Obama Playing a "Hope-a-Dope" Strategy

In 1974, an aging Muhammad Ali was facing the much stronger George Foreman in a bout that came to be known as "The Rumble in the Jungle." Entering the ring Foreman, while not particularly popular was, by all accounts, the big odds on favorite not only to defeat Ali but to knock him out early and humiliatingly.

Recognizing that he would be unable to defeat Foreman by going toe-to-toe with this behemoth, Ali employed a strategy that came to be known as the "rope-a-dope."

The "rope-a-dope" has the inferior boxer leaning himself up against the ropes in the ring, allowing himself to be pummeled by his opponent, the intention being, that by covering up and weathering the attacks, the superior fighter will eventually punch himself out, giving the less powerful fighter the chance to then land a knock-out blow.

If this strategy in the ring is called the "rope-a-dope," in the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama bout, Obama -- the underdog to the behemoth of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton -- could be said to be employing the "Hope-a-dope."

For years, Hillary Clinton was the one to beat, the "inevitable" nominee of the Democratic Party. Obama knew he simply could not win the nomination if he attempted to go toe-to-toe with her, exchanging policy ideas, points and counterpoints.

His chances, like Muhammad Ali's, first rested on getting in some early jabs (winning the Iowa caucus), weathering the onslaught of critics, then, wearing Hillary down (winning South Carolina primary, Super Tuesday, the Potomac primaries). Finally, he'd come in in the late rounds, with a devastating blow (winning Texas), where the weary and vulnerable Clinton wouldn't be able to "answer the bell".

Obama's strategy would be to hide behind meaningless bromides like "hope" knowing that, by doing so, he risked nothing that might expose him to be intellectually and politically inferior to Clinton, opening himself for an early knock-out blow.

Just as Foreman began to desperately flail for that one big haymaker, so too, did Hillary Clinton: Having BET owner Robert L. Johnson skillfully remind voters of Obama's past cocaine use; questioning Obama's relationship with indicted gangster Tony Rezko; charges of plagiarism, concerning Obama's "words mean something" remarks; claims that Obama wasn't going to participate in more debates, etc.

These were the heavy punches thrown by a prizefighter, but they were easily absorbed, simply continuing to employ the "hope-a-dope" strategy of vacuous cliches that left Senator Clinton no target to hit.

Ultimately, Foreman fell to the lesser boxer on that day in Zaire more than three decades ago just as Hillary is falling to Obama as we get ready for the last "rounds" of the battle in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

It remains to be seen if Obama can ride his "hope-a-dope" strategy to the nomination, or even to the presidency. But for now, he sure is floatin' like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.

Comments

[GWBushIsANitwit]

Swirsky's Great Leader Dumbya Bush, of course, was playing the "Dope-a-Dope" and only confirmed dopes think he was anything but a complete failure.

[JonPincus]

Well said, ATLiberal.

There was a bunch of discussion about this on Tribe -- where, amongst other things, I said "The funny thing is, if it weren't for the unnecessary cheap shots like 'Obama's strategy would be to hide behind meaningless bromides like "hope"' and clear misunderstanding of what constitudes a heavyweight punch (hint: not having black supporters make racist remarks, raising unfounded sleaze accusations, and complaining that Obama's a better speechmaker), this would actually be a worthwhile article. "

(I can't post links here, but if you want to see more, try googling 'tribe Obama Playing a Hope-a-Dope Strategy')

jon

[nk007]

What is it people must drag in all prominent blacks (Dr. King, Muhammad Ali) in commenting about Sen. Obama's presidential run. I personally reject the notion that Sen. Obama is "intellectually and politically inferior to Clinton". You cite absolutely no evidence to support that assertion. By the way like Clinton, Sen> Obam is an Ivy League graduate (Harvard Law School), he has served long in elective office than Hillary. The only advantage that Sen. Clinton has over him is the fact that she was married to a President. So, I suppose, being married to a president means that she is "intellectually and politically" superior. It is really amazing how veiled racist views are dressed up as informed political commentaries.

