They may have paid their electric bill on time, but the Obama campaign has been hit by back to back Power failures -- as in Barack Obama's former senior policy adviser Samantha Power messing up big time in the media. Nonetheless, the gaffes that led to the resignation of a high-profile campaign figure say more about the state of the race than they do about the Obama camp itself. This latest phase of the Democratic primary race has become incredibly tense that the slightest mistake can send shock waves through the campaign -- a dynamic that tripped up the Obama campaign this week, but is bound to send the Clinton camp faltering as well in the weeks ahead.
Having already resigned as Obama's Senior Policy adviser for calling Hillary Clinton a "monster" in a recent interview with The Scottsman, Time magazine now reports a second gaffe by Samantha Power.
According to Time, during a recent BBC interview, Power hedged on Obama's oft-spoken commitment to begin an immediate, albeit careful withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. According to Power:
You can't make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January of 2009...So to think -- it would be the height of ideology to sort of say, 'Well, I said it, therefore I'm going to impose it on whatever reality greets me. (link)
The statement by Power is, in fact, little more than a clumsy reiteration of an oft-used refrain in the Obama message on Iraq: that Obama is opposed to ideologically driven foreign policy. Nonetheless, Power's comment gave the impression -- however inadvertent -- that Obama's commitment to immediate withdrawal from Iraq was rhetorical, not real.
News of a second Power misstep in as many days comes at a time when Obama's campaign is working hard to cut off an attack from the Clinton camp, wherein Clinton contends that Obama is not ready to be Commander-in-Chief.
More than revealing anything new about the Obama campaign and its position on foreign policy or any significant shift in the delegate spread that divides Obama and Clinton, the back-to-back media gaffes by Power suggest that the 'Obama-camp-in-crisis' narrative has taken root, at least for the moment, in the media.
While retaining its solid lead in the delegate standings, the Obama camp seems to have suffered a temporary setback, nonetheless, as media attention shifts away from his large rallies and string of primary victories to the endgame for the nomination.
As much as anything else in the never-ending Democratic primary contest, the Power gaffes reveal how close the contest remains, as well as the unprecedented level of media attention it commands.
Such focused media pressure, combined with such high electoral stakes, suggests that the next few weeks will give rise to even more high-profile media mistakes from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns.
Cross-posted from Frameshop
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Why is he still winniknng? Could it be that the quiet wosdom he speaks of is bering recognized by people in the way he campaugns?
He speaks of using diplomacy to resolve problems. Well, the population of theUnited States is 4.6% of the world's humanity. Do you believe that we can accomplish a heck of a lot without cooperation from that other 95.4%? And will we gain that coopoeration by respectfully addressing our mutuial needs and wishes or by telling them "my way or the highway"? We are seen all too often as rude bullies -- because all too oftedn we are. That was Bush's way -- and seems to be that of some others here. Will we build real solutions to problems at home, like health care, by bullying each other -- or by listening and rerasoning -- and considering what othere nationsd have already done successfully? And will the solution we develop in an open manner be the same or worse or better than one developed in backroom deaaling with special interests as Hillary's first health fiasco was, and as Cheney's energy policy was?
Barack Obama is offering us a different way to do things. It is simple wisdom, but as the fellow said, "that common sense don't seem to be all that common around here."
So some silly name calling trumps thinking. And Obama is Ken Starr. How wonderful!! How important!! How typical! !
(See, for example, www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0907/Hillary_and_torture_audio_version.html)
Her stand on this transcendant moral issue was opposite to that taken by every other major Democratic presidential candidate in 2007-2008, and the heat she took for it caused her to make one of her famous "flip flops."
But I do agree that sanity is a bit hard to find right now with the competition so intense.
How many times did I see it characterized that Hillary endorsed McCain? *haha
I think it will calm down. It's a long time until Pennsyvania.
The "narrative" is, and should be, that Hillary's campaign has been an imploding hornet's nest since she lost Iowa. Their over the top reaction to any pedestrian request or off the record quip reminds me of my 15 year old son hopped up on too much adolescent testosterone.
The "narrative" is about the Clinton campaign's constant in-fighting and finger pointing. The disorganization. The secrecy. The fear mongering and divisiveness. All the while spinning lie after lie: the media bias lie, the NAFTA lie, the muslim lie, the experience lie, the "I'm winning" lie, the "John McCain would be a better president than my democratic opponent" lie and on and on...
These are people that she chose to run her campaign, can you imagine her cabinet? The narrative is "More of the same".
Of course that won't matter much, because Obama is supposed to be 'a different kind of politician'... right?
Do you EVER read an article?
According to Time, during a recent BBC interview, Power hedged on Obama's oft-spoken commitment to begin an immediate, albeit careful withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. According to Power:
You can't make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January of 2009...So to think -- it would be the height of ideology to sort of say, 'Well, I said it, therefore I'm going to impose it on whatever reality greets me
Obama is NOT going to withdraw from Iraq after all the talk. What do you think of that?
See how Obama won TX.
But now who is using the twisted mechanics of odd ball election rules to get more delegates than votes and claim to be winner.
So, let me see if I have this. When he wins the popular vote and loses the delegate majority, it is the will of the people that counts. When he wins the delegate count but loses the popular vote, it is machine politics that counts. I guess if he loses both, there must be a monster in his closet. Whimper.
You guys and your hypocrisy just kill me. It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't stand up and pretend to be different and above it all. in reality, just like all politicians at this level, it's whatever it takes to win. Such a disappointment.
This race has entered the sickening phase. If the candidates don't fight dirty, the argument will be made they cannot beat McCain. If the play dirty, and lie, and deceive to win, they break the hearts of the good American people. Since the rethugs don't care about honor and morality, dirty politics is fine by them.
Please good democratic voters, keep this in mind as we go forward into the muck. I may have to stop watching it, and just hold my nose, cross my finger, pray to god and vote for the winner of the democratic nomination.
It is a travesty that Powers was forced to resign after speaking nothing more than the truth.....something Clinton should try once in a while. It is a measure of the divisive Rovian politics Clinton has adopted in her quest for personal glory that she and her surrogates would bring a worthy person down in pursuit of selfish victory. Superdelegates take notice!
After Clinton's numerous displays of con-like arrogance and ugly ego, I am sick to my stomach of her, and will NOT "hold my nose" and vote for that deceitful hypocrite creature...EVER.........it is either a breath of fresh air or nothing.