Transformative Campaign My Black Ass

Why isn't the Obama camp attacking Republicans for crying "sexism" left and right? Why isn't every Dem surrogate out there mocking Palin and her defenders with the same condescension with which Republicans and Obama surrogates mocked Hillary Clinton for suggesting that her gender was held against her?

On the democratic primary home field, Obama ducked, danced and weaved like a damn fine fighter. Today, he lumbers and lurches like a bum. His news soundbites (and folks, that's all most normal folks pay attention to) are about as distinctive as a mid-summer LA weather forecast. His speech is halting and tentative, as if he's verbally walking on eggshells. Close your eyes and listen. You'll find yourself screaming "figure out what the hell you want to say and say it!" His professorial mien appears toothless, dispassionate and yes, weak. It exudes a lack of drive and passion. Barack Obama seems significantly smaller than he did a few months ago.

It's as if he took criticisms and fears too much to heart. Of course, he needed to add some meat to his rhetorical mousse, as he did at Democratic convention. But he needn't sound like he swallowed a handful of Librium. His rhetorical style, borrowing significantly from the black church, was the device that telegraphed his passion. The style itself suggests gravity and mission, and he used its conventions admirably during the primaries. Since then, however, he seems to have largely abandoned it. Instead, he's trying to seem just like 'us' ("us" being working class whites). His story, the convention informed, was a quintessentially American one, just like 'yours.' His family, we were told, was just like 'yours.'

Well, by choosing the whitest woman in the world for a VP, a woman whose teenaged daughter's baby daddy called himself a "fucking redneck," Karl Rove's minions have effectively put a stake in that strategy's heart. The goal and effect of naming Sarah Palin was to put a bone through Obama's nose. He has never seemed blacker. And as a result of his own longstanding campaign strategy, which has not adjusted to the Palin pick, he has never seemed less significant.

The Obama "just like 'us'" strategy is dead. His supposedly transformative candidacy has been reduced to just another political show--only the competition has a full-blown circus, while Obama's holding a sock puppet.

To reverse the trend, Obama needs to tie himself more closely to his white running mate, Joe Biden, just as McCain has tied himself to Palin. We need more Obama/Biden joint appearances. We need to see more photo ops of the two of them. He needs to aggressively ally himself with a white face.

To reverse the trend, Obama needs to return to his rhetorical roots. It seems the only arrow in his quiver through which he telegraphs passion. Without it, he's Adlai Stevenson. He needs to raise his voice.

To reverse the trend, Obama needs to use that rhetorical device to effectively trash his opponents. The device offers sufficient cover through which attack Sarah Palin for crying "sexism" without looking like a bully--because he'd be doing it in the robes of another minority.

To reverse the trend, Obama needs to use his rhetorical devices to rail, rouse and mock. He needs to shout to the rafters the Republican damage to the American economy and the American dream and he needs to shout just as loudly his intention and vision for remedying both.

Democratic primary voters took an extraordinary chance in foregoing a candidate with a surer path to the presidency in favor of a relatively unknown black man with a thin resume. The Obama camp assured us that this election would be different, that this time, there would be no politics of division, that he would raise the level of discourse and so would not face the same fate in the press and the public mind as his most recent predecessors.

It was bullshit then and it's bullshit now. We're right back where we've always been. The Democratic candidate is playing defense and the press is largely running Republican press releases. The swing states and swing voters will, again, decide the election. Only this time, the Repubs have the extra added gift of blackness to run against. And in American politics, that's a gift that keeps on giving.

It's time for a change. Let's see how nimble the Obama campaign really is.

