"I don't care what they say about me, but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and swift-boat politics. Enough is enough."

I think the outrage is beginning to show. Praise God, or whomever is inspiring his latest words.
peace,
st john

We need more of this kind of reaction from Obama, but we also need to see what we, beyond the great job you do Steve, can do to call McCain/Palin and the media for spreading around this dreck. Obama shouldn't have to waste time responding to this crap. What else can we do to help combat McCain/Palin's Rovian idiocy?

Enough will be when voters stop letting themselves be influenced by this type of silliness.

Stupid negative campaign ads only work because voters actually decide to believe everything they hear.

Only when voters start agitating for more serious debate and stop letting these types of ads influence them will candidates stop employing them.

As Keith Olberman said last night, "....no brain, no shame..."

This is the line I want to see him taking in the debates. I want to see him look McCain in the eye and ask him why he's running such a trivial, sleazy, dishonest campaign.

I know he doesn't want to show that McCain is getting under his skin, but I'd like to see a bit more outrage from Obama. If he's worked his whole life to try to make America a better place, it should piss him off that McCain is running such a vacuous, nasty, deceitful campaign. His words started to go there today, but I think he has a ways to go to get the emotion right. Think how the media would react if this cool cat (does this make me a sexist?) got really fired up over this. It would certainly get its attention. Come on Barack, get fired up.

Next McCain/Palin ad:

Nyeah, nyeah Mr. Barak HUSSEIN Obama's showing us all how he's unfit to be the next president. He can't take the heat of the campaign and is now telling us all "enough."

Enough is the same as "uncle." Loser. Loser, pants on fire...

(Sound far fetched? I think we're already at the bottom of this campaign. The mud-slinging has started.) ad continues...

WWpreznut fighting match. Who will come out on top?

Issues smishues, get your tissues.

Vote for Sarah and John. They never cry and they're tough enough never to say enough!

It looks like Obama is trying to cautiously ramp up the attacks. I think he is afraid of going to far, and is waiting to see how things play, before taking the next step.

I don't know if this is going to work. He is asking us to select the president based upon adult standards, rather than as rapt reality-TV audiences. Clearly having a McCain/Palin administration would make for great entertainment literature. We may well choose emotional entertainment, over a sober approach to our many problems.

Obama said: "See it would be funny, it would be funny except -- of course the news media all decided that that was the lead story yesterday. They'd much rather have the story -- this is the McCain campaign -- would much rather have the story about phony and foolish diversions than about the future."

This is the most important thing Obama has said.

Every single spokesperson for the Obama campaign, in every single media interview, should be saying "You folks in the news media ought to be ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES for enabling the McCain campaign's lies and phony outrage and swift-boat politics."

They should say this on the air, live, in front of the American people, over and over and over again. Put the vapid "on-air personalities" and dishonest hack "pundits" of the corporate-owned mass media on the defensive and hold them accountable.

Of course the Rove-Palin campaign will tell brazen, sickening, preposterous lies. Of course the Rove-Palin campaign will put out a barrage of bullshit. Of course the Rove-Palin campaign will engage in smears and race-baiting and run ads hinting that Obama is a pedophile.

That's what they do. That's all they do. That's all they've got.

But they wouldn't get anywhere with it, without the willing complicity and help of the corporate-owned mass media.

I do disagree with one aspect of Obama's statement: it is not only the McCain campaign, but the corporate-owned mass media who "would much rather have the story about phony and foolish diversions than about the future."

I actually found the response somewhat tepid and I feel as if he missed an opportunity to turn this, and the sex ed ad, around and force McCain to defend himself. Okay, so enough is enough but what about when McCain repeats this same crap or makes up some new crap tomorrow? Will enough be enough again? He needs to force the action here and make McCain respond to him rather than always the other way around. Call him a liar. Force McCain to explain how his tactics are consistent with basic principles of honor and decency.

This happens every election cycle. Every four years. This is what we do.

Well, no. To be fair, this is what we do all year round, every year, regardless of whether it's an election year or not.

