Is Obama Too Slow Responding To Right-Wing Attacks?

Politico:

It may be too little too late, but Hillary Clinton may have been onto something with her warning to Democrats last night.

Only one of us, she said about her and Barack Obama at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, is "ready to defeat the Republicans."

On potentially lethal lines of attack, religion and patriotism, Obama has twice now demonstrated that he's not sufficiently aware of the danger that exists from the conservative Freak Show that did as much to beat John Kerry as George W. Bush did in 2004.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[AnninCA]

Gotta say, I couldn't care less if he's "slow" about responding to Republican attacks.

I'll chime in from time to time.

But I'm not his supporter, never will be.

We share the term, Democrat, in name only.

As far as I'm concerned, he's a third-party guy who is using the Democrat label.

He's already destroyed the party.

So I couldn't care less how he fairs with the Republicans.

On a personal level? I hope they eat him up alive and spit him out like the slick-talking idiot he is.

On a political level? I hope the country can overcome this and thrive. In spite of both of them.

But I, for one, am now taking my position on the sideline.

I couldn't care less if he gets eaten up and spit out.

He has earned it.

[lldem]

Hi AnninCA. For someone who has sworn off voting this year, you sure do spend a lot of time on HuffPo making comments. I feel a lot of anger coming from you that doesn't seem to have a rational basis. Have you thought about therapy? By the way, how are your teeth?

[AnninCA]

Typical Obama supporter who attacks personally.

And thanks for asking. I'm now going through the unfun dental process. Man, I can't tell you how unfun!

But I'm surviving, thank you.

[Researchguy66]

In all fairness, the Democratic Party as we used to know it has been long dead since well before Senator Obama arrived on the scene.

[AnninCA]

I think that's my own conclusion, too.

He simply took advantage of it.

[kipmartin]

this is a news story? the contention that Obama appears less likely to win in November isnt based in fact or research (Obama consistently polls as being more suited to beat the Republican candidate).

and secondly, where is the evidence that he is moving 'too slow'? is there some data showing erosion of his credibility or diminished public approval based on Hillary's desperate comments? last research i read said her Plagiarism attack(s) actually damaged her image.

come on HuffPo, dont give us fluff--give us real news and thoughtful analysis. Jonathan Martin is winging it and this dumb piece reads like a paper i'd have written on a late Sunday night in college!!

[Researchguy66]

I agree...We need detailed timelines of every such event to justify an criticism of Obama, hoever slight...otherwise any such point is simply invalid...Links, please!

[AnninCA]

Oh, you've not even begun to go through it.

[horacekent]

To the Great People of Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island & Vermont,

Please do us all a favor & finally close the door on the Clintons.

You're the Closers. Lets do this thing!

~HK

[AnninCA]

At this point, I can't say I'd cry either.

I think Obama has won. Not really won. But won.

Im resigned to 4 more years of nothing.

[jrb35]

I can't wait to see you eat your words in November.

Please explain how Obama is not a real Democrat? Obviously you haven't bothered to read up on his policy positions. Contrary to the pathetic lie that Clinton and now McCain have spread, Obama is far more than just a speech. You have to spend a few minutes reading and using your brain to take it all in. Go to his website. You'll see.

[Buddhabman]

That's why we have 527's like Move-On.org. Obama is going to try to keep it civil with McCain, plus he's a shrewd guy who is quick on his feet, when it comes to hand to hand, McCain is going to get his nuts cracked.

No worries on this front. Plus we are going to unleash legions into the radio and blog world. McCain will rue the day he get's nasty.

Obama 08

[PuffAndStuff]

I disagree.

It seems logical that he and his campaign have put their energy/focus into campaigning against their immediate competitor (Hillary), rather than exhausting their energy elsewhere.

However, now that his nomination is beginning to appear imminent I'd bet they will begin to shift focus onto swatting off the Repugs.

Further, if he can succesfully take on and beat back the Clinton machine then I have little doubt that he can take on and beat back the Repugs. His successful campaign has been quite impressive.

[peaceplumber]

You can't have a battle of wits with an unarmed man!
That's the only problem any one has with the wing nuts!
They learned everything they need to know by the time they got thru puberty

[AnninCA]

The Democratic party died.

We're buring it. It probably died with Gore. It definitely got the post-mortem with Kerry.

And today, we're just praying over the ashes with Hillary.

It's dead.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

"The Democratic party died."

-------------

it died in the 90's when the clinton's formed their dlc club and took the party to the right. didja just wake up?

[AnninCA]

I think the last time I won was with Clinton.

So...I'm fairly used to the death here.

I refuse to get worked up.

You say it was a bad time.

I point out it was the last Democratic win.

I don't care now.

I'm over it.

