a serious VP candidate, opening the way for Nader. It gave us limp falafel candidate Kerry in 2004.

I think it's time to say "Screw the Republicans" and pick the best Democratic candidate for the job. McCain is running on a platform of "success" in Iraq and more war, he's endorsed by Bush. The guy is crazy as hell. My Gawd, it's only the second period and they're pulling their goalie!

We have to start exploiting the fact that Obama has such wide appeal across party lines and demographics. People are genuinely excited about being Democrats again. If we waver and nominate Clinton, McCain continues the ruin of the Bush administration (only worse) and the Dem party continues wandering through the wilderness for a decade or more.

[Duffman]

IMO Mrs Clinton is the best candidate, but I predict Dems will win in a virtual landslide regardless.

[Fremont]

Any way you can link yesterday's Halperin page cast, Bla'M, so we late-readers can get the scoop?

[Dajoker]

Hood, you of little faith--that is, unless you're a right-wing conservative; then it's Hodd, you of little brains. Most of you arrogant, conservative types and coward-type liberals always attempt to challenge something without knowing your facts. First, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama both have what it takes to defeat Senator McCain--who will wish he had used Billy "the Idiot" Cunningham's slander come November. But in defense to your enamoured list of why McCain defeat Obama in November I refute you with this list:

1. When it comes to National Defense and Immigration, McCain voted to give amnesty to all immigrants.
2. This administration is not the reason the war is receiving good news; in fact, it's the opposite. The al Queda leader over the reason called a cease-fire six months ago and everyone is giving the Bushes the credit.
3. Not all conservative supports McCain--so coming from the right will be a political mistake.
4. The left-wing supporter already know McCain's background.
5. McCain's current wife is a former drug addict--not an experimental user.
6. Using the race card will backfire, considering Obama's mother is white.
7. Isn't McCain's current wife the one who cheated with him while he was married to his first wife? And this occurred while the first wife was battling paralysis and life-threatened injuries after a car accident.
8. McCain has already alienated his party, duh.
9. McCain's age and experience is a plus, but can also be used as the same old politics campaign against him.
10. McCain was accused desertion by war veterans who supported Bush in the 2000 election.

Another thing most people forgot concerning the war is McCain is one of the members of Congress who voted against Ronald Reagan's proposal to allow troops to stay in Lebanan in the mid-1980's when Reagan was concerned Hezbollah would form a hate group with plans to bring harm to America. Most members of this group is now called al Queda.

Ad for Duffboy, you can't scare everybody with propaganda. Sooner or later, conservative voters will brain up and stop listening to millionaire radio hosts, evangalists, and tv personalities and do their own homework to discover the truth. Yes Obama's middle name is Suddein but McCain's middle name is Sydney--not Wayne as Cunningham stated on his radio show(yeah, that's right, I'm a in-the-middle Dem who listens to Cunningham, as well as Hannity because in elections, I vote with my own mind)--and in the 2000 electon, Bush supporters accused McCain of having gay relations. In this election, like it or not, Obama's the better choice.

[Duffman]

...and a partridge in a pear tree.
:)
syhmcwswgas

[Duffman]

Were I Tim Russert and had McCain in my sights, a question might be:
Senator McCain, as POTUS what would you do to improve on the procedures for preservation of White House E-Mails.

[Major Ricketts]

If you were Timmy Russert, you'd be bitching about the price of milk.

[joanie]

Funny thread. Agree with most of what you say, joker. I think I do, anyway.

I think Obama should put his name out there himself and be proud of it. This is a diverse society in which we live and there are other Husseins and they should be proud of their names.

Screw anybody who judges a man or woman on name only.

[ginger]

If his middle name is Sydney, maybe he's a fucking Jew.

[marilyn]

freedomsenemies.com/Obama/ObamaPolitics.com check it for factual information--I've been digging. Something about this person Obama that frightens me! Anyone who constantly uses illogical arguments, fallacies and lies is evil, to put it mildly.