Obama Shifts To Offense
(CBS)
(LYNCHBURG, VA.) - Back on the road with Barack Obama in Virginia, one senses an immediate shift to offense.
The new and feistier McCain camp seems to have landed several blows that knocked the Illinois senator off-message and off-stride.
Instead of hammering McCain as the heir to the Bush administration's legacy, Obama had been dwelling on the Republican insinuations that he is a shallow celebrity who gives big speeches to large witless crowds.
But this week, Obama is in a fighting mood, repeatedly charging that on issues which matter to Americans, McCain "just doesn't get it."
This is not to say that the 71-year-old Arizona senator is too old to "get it," but the whiff is there for anyone who's willing to take the scent.
For Obama, the shift comes at a time when polls, including our new CBS News sampling, are turning up for McCain. In other words, Obama seems to be listening to the importunings of party stalwarts who said he was playing a punching bag poorly.
Whether he's responding quickly enough or not, the poll has some very bad news for Obama.
Large majorities find mccain potentially very effective as commander in chief. At a time of two wars, that could be huge for the Republicans.
That's probably why Obama is talking more about the economy and trying to make this election about the Bush record and McCain's support for Bush's policies. The last thing Obama needs is to have this race become a referendum on him.
But McCain may overplay his hand. On Wednesday, while lambasting Obama's judgment -- never his patriotism, he insisted -- McCain said Obama was counseling retreat in Iraq "even today with victory in sight."
While victory in Iraq specifically and the war on terror more broadly is every American's wish, I think few would go as far as McCcain in saying it was now "in sight."
Anyone who has spent any time in the Middle East can tell you that "victory" often turns out to be a mirage.
It is something a man of McCain's experience must know.
He told a lady in his town hall meeting today that he thought the only way we could catch Bin Laden or fight more wars is to reinstate the draft.
He assured her there was nothing there that he disagreed with.
It is about UNITY! It is about the politics of solving problems... not mudslinging.
Using negative campaign ads to get into the Oval Office is yesterday. Today, we''re going to think about policies. We''re going to compromise. And we gonna be PURPLE!
Obama in 2008. For the sake of America.
are you a drugged out hippie from the 60''s....?
wow...on something for sure...
a little mccain koolaid?
god help us all
Who really thinks 8 more years of tax cuts + Iraq wars is going to be healthy for the economy? LOL. And how does McCain plan to pay for cuts and the war... that''s right by cutting funding to the Woodstock museum. If this makes sense to you, God bless.
Not to mention, it doesn''t bother anyone that he is running the exact same attack dog playbook as Bush.
As a young person, I wish I could be disinterested (like I was in 2004). But Obama is too good. I won''t let irrational voters lead us astray this time.
Obama in 2008. I am contributing, I am buying a banner, and I am voting. We''ve got to elect Barack.
Because the voters are offended by his:
Intent to dramatically expand government
Intent to dramatically raise taxes
Record setting arrogance
Being the cover boy on the militant gay magazine, The Advocate and for very good reason
Opposition to the surge and being unwilling to admit he was wrong
Support for infanticide
Association with people who hate America
Lying about his public record, and getting caught at it again and again
Being "not like us" and "not like what we would want our kids to become".
Yet, he needs to do something to distract the voters from himself.
The more you know about Obama, the more you want to vote for someone else.
According to Real Clear Politics,
OBAMA 45 McCain 42
CLINTON 49 McCain 43
The convention is next week. This election becomes very serious. No more testing the waters. Does anyone really think the Democrates are going to nominate the number 2 guy??
He is to dam old to run our country. With old age comes short patience and stubborness. Hey, to everyboby out there who loves their precious John McCain. Just ask yourself one question......Do you like the way that George Bush has completely destroy our country. If you do, please vote for John McCain and then get ready to explain to your kids and grand kids why there''re going have the largest public debt known to mankind, and an economy that is only beneficial for people like me(incomes of 150K per yr or more), and get ready all of you working ethnic voters that are lower to lower-middle class to send your kids to another war, by way the draft. John McCain will have our country at war with Russia. Our country and the world needs Barak.
You must be smelling your own old age. McCain doesn''t get it- not because he''s old! It''s because he''s a gazillionaire who owns like 9 mansions, wears $520 calf-skin shoes, and flies around in the family jet.
McCain doesn''t get it because he has no idea how normal Americans live. He hasn''t pumped his own gas in decades. Obama on the other hand, lives more like the typical American family, and while he has made a million on books sales, he only paid off his family''s debt like 4 years ago.
May you live long enough to realize what a fool you used to be.
Sounds to me like YOU''RE the Racist.
What makes you think I''m the racist?
I am a little surprised to see that McCain is so willing to give up whatever integrity he had in his quest to be all powerful. I%u2019ve watched him tell lie after lie to our faces and then when held accountable he simply denies he ever said it. (He still doesn%u2019t know that in 2008, this stuff is all on video??).
So I have accepted that he will be just like the other Bush who never gave a fig about Americans either.
I still find myself wondering why the people who support McCain hate Americans so much.
They seem eager to expose themselves as ignorant people by spreading false, nasty and vile smears and then think that we are going to accept what they say?
Why such a lack of respect for fellow Americans?
What%u2019s in it for you?
How do you feel you have benefited from the 8 years of George Bush, that you are so willing to basically work for the Bush re-election campaign by spreading smears and lying about Obama in order to push McCain?
What is it about people who vote Republican, that honesty and integrity are not important values to you?
Do you raise your children to lie and cheat to obtain their goals, as well?
****************************************
I agree, it isn''t McCain''s age that is the problem, it is his dangerous and reckless attitude towards killing other people.
It''''s going to take commitment and time to find the likes of Bin Laden and his henchmen.
Posted by bswalker12
*************************************
It is pretty clear you are a 12 year old who gets her news from cheap lounge acts.
You won''t be around after school starts up.
The Republicans offer little in the way of positive policy to the advantage of the average American Worker.
No Health Care
Pollution
High Energy and Fuel Prices
Jobs shifted to over seas labor
Further cuts in maintaining our infrastructure like roads, bridges, levees, schools, police, fire, and emergency medical.
Tax breaks to the already Wealthy with no breaks to the over taxed working class
Further perks to Major Corporations and Swindles in the Free Market to trap average consumers with no regulated protections
Corruption and mismanaged Federal Treasury Funds
And, PERPETUAL MILITARY CONFLICTS AND WARS.
John McCain is resorting to mere smear campaigning and swift boat tactics to obscure his real plan against the majority of Americans.
Vote for you own better interests, vote against the Conservative Agenda.
-
by stuartfinlay
August 22, 2008 7:02 AM PDT
- It is interesting that the comparison with Churchill regular comes up when McCain''s age is mentioned. I know a fair bit about Churchill having done a great deal of research for my book What Would Churchill Do?-Business advice from the man who saved the world, as I live in England my knowledge of John McCain is very limited.
-
Reply to this comment
-
See all 22 CommentsThe first obvious comparison is age at 71 McCain is 6 years older than Churchill was at the outbreak of war, but as Churchill said himself, one of the reasons why he was so successful at managing the war was because his experience had been EARNED, NOT LEARNED, so it could be that the knowledge and experience McCain has gained through his life could be to the advantage of the American people over a younger candidate.
The secret to Churchill''s success in the war was the fact that he got involved with everything and put his own stamp on how things should be done. Whilst people often quote how Churchill inspired Britain with his speeches and courage, which is certainly true, it was his practical decision making, tough leadership and attention to detail that made the real difference.
If John McCain has these qualities along with his proven courage and experience then he might be good for America.