[samandally]

Here we go again with the same old come back.This is not a racist statement , you are the one making it about race, And by the way, Hillary is itellectually superior to Oblahma.

[Darkbane]

Thats ridiculous......He is a graduate of Columbia, Harvard Law School Graduate Magna Cum Laude, He also lectured Constitutional law at Chicago University for 10 years.
He is a best selling author AND has won a grammy. Yet somehow he is intellectually inferior. Its not a racist statement but it is prejudiced. If he was a 46 year old white man with the same educational and teaching background I doubt you would say a (middle of her class) Yale Law school grad was his intellectual superior.

[zebra3]

Oh dear heather! Obama the "inferior boxer" selling the "meaningless bromide" of hope in order to protect exposure of his inferior intellect and political prowess? Seth, you and HRC make a critical mistake in assuming that American voters are stupid. We're not supporting Obama because he has seduced us with beautiful language. We definitely LIKE the great speeches, but American voters are voting for hope and change because it means something substantive to us. We're aware that HRC is the policy wonk's policy wonk. We just think that supreme wonkishness, while it certainly has its place (e.g., in the Senate?) does not a great president make. In contrast, leadership skills (the ability to motivate and inspire action) are a pretty important element of effective leadership. And the president is supposed to be a leader. Those who know anything about Barack Obama also know that he is anything BUT intellectually or politically inferior to Clinton. That isn't to say she's not smart. Sure she is. What more evidence of Obama's political ability and intelligence does one need when we can behold the stunning campaign he has run? He built his organization from the ground up and that organization has delivered results. I think that the media is so steeped in HRC's "inevitability" that they simply are unable to grasp that she lost this thing on the merits. We'd rather have him be our leader than her. It's that simple.

[Ides]

A better comparison is Hillary as an experienced swordfighter in a duel to the death. She may not be the best swordfighter around, but she was trained by some of the best, so she foolishly offered her opponent the choice of weapons ... so Obama chose a shotgun.


By all of the rules of politics, her ability to feign experience and her decent fundraising should have made her a better match against Barack, who had no connections and no ties to any elder statesmen. Too bad Barack had no interest in playing by her rules.


He didn't fight dirty, so her reliance on Democrats immediately siding with her whenever she's attacked never came into play. His money comes from small donations and people who actually LIKE him, so he didn't need to barter, beg, and steal to get funding. And he offered something other than experience, so the stupid experience argument never came into play.


What's fascinating about all of this, however, is that Hillary Clinton, as I said, is no expert swordfighter. If the campaign were to be decided by political acumen, McCain would slaughter Hillary Clinton. She has 8 years of experience, McCain has 26. They have similar foreign policy goals and perceptions. The one difference is that Hillary backed down from her questionable stance without ever apologizing for it, while McCain ignorantly stands by it.


Either way, Hillary would be at a disadvantage, so it's for the best she probably won't have to go up against him.

[alkamm]

Obama shocked the world. He's like lightning among lightning bugs. Floats like a butterfuly, stings like a bee. And the engineers said bumblebees can't fly.
Ali was calm amid the storm, deflecting punches patiently and determinedly. Once he knew Foreman was losing energy, he waited a couple more rounds and knocked him out.
It will be interesting to see how the Clinton's react to being on the mat. They will be down but not out. Maybe they can go into retirement like Foreman, otherwise they need to get on the Obama band wagon, if he'll have them.

[alkamm]

Having watched the Ali-Foreman match closed circuit, I can say that Ali answered Foreman's shots at the end of each round.
Obama absorbed the ridicule and flurries of punches but always punched back with measured, thoughtful responses crafted by a smarter mind.
The reason Ali won was he was smarter, prettier, and light on his feet when he had to be but focused.
The Clinton campaign followed Obama's success with fear response tactics. Their own fear projected onto Obama. Bully responses they know how to play so well. Unsuccessfully.
Obama simply outclassed Hillary.