This is, of course, the joint responsibility of the spoiled children who make up the citizenry, and the professional clowns who degrade the public discourse.

Now, that's better. Next we need to get those 527's into action and begin to hammer these knuckle-headed neocons at their own game. I have to say Obama waited as long as he could but low information voters are like friggin lemmings and gravitate to whomever hammers the loudest. It's a shame but it's senseless to lose another election because we didn't fight back hard enough.

Once Obama wins he can use the bully palpate to regain civility in this sinking country.

wonderful. impressive. powerful. saying what needs to be said while staying out of the mud.

Obama's response is exactly what I've been wanting to hear from a Democrat for a long, long time. Use examples to expose the tactic and the tacticians. Every time you do this, it makes the next ridiculous slur or attack that much easier to defuse.

Hate to be the one to piss in the punch bowl, but Obama is wasting valuable time explaining instead of attacking. This is McCain's four corner stall. Do whatever you can to run out the clock without having to address the only issues that matter right now -- the economy, healthcare, & foreign policy.

Why does McCain stand with oil companies & the top 1% of American earners?

Why doesn't McCain want Americans to have access to affordable health care?

Why does McCain flirt with initiating a third war against a Muslim nation, while simultaneously ignoring the needs of returning vets?

Who gives a shit about what McCain wants to talk about? Move the conversation to what matters, and attack, attack, ATTACK.

So, you think a fed up electorate is going to rally to the polls and throw the bums out (or stop them from staying in)? Think again, via Laura Rozen:

http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote

As Glen Greenwald pointed out Tom Tomorrow says it all
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/08/26/tomo/

I think Obama should keep using the lipstick on a pig line. Then McCain can cry about it and look like a whiner while Obama stays on offense.

Obama must stay on offense and keep McCain complaining and whining.

I think ads about what McCain did to his first wife are in order. The vast majority of Americans are unaware of that story. It would certainly go a long way toward tearing down the "honor" narrative for McCain.

The Republicans are so, so, SO overdue for the ass-kicking they've been begging for, for YEARS, it's not even funny. It finally seems like Obama's up to the task (if his lifting of his rejection of 527 ads is any indication). They want the gloves off, fine - we should give it to them. Both barrels. it's beyond time.

every country around the globe has particular challenges come election time, but a HUGE number of your citizens get dumber than usual every four years. short attention spans and utter lack of common sense arent attributes exclusive to the americans, but you people sure have perfected them.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"

Orwell - do you, or do you not work for the McCain campaign?

Answer honestly, or STFU.

Obama took Olbermann's advice in his interview on Countdown. Keep it up, Barack.

I'm betting that Obama will keep McSame on his heels in their debates, and I hope shame him for McCain's baseless attacks. In a nice way. :-) Wouldn't want to beat up on the POW.

For what it's worth, the Today show tackled the lipstick on a pig story this morning by showing Obama saying it but also showing what he had said leading up to it. By doing so they made it completely obvious that Obama was in no way referring to Sarah Palin. Then they showed a clip of McCain using the very same phrase when referring to Hillary's health care program.

All 3 networks (I refuse to count Fox) were totally complicit in the Rethuglicans and the Swift Boat Vets trashing John Kerry's reputation ... if they do the same thing again this time around then we all need to show them just how low their precious ratings can really go.

"Stupid negative campaign ads only work because voters actually decide to believe everything they hear."

I think they work in the same way a horror movie does. You can rationalize it away as artifice and highly constructed to play on your fears but you're stil scared by it.

Obama has to emphasize or reframe the negative ads the way he has and that is that they are depriving the American people of solving real problems (i.e. ripping us off).

They've done a good job at putting Palin in a protective zone so that now any criticism of her is read as an attack by Obama. I figured this would happen though, McCain will come out in the debates and try and play the knight and shining armor, just watch. I hope Obama and his campaign are aware that this will be the pivot for McCain.

