Help Wanted: Surrogates for Barack Obama Who Can Throw a Punch

Sandwiched in between publicly accusing Barack Obama of playing the reverse "race card" and the next day denying he ever said it, Bill Clinton offered a crass but undoubtedly truthful assessment of presidential campaigning when he referred to it as a "contact sport." Clinton challenged the Senator from the South Side of Chicago to either put on his pads or hit the showers.

By suggesting Obama put on his pads, rather than his gloves, the former president aptly recognized that presidential campaigns are more like football than boxing - more team sport than individual matchup. And if presidential campaigns are indeed, akin to football games - and they are - then a candidate's surrogates are his offensive linemen.

Trench warriors, thankless blockers, mud-strewn brawlers - these underappreciated teammates are the glue of any successful squad, and allow the quarterback, or in this case, the candidate, the time and space he needs to make the play, score the touchdown, go home victorious. The television surrogates for Obama and Clinton are similarly charged with clearing the way for their respective candidates by setting the narrative, taking the fight to the adversary and saying things that campaigns want said - just not by the candidates themselves.

But so far in the Obama v. Clinton contest, the performance of the two squads has been decidedly one-sided. Whereas the Clinton surrogates have been true elbow-throwing game-changers, the Obama surrogates have been marshmallow-like spectators. And I'm not even talking about some of Team Clinton's "borderline" race-baiting and fear-mongering surrogate work like referring to Obama's "shuck-and-jive routine" (Andrew Cuomo), his imaginary schooling in an Indonesian madrassa (Bob Kerrey) or his campaign's likeness to Jesse Jackson's (the surrogate-in-chief himself).

Watching Obama's pleasant, happy-faced surrogates go up against Clinton's kneecappers and hardballers is like watching a scrimmage between the varsity and the JV. While the likes of Wolfson, Garin and Kiki McLean pummel the airwaves with ever-changing, logic-defying and ruthlessly self-serving theories for Clinton's continued candidacy, Obama's painfully polite roster of advocates articulate patience and offer awkward facial expressions and body language ranging from bewilderment (at the audacity of the Clinton surrogates' arguments) to a painfully obvious desire to avoid confrontation.

After watching countless hours of election coverage thus far, I am still wondering: where is the emotion from the Obama surrogate team? Surely it is a bad sign when the sharpest, most damaging Obama talking points are instead delivered on a regular basis by the likes of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann.

It is understandable that Senator Obama himself wants to tread lightly in order to preserve his ability to unify the party come August, but his linemen (and women) aren't paid to be polite. Their job is to shove the ball down their opponents' throats and to move the proverbial line of scrimmage - or in this case, public opinion - by impassioned, spirited advocacy. But to watch them perform, one senses no anger. There is no outrage. There is no drumbeat. Just politeness, punctuated by awkward smiles of befuddlement and confusion. And all the while, Team Clinton is eating them for lunch and moving the ball down the field.

Comments

[aceholiday]

obamas advisers and personal promoters are doing their best to maintain their integrity. shame on them.

[londongal]

I tend to agree with this post. I'm an Obama supporter and have been mad as hell with his surrogates for playing this so called "contact sport" like they're competing at an over sixties bridge party! Sheesh, get some damned passion, indignation, even anger, but please get something!

[wakupmagy]

Obama Campaign--
Please read this post ! Andy Rosenberg speaks the truth.
What honor in losing "graciously?"
Find a junkyard dog like Carville, announce he is not with the campaign, and let him fight !

[laksa]

Any suggestions? Hey, we have to help out. Obama's people are like clueless as far as this issue is concerned.

[MariaHopeful]

I don't think the SD need to get dirty or become as shameless and Republican-like as the Clinton's.­. They just need to not allow themselves to be pushed around by outright lies, fuzzy math and spinning. They are being honest but not assertive enough. We need SD like Ed "take-no-bs" Shultz. We have the better argument. We have the best candidate. Present his case convincingly.

