WASHINGTON, May 19, 2008
Obama's Strategy For Beating McCain
Senator Seeks Out White Working-Class Voters, Independents, Hispanics, Catholics, Jews
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Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at a town hall meeting in Billings, Mont., Monday, May 19, 2008. (AP)
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Barack Obama
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John McCain
Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
He's running down McCain more often than the woman he's nominally still fighting for his own party's nomination. And he's running after white working-class voters, independents, Hispanics, Catholics and Jews - voting blocs that will be important in the November election and with whom he's had mixed successes.
Even as Obama tries to fight off Hillary Rodham Clinton in the few remaining primaries, he is campaigning in states that have already held elections and vowing to return to states where he lost to Clinton. His campaign has sent teams into battleground states, set up a program for signing up millions of Democrats over the next six months and is developing ads to use against McCain.
History shows that the earlier a candidate nails down the party nomination, the better his chances of winning. Obama did not have the luxury of an early win, so he did the next best thing. His team is seeking to tether McCain to President Bush, emphasizing McCain's support for the Iraq war and for renewing Bush tax cuts.
“Obviously, we don't want to wake up the morning after we become the nominee and not be prepared,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. Offering a campaign line Obama is already using, he said, “By November, every voter will know that McCain is offering a third Bush term.”
Democratic strategists agree that Obama has his work cut out for him in defining himself on his own terms and countering assertions that he's inexperienced, elitist and out of step with the rest of the country.
“Partly what he's got to do is define his appeal to middle-class voters,” said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman. “I don't think that will be hard. But it's something he has to do, provide some focus on their economic pain and on the issues that are animating him.”
At first glance, the political landscape couldn't be better for the first-term Illinois senator, along with Democrats in general. Republicans are being pulled down by the unpopular Iraq war, the struggling economy and Bush's low approval ratings.
Yet McCain appears to have escaped much of the criticism directed at fellow Republicans. Polls show the Arizona senator to be competitive with Obama in a general-election matchup.
Obama's inability to win primaries in many big industrial battleground states, or to appeal to white working-class voters or to many older people, particularly women, make him vulnerable - as does his lack of economic and foreign-policy experience.
“Clearly Obama has to give people more confidence in his ability in protecting the country, where McCain has a huge advantage, wider than Bush enjoyed over John Kerry four years ago,” said pollster Andrew Kohut, president of the independent Pew Research Center.
Most of those questioned in a Pew survey this month described McCain as “a centrist whose views are fairly close to their own.” The same voters see Obama as far to the left of themselves.
Obama's team began a transition to general-election mode weeks ago.
He is reaching out to Hispanics, the nation's fastest-growing minority, and to Jewish voters. Both groups, while traditionally Democratic, eye him with some suspicion. And he's started to wear an American flag lapel pin.
Obama's team is trying to find ways to counter what former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson calls “the Obama narrative,” an effort by Republicans to portray Obama as a man of the academic left, out of touch with everyday American concerns.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 52 CommentsBy November, every voter will know that Obama is offering a second Carter term.
Obama''s recent "blame America first" comments in Oregon may have played to the latte liberal crowd, but not the vast majority of the electorate.
Just let BO keep talking - he''ll beat himself.
Barack Obama - endorsed by Hamas
The current strategy of simply allowing the republicans to run amok and completely unchecked seemes to work PERFECTLY. They go from one blunder to the next with their pants down ''round their ankles.....naked for all to see. Capitulation will come sooner or later....hopefully this November.
OBAMA AND A FILIBUSTER-PROOF MAJORITY IN 08! YES WE CAN!
Posted by dragonwagon
As long as the flag isn''t "Made in China" try to find one that isn''t!
clearly a nut case.
President Obama.... It even sounds wrong!
President Obama.... It even sounds wrong!
Doesn''t have the ''American'' sound to it, huh? You are a *** my man! :)
Posted by jeepmanjr
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Posted by jeepmanjr at 04:10 PM : May 19, 2008
+ report abuse
Well you have to take off the Swastika sparky!! You bootlickers have been buying so many lies and so much snake oil... nothing sounds right to you. President Obama sounds JUST fine... compared to where we''ve been and what''s against him he sounds EXTREMELY well! Now stand... let the Little Hitler hear ya at the White House!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!! NO MORE BUSH!! Say it again!! NO MORE BUSH! How does THAT sound?? ROFLMAO
Some of the highlights are:
1. Wear a flag pin on EACH Label!
2. Keep the crowd levels at his speeches down to a manageable 100,000.
3. Offer to share the ticket with Hannah Montana!
4. Visit Iraq and bring a plane load of Dunkin Donuts to SUPPORT THE TROOPS!
5. Ask Jermiah Wright to do missionary work IN MYANMAR!
6. See if agents from MOVE ON.ORG can inflitrate the GOP convention and prevent the baloons from dropping on the last day!
7. Learn how to bowl!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, DEFINITELY MORE OF THE SAME, McCain!!!!
GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.
Go Vote For McCain and World (3)will Happen ...
Note: You War Mongers, World War (3) is just One More Arab Invasion Away... From being Made Real !!
And All You Yahoos are Screaming about Terorist !!
Keep Your War Mongering & Blood Thirsty EYES on ..China & Russia and India !!
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2
007/08/17/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-China-Man
euvers.php
Russia and China: Hold Joint Military Exercise
The Associated Press Published: August 17, 2007
CHEBARKUL TESTING RANGE, Russia: President Vladimir Putin said Friday he had ordered strategic bombers to resume regular Long-Range Patrols as Russian & Chinese Forces held their 1ST Joint Military Exercise on Russian soil.
NOTE: A show of Armed Muscle Aimed at Sending a Pointed Message to the.... United States.
