NYT: Obama "Bored" With Primary, Shaking Up Campaign Style

Senator Barack Obama is making subtle changes to his campaign style and message in an effort to strengthen his appeal to blue-collar voters and to avoid a defeat in Indiana that aides fear could give Democratic Party leaders further pause about his viability in a general election.

On Sunday, Mr. Obama went to a Methodist church in Indianapolis, the kind of event rarely on his public schedule. He suited up for a game of basketball on Friday night before television cameras. And the big, energy-filled stadium rallies that were the bread and butter for most of his campaign have once again given way to smaller town-hall-style meetings, where he is seen talking with people and not at them.

Mr. Obama is seeking to absorb the lessons of his defeat in Pennsylvania. The changes reflect concern that he is being portrayed by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as distant and culturally out of touch with many working-class Democrats, a worry underlined by her lopsided victory among many of those voters in that state on Tuesday and last month in Ohio. ...

In interviews with several associates and aides, Mr. Obama was described as bored with the campaign against Mrs. Clinton and eager to move into the general election against Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee.

So the Obama campaign is undertaking modifications in his approach intended to inject an air of freshness into his style.

Keep reading here.

Comments

[Serfie]

Obama is bored with democracy.

Now why doesn't this surprise me.

[Apache6]

This is frightening. Please take a look at the Barack Obama poll listed at the top of the comments.

[starrianna]

Obama is someone who lost touch with reality a long time ago, on his way to getting ahead.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has always been a populist like her husband Bill. They are brilliant and able to communicate on an equal level with people no matter who they are.

Obama has the ability to turn off a lot of different types of people.

[JamieStarr]

Yet, Hillary has the highest negative ratings of all the remaining candidates and is considered the least trustworthy, by far.

They are brilliant at communicating with people as long as they are older and not in caucus states. Their deteriorating standing with the Black community has been far from brilliant.

[Apache6]

Always been a true blue Will Rogers populist. All I can think of is Henry Fonda in " The Grapes Of Wrath". Until I think of Yale Law School, The Rose Law firm and the board of directors of Walmart and every other egocentric thing she and hummer have done through the years.

[Tellmethetruth]

Obama isn't bored, he is desperate but too "proud and vain" like his mentor Rev. Wright to admit he possesses any need.

Obama's campaign needs to begin to pick out the coffin and begin the funeral march. It's over.

[shinybear]

So it's over? You mean Hillary is going to get over 70% of the remaining delegates and tie Obama?

It's over alright but not for Obama- back to life, back to reality.

[Blurp]

Good for him. This primary season has become intolerable.

[nickyhartzell]

If I were Obama, it wouldn't be so much boredom (which I don't think it is), since on the campaign trail you meet new people and see new things every day. I think he's suffering from an acute case of toxic Clintonitis. And missing his family. He's quite keen to move to more campaigning - against John McCain.

[sklfcats]

We are bored with Obama

[shinybear]

At least he doesn't make me and millions like me violently ill like Madame Clinton does.

[starrianna]

It is time for all of us to grow up, especially after having to deal with George W. Bush.

[nickyhartzell]

"The changes reflect concern that he is being portrayed by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as distant and culturally out of touch with many working-class Democrats, a worry underlined by her lopsided victory among many of those voters in that state on Tuesday and last month in Ohio. ..." There is no proof that his change in style has anything to do with Clinton. I double she has any influence on his decisions whatsoever. It has been generally reported that he doesn't do too well with certain white working-class "blue collar" voters, but great article in Daily Kos shows how that's only in Appalachia (Ohio, PA, W Virginia and Kentucky), not in the rest of the country. If doing well in Indiana requires more specifics on jobs, guess what? He may have made that decision all by himself . "Mr. Obama is seeking to absorb the lessons of his defeat in Pennsylvania. " Now, that's more like it.

[Keith52]

I love it (not really) how these pundits are calling the Pennsylvania primary a huge loss for Barack. Last I checked the Pennsylvania Department of state web site she did not win by double digits. It ended at 9.2 percent. The pundits thought she would win by 20 points. And they also insisted she needed to win by big double digits to stay in the race. What is going on with the reporting? Is it Obama that is getting tired and running scared or is it the reporters that are afraid of ending the race with the Clintons whining that the press was unfair to them?

