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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Play CBS Video Video Top Democrat: The Race Is Over Former Colorado Governor, and Barack Obama endorser, Roy Romer (D.) tells Bob Schieffer that the Democratic race for the presidential nomination is already over for Hillary Clinton.
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Video Cuomo: Obama, Clinton Ticket Former Democratic New York Governor Mario Cuomo says that contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton should unite for a presidential and vice-presidential ticket for this year's election.
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Video GOP Targets Obama In what seemed like a Republican barrage against Barack Obama, President Bush and John McCain lobbed separate attacks at the Illinois senator's foreign policy platform. Chip Reid reports.
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Photo Essay Barack Obama A look at the life and meteoric rise of the president-elect.
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Photo Essay John McCain Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
Despite his roots as a child of a single mother who sometimes used food stamps, Republicans will remind voters of Obama's schooling at Columbia and Harvard Law, and his comments at a San Francisco fundraiser that those in small towns grow “bitter” and cling to religion and guns.
Obama also was hurt by the comments of his controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The candidate first said he couldn't disown the pastor, but when Wright kept up his remarks and the political heat increased, Obama dismissed him as a “relic of an angry generation.”
Obama has won much of his support from upscale voters, young people and blacks. But he's been having trouble connecting with white blue-collar workers.
A step in his outreach was the campaign's decision last month to hold more events portraying Obama among ordinary Americans - downing domestic beer in crowded taverns, eating breakfast at lunch counters, greeting factory workers, touring auto plants and visiting construction sites.
The tactic has proved more effective than the earlier focus on big rallies, said David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist. “We're slow learners,” he joked.
Primary election results from across the country have shown Obama has trouble winning support among Hispanics, too. While Hispanics traditionally vote Democratic, Republicans have been making inroads. Bush drew 44 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004 - the highest of any Republican presidential candidate - and McCain is polling as high as 41 percent.
As for McCain, Obama's aides are developing ads intended to link the Arizona senator to Bush and chip away at his image as a maverick.
McCain's age may also work to Obama's benefit. McCain turns 72 in August and would be the oldest man to be elected to a first term as president. Some voters, Republicans and Democrats alike, express reluctance to vote for candidates over 70 years old, some surveys show. But advisers suggest Obama should be wary of approaching the topic directly, for fear of it backfiring.
Obama continues to face questions about his commitment to the Jewish community, another usually solid Democratic bloc. Some voters may be upset by his stated willingness to enter presidential-level talks with leaders of countries such as Iran and Syria.
“If you look at my writings and my history, my commitment to Israel and the Jewish people is more than skin-deep and it's more than political expediency,” Obama told The Atlantic magazine.
Obama's next major decision will be selecting a running mate. Although some in both the Obama and Clinton camps have held out an Obama-Clinton combo as a “dream ticket,” few close to either candidate expect to see it.
Among the speculation: If he wants to pick a woman, because of all the disappointed Clinton supporters, it might be someone like Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. If he wants to deal with McCain's advantage on national security, he might pick someone like former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson or Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.
And if he is looking for an Electoral College advantage, he might pick either Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell or Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, both of whom were Clinton supporters.
“I think the first important thing is for Obama and Mrs. Clinton to arrange a graceful exit for her and an endorsement for him by her with no conditions. It's essential that those who lost don't feel cheated,” Georgetown University political scientist Stephen Wayne said.
Democratic strategist Doug Schoen suggests Obama should “think outside the box” and go for someone outside the party as his running mate, such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, or Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Vietnam veteran.
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See all 52 CommentsThat is a pretty straight forward fact.
That is a pretty straight forward fact.
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.
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?
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!
"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.
Obama will win in November. It''s because of McCain that this will happen.
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!
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
Posted by RandyNason at 07:11 PM : May 19, 2008
:-)
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See all 52 Comments