Barack Obama's Campaign is Losing its Bearings

Let's see.

John McCain said that Barack Obama is the candidate from Hamas.

Barack Obama said the comment was a sign that McCain is "losing his bearings as he pursues the nomination."

Which is more straightforward: That McCain was saying terrorists like Obama, or that Obama was saying that McCain is old?

So why is it that the McCain campaign has managed to frame the spat about Obama's remark?

To say that the race has caused McCain to lose his bearing is to be charitable. The Arizona senator talks about running a positive campaign (as does his wife, but of course she's not the candidate); he used to talk about wack-job preachers being agents of intolerance; he used to respect campaign finance law; I could go on. So the McCain who says his opponent is the terrorism candidate, cozies up to the Hagees and Parsleys of the world, and spins in and out of the public campaign finance system is either a straight-shooter who has lost his bearings or a calculating pol doing whatever he has to to win.

But again: How is it that the Obama campaign has let the debate become about whether he transgressed rather than whether McCain did. (Possible answer: The focus currently keeps the age issue in voters' minds.) I fear the campaign may be losing its bearings.

Also losing their bearings: The media and the candidates for focusing on this stuff at all.

UPDATE: As I do too often, I wrote this without precision. To be clear -- I think it's obvious that Obama was talking about McCain having flipped, flipped and flipped again from the straight-shooter to the typical pol. Trapper John over at Daily Kos lays out a good case for why the McCain campaign is trying to paint it as age-ism. I still am not sure why the Obama campaign has let the McCain camp define the debate.

Comments

[AdamX]

A ridiculous article - and I'm being generous.

[S1m0n]

If McCain wants to frame anything as agism, by all means, let him. Napoleon's comment about interrupting your enemy when he's making a mistake was never more apt.

[londongal]

This is stupid with a capital "S". Purleeze! The McCain camp overreacted, no question. In fact, they are the ones who brought up the age issue. Jeeeze. Do we really want these twits in the White House advising a president? I think not!

[MrWinky]

With all due respect, I think that it is not Obama who has let McCain frame the discussion, but rather it is McCain who has framed your reaction. The comment by Obama was not ageist, but rather a reference to the 180 that McCain has done concerning his positions.

I think the crux of this election is not Obama's ability to deal with a debate on the issues, or on reaching voters, but on whether the media can likewise adapt. When he started, he had huge success and whipped out win after win, many of them by huge numbers. Then some of the tougher states came up, and the media decided that the theme would be that Obama was too weak and had to fight Hillary. Listening to this, Obama got down in the mud with her, and the results weren't pretty. Once he stopped, then we have the results in NC and IN.

Basically, YOU'RE going to have to decide if you have the courage to not let the Republicans frame the issue for you. When McCain stoops in the mud and makes a comment that Obama would be good for Hamas, and then Obama replies, you really have two choices:

The old school media: OBAMA AND MCCAIN TRADE BARBS - MCCAIN GETS THE BEST OF IT.
or

OBAMA POINTS TO MCCAIN'S ABANDONMENT OF PROMISE TO RUN DIFFERENT CAMPAIGN.

Do you really want to stick with your original assessment.

[SethBLiNK]

Unlike Obama's race or Hillary's gender, McCain's age is fair game. Being black or female doesn't impair your mental abilities. Aging does. We gain wisdom over the years but lose a step of two in other areas. McCain, unfortunately, seems to have also lost wisdom since he captured so many voters' imaginations eight years ago.

But still, saying that he lost his bearings isn't a direct assault on the age issue, whatever the implied intention might have been. Assuming it was, taking the bait and responding as they have, they have helped paint their candidate as the grumpy old man many see him as.

My guess is that they are going to use this as permission to go after Obama with whatever they've got and not play nice. I think they can play it any way they want and they'll still be playing a losing hand.

[RichLiberal]

"Being black or female doesn't impair your mental abilities. Aging does."

Exactly what age is it that one suddenly becomes stupid? Or is a smooth continuum, where one's mental ability peaks at a certain age and then enters a steady decline?

Let's assume the latter. At what age does one's ability peak? You should be able to determine this from your scientific studies and then let us all know precisely where we stand on the stupid scale after we have peaked.

It is laughable to see McCain using the age issue against Obama the way Obama used the race issue against Hillary. I guess this is new politics. Who can play the most victimized victim.

[Turtleluv6]

Obama didn't play the race card first....

[JimR]

While it looks like Obama will be the Democratic nominee, the race is not over yet. He has still primaries to campaign for and a Democratic opponent who is smearing him every chance she gets. So that's still his main focus as he gradually changes his campaign strategy to the general election.