[steveflos]

It is not the first time, Obama is bored. A few weeks ago, NYT ran a story about his career in the Senate and the bottom line was that he was bored by the slow pace of work in the Senate. Now he is bored by fighting against Clinton, because for the second time in his political life, an opponent refuses to back down.

When he ran for the Illinois senate nomination, he went to court to have all his rivals removed from the ballots on technicalities. When he ran for Office in Illinois and later for the US Senate, both times, the Republican rivals stumbled because of divorces.

His run for the House of Representatives failed, because he was too eager and because the other guy refused to back down. Now, Clinton refuses to back down and Obama can't shake her off. This must be really boring... Maybe she should win in North Carolina and Indiana, just to make it more exciting...

[EyeWantOneNation]

Obama didn't say he was "bored"...the media did !!!!

If you believe what they tell you, then they win !! Ridicilous !!!

[nibblybits]

Yeah, remember Jack Ryan? He ran like he was squeaky clean and then the details of his divorce proceedings came out. His wife, actress Jeri Ryan (of Star Trek fame) said he forced her to go to sex clubs and participate in threesomes against her will. What a standup guy!

The guy Obama lost against was the famous Bobby Seale, who was a long time rep of that district. Now he is supporting Obama.

Pesky facts get in the way of you telling stories that slant your way. But like Hillary, you'll tell the lies and manipulations anyway. Congratulations! You found a candidate just like you.

[Heidfeld]

What are you talking about nibblybits? What part of "Republican rivals stumbled because of divorces" was unclear or misleading?

What Steveflos put forth were the FACTS... those same things that Obamabots run from on a regular basis.

The simple FACTS bear out the truth that Obama has had it easy thus far... and when he hasn't had it easy, he has failed.

Any chance you have purchased a new car lately nibblybits? Did you get sold on the "rust-proofing" as well?

[NanWhit]

In interviews with several associates and aides, Mr. Obama was described as bored with the campaign against Mrs. Clinton and eager to move into the general election against Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee.

I'D SAY THIS IS A 'BIT PRESUMPTUOUS" OF MR. OBAMA!!! THANKS

[bygollymissmolly]

You will notice that this article says "Mr. Obama was described as bored", it did not say that Obama said he was bored. This is an interpretation of the person who was interviewing him. So, until such time as the words come out of Obama's mouth, do you think you can curb your sarcasm. Typical of a Hillarybot.

[Pharos]

Why isn't there a response from him on his web site. It is really frustrating to have his campaign be so consistently slow to respond. There is really no excuse. It takes all of 30 seconds to post an article to the web once it's written.

[nibblybits]

Are you sure you spelled you handle correctly? I think you spell it "nitwit".

[patcoghm]

Well here comes the name calling.
Are you sure you spelled you handle correctly? I think you spell it "gobblybits.
SORRY. I picked up a bad habit during this sideshow from the Obama camp.
Name calling when you disagree because la ack of experience and solid record of accomplishments leaves little to respond with. SO name calling works.

Forgive me for acting like a radical. Actually I'm a middle of the road, conservative life style, liberal on politics DEMOCRAT

[EyeWantOneNation]

Personally, some of the best rally's...some of the best stump speeches Obama has given recently, is when he totally ignores that fact that the Clinton's even exist, and deals straight with McCain and the GOP !!!

[Jaradan]

NanWhit, did you see "" around "bored"? No? Then that means it's not a direct quote from Obama. It's a word that spectators used to describe how THEY thought he's feeling, which could be...ya know, incorrect because...are they psychic?

[eesmm]

The variety of comments to this article makes me extremely curious. If I were a campaign manager running out of cash, I would seriously consider getting some volunteers to sit all night commenting on the blogs.

It makes me wish the campaigns had to report their IP addresses as fully as they do their contributions. Maybe they do.

HuffPo moderators: Any chance you can check this out? Would you consider hijacking the readers comments as fair game?

Regarding the story, I agree that it's rather Rove-esque. A blatant "Rinse & Repeat" job, on a par with the "bitter" controversy and a standard Swift-boating we should have become sensitive towards.

I think it's legitimate that Mr Obama, after eating his 42 starters, should be eager to tuck into the main course. It's the word "Eager" that should be being bandied around.

[EyeWantOneNation]

As for IP addresses...yes they do, and HuffPo, from what I understand, does !!!

It still doesn't stop the campaigns from having their supporters blogging all night though !!