[butchie65]

Obama is ahead, she isn't. She claims she is ahead and people know she isn't. She lies and when people see what she is they will leave her. Her major campaign manager, former Amb to Chile did today. He left her campaign for Obama's, he was uneasy with the tone of her campaign. He raised thousands of dollars for her.

[4wehttam]

I have to disagree with you. Supposedly in this race thus far, the surrogates "represent" the candidate. Whatever they do, reflects negatively or positively on Obama. They can't play dirty like the Clinton camp can, they have to stay above the fray. Clinton doesn't care who she tears apart, who she divides or insults as look as the end result is that she wins or damages Obama's credibility. She's a witch, so therefore her surrogates can act like "goons and thugs" (to steal a phrase from Cafferty).

I do agree however, his camp HAS to find a way to fight back honorably and consistently. Which for the most part they have been doing. The American people won't fall for her crap much longer, sooner or later her supporters (at least the sensible ones) will realize that she's not respecting them and acting the way a respectable person.

[ProudLiberalDan]

Standing up for oneself is not the same thing as playing dirty. If Obama is to win, he is going to have to show more "fight" in him.

This means dealing with conflict head on, like he did so brilliantly with this speech on race.

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"The American people won't fall for her crap much longer, sooner or later her supporters (at least the sensible ones) will realize that she's not respecting them and acting the way a respectable person."

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That kind of naive sensibility is only going to lead to a lovely concession speech on election night.

Obama and his team don't have to play at the Clintonian or Rovian levels. They have facts and truth on their side. They need to start using them.

Swinging at Clinton has risks. Since the media has defacto endorsed McCain by treating him with kid gloves, Obama needs to start tying Bush as an albatross around McCain's neck and crusade against the conservative movement itself.

Please, no more naivety about a "new politics" that will only lead to a lovely concession speech because he, like Kerry and Gore, didn't take these attacks head on and fight for the win.

Obama is going to have fight now, after he's nominated, all the way to election day and even after the election when the votes are counted as conservatives will pull out all the stops to hold onto the crumbs of power under McCain.

[RAND7044]

You have missed the point of his entire campaign. Aside from which, I was always told to never wrestle with pigs because you will both get dirty and pigs don't mind the dirt. He is already beating her by every metric available. Why play in her petty fights? What attracts so many to him is something that hardly ever gets mention, class. He has it, she doesn't. She hath no shame. She will say something on monday and tell you on tuesday she said no such thing. Nothing Obama can do or say will make the media call these people on this bullshit. The past seven years of the Bush Admin. has been the same way. When reality doesn't bare your vision out, change the goal or the subject. Wmd's, safe for democracy, greeted as liborators, fighting the terroist there so we don't have to fight them here, can't leave cause it will be a disater. This line of thinking premeates the clinton campaign as well . It doesn't matter beause their votes won't count anyway, its the pledge delegate count that matters, caucuses states don't reflect the will of the people, only big states matter, no its actually the popular vote that matters, he is only winning because he is black, i voted for the war though i'm against it, people who are in your campaign shouldn't meet with foreign governments, he was their only in his PR firms CEO capacity,(this is too fun, i could literally go on

[moda31]

this is my number one problem with his campaign right now. they are not doing well with managing the news cycle. i swear they need to have a giant meeting of their surrogates and remind them of what the talking points are, they need people to succinctly counter punch the BS that's coming from the clinton camp and their surrogates who are also proficient bullshitters and happily being swallowed whole by the media. according to the msm right now obama is floundering among low income voters, whites, and older voters which just isn't true if you compare how he did in ohio vs. pennsylvania. why on earth the campaign doesn't have people out there yelling this from the rooftops is beyond me. they often seem to behave as though the media gives a rats ass about informing people, and sifting through the spin, that's the one area in which i think their campaign has been pretty wimpy.