"How dare you attack my opponent, I'm not going to stand for it Senator Obama. The Nation deserves better from you. Senator Obama, have you no decency or shame?"

GUARANTEED!!!

One other comment. The video stream came from Fox. I judge that they showed the whole speech this once (perhaps) but did you notice that they showed an image of Palin during the component of the speech that had Obama reiterating the pig part with everyone laughing. That is the part of the clip they'll and the MSM will use ad nauseam for the next two news cycles. Yep. Obama smiling as he recounts the story, as if it's funny. They won't put it into context, they'll play it out of context. Just wait.

I say we get those 527s rolling tomorrow. Then call a pressconference and give a lecture on morals and ethics that Christian should be following and not these cynical GOP dorks are using.

Exactly! When they win using these tactics, we lose!
It's the old kids game "Heads I win, tails you lose"

Question is do we fall for it a third time?

Damn. Secularanimist nails it AGAIN.

this was a nice start, but (a) still too timid and (b) if he was going to respond at all, he should have made a big production out of it - added an unscheduled speech at some nice backdrop and announced it as a "major speech" - maximizing press coverage.

as junebug at 1:44 noted, however, for now it is still reactive, still dancing to the tunes chosen by the McCain campaign. Obama needs to get back on the offense, back to setting the agenda, to get McCain back on his heels (hm; only women - and Rudy G - wear heels. does that make my comment sexist?) otherwise with 50-some news cycles left McCain can stall and let the momentum from the media's Palin-mania carry him across the finish line.

A good responce, but no will hear or pay attention. He needs to tear McCain's head off and shove it up Palin's ass is what he needs to do. Fuck their sleazy tactics. Attack THEM. There's plenty for him to go after. He's just not doing it. Honestly, its too late. Karl Rove has been allowed to cast the die for the election and now Obama has lost any control. McCain is running away with it. Obama should have launched a massive attck the first day of the Republican convention and not stopped until McCain cried "uncle." Everyone knew this would happen. They should have been ready with a counter offensive.

Obama can't do it himself, but Biden really needs to have a balls to the wall Howard Beal moment.

I guess this is the first test of his messiah complex. -Orwell

Orwell, you need to know now that the "Obama has a Messiah Complex" meme was started by Repub surrogates, not the Obama campaign or its surrogates. Limbaugh has been very, very good at perpetuating this meme.

It's an example of swiftboating, you know, bullshit.

Attack, attack, attack.

I can't remember whether I heard this from Maddow or Olbermann last night, but one of them said the Obama campaign has quietly sent out word that the 527's should feel free to attack when ready. God, I hope this was a fact and not a rumor.

If you told everybody on your block that your neighbor is a child molestor they might not believe you. If you repeated it every day for several months your neighbor would have to move. This is exactly what McCain Inc. is doing. If Obama & Friends don't get it and get it soon we can say goodbye to what is left of our democracy. Manners do not apply in a life or death struggle. That's why napalm was invented. Obama took this on and now he owes it to us to do what it takes to win it.

Maybe just, maybe. He doesn't want to attack. Look Obama wants to run a campaign on the issues. Period. Frankly, it's the campaign that I want to. And I'm not alone. Why do we have shrinking voter base? In part, because all but the blood thirstiest have decided it's too frivolous. Too stupid. Too dumbed down. And so the attacks and the tit for tat stuff. Obama is positioning himself outside of the fray. Good for him. It's what we need. It's what I want to see. McCain disgusts me. And his style of campaigning has made truly despondent. But I don't want negative attacks to be the response. I don't want to cynicism answered with more cynicism. It IS time to say Enough. Enough trash talk, enough character assassination. Enough snide and cynical comments.

A McCain spokesman delivered the campaign's official response. He said "Moose POW hockey tits maverick Jesus baby Negro. Did I just say 'Negro'?"

This was pretty much a PERFECT response in an increasingly ugly and tense campaign.

He started off getting people to LAUGH at them and their manufactured controversy and outrage.