[marc1antony]

Obama is referring to his straight talk express, and the wheels falling off - it as NOTHING to do with age. McCain's continued crying "ageism" will be like Hillary's crying "sexism" and "victim" all the time, people will get sick of it and tune them out... remember what happened to the boy who cried wolf.... no body came to the rescue.

[Notapathetic]

You are a wordsmith, Mr. Schlesinger. Get your dictionary out and look up the 'bearings'. It means direction, heading, orientation.

It does NOT mean age and has nothing to do with age.

Just because you heard or read some other spinner put his own incorrect definition on the word doesn't mean that you should repeat the mistake.

Be a Pro.

[MrWinky]

I agree. The saddest part is that McCain wants to have it both ways. He doesn't even have the sack to just say it, but he has to qualify with "Uh, yeah, I don't believe it has anything to do with Obama, but he still said it...."

If you don't think that Obama believes in Hamas, or will aid Hamas, then why make the scummy remark? That is what is called integrity, foregoing an action which would benefit you b/c the nature of the act is wrong.

[Turtleluv6]

Anything to paint a different picture

[illinoisan]

Your gal is out of the running now. The time has come (finally) for your side to stop adopting bizarro GOP talking points.

[BubbaC33]

This is typical of Obama supporters. Rather than address the question asked, spin and distort what was written in order to attack the messenger. The point Schlesinger was trying to make is why has Obama allowed McCain to define this exchange? I believe Schlesinger is somewhat amazed that Obama has not countered the McCain framing of the issue with a clear idea on what Obama said about McCain. It isn;t an attack, just a question.

[Turnow]

"Also losing their bearings: The media and the candidates for focusing on this stuff at all."

Let's see. You're a member of the media, and your focusing "on this stuff".

Better have your bearings checked.

[Oldchef]

Thanks. I agree wholeheartedly!

[4wehttam]

I saw the interview with Blitzer and I did not for one second think it had anything to do with age. To me, losing your bearings is like saying you don't have control of the situation so you want to create diversions.

[illinoisan]

"Bearings" simply means direction or relative position. The expression "losing ones bearings" is no more ageist than it is racist or sexist.

That said, a candidate's age is a real consideration. The Constitution even stipulates an age requirement for the presidency. McCain shows his diminishing capacity with frequent gaffes that the press so far has ignored. I'm afraid any criticism of McCain is going to be met with the "ageism" defense because frankly it's all he's got.

[BigBen]

Anything our boy says must be benignly understood since he hates politicians and their use of words like bitter which for him means sweet.

[Turtleluv6]

very true

[CEPHALUS]

I said this once before ,if someone cannot understand a simple statement,they should not be commander in chief.
how can he comprehend an intelligence report if he can't understand a simple statement?is this a trend?eg.the vote for the war,flip flop on taxes,gas tax pandering, not a clue about the economy,we cannot afford a next dumb president

[PennP]

"Trapper John over at Daily Kos lays out a good case for why the McCain campaign is trying to paint it as age-ism. I still am not sure why the Obama campaign has let the McCain camp define the debate."

Maybe because "losing his bearings" doesn't register like "acting like an old fool" to most people. It's not an age-based phrase; a 5-year-old child could lose his bearings in a game, for example.

That being the case, I don't think Obama will be tagged as "playing the youth card" by most people. At the same time Obama's off the hook as age-ist for the remark, McCain's drawing attention to it--and his age as an issue--while saying people shouldn't be concerned about it. It becomes the "don't think about an old purple elephant" parlor trick, which works to Obama's benefit. It's less about defining a debate than highlighting a liability--and all the dirty work done by the target himself. Sweet.

[DMW1]

I saw the interview also did not think it had anything to do with McCain's age. But thanks to McCain and his mouthpieces, everybody's talking about how old John McCain is. Good job McCain!

[NABNYC]

Let's see. Hillary supporter. Subtle attack on Obama, support for McCain (Obama doesn't know how to run a campaign -- no wonder he'll undoubtedly lose).

I kind of hoped all the Hillary people would sober up and start supporting the democratic nominee, but I guess the Hillary plan is to continue supporting McCain right through the election. So I guess we can expect a lot more of these "subtle" attacks on Obama from the Hillary camp. "Subtle" like Hillary's comment that white people won't vote for Obama.

[harriscrl3]

Obama is fighting to keep the election on the issues but his opponents are fighting to do the exact opposite. Gee I wonder why.

Expect more smearing of Obama from McCain he can't compete on issues so he has to go with personal attack. Yep thats the straight talking express for you a flip flopper.

Carol

[Turtleluv6]

Mc Cain says he repeats the Hamas support of Obama because people want him to Who are the people? I believe we can say John Mc Cain is being racist!!!!