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

[myna]

Sorry, Obama, I don't want to hear that you are bored and frustrated; that you find this campaign too rigorous and that you miss your kids. After a while, it sounds like WHINING or not unlike a child who picks up his toys and says "I don't want to play any more." What concerns me most of all, is I have an inkling that this stretch of "boring" is really a defense to PA and all the personal attacks. You can put the blame elsewhere, but that does not play in Peoria.

[mpflinn]

Well I like the value of family-first and have been pleased to see the Senator steal a few hours from a rough campaign to be with his family. Might relate well to the folks working many jobs to feed the kids and gas up the car or pay the bus fare, who take precious moments with their loved ones - in the long run that's what it's about for a lot of us, isn't it? - whatever the color of our collars?

[SicPlurisPoenaPrestantia]

It's Hillary's inability to convey even the simplest personal connection to her family that has proven that she is out of touch with the average American. She can play Annie Oakley and get outraged at poor, protected child Chelsea (isn't she almost 30?) being mistreated by the press, but I just can't see any kind of real bond there.

Obama's dedication to his family is precious, especially in a world of cynacism typified by the Clintons.

[BigLib]

He's bored, he's tired, the questions are "distracting" or "too hard.

What a whiner.

[SicPlurisPoenaPrestantia]

No, Hillary just isn't that interesting. He's already beaten her, and he wants to move on. We saw all of her juvenile ankle-biting tactics when Karl Rove first used them, and were pretty bored too.

[Pharos]

Even if he were bored with Clinton, there will be plenty of boring work as President. he will not get to pick and choose. Politicians need to meet their constituents. It is part of the job. What is so different about campaigning against Clinton? He can just run that campaign as if he were already in the General Election. It really sounds like he is bored with all the stuff a politician has to do and he wants to move in to the White House now. If he is bored now, it spells disaster in November.

It's also bad that his campaign aids would say such things to the press.

Has his campaign responded to this article? I couldn't find anything on his website. Again slow response to events.

[ginsburg]

It looks like Obama is taking Karl Rove's advice.

[AdamX]

Bored? Absurd.

[AC500]

Since Hillary must rely on Bill to win her the nomination because it appears she doesn't have the management skills or popularity to win it on her own, Bill must be vetted as we can only presume this inability to manage on her own means a joint Presidency is inevitable should she be given the nomination over and above the candidate who legally and morally won it within the rules of the nomination process. Also, Hillary must be held to the same standard of winning in North Carolina (a state tailor made for Obama) as Obama was held to in Penn. (a state tailor made for her). As was pointed out by one talking head this weekend, the Democrats have always had trouble winning white working class voters, and for the Super Delegates to hold this against Obama and withhold the nomination from him because of it, would be grossly unfair. One last point, next to Bill, Hillary and McCain, Obama looks like a choir boy when it comes to past baggage. I end with a question that no one seems to be taking seriously especially given the conflict of interest it could expose ... when is Bill Clinton going to be vetted? Has anyone even thought about what it would mean or what's it going to look like, on a host of different levels, to have an ex-President back in the White House?

[LeeinJax]

I'd like to repeat a relevant point. The vetting has occurred. The Clinton camp has certifiably demonstrated they lie. Bill Clinton has been impeached. Hillary has been shown to be a liar in undeniable, living color (well Bill denies it, but he is better at denying than anyone else)

To some, that may sound like bad news...

But what YOU don't understand is that makes it OK to lie. They have been vetted as liars. So if you call them liars, their retort can fairly be, in the words of Dick Cheney "So?"

Truth is no longer expected or required of them. Hillary has become the post-truth candidate.

Hillary says she is vetted and people say "OK" Few ask the results of the vetting...

[wry]

Didn't Obama LIE about his Father being a goat herd?

And didn't he LIE about being raised by his "single mother"? Yes she was single -between marriages- but she didn't raise him...his MARRIED white grandparents did.