Then he turned it into something serious-- that they are playing the very games that make people hate politics. He castigated the media for helping them. Then he said too much is at stake and reminded everyone of what "they" did to Kerry 4 years ago. Nice.

Let's see if it gets traction-- I think it will if they play it enough. He could also add some language about them being cowards who refuse to talk to the media without a script and who call people names and then pretend they're the aggrevied party. This will not work for our country and if this is their approach to foreign policy we're in for a WORLD of trouble.

you know a very very simple, inexpensive, and fast response would be to buy paid time (no counting on the MSM to do the right thing on its own) and simply run the video - some said above that Today show had it - of McCain saying the exact same thing about Hillary.

Female VO: John McCain is running another attack ad about Barack Obama instead of talking about the issues.

[VERY SHORT SNIPPET OF McCAIN "LIPSTICK" AD - JUST ENOUGH TO BE RECOGNIZABLE]

VO: Why would John McCain do that?

[RUN ENTIRE TAPE OF McCAIN SAYING SAME ABOUT HRC]

VO: Is John McCain a sexist, or just another hypocrite? Either way, should he really be President?

PAID FOR BY AMERICANS FOR HONOR PAC

They should say this on the air, live, in front of the American people, over and over and over again. Put the vapid "on-air personalities" and dishonest hack "pundits" of the corporate-owned mass media on the defensive and hold them accountable.

I agree. The Republicans have been working the refs for decades with their "liberal media" bullshit; it's high time our side called the media on their actual failure to do their jobs.

Mommie Dearest's message for the McBlame campaign:

"If you can't do something right, don't do it at all!"

h/t Atrios. This is exactly right:

MATTHEWS: Now, it'll die, as we said, it'll jump the shark. Two days ago, no, we're all talking about -- you're waving the tabloids around, come on. Two days from now -- I want to ask you, what will we talk about two days from now?

SCARBOROUGH: Whatever the McCain campaign wants us to talk about, because the McCain campaign is assertive.

I am sure Obama has forgotten more about campaigning than I will ever know, but I really feel like he and his people are just not understanding this dynamic. Yes, it was a nice statement but at the end of it all, it still leaves him on the defensive side of the field. If he wants to win the argument, he needs to control the debate. He has to somehow make McCain respond to him.

This statement from him barely even mentions McCain. It doesn't force McCain to do anything other than what he is doing which appears to be working for him. He will either keep repeating the same smears or he will make up a bunch of new ones. In that scenario, Obama is no better than even money.

I think Obama still has some time to wait this out and see if Palin's novelty wears thin or if their REPEATED lies are actually noticed by the American public-- it most certainly could because there really isn't any "there" there.

Don't forget: This is just the pig-lipstick BS Obama is responding to. He hasn't yet discussed the sick, twisted, perverse "sex" ad. That may be an opportunity to expose yet another example of McCain sleazeball tactics.

People want instant gratification, but more may be coming.

We must try to keep our heads and be patient. It's tough, but we have to do it.

I would like to encourage all Baggers and any others, who decided to withdraw their financial support for Obama after to FISA vote to reconsider.

Please, please give. Don't hold back. If you have nothing to give, give your time.

Get OUT there!

brent at 1:41 and junebug at 1:44 have it exactly right.

And I can't fucking believe he's addressing the lipstick thing at length while letting the kindergartener thing go with an (admittedly good) admonition from Bill Burton. He's insane if he doesn't know how much that ad can hurt him, and a father of two's furious response to abominable accusations of harming kindergarteners is one case in which skittish white America will understand a black man's public anger. Ignoring this stuff does not make it go away.

Stop. Fucking. Reacting. Go. On. Offense. Now.

Keep playing defense, Barack.

You've got a sure thing to blow. Kerry did it. Gore did it. Dukakis did it. I'm sure that if you give it your all, just as you are doing, you can blow it, too.

The problem is if he comes back too strong, he looks like the "Angry Black Man". But if he remains silent there will be a void so wide that will continue to be gobbled up by the Propaganda Right.