[ljsfolly]

I am an ordinary person who heard the speech Michelle gave and I also have heard the snippets from the cable newshead. While the news guys from the right and now left enjoy attacking the perceived slight, the wrong word used or just taking something out of context and blowing it up too big to contain I simply hear what is said and wonder what the hell someone making a big blow out of a little phase. She is a black woman who has seen more than her share of bigots and bias and obvious hatred for her race while getting to the age she is. I don't see the world as she does but I do agree with her about the pride/proud part. Can anyone name a president and their possee/cro­wd/cronies­/administr­ation that has made you proud in the last 20 years? Bill Clinton got lucky that the dot coms came while he was in office and exploded when he was leaving. There has not been a president who championed hope or had a positive vision of our future for so many years and I only remember JFK as one when I was a kid. So tell me do you not agree with Michelle in the pride bit? You can be proud to be an american but not proud of those presidents who have led us to where we are today.

[AnninCA]

Well, see, that's where I don't get it.

She was a pampered girl who went to all the best schools and got every break imaginable.

And she still cops the victim attitude.

[Roose]

Mostly all the attacks are coming from the Clintons' camp and he has addressed those issues.

When Clinton FINALLY quits this campaign, Obama will be able to concentrate his fire power on McKeating.

[AnninCA]

Hey, don't worry about me. I'm in a constinuency your new Democratic party insults daily and couldn't care less what we think.

You'll be quite happy without us even bugging you.

[AnninCA]

Hey, he has already won the primaries.

So he needn't worry about Clinton. After all, his own mathemeticians swear he's won.

So turn it on to McCain.

Have at it.

And he doesn't need to even pretend to unite the Democratic party.

That ain't happening.

He's driven off many of us and there's virtually nothing he could say that would repair it, short of a lobotomy.

So he needn't even waste energy on that.

I'm as driven off as his AA voters are with Hillary.

Might as well not try.

So there's nothing to keep him from fighting McCain.

And if should manage to lose?

Well, only an idiot would lose this year to the Republicans.

Then you guys will simply have to realize you fucked up.

But I don't think he'll lose.

What I will say is that he'll enter the presidency with chaos and no clear party backing him.

So it's going to be the same as if he had a divided Congress.

He won't have a clear mandate.

That's guaranteed already.

He'll have a slick win.

And that's all he'll have.

[peaceplumber]

You can't have a battle of wits with an unarmed man!
That's the only problem any one has with the wing-nuts!
They learned everything they need to know by the time they got thru puberty!

[ProgressiveNotLiberal]

Wow, is this another pro-billary blog post? If it is, it is about as stupid as the Hillary campaign cause it says little and does nothing to move me.

Hillary can't even handle the attacks from Dems. She was doomed the minute she out-calculated herself and voted for the Iraq war without even reading the NIE. She doesn't give a shit about anyone but herself and her minions aren't much better. Her campaign sucks and that is direct evidence of her capacities to lead and manage. She is a user, not a doer. She is all about Hillary, not about fighting for the rights of Americans. She left our children behind, sent us to war and took away our patriotic rights. She deserves nothing and has earned nothing. If she has an ounce of reality in her bones, she would gracefully drop out of the race right now. Tomorrow will come the announcement of another loss and that will be by the citizen ambassadors of the world. We know first hand who and what will restore America's image.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Sorry...but as soon as I saw the word "Billary".­..um...fiv­e words into your post..I quit reading.

[BrooklynLager]

Well he's proven himself to be a better campaigner than Clinton, who's never had to run a competitive face until now.

But there may be something to this. It's hard to tell when he has to awkwardly transition out of the primary and into the general. I'm more comfortable with him as the nominee than Clinton, but I won't say I'm not worried.

[AnninCA]

I wouldn't worry, other than recognize that you message of "unity" and "hope" was nothing more than a campaign slogan.

When he gets the job, I certainly hope you nitwits won't expect that we all support that nonsense.

Believe me, that's far from true.

[snruB]

Uh...what? He seems to have handled himself pretty good so far

[livesimply]

No, he is not too slow. I think he can prove that someone can stay above the fray. Kerry couldn't do it because his oratory was poor. Barack will continue to prove that Americans are sick of the old crap, including the smear machine.

[Marrob]

"Stay aboe the fray"...that's the same bulls*** logic that lost the white house in the last "Change Election". WAKE UP!!! americans like dirty politics. THE S*** WORKS!!! It will be a constance drip, drip, drip of little negative information from the slime machine about Obama that will destroy is campaign. If they turned John Kerry into a fake purple heart wearing flip flopper they sure as hell can turn Obama into something 51% of america won't vote for.

[livesimply]

We'll see.

[iPolitics]

McCain: "More wars. 100 years in Iraq. Your jobs are gone. They are not coming back." "I'm angry. I have a bad temper. I will fight Iran!"