Example: Clinton staffer Peter Daou sent emails out en masse to supporters, telling them to "fight back" against a long list of topics that have bothered the Clinton campaign; from tax filings, to WH schedules, funders, list of earmarks by Sen. Clinton, etc.

Sometimes it just seems a little more obvious than at other times, doesn't it ???

[Pharos]

Spoofing IP addresses is easy, I hope nobody relies on that because it could be Rove spoofing Democratic IP addresses.

[spyda]

It makes me sick to her all of these so called MSM people doing commentary on Obama and Rev.Wright­.Rev.Wrigh­t is not running for office but they continue to link the two together like they are running for office together!Why is it that Sen.Obama has to denounce renounce or what ever the hell it is that they call it and John McCain and Hillary Clinton are given darn near a free ride and never taken to dumps on their associations with friends,Ex­-Pastors,s­upporters or anyone.I'll be so damn happy when this shiggity is over.I can't even stand watching it anymore.The racist double standards are just to much to listen to!This is crazy.And by the way everyone does not disagree with everything that Rev.Wright has said.Why haven't we gotten a clear response to the Family or whatever religion that Hillary is claiming !! Damn give me a break!!

[Pharos]

It's not racism. The MSM did the exact same thing to McGovern. I went to his rallies, saw the newspaper accounts the next day. I felt like you are probably feeling now.

For the record, I'm an older white male, and I rather admire the Reverend Wright. I did take the time to read his sermons. I feel Obama was pretty disloyal but I also realize he may have had no choice as a politician.

Did you hear about the reporter today who asked the Reverend Wright about his comment about the "chickens coming home to root"? He asked her if she had read the whole sermon. She had not. This is a reporter sent to cover this event, at which he was speaking and in the whole time since this crap came out in the media and YouTube, she has not bothered to look up the sermon!
That is gross incompetence!

He was, for those who have not read the whole sermon, quoting an Iraqi ambassador, it was not his sentiment.

The MSM is irritating, it was even in the days of Walter Cronkite. I think it's gotten worse, but it was always bad. You need to stop blaming the media. Obama and Clinton have to learn to deal with the Media we have and not the one we would like to have.

[dollars2donuts]

Give up on the MSM. They are not going to change, they are mindless drones, at least in this country. My husband and I visited Canada a few times, and Sweden, Holland, and Spain, scoping them out for a possible move. The media there...such a difference (well, so many things are better)....soooo much more intelligent, reasonable. the media here is an abomination. They actually are impeding our progress as a nation, and probably that is intentional by corporations that run them. And journalists here are very lazy and reactionary. Now we're eyeing the Carribbean because since both of us are biracial, we are looking for a place where with the lowest possible racism and highest possible quality of life. Next vacation stop: Barbados. I'm also reading "Quitting America" by Randall Robinson, and trying really hard not to become clinically depressed by this primary!

[nibblybits]

This whole article is based on the word "bored" as expressed in the headline, so I clicked on the link to see the article only to discover that I had already read it. Furthermore, "bored" was not a word quoted and used by the candidate or his associates but chosen by the two reporters of the piece, Jeff Zeleny and Adam Nagourney.

Why would they use such a loaded word if they can't quote it to a source? They must have known it would be pointed out since it's a word with loaded meaning. Sloppy sloppy writing. Just another example that the Grey Lady is falling short of their past reputation as the paper of record. I miss Johnny Apple, his intellect and his superior writing. Now we have to deal with these two hacks.

[asmac]

I just heard on MSNBC a discussion about Obama being bored...who says he is bored? Then they discussed Maureen Dowd article about how radiant HRC is...how she is thriving under the pressure...

What gives?

[Testtubebaby]

The Media is doing what they do best Starting sh*t. The campaign probably said something completely different and here ya go with the bullsh*t!

[uglybetty]

Is'nt that just too Sad ??

You people were eating it up when the press was bashing Hillary, and you all joined right in !

Kinda stinks , Don't it ??

[Krikkit]

I believe the article indicated that Obama is bored with duking it out with Clinton over bs issues. That's why he's taken to ignoring her and focusing on 1) issues relevant to voters and 2) McCain. Too bad he can't get completely away from the b.s. issues. I mean, who in their right mind in the world would think that playing a sport well should be a reason to elect the president of the United States? Only here in "What are we F****ing nuts!?!" America.