Friedman (in todays NYT) says he needs to come back strong but re-connect with the voters in the way he did earlier--with strength, vision, hope--he says to leave out the word "change" because it's been rendered meaningless at this juncture.

I personally think Obama/Biden need six or seven clear, strong talking points and they need to NOT stray from them.

Amen, Steve. Amen!

Maybe just, maybe. He doesn't want to attack. Look Obama wants to run a campaign on the issues. Period. Frankly, it's the campaign that I want to. And I'm not alone.

I am quite sure he doesn't want to attack but whatever he does, he does need to control the narrative better than he has. If he wants to run a campaign on issues than he has to force the debate to be on issues. McCain is not going to just let him do that. The news media is not going to help him with that unless he forces them to. He (McCain) is going to continue to do stuff like this and until Obama makes him stop, makes him pay some sort of price for playing the game this way, he is going to keep doing it and more likely than not, it is going to continue to work.

Why Obama continues to fall in the polls:

http://online.newyorktimes.com/article/SB122100279325017013.html?mod=b_hpp_9_0002_b_online_exclusives_right

Why can't obama win when McCain is a buch 3rd term??

is it? could it really be? our very own long lost PUMA Mary? she found us after the move?

this is exceptional news!

because it fulfills one of the prophesized preconditions for the return of IFP, or MaryMOO.

and that would be a joyous day indeed. :)

Gang Green wrote: "Orwell, you need to know now that ... It's an example of swiftboating, you know, bullshit."

You may not be familiar with "orwell", but he is a weak-minded, ignorant mental slave of Rush Limbaugh, who has nothing to offer but swiftboating bullshit.

There are a lot of Republican "trolls" who regurgitate scripted talking points, but "orwell" has to get his from "Talking Points For Dummies". The regular Republican talking points are too hard for him.

We might like his holding the media accountable -- but it could cost him the election. The media kool kidz will be very offended by the notion of this uppity candidate telling them what is important, and they will get even. Watch for Broder, Cokie, Gwen, and the gang to bring homemade donuts to McCain's next cookout -- with double sprinkles.

[hmm. i know i saw a PUMA-ish post by a "Mary" somewhere. maybe i responded on the wrong thread. . . that'll teach me to blog in multiple windows.]

[You are absolutely correct. I ran the IP, and found that Mary is posting as Elizabeth and several other sock puppets to make the PUMAs look like they are more than ten or twelve dried up old cougars with a bad attitude, so I deleted them all in one fell swoop. -Mod]

Totally off topic, but Junebug, great to see a reference to the Four Corners! Made this UNC alum smile!

I am starting to grow weary of the incessant drone of 'he needs to attack now,' coming from the left.

Although admittedly defensive, Obama has been attacking McCain/Palin for several days now. He flat out called them liars. I don't know what else we can ask for beyond that.

We also know the polls are generally fabrications of bad sampling and designed to get the results the corporate media wants.

These guys are organizers. We learned that from Iowa. Registration numbers are up and decidedly in their favor. I just think the hyperventilating does us absolutely no good.

If you want evidence that the right wing is freaking out, just look at the insipid lunacy the trolls post. Read between the lines, and all their are saying is, "Oh, shit!"

I think one way Obama can attack McCain on a personal level without appearing to go straight for the jugular is to hammer the point home that it is Karl Rove who is behind this. I would envision Obama saying something like:

"People, let's not forget the man behind the curtain, the man orchestrating this sleazy, low-class and downright shameful campaign, Mr. Karl Rove. The same man who created the myth of the 'uniter not a divider' George Bu$h. The same man who packaged George Bu$h and sold him to America is doing it again. He's trying to package the republican candidates in the same manner. Have we not learned from our mistakes? Are we going to let an unelected official with a penchant for sleaze, someone who revealed the identity of an under cover operative for purely political reasons, and someone who simply ignored a lawful subpoena, to have such a position of power at such a crucial time in our country's history? And you know what people? The saddest and most pathetic aspect of all of this is McCain, in his desperation, has employed Karl Rove as an adviser, which was just leaked to the press only yesterday. This man, Mr. Rove, who was every bit responsible for assassinating his character in the 2000 primaries, is now working for McCain?"

