Obama! If You Want to Win -- Boot Biden Now and Bring Back Hillary

Plus 4 other Manly Must-Do Moves! Ignore at Your Peril! Who has put Barack Obama on sedatives? In his newest TV ad, he looks and sounds so lethargic he might as well have stayed in bed and not bothered.

It's just the latest Obama campaign misstep and non-step that is befuddling frustrated Obama supporters as the McCain ticket surges head to head with the Democrats in the latest polls. While the McPalin ticket is seemingly everywhere in hard-hitting TV ads and on female-friendly morning shows, Obama and Biden are virtually MIA.

In Obama's new ad, he sits quietly and speaks earnestly into a camera that feels way too far away. His message that we need change and that instead of focusing on substance, the campaign is consumed by petty attacks, is fine. But fine doesn't cut it right now.

The ad isn't hard-hitting. It doesn't attack McCain for his sleazy ads, lipstick smears, or for flip flopping on his response to the economic crisis. Obama looks weak, not strong. He feels like a pushover, not decisive and not presidential. And that too-far away camera makes him as remote as the way he's been running his campaign since the DNC -- on remote.

So listen up Barack! You're in the battle of a lifetime for the future of the country, millions of supporters are counting on you and you're behaving like this is a polite gentleman/woman's contest. The McPalins are treating the election like a slugfest, they're winning, and you're behaving like a lightweight. The American people like fighters and need to see a fighter right now. Everything the McPalin camp has done -- calling you names, shouting louder, sliming your record...is bully behavior. And the only way to beat a bully is to push right back, so start pushing.

Here's what to do:

1) Get In the McPalin ticket's face!

• Run ads -- lots of them -- that use forceful, easy to remember words and phrases. Be clear -- "I will fix the economy." "I will bring back prosperity." "I'll throw out the lobbyists." "Fast track energy solutions." "End the war in Iraq." "Reform Washington." etc.

• Run a clip of McCain talking about putting lipstick on a pig, in an ad. Jon Stewart found the clip for his show. Now use it and call McCain on it.

Don't be afraid to call Sarah Palin the Governor of Pork. She took that Bridge to Nowhere pork money, all $233 million of it, and she used it for other pork projects. That was American taxpayers' money. Call her pipeline a "pipedream." The American public totally thinks she built that pipeline -- already. But it's 10 years away and could cost taxpayers $500 million. Make that known.

4) Be everywhere except a Hollywood bash. Barbra Streisand won't do anything for you but reinforce your "elitist image." Why aren't you in Galveston with the victims of Hurricane Ike? Be their friend. Why aren't you instead sitting on The View? Getting cozy with Matt and Meredith? Regis and Kelly? If you want to win back women, be charming and be in their faces where they'll see you! And where you'll be reported on!

5) Finally! Dump Biden and Bring Back Hillary! New York Times columnist David Brooks, wrote very insightfully a couple of weeks ago that in this election, Weirdness Wins.

Barack first bested Hillary in the primaries by weirdly focusing on the highminded call to vote for change and unity, over partisan bickering.

Then John McCain stole momentum from Obama by his superweird VP pick of hottie supermom Sarah Palin. Now, the electorate can't seem to remember that we're still in deadly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the economy is failing. Somehow being able to dress a moose and see Russia from your window are now considered useful for the vice presidential skill set.

Obama, if you want to regain momentum, you've got to shock the country out of its Palin passion and retake the headlines. You've got to pull the weirdest move ever.

Boot Biden from the ticket -- he hasn't helped your campaign one iota and anoint Hillary your new VP. Your reason? You have to announce that the people have spoken. You listened and they want a woman! A tough talking pitbull with lipstick who can articulate the needs of average folks, is the only way to go on the attack against Sarah, and not be accused of sexism. That will be essential in upcoming debate. Hillary has already proven she's can do that! Listen, it's not nice to ditch a perfectly respectable running mate, but these aren't ordinary times, as you point out in your new ad.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions. You need to win, so stop being wimpy and above the fray. It's not working. You're just being forgotten. Start your makeover now and you still have time to turn this election on its ear, go lipstick to lipstick and win against those phony McPalins!

Follow Bonnie Fuller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bonniefuller

Comments

[wisewomcat]

I just wanted to point out how ridiculous this blog entry was, now that Obama has opened up double digit leads in the polls. I am so glad that he didn't react irrationally to all the "I want my Hillary or I'm going to tank this election" people.

[MM216]

Another thing.....­.you advocate replacing Biden (a male) with Hillary (a female).
Isn't THAT sexist?
Of course, if they dropped Hillary for Biden, you and others would be screaming "sexism" off every mountain top.
But to boot a male candidate in order to make room for a female one.....na­h, that's not sexist at all (NOT!)

[MM216]

Dump Biden and put Hillary on the ticket? At this late date? Are you out of your mind? Do you really want to give the McCain enough ammunition to sink the Dems?
Obama will REALLY look wishy-washy, un-presidential, caving in to a certain interest group, and definitely not ready to lead this country.