Comments

[bosse]

It is a very hard job indeed to teach the American public which is almost 80% anglo white mostly protestant to undersrand any one of any colr, be they back, yellow or brown. This is a problem that we can try to surmount. It is very difficult indeed, as proven in previous instances where a governor or SEnatoe or mayor, who was black got minimal majorities in Strong Demo states, Voters changing their minds, in the voting booth. God save this nation, npw when the choice is so obvious, now whre all our interests depend on the success of this ticket. Let us not be the laughing stock of the rest of the world. PLEASE VOTE for our future, our kids future, let us stop fighting for party, Let us elect superior people loving candidates, who could improve alll our lives VOTE FOR OBAMA

[dudervision]

Instead of messages of hope and excitement, all I seem to find here is messages of despair, critiques of how Obama is running his campaign, and meaningless rants against the lies being spewed by McCain and Palin!

ENOUGH!

ENOUGH being armchair quarterbacks and offering all this advice to Obama on how he SHOULD be running his campaign!

ENOUGH whining that we're going to lose this thing and the American people are stupid and none of it really matters because McCain has already stolen this race!

ENOUGH ranting and raving about McCain and his total lack of honor or Palin and her total inability to be VP among those already aware!

ENOUGH!!!

Leave this site, head over the Obama site and VOLUNTEER

To sign up new voters

To make phone calls

To send letters to the editor

Find out where your county's electoral board take volunteers for the election and sign up to be a clerk

Go over to CNN, Politico, any of the more right leaning sites and stir up trouble.

Get your friends fired up, then tell them to get their friends fired up....

GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND HELP US WIN THIS THING!!

Obama has said it before. This election is NOT about HIM

It's not about Biden

Or McCain

Or even Palin

IT'S ABOUT US!!!

Remember in the phrase Yes, we can, the most important word is WE!

SO, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO WIN THIS FALL GET TO WORK!!!!

OBAMA BIDEN 2008, 12, 16, 20

[Kilantra]

The personal satisfaction that some may derive from seeing Obama swat his opponents is
often selfish projection. Obama and his team are brilliantly savvy and haven't come this far because of luck. And soon to be President Obama is more aware than anyone of his threat to a large portion
of America, and the propelling consequences of being the 'head/face' of an inevitable movement towards real change. This heroic role is not one of fear or timidity. Obama and team are strategic and if you watch the consistency of their action you will notice that timing is everything, and jumping into
bait traps is not Presidential. Don't underestimate him, and look to satisfy yourself by seeing him
get a good lick in.

Mr. Leonce your tome like a young fighter has excitement but no punch. As another commentator
noted, please do your part, Obama and team know what they are doing. This offensive rhetoric is more damaging than useful.

[Levittown]

It took many years and mucho dinero to get Technicolor on to the big screen. And once seen it became the desired projection and made mucho dinero for the industry.

In November we have the same opportunity blending black and white. In the long run the investors will reap great dividends.

[pychicfakes]

You know, im a liberal. However I am sick of all this whining. Sen Obama has to watch what he says, don't look like a scary black man, but be tough, walk on water , turn water into wine. Nobody is satified, please SHUT UP!!!!!! Stop watching CNN Fox and sometimes MSNBC. Those channels don't show all of his speeches. They didn't show all of the convention, and had the nerve to complain that the DNCC didn't discuss issues. You all buy it!!!! watch CSPAN and PBS and gain some perspectiv­e...geez!!­!!

[MoeB]

EXACTLY!

I watched on C-SPAN, so, you know, I actually got to see ALL of the convention. They were all hitting on the big issues! But the "major" news networks were far too busy discussing fake "problems" over the speakers who weren't "key note".

I must stress, since lots of democrats seem to know EXACTLY what Obama needs to do to win, that the man hasn't made it this far by NOT knowing what he's doing! Jeesh. Yet:

When he discusses the broad aspect of "change", we cry that he's not being specific and risks being an "empty suit". When he discusses the issues at length, he's being "too nuanced", or "boring". When he gives more direct answers, he's being "arrogant", or "presumptuous". We rail against republicans for "low ball" or "gutter" politics, yet demand Obama resort to the same tactics that we claim to despise. If he does the RIGHT thing and stays above it, we call him "weak", or "soft"...I could go on and on...