This should be one hell of a red flag. How do you expect McCain to be any different than George Bu$h, when he is being handled by the very person responsible for Bu$h in the first place?"

So turn defense into offense. There's no reason Obama can't defend himself against specific attacks while folding them into a larger narrative in a counter attack. "It's yet more evidence of how dishonorable and reckless and out of control the McCain campaign has become, etc." Honor is McCain's supposed strength and his recklessness is what everybody whispers about, but are afraid to talk about publicly. Let McCain make the argument for you.

The attitude is bring it on. Every new attack feeds our narrative that you are unfit to govern.

... Obama has been attacking McCain/Palin for several days now. He flat out called them liars. I don't know what else we can ask for beyond that.

That's not attacking -- that's reacting. And if you're reacting, then that means that your opponent is controlling the message. If your opponent controls the message, then you lose. It's very simple.

Doubtful,

Thank you -- I needed someone to throw me a frickin' bone. I was starting to get truly depressed.

I just saw the kindergarten sex ed ad. I cannot even f*cking believe it. I am the first to have low expectations in the American voting public's ability to see through this shit. But is it possible that this ad is so completely ludicrous that many who might be gullible (stupid) on other levels will not fall for it? Is it possible that it will backfire?

If not, then we are really too stupid to live. There is nothing stopping McCain from raising (lowering themselves) the stakes further. I mean how about an ad saying Obama fucks small farm animals for pete's sake. I mean come on -- comprehensive sex ed for kindergartners? Isn't it possible to go too far in banking on the utter gullibility and stupidity of the voting public?

doubtful,

I think most people want him to attack first, not constantly attack in response to something McCain says. When it is a responsive attack, you're attacking in the context of the other campaign's framing, and therefore its effect gets diluted.

He needs to initiate the attack and make the McCain campaign respond, because their responses to the faux controversial stuff have been pathetic. If they are constantly responding, their lack of skills in that regard is going to make them look like hacks. McCain isn't quick enough on his feet to get a good one off response either, so it should really take the wind out of their sails.

Although admittedly defensive, Obama has been attacking McCain/Palin for several days now. He flat out called them liars. I don't know what else we can ask for beyond that.

We can ask for him to take hold of the narrative instead of constantly responding to McCain's version of same. Don't define "attack" as answering your opponent strongly, even harshly--that's not what is meant by most of us arguing that he's lost control of the conversation. As it happens, the issues are McCain's weakness--he cannot win if the election is focused on them--so Obama's best line of attack is that way. But he has to lead, not follow, because McCain doesn't want the conversation anywhere near the issues.

What's so frustrating about this is that Obama knows this; we've seen him seize the message and run with it on multiple occasions. This late-season choking is putting me in mind of my dear Cubs. Oh, I got a world of troubles right now.

"And if you're reacting, then that means that your opponent is controlling the message. If your opponent controls the message, then you lose. It's very simple."

Say it loud, junebug.

Obama should apologize and explain his remarks:

He could say "I was under the impression that the McCain campaign would understand the pig with lipstick analogy. But I guess not, so let me explain it for them."

Pig: The failed McCain/Bush policies of the last eight years.

Lipstick: McCain's claim that he will bring change to Washington.

Pig: The Bridge to Nowhere.

Lipstick: Claiming you were against it.

Pig: Eight years of Bush/McCain.

Lipstick: That McCain/Palin would be different.

Aw, did I miss the original Mary post? What fun is that? Spell me on its contents, zeitgeist. Maybe I can wing it.

Note to mod: Cougars are still sexual. Mary--not so much.

