Obama's New Offense

I've been flying on Obama's plane since the debate, and one thing that jumps out is how he is attacking McCain more forcefully on the stump than he did on Friday. As I write in a new article today for The Washington Independent:

Obama may have been cool and cordial during the debate, but he punched hard at those weekend rallies. He alternatively blasted and mocked his opponent's campaign. Looking over crowd of 20,000 in Greensboro, N.C., on early Saturday morning, Obama made a show of laughing at McCain's newfound interest in running as a change agent. "He's been grabbing our signs, using our slogans. Come on, John!" Obama said, "come up with your own stuff!"

Obama also mixes indignation with withering ridicule:

Reprising McCain's now infamous line about fighting earmarks for bear research in Montana, Obama channeled Jon Stewart to dismiss this as a distraction. "He's really hung up on those bears," he said to laughter and applause.

On the trail, Obama's aides are also talking up his debate performance. The snap surveys and traditional polling largely favored Obama, of course, and campaign manager David Plouffe heralded those figures in a presentation for the traveling press this weekend. He pointed to a CBS survey indicating that after the debate, the number of uncommitted voters who said Obama understands their "needs and problems" jumped 21 points, to 79 percent. In a separate question about McCain's standing, the Republican nominee improved 5 points on that score, from 36 to 41 percent.

Plouffe argued that Obama's increase was striking because he already had a "healthy edge" on understanding people's problems. The campaign also flagged a new USA Today/Gallup poll showing that 12 percent more debate viewers thought Obama won on Friday -- 46 percent said Obama did better, while only 34 percent who said Mccain did better.

Yet Obama's aides did not address a significant setback in the same debate polling. While Obama used the debate to prioritize his signature issue of opposing the Iraq war, a view now shared by most of the public, more voters actually thought McCain would make the "right choices" in Iraq.

In fact, McCain's support on that measure jumped 12 points among uncommitted voters after the debate -- to 56 percent. Only 48 percent of voters said the same about Obama, who gained four points on Iraq from the debate, according to the CBS poll of uncommitted voters. Sensing an opening, GOP operatives spent the weekend blasting Obama for advancing a "misguided and weak" foreign policy that offers "defeat" in Iraq.

Without directly responding, Obama's campaign appears to have staked its confidence on the surveys showing a lead among debate viewers -- which suggests that the Iraq issue did not hinder Obama's overall standing.

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Comments

[luvangelHussein330]

No matter which way the polls lean i still don't trust them, they change to much and no one knows the who, what, when, where and how they are being done.
Mccain and his trigger happy finger and temperment make me nervous when it comes to war. He seems more willing to send in the troops then Bush at the drop of a hat. And when they come back from said wars leaving them by the way side...I certainly hope that the camapign doesn't get to excited about the new numbers because w have a long way to go.

[MinerSam]

Sorry to use 2 words normally used as critisism BUT THEY Each have *MEANING* Each their own (1) Supid not the same as (2) Ignorant. What happened to the idea that IGRNORANCE IS THE ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY.

The ****stupid**** thing is that people ABSURDLY equate Foreign policy w/the fight in Iraq ( HELPED BY PROFOUNDLY IGNORANT TALKING HEADS, Their News outlests are TO JOURNALISM WHAT PAINTING BY NUMBERS IS TO ARE.

PLUNTLT SPEAKING McCain's "STRENGTHS" are NIETHER FORIEGN OR DOMESTIC POLICY **Anyone believing it reveals their own IGNORANCE!

The Republican Candidate Revealed at the Debate what a "D" Student he is BOTH in FORIEGN AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS And what a Bush style JUVENILE he is!

Moronically castigated Obama for responding to Georgia event by effectively calling for BOTH SIDES TO CHILL OUT...But that's EXACTLY how A LEADER should respond to Two countries we have relations with And Georgia did Egg Russia On.

McCain's Gambling and iratic behavior are ***U-TURNS***reminding me of Bush dismantling the Iraqi Army, then trying to put it back together again. Rememberering Praises of Bush as "a Risk taker" by (secretly) Republican Talking Heads? Ye, Risk OF WHOSE life and Limb AT EVER TURN IN EVERY PLATFORM IN THE WORLD Please American please get Educated!

[nomobull]

the surge is working mantra ain't working because people are looking to other sources for iraq news

[LeftRight]

How ANYBODY could think that john (bomb-bomb-bomb Iran) mccain would make "better choices" regarding Iraq......... I just don't know what the heck is WRONG with people!!!

Honestly, the man said that he wants us to stay there until the violence drops to zero, and then stay there for another million years!!!! HOW is that a good choice???

[Aleka4]

They were bamboozled by "I know how to win in iraq" and apparently the rednecks who still think it is about "winning" and "victory" instead of doing the right thing and looking after our own, bought into ti hook line and sinker - again.

[egal]

It's obvious how they can think that--they equate McCain's former POW status as foreign policy experience.

Actually, mot likely what it really comes down to is that people consider "strength" in foreign policy to equate with brutal, barbaric, machismo-laden killkillkill ideals, and weakness with a willingness to negotiate. They know that Obama is RIGHT on foreign policy and has been all along, but they've been so thoroughly brainwashed that they don't perceive doing the right thing as strength but do perceive bullying and constant, counterproductive attacks to be strength.