[KGinSanFrancisco]

Please hire Rachel Maddow ASAP for Obama's press secretary. She is super smart, takes no bullshit and can throw a punch.
Please Obama campaign, we gave you the money, you can pay for a great professional to handle the 24 hour TV circus.

[tbone99]

"Obama surrogates have been marshmallow-like spectators. "

Ha! maybe they should recruit from Huffpo.

[NYSF]

This is exactly right! He needs a Lanny Davis type! Headhunter. One that will not let things go.

[ProudLiberalDan]

Thanks for this.

Even if the attacks are vile and disgusting, "rising above" them or ignoring them just doesn't work in politics.

Look at the rapid response War Room in 1992. That worked. Seeing these attacks as "beneath" one's dignity may be the mature response, but it unfortunately comes off to much of the American electorate as wimpiness. Obama is not a wimp, so he needs to start showing his strength, not with false posturing, but with passion.

Team Obama doesn't have to play dirty, but the electorate likes a fighter. Get over the naivety about this "new way of doing " politics. As any minor party candidate will tell you, you cannot change the system until you get elected by the system.

While I believe that Obama should be the nominee as the candidate with the most pledged delegates and votes, I don't want a naive post-partisan political arrangement, where conservatives and neoconservatives who have left a trail of destruction in this country at home, abroad and to our constitution, are invited to the table as if they've done nothing wrong.. I want a fighter who will crusade for liberal values and progressive policies and stomp the conservative movement into the political wilderness for a generation.

And, race obviously matters, so he's going to have to directly address the issue again and again all campaign long -- but addressing race is a strength of his.

[tbone99]

"I don't want a naive post-partisan political arrangement, where conservatives and neoconservatives who have left a trail of destruction in this country at home, abroad and to our constitution, are invited to the table as if they've done nothing wrong.."

isn't that what one calls an Obamican?

[noodlebit]

I think Barack Obama is just doing what he said he was going to do, and that is to not get caught up in the old style politics. I can't agree more, or support him enough in that effort. I am SO SICK AND TIRED of the same old stuff coming from the Clintons that I could scream. ARRRGH! There, I did it.

Seriously though, you have a point. His surrogates should (and must, if we shall prevail) do as you say and cram the ball down the Clinton's surrogates throats, and regain the line of scrimmage to our favor.

But you do have to understand that there truly IS no anger amongst the staffers for Obama. That is not his style, and they are executing his plan of being joyful. I only hope that strategy in the end prevals and he is boosted into the Presidency. That would truly be a victory for American politics, whether or not people recognize that.

I suspect most people are too busy watching the mainstream media's garbage to really pay enough attention to clearly see this. And that is such a shame.

Turn off the TV and do something productive, America!

[katefranklin]

I think it's time for some of them face the "electability" argument head on. Translation: let's recall just a few of the myriad Clinton Tales that will be told in November. Take your pick: Whitewater, Impeachment hearings, Cattle Futures trading, Pardongate, Travelgate, Whitewater, Hillarycare, Vince Foster, etc. I mean, come on. Where did this empty-headed argument that the Clinton's are impervious to attack come from?

[NABNYC]

Most of the business and professional occupations in the U.S. have been systematically drug into the gutter in recent decades by people who advocate using the same rationale: everyone else is doing it, and besides, it's the only way to win. The next time you hear about 75 year old people who were conned into tying up most of their money in 20 year annuities just so their "trusted neighbor and friend" could get a 10% commission, and now these people will lose 20% of their money when they need it, remember your own advice: everyone else is doing it.

We see it in law, in medicine with the promotion of unnecessary drugs and procedures, with the lenders, the huckers on wall street, the CEOs looting their companies and lying to the investors, in the child-molesting ministers and preachers and con men. All of our politicians solicit and take bribes and sell us out every day.

Is it possible that one of the responsibilities of progressives is to act ethically, to reject the embrace of unethical conduct just because it lets people "win," or make more money? Think about that one. If not us, then who?