The resumption of bombing patrols, which analysts say signaled a significant change for Russian military policy, comes amid a growing chill in U.S.-Russian Relations, strained over Washington`s criticism of Russia`s democracy record, Moscow`s objections to U.S. Missile Defense Plans and Differences over Global Crises.
Both Moscow and Beijing share a Heightening Distrust of what they see as the United States` Oversized Role and Influence in Global Politics, and the two former Cold War rivals have forged a "Strategic Partnership" aimed at Counter Balancing Washington`s Policies.
There were several Other Asian Countries Involved in those Joint Excercises..also !!
FIRST THINGS FIRST. KEEP THE LADY MICHELLE HAPPY, SHE IS ONCE AGAIN UNHAPPY.
BARACK, ON ABC-GMA ISSUED AN ORDER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO LAY OFF MY WIFE.
COME ON, "BARRY" BUY MICHELLE A PUPPY AND MAKE HER ONCE AGAIN "PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. AND P S: STOP WHINNING.
GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.
the fall election? Looks like that old gal Hillary is just about finished, just wonder if her campaign with end up with something like a stroke or seizure, or just go away quietly...
The resumption of bombing patrols, which analysts say signaled a significant change for Russian military policy,"
Sure, sure, very nice show for public, ancient Russian bombers on "patrol". Mere sitting ducks for F22 Raptors. Russian bomber crews know that it would be a suicide mission.
Remind unhappy Hillary supporters that a vote for McCain is a vote to overturn Roe and Title IX.
Next Obama didn''t need to wear a flag pin to prove his patriotism. Now he wears one.
Now that Obama has won over the black race by being a "black" man...he will soon start reminding the country that he is also half white.
Don''t you people get it? Obama is just like any other politician. He''ll do whatever it takes to get your votes. He is as untrustworthy as all of them. "CHANGE"...my a$$!
Who do you think you''re fooling, really? You are SO obviously a troll... Why don''t you have some wattamelon an'' chitlins wi dat chicken, honeychile? (sarcasm extremely intended)
Posted by GrammaWhamma at 06:37 PM : May 19, 2008
Rev who? I seem to recall a very old very dead horse by that name?
Posted by SgtRDS-E4 at 06:17 PM
Hey SgtRDS-E4, happy Monday :(
Yes, the SCOTUS is already too far to the right for me, for the 2 reasons you cite as well as others. McCain has made it clear that he''s more than willing to send it further in that direction.
McCain=Same team different QB.
Bush Sr. Bush Jr. Neal Bush, and Jeb Bush, were all involved in the S&L scandal, which cost the American tax payer over $1.4 trillion dollars.
Members of the Bush Admin. were involved as well. Now we''ve got the Subprime meltdown. Both the S&L/Subprime meltdown have roots in the deregulation of first the Savings & Loan industry, and then later the Banking industry.
"I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."
"Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist."
-Pastor John Hagee in his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman (Charisma House, 2005)
He voted against making English the official language of the United States.
He will not and does not honor or respect the American Flag or what it stands for.
His self-professed religious mentor is a hate monger, and Obama has followed him for over 20 years and dedicated his boooks to the man, had him officiate his marriage and follws his beliefs and teachings.
If Obama is elected POTUS, we will all wish Bush could have had another term.
He voted against making English the official language of the United States.
He will not and does not honor or respect the American Flag or what it stands for.
His self-professed religious mentor is a hate monger, and Obama has followed him for over 20 years and dedicated his boooks to the man, had him officiate his marriage and follws his beliefs and teachings.
If Obama is elected POTUS, we will all wish Bush could have had another term.
Posted by RandyNason at 07:11 PM : May 19, 2008
:-)
McCain''s policies indicate he can do it! Go Johnny go!
I mean, no one ever has to pay for all that debt anyway right? We''ll just pass it on to the next generations and let them deal with it.
Well, a few million middle class American jobs will be again be sent to slave labor countries, but who cares? Exxon and Haliburton are making record profits every year and that makes me feel good about supporting Johnny Mac.
GOP all the way
And oh my, that scarrry pastor who says things that sooo scary to us white folk. We can''t have that now can we?
Yep, give me another idiot in office that I feel I can drink a beer with!
Obama will win in November. It''s because of McCain that this will happen.
Notice the absent news story: "Clinton''s strategy for beating McCain".
Woops.
"Obama''s Strategy For Beating McCain"
1. Lock up the wife in the closet;
2. Forbid anyone speaking about her;
3. Don''t let her out until after the election.
Notice the absent news story: "Clinton''''s strategy for beating McCain".
Woops.
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Posted by powersmaker at 09:42 PM : May 19, 2008
We already know what her strategy is. Getting her name on the ballot. That''s all it''ll take!
You are not now and never have been a Democrat. You are a GOP troll pretending to have been one in an exceptionally lame attempt to cause problems within the Democratic party. Even fat boy Rush wasn''t able to, so what makes you think your feeble attempts will have any effect mudrose?
Posted by zavatchen at 12:12 AM : May 20, 2008
I have no doubt you would have never voted for him anyway troll.
You are not now and never have been a Democrat. You are a GOP troll pretending to have been one in an exceptionally lame attempt to cause problems within the Democratic party. Even fat boy Rush wasn''''t able to, so what makes you think your feeble attempts will have any effect mudrose?
Posted by SgtRDS-E4 at 02:04 AM : May 20, 2008
I''m growin'' sick of your accusations. If you wanna back some ''idealistic dreamer'' who barely knows where the SENATE men''s room is, fine. Once again, you don''t know me. STAY OUTTA MY FACE! The question was for RowdyTexan2.
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