[Rachiavelli]

Clinton mouthpieces really need to agree on whether or not Obama is or is not Ali.

Because that is a really important point/analogy.

My eyes are rolling. I know you can't tell over the internets, so I'm just gonna be explicit in my absolute disdain for these amateurish, tortured metaphors. I can't believe you get paid to write (or think), which I guess just shows how much of a naive, hopped-up-on-hope dope I must in fact be.

It is ooooverrrrr, kiddies. Nobody likes her, she's losing everything in sight by one million points. The End. Can we start talking about taking down McCain yet? Seriously?

[ray3]

Obama's legislative background is passing legislation on cleaning up abandoned nuclear warheads, preparing for avarian flu, video taping police interrogations, health care for children in Illinois, currently is supporting legislation to get us out of Iraq, lobbying reform and more. Hillary has named a few post offices and passed nothing. She has more earmarks than anyone currently running for the presidency. Her experience is a myth.

[Rule Of Law]

Can we expect to see Hillary hawking her own line of grills on the Home Shopping Network?

[Kreskytim]

In a Democratic Primary nearly half of Democrats like her. Get over it. I don't think you can make the case that "nobody" like her.

[Nommo]

McCain as Jerry Quarry.

[Thatcher]

This is a very poor comparison ... you even state in your post, yourself:

early jabs (winning the Iowa caucus)

(winning South Carolina primary, Super Tuesday, the Potomac primaries).

devastating blow (winning Texas)

Obama hasn't been holding back and defending himself ... he's been out there landing punches 25, to be exact, to Hillary's 14 (though Nevada was technically a solid hit for Obama, since he won the majority of the delegates AND those 14 count FL and MI - which still don't count, yet).

Hillary was hoping her body blows (big state victories) would knock the wind out of Obama and she would get the TKO. However, instead - Obama has been landing uppercuts, jabs and Hillary is in her corner calling out, "cut me, Mickey!".

The final blows from Obama do appear that they will occur in Texas and Ohio ... two full-force haymakers ... and it looks like Hillary will be awaiting the 10-count.

[TurnThePageGA]

It's 25-12. Florida and Michigan don't count.

[Thatcher]

Now it's 26 (Obama took Dems Abroad primary with 65%) ...

[geg6]

Are all of you Clinton backers really this stupid? You have spent weeks and weeks telling people like me that we are obviously too unintelligent, naive, unaware, and uninformed to see that we are backing some sort of empty suit. And you wonder why she's losing race after race after race.

*shakes head*

You obviously know nothing about boxing, too. The superior fighter won that fight. Just because Foreman was bigger and stronger, that does not make him the better boxer. Boxing is as much an intelligent use of strategy as it is use of force. But then that could be the problem you're having. Your candidate forgot that politics includes the intelligent use of strategy, too.

[TedB]

Swirsky isn't a Clinton backer, he's a Bush Apologist. Check out all of his blog posts.

[Eire]

And they call the Obama backers a cult?? A bit like the pot calling the kettle black.

[Alessan]

That sounds racist to me, pot calling kettle black???

[braveryexists]

How in the world does an article about Obama winning = Clinton backer? Did you even bother to read it?

[geg6]

No, I always comment to posts I've never read.

*rolls eyes*

The tortured metaphor he's using is obviously a slam against Obama. Oh, and Ali, too.

[Myrrhis]

Niiiiiiiiiiiice. Let's characterize Hillary as the "superior" fighter and Obama as inferior and "less powerful", even though that goes against what has actually occured.

Ya know, some analogies just don't work. Who's the older boxer here? Mmmm . .that would be "I gots more experienze" Hillary. You want to draw boxing comparisons based on that, look at the Thrilla in Manila.

Ali was supposed to walk away with it. He went in supremely confident that his "rope a dope" strategy would work again. It almost didn't. Ali barely won before he collapsed. Not only that, Ali's attitude towards Frazier, previously so insulting, changed to one of genuine and public respect. But that one confrontation left Ali with significant injuries and more than one sportswriter