What Obama Must Do Tonight To Get It Right

As Barack Obama steps onto the stage at the Invesco Field stadium in front of 76,000 people he can be sure that Republicans, still unconvinced Hillary Clinton supporters, conservative media, independent voters and all those who still believe him to be an unpatriotic Muslim with a strange name will be listening intently for anything which can be used as a reason to criticize him. Obama has a task on his hands tonight.

Michelle Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and others have all done a great job of setting the stage for Barack this week. They have talked with conviction and persuasion about his family and his marriage, his American values, his readiness to lead and the strength of his policies when compared to McCain's. The Convention has been great success so far, but the true measure of its success will be its impact on the above-mentioned people. Whilst Obama's camp has apparently said that they expect no real bounce from the Convention, there is no doubt that they hope it will favourably influence the hard-to-reach voters in his direction.

By the end of tonight, will the 28% of Hillary Clinton supporters who have said they'd rather vote for McCain be fully committed to supporting Obama? Will the still undecided voters be persuaded that he is their man? Will those who have had their doubts about who he is and his ability to relate to their values acknowledge that, bar the superficial differences, this man is as American as they come? Will the Republicans still be successful in calling him an elitist figure who is nothing more than a Paris Hilton type airhead?

Tonight Obama must do a few things:

1) He must go way beyond the abstract and rhetoric and bring himself firmly back down to earth, by talking not only about hope and change but specifically addressing key concerns -- the economy, rising gas prices, foreclosures, the job market -- and putting his policies right out in front. This speech must be particularly substantive.

2) He must set out, in no uncertain terms, why he is better than McCain. McCain is still seen by most voters as the more experienced candidate, particularly when it comes to issues such as national security and that has to change.

3) He must be strong and harsh in his criticism of the Republicans. So far, Obama has been very kind towards the Republicans, but he must show them tonight that they can't mess with him.

Obama is a great orator, and judging by reports discussing previews of his speech, he will do all of the above and more.

On the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" Speech, tonight is an historic and significant moment. Tonight Obama must get it right.

Comments

[Hope4today]

One thing Barack should do tonight is play the same game that the Bush Ad have done for the last 8 years put FEAR in us all. One big fear that would unite Americans, is that if McCain sees the war going on for the next 100 years then he will have to issue a DRAFT for all young Americans, That would easily seal the deal for him.

[Lola Adesioye - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey Bob - Yes you're right, but doesn't mean that we can't have a view on what we think would be a good move for him.

[Bobrobert]

BOB says ... it is so silly to hand Obama a list of what he has to do to be a hit.

Get real everyone.

The man is a natural.

He gets all the advice he needs from his chosen few that know how to go about winning.

He needs our advice like he need someone to speak for him because he stutters too much.

Stop with all the you have to do this and you have to do that... it really does sound petty.

[researcher]

very well stated

obama appears to be taking the same path as gore and kerry

if he continues that path he will join them in the loser column

nancy and reid define the demos

i voted for a demo in 2006 to end the war and bush got more war funding

got me once not twice this time i vote for nader

until the demos get a spine they will not get my vote

the only way i will vote for obama in az if the election is close

would love to see mc war lose his home state.

peace

[YouDisgustMe]

well said, lola