Maybe if Bristol Palin had gotten some "comprehensive sex education" before she decided to fuck some low-life hockey star, she would not be "choosing" to have his baby and marry the slimebag. Ah, the life of a Bible-thumping pervert. May we all learn this lesson before it is too late for the rest of us.

peace,
st john

I like the point that the victim of McCain's tactics is the public and not Obama. At the debates Obama should ask McCain to appologize not to him, but to the American people. We deserve not to be lied to like this.

The McCain campaign is proud to characterize Palin as "a pitbull with lipstick". Is a pitbull attractive? Smart? For a dog, maybe. Palin is proud to recall the days she was known as "Sarah Barracuda", and the campaign continues to rah-rah her onstage to the strains of "Barracuda" although the authors (Heart) have demanded they stop using it. A barracuda has a brain about the size of a walnut, and it stinks when it's out of the water. Why does the McCain campaign hate Palin? I think they could use a lesson in treating her with some respect and deference.

More and more of this please, Sen. Obama. Take it to them and plunge this deep into their soft, white under belly.

I'm finally glad he's using the word "lies." That are damn liars and need to be branded as such.

Also, how about a nice little 30 second spot showing McPalin saying it's the lobbyists fault Frannie and Freddie are in trouble. Then show that “at least 20 McCain fundraisers have lobbied on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac” in recent years.

More troubling is the fact that McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, “served as president of an advocacy group led by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac” that worked to cripple regulatory initiatives in Congress because the two institutions feared that “Congressional meddling would lower their healthy profits.”

gorp, and Secular Animist have it right. At first my reaction, was don't piss off the press, by calling them the corporate whores they are. But, we've seen the right castigate the press as the liberal-media for years, and in stead of getting pissed off and attacking the Repubs, they do their bidding. So yes, what the country needs to do to begin repairing the damage, is (1) win the election, (2) win the media back for the people. It might backfire, but following SA's advice is I think our best hope.

gorp, and Secular Animist have it right. At first my reaction, was don't piss off the press, by calling them the corporate whores they are. But, we've seen the right castigate the press as the liberal-media for years, and in stead of getting pissed off and attacking the Repubs, they do their bidding. So yes, what the country needs to do to begin repairing the damage, is (1) win the election, (2) win the media back for the people. It might backfire, but following SA's advice is I think our best hope.

As it happens, the issues are McCain's weakness--he cannot win if the election is focused on them--so Obama's best line of attack is that way. -shortstop

Correct me if I am wrong, and I catch nearly every appearance Obama makes on television, but that's what he's been doing: focusing on the issues.

Look, he can go on a flat out offensive against McCain, but really, that's the position of weakness. Obama knows what we all would realize if we'd just stop armchair quarterbacking for a moment: he's winning.

We have ample reason to doubt the veracity of polls. We have statistical evidence that new voters are registering Democratic by overwhelming margins, especially in swing states. We have a history of elections won by Barack Obama where he behaved exactly as he is now, with deliberate intelligence.

You argue that he's lost control of the conversation, but really, the media won't ever take their cues from him. I've yet to see one example from any of the 'attack now' crowd that would actually grab the media's attention in a positive way for Obama. It simply isn't happening.

In spite of that, though, Barack Obama is winning this election. There is nothing McCain can do to stop it. It's far out of his control and the best evidence of this is his rapid descent into dirty, shameless mud. The surest way to help McCain out of the mud is for Obama to join him in it, and he's too smart for that. McCain is digging his own grave in that mud, and he's found a fascist beauty queen from the country of Alaska to join him there.

*

Mark wrote: "The McCain campaign is proud to characterize Palin as 'a pitbull with lipstick'. Is a pitbull attractive? Smart? For a dog, maybe."

In fact, according to scientists who study the cognitive capabilities of non-human animals, pigs are more intelligent than dogs.

So Sarah Palin's characterization of not only herself but all "hockey moms" as "pitbulls with lipstick" is, if anything, more insulting than "pig with lipstick" -- which of course no one has called her anyway.

When Obama talked about "putting lipstick on a pig" and wrapping a rotting fish in newspaper, he was talking about the Palin-McCain campaign's phony repackaging of CheneyBush policies as "change".