I'm seriously starting to think that the problem isn't our candidates, but rather the problem is US.

[MoeB]

People, we need to stop freaking out. I mean, the republican convention just ended, McCain picked a surprise VP, and yet they are statistically tied with Obama nationally. His camp should've gotten a much bigger bump than they did. More democrats are registering than republicans. More republicans have switched their political affliation than democrats. CALM DOWN and do your part to ensure he gets elected!

And SHAME on people who DENOUNCE this man's effots to "raise the bar" of political discourse! How the hell are we going to change dirty political campaigns if we demand that our candidate engage in the same dirty tactics that we so often rail against republicans for?

If Obama spends his time railing against republican attacks, guess who wins? He is correct in staying on the issues.

And Leonce, you run the risk of being a hypocrite. I know for a FACT that as a black voter, I see right through ploys to garner the black vote. Dragging out Biden everytime Obama addresses a white audience would be the equivalent of McCain trotting out Powell when (if) he speaks to black audiences. Would YOU think more of McCain for doing that?

The issues he discusses affects ALL americans.

Finally, it is a GOOD thing to think before you speak! You'd figure after our current language mangling president, that we'd respect someone who took a second to THINK about what he was going to say. Garbage rambled eloquently (w/out 'uhh' or 'ahh') is still garbage.

[TheSecularist]

Wow! So much truth to power and straight talk in one post! Thank you. My sentiments exactly. Obama seems to have thought (and perhaps still does, even after so much evidence to the contrary) that Republicans and their party media would let him get away with setting the campaign bar high. In what universe was he living?

Wake up, Obama! You're looking weak. Your campaign has become a case study in how Swift-boating happens: slowly and persistently. You can't always be nice. You can't always be the better person. Turn your surrogates loose. Let them get down and dirty. Do your Reagan thing: put downs with a chuckle.

We, your supporters will do all we can here on the ground, but you need to help us.

[robXdion]

He has a nearly completely white staff watering down his style. They're feeding him this crap as a way to reach white voters. But people underestimate some whites. They can see Obama is black for all intent and purposes. And they actually appreciate the "black esthetic" of impassioned dialogue and delivery (in small doses). They want Obama to be himself and the "hard working white voters" be damned. These people won't vote for Obama no matter what he does. The sooner he realizes that, the better he'll be.

[honeydiva]

hmmm...there's nothing i can really disagree with here. you're tone is better than the authors. so i guess i'll give you kudos for your expression instead of writing the author something i'll be banned for.

[bekhuff]

Are you saying that all this comes down to is that Obama has white staff writing for him?

That is a really sad comment right there.

Mr. Gaiter's comment was about passion, and about displaying passion. His "rhetorical roots" (I love that - that's terrific!) don't prevent him from working with a variety of very talented people, regardless of their skin color - but they do ask him to employ a style of argument and delivery that he's clearly comfortable with, that allows him to make impassioned statements that get us all excited (some of us in a negative way, unfortunately).

The skin color of his writing staff has nothing to do with it. The fears of his writers and advisors and of Mr. Obama himself are what's at play, here. And I agree with Mr. Gaiter that this is a good time to face those fears with the kind of passion that inspired me when I first saw Mr. Obama speak.

(But I agree with MoeB that we also need to stop freaking out. If Obama and crew are watering things down out of fear, we similarly can't be overthinking Obama and crew's actions out of our own fears about this election...)

[robXdion]

You're making this into something it isn't. The fact is Obama DOES have a white staff advising and writing for him. And they are working overtime to make him palatable to white voters. Obama's "rhetorical roots" are well-based in black speaking traditions. Apparently you don't know what that means. BUT IT'S A CULTURAL ISSUE. And his staff is lacking in that regard whether you like it or not. Just stick to what you do know and if visit a black church occasionally (if you're not too scared) to get a feel for what I mean.