It is about the country, get it? It's NOT about hurt issues or acting like a sore loser.
Get over it. PLEASE. Our country's future is a stake.....­we're teetering on the verge of economic disaster. Now is NOT the time to throw a petulant feminist fit!

[lalahall]

This idea doesn't even merit consideration. Hillary Clinton put her ambitions over the good of the party and the country. She fomented a schism in the Democratic party by staying in the race too long, even though it was clear she had absolutely no chance to win. And she manipulated her supporters, giving them false hope of a victory, in order to damage Barack Obama's candidacy and put herself in a better position to run in 2012.

Why is it that her die-hard supporters don't seem to realize that they were USED? It was absolutely shameless the way she strung them along in order to carry out her self-serving agenda. Rather than trying to undermine Barack Obama and Joe Biden right now, you'd think they'd be furious with Hillary Clinton for the way she manipulated them. I, for one, was absolutely appalled at her behavior.

As to why Barack Obama is not dominating the polls right now, it's a very complex situation and in the end Sarah Palin will probably have had little bearing on the outcome. So to try to counter her appeal with Hillary Clinton as VP is short-sighted, at best. Joe Biden is the perfect choice for VP. Why do you think the Republicans were so scared when he was announced? If it were Hillary, they would have been dancing in the streets. It isn't Joe Biden that is the problem -- it is Hillary's and Bill's unbridled ambition.

[lalahall]

This is absolutely insane. Joe Biden was, and still is, the best choice for VP! Dropping him for Hillary Clinton is a stupid idea on so many levels and it would assure Republicans a win.

[bodhibabe]

Biden is STILL the right choice.

[MikeDu]

The right wing, including Murdoch, was 100% "behind Hillary" simply because they had ammunition stockpiled against her from decades back. "Hillary didn't get nominated? How can we use our drug-needl­es-hanging­-from-Chri­stmas-tree story now?" The hard right wanted Hillary on the ticket just so they could have another crack at crucifying her. Of course old lies used on other victims can simply be recycled for the current target. The absurd Obama sex ed for toddlers story is a remarkably crude example of that. Obama appearing calm and rational as the right become increasingly hysterical is as good a campaign tactic as any.

[AZ AF VET]

Why would Hillary want to be VP? She could end up on the Supreme Court where she would have some power and authority.

[moodpost]

Not that it matters, but Hillary would have been a bad choice for Obama because she would undermine a core message. She is more connected to lobbyists.

[pinkfirefly]

This article's cynicism and naivete mirror McCain/Palin ticket's. Hillary would have been a wonderful pick. But Biden is, by far, the best choice Obama could have made. Imagine the field day our "opponent" would have with flip-flop accusations if Hillary were substituted in. We have a much stronger chance of winning with Joe Biden- have you seen him speak out on the campaign trail? Amazing. I'm mega-grateful Obama picked him. Was the answer to my prayers, literally.

[bodo]

The Hillary train has departed, folks. If you can't get over it, that is your problem but changes nothing. Biden will get the Jewish vote which McCain lost by refusing Lieberman. Biden will also get part of the blue-collar voters -- the non-racist ones at least. Biden has the huge foreign experience that neither Sarah nor Hillary possess, unless you count sniper fire. Biden brings the "experience" that McCain was pushing so hard before he picked inexperienced Palin. If Obama loses it will only be because of racism, and not even Hillary could change that.

[Elkanah]

Wrong Bonnie, Obama is ahead right now. That is because he is doing the right thing.

Many of the attacks upon Obama by McCain come from the Obama vs. Hillary campaign. She too said "he was elitist". She also said that he lacked experience. These are used in attack ads over and over again by McCain. Wolf Blitzer even brought back the old "don't take it seriously when Obama says that he wants to review NAFTA which was used before the Ohio primaries. He did this yesterday, September 21.

The main reason Biden is not getting the publicity he merits is mainly because the owners of CNN and other media want McCain elected. It has nothing to do with Hillary. If she were running with Obama nothing would change.

They see that they will have to begin paying their share of taxes which they managed to avoid for many years. That is their main concern.

They will do all in their power to get McCain/Palin elected to the highest office in the land for this reason mainly.

Obama/Biden are not losing yet. They are fighters and as such they will win.

[amst]

I totally disagree. For one thing, putting Clnton in will appear as it is, a move simply to put a woman in to combat Palin; secondly, HRC as a running mate wold turn the undecideds to McCain fo sure; and thirdly, it's obvious by her lack of campaigning for Obama (ok, a couple good words/appearances) that her heart and mind simply is NOT into it.

I too think Biden is an excellent choice and in the end think we'll all be happy with O/B on the tiket.

Obama/Biden 08

[nowalnuts]

I am all for Joe Biden. I think Obama's pick was excellent.

[Nan2008]

Whose to say this won't happen? At the last minute of the campaign Obama releases Joe and add's Hillary to his ticket. The Republicans wouldn't have to time to rip on Hillary.