Secular Animist,

Aside from your well reason assessment that pig is less insulting than dog, you overlook the fact that John is calling Palin a bitch.

Well, I guess it's better than what he calls Cindy.

Truth is dead.

You misunderstand, doubtful. I am not suggesting that Obama isn't focusing on the issues; I'm stating that he needs to go on the offensive against McCain more directly through the lens of the issues. You keep referring to playing offense as getting in the mud, which leads me to believe that you're thinking of crass personal insults rather than envisioning how Obama could leaven some of the positive talk about issues with more numerous and more forceful denunciations of McCain's record and current positions on each of those issues.

I certainly don't catch every Obama appearance on TV--don't have that kind of time or inclination toward cable and network news--but the many clips I've seen feature Obama either speaking extremely generally about McCain's deficiencies or focusing very narrowly on reacting to a specific charge against Obama...lately mostly the latter. That doesn't take control of the conversation or the electorate's attention the way repetitive, specific criticism of where McCain is wrong on each issue does. For one example, the reason more than half of voters incorrectly think Obama will raise middle class taxes is because he hasn't effectively smacked McCain on his tax plan, while McCain's constant repetition of "scary liberal Obama gonna raise your taxes" has hit home.

The reasons you state for optimism--don't trust the polls, trust Obama's wisdom, legions of new voters will definitely show up on Nov. 4--are a bit too faith-based for my taste; I'd feel better if these markers were more in line with harder measures such as polls (as flawed as those may be) and observations of media behavior. The latter has to be considered as part of a campaign strategy, not brushed off as you seem to want to do above, and given some softening in recent days (miracle of miracles, former McCain fans among the pundits are bad-mouthing the great one), I think there's reason to believe that enough repetition of the right criticisms will have at least some small effect.

Can someone explain what the " * "" mean? I've seen several posts by mhr with only the 'asterisk' in it.

Or... Is he/she one of the trolls who got booted by the moderator?

I usually only get on in the evenings, so I guess I'm lucky not having to put up with too many trolls, at least not the really ugly ones.

[mhr got booted, but still posts incessantly. Think of the "*" as a "rating" of sorts for the wingnuttery offered in the deleted post. Sometimes he gets ** and once or twice, he has even rated *** -Mod]

We all used to think John McCain was honestly a maverick, a patriot and a good guy. Even my brother thought of voting for him in 2000. But, now the McCain and Sarah Palin are telling lies, amazing lies and they're even repeating them after the press has reported they are lies. It's practically unprecedented.

Nobody can stand with a liar who wants to be president! Nobody!

You misunderstand, doubtful. -shortstop

That's frequent enough as is, but coupled with the severe sinus infection and cold medicine that have taken over my brain the last few days, all the more likely.

The reasons you state for optimism--don't trust the polls, trust Obama's wisdom, legions of new voters will definitely show up on Nov. 4--are a bit too faith-based for my taste; -shortstop

I've actively been trying to shirk my cynicism of late and take a more positive tack. I've never trusted polls since I was a psychology undergrad, and Obama's organizational skills have been proven, I think. The registration numbers are good hard evidence that the Democrats have an unseen advantage going into November. Consider that the silver lining of the hard fought primary.

I'll bet no one reads this. :)

I want to see Barack fight back more. The election should not be decided lies. As sad as it is that people believe anything they hear, it;s a fact. I am a 41 year old women who was a Hillary supporter and I am voting for Obama. Barack, we liked it that Hillary was a fighter. Show us that you are to. Please do not sit by and watch the republicans win this election by being to calm. Show your passion for this country. Talking with many women in my age bracket, they all feel the same.

All of the politicians are political animals and often behave as such. Check out this Politically Wild deck of cards that portrays politicians, political figures and political issues as wild animals!

http://www.newtsgames.com/politically-wild.html

John McCain is drawn as a skunk, dinosaur and horse. Barack Obama is drawn as a baby boomer, ostrich and jaguar. Lots of other politicians are in the decks too.