ALL POLITICIANS LIE.

[SlappHappy]

Just think, in a parliamentary democracy, everything is over in 6-8 weeks. Maybe the US shouldn't have rebelled against Britain.

[Crozier]

My spouse and in-laws did not rebel, and remained United Empire Loyalists.....and you're right, it does not take 2 years to elect someone for a 4 year term.

[GBecker]

Tacky, tacky, tacky headline, HuffPo! Not to mention misleading....kinda par for the course these days in the media world. A shame, nevertheless.

[Countdown09]

Hillary supporters rare like children watching the Mr. Rodgers -- Today boys and girls we are going to learn a new word -- yesterday the word was "elitists", today our new word is "bored" -- can you say bored boys and girls.

[boatbum]

What of the headlines these days of "Working-class whites?" Is it just my family or does the term "working class white" shed light on close relatives? My mother comes from southeastern Ohio, dirt-poor Irish, German and French whose enormous family worked coal mines and railroads in the late 1800's to the midddle 20th century. They lived in trailers when JR got shot and still do. MY father's parents were dirt poor "greenhorns" or Portuguese immigrant fisherman on the New England coast. I say this plainly, these people are largley racists or at best, extremely prejudiced. My own father, father-in-law, grandfather and uncles have all use the word "nigger" to describe blacks.

My brother, an educated man, just this past weekend proclaimed to me, an Obama supporter, that in light of our own family and culture, he doesn't believe America is ready for an African-American President, even one who is half-white. People aren't really talking about it, but it seems to me that "white-working class" is a euphemism for uneducated, poor, white-racists and that the candidacy of Barack Obama is inevitably and inexorably drawing these dark truths into the light of day. As cathartic and necessary as this may be, it is just as challenging to the status quo and helps to explain the resiliency of the older, white HIllary Clinton.

[EvoMan]

Interesting insights. I think you've hit on something. It is so sad that poor rural whites, who historically have been racist, will let their irrational bigotry prevent them from voting for the candidate who will probably do the most for them.

If Hillary gets elected, she'll throw them by the wayside. Remember her comment about poor southern whites back in the 90s? "Screw them, Bill, you don't need them."

[edwcorey]

Imagine the resentment of finding that your best hope for the future is embodied in a person you hate, despise, and fear. There are people who would rather vote for a defective white person than for the greatest black person in the world (not saying Obama's the greatest; that was Muhammad Ali). Fear and hatred have always outweighed common sense.

[SamThornton]

The phrase "working class whites" is Clintonese for "trailer trash."

[westcoastsc]

Barack would have had those whites except for the media's poor coverage of Rev. Wright and Hillary painting him as elitist. Reverend Wright has been doing appearances and impressing the blank out of people who thought they knew him from the snippets. Barack will be president with or without the majority of the white vote. Bill won without it the first time. Actually, they treated him like they are now treating Obama. McCain is a particularly weak candidate. After Hillary finally settles down, it will be almost home free.

[AlejandroK]

Forget about campaign styles... Wright threaten Obama when he said “if you become president will come after you" That does this mean? This is really weird, odd and kind of scary. Why didn’t Obama take this threat seriously? Why he didn’t address this before? This is a serious and odd development. It is obvious the Wright has a hold on Obama. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9912.html

[Lindy222]

Did you read the entirety of what Wright said? He said that he'd be coming after Obama if he was elected because, as President, Obama would be representing a government that hurts the poor.

IOW, Wright was basically saying: "Don't expect a honeymoon from me if you're elected just because I was your pastor. My duty is to the poor, and I will continue to act in accord with that duty."

I'm curious: Are you a Clinton supporter, a McCain supporter or just an idiot?

[donaldw6]

I love posts that say exactly what I would say if I could get it just right. Way to go, Lindy222,

[hopefulintexas]

I am bored, too. Lately, though, I'm becoming more disgusted with the press than any of the candidates. They are SOOOOO "gotcha." They will not cover this Reverend Wright thing with any thought. They are constantly spoiling for a scandal!

