You have all read the latest polls by now, I'm sure, and know that the race
is currently anywhere from tied to McCain being ten points ahead. This is a somewhat surprising development to those of us who had thought this race couldn't be lost because of the political fundamentals: a terribly unpopular Republican president, a Republican party in disgrace, a failing economy, a useless expensive war and an elderly, warmongering candidate from a bygone era. It was hard for me to see how even the Democrats could lose an election under those circumstances, even if they ran an inanimate object with a piece of algae as a running mate. But the built in advantage has disappeared. The race is back at parity...
It is now a 60 day dogfight fight between a gifted, young African American
reformer and a grizzled old veteran ...
This is exactly the right description, we're in an unexpected dogfight and we better wake up and face that reality and deal with it. No time to wonder how this happened, it has and we need to adjust.
If Marc Ambinder is to be believed the Obama campaign has begun to adjust,
There's been a spurt of 527 activity on behalf of Sen. John McCain, but
Barack Obama campaign has suddenly gone silent on the subject.
That's because, after a year of telling donors not to contribute to 527
groups, of encouraging strategists not to form them and of suggesting that
outside messaging efforts would not be welcome in Obama's Democratic Party,
Obama's strategists have changed their approach.
An Obama adviser privy to the campaign's internal thinking on the matter
says that,with less than two months before the election and with the realization
that Republicans have achieved financial parity with Democrats, they hope that
Democratic allies -- what another campaign aide termed "the cavalry" -- will
come to Obama's aid.
The Obama campaign can't ask donors to form outside groups; it can only
communicate, through the public and the media, with body language, tells and
hints.
You hear that folks? The campaign has loosened the restraints. We're finally going to be able to bring a gun to the fight. If the campaign is serious and takes action quickly we can stunt this McCain surge. Just yesterday they released an attack ad countering a new McCain/Palin "Maverick" ad. Hopefully we'll see more quick response from the Obama campaign and hopefully we'll start seeing creative, effective and hard-hitting ads coming from Democratic 527's. It's time we bloody their noses.
2 comments:
That would be helpful, but much of the Democratic 527 money is still unofficially under the Clinton's thumb and Hill-hill don't want Barry to win.
The Clintons controlled a lot of 527 money being put into the 2004 Presidential election even though Hillary was not running. Rick MacArthur has research much of this activity. The Clinton camp knew John Kerry had to lose in '04 for Hillary to run in '08. They perceived Howard Dean to be the strongest democratic candidate and his success was doubly threatening because he was doing it on his own without much support from the party establishment. Clinton backers formed a 527, "Americans for Progressive Values", whose primary charge was to run an extensive ad campaign in Iowa for the purpose of torpodoeing Dean.
Good Democracy Now! interview with MacArthur covering the above:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/25/rick_macarthur_you_cant_be_president
I am not expecting that strong of a 527 response in Obama's defense....just enough to make it look like Hillary gives a shit.
Really good point Rusty and I've heard both DN! and NPR discuss the Clinton/527 issue.
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