Obama -- don't listen to them. They are full of it. They only thing they are "experts" at (if anything) is NOT politics!

I'm sick of the WWF-ifification of the presidential race.

[BDunne]

Ditto. I hate the media -- and I don't use that word lightly.
I have grown increasingly bitter with the media.

[doublesvb]

they must think we are idiots. i have to turn off the tv in mid-sentence. unfortunately we live in a land of sheeple and if people say it enough times it must be true. we're screwed.

[TunnelRat]

Yes, I'm sending BO a pillow right now!

He shouldn't have to lower himself to all this nasty campaigning and scrutiny over his, uhm, record (?) and plans to grow the gov't by $700 billion and get anyone making over $75k/yr to pay for his schemes.

How dare they! Leave him alone, he is such a nice man!

Why don't the Obamaphiles stop blaming the MSM/Clintonistas, etc. and just stick to the "Anybody Who Opposes BO is A Racist" strategy?

[realitycheck2008]

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

Translation - Obama's speech is stale and boring. He needs something new to keep the people excited in him.

[ebanks84]

It's quite BORING that the media has the average person psychoanalyzing every word that comes out of Obama's mouth. I don't know a soul who talks correctly at all times. Do you? We are human beings made in the image of God. We are NOT PERFECT and that's why God gave his only son to die for our imperfections so we can one day be forgiven and have everlasting life.

What the heck is wrong with you people? Why are we fighting among ourselves on a simple word called BORED. You mean to tell me that Obama doesn't have the right to be bored at any given time now that he's a presidential candidate. You mean to tell me that Hillary doesn't have that same right?

How can you even post some of the idiotic things that you do when you're looking right into your God's eyes at the bottom of the page and not able to see the truth? Stop allowing the media to take control of your feelings and good sense when you should know better.

How insignificant can being bored be? This is ridiculous.

[ebanks84]

And I DO know that Obama did not say he was bored.

[TheCowman]

I'm bored with it too...why in hell is the primary season 6 months long?? Do we vote for a president state by state for 6 months??

Dems need to shorten the primary season by 4 months, down to 2. The "super" delegates need to be made to make their "important" decision in that time. How is their decision any more important than ours?? Other than for their political career of course.

If it was only 2 months long it would quickly wrap up the nominating process, not allow the MSM months to spin and re-spin everything and get the loser out of the race quickly when there is no way in hell she can win.

anyway...that's my .02

BO/08

[JackW]

I agree. This thing should be wrapped in no more than 2 months, the primary vote for all states should be done in one day (as is the actual presidential vote) then it's on to the real race, which should also be limited to 2 months.
This would actually force candidates to speak about issues in detail. Amazing concept!

[fnygy]

I'm dreadfully tired of the primary too. However, I don't agree that we should have a national primary. If we did, candidates like Obama - unknown nationally - wouldn't have a prayer. Big money would be even MORE important than it is. Candidates would be forced to campaign only in high density areas - rural voters would completely get the shaft. Nor do I see how a national primary would somehow force a discussion of the issues - it certainly isn't that way in the general election.

As imperfect as the long primary & caucus system is, it allows for insurgent candidates like Obama and Carter & Clinton before him to introduce themselves to a national audience. As hard as this has been - I'm not for throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

[rjean]

barry is B O R E D

oh my

guess what genius...the presidency is FOUR YEARS.............
you gonna get bored there too....................

this guy is a flake.......................

[edwcorey]

I'm bored with one-dimensional minds like yours. It's always the nitwits who take up too much space on these blogs, with badly written, redundant screeds or acres of space between their idiocies. Give the return and period keys a rest.

[LINY516]

He was never quoted as saying he was bored with the campaign.
This story is from the New York Times; the same paper that is in Hillary's "home town" for now and the same paper that endorsed the "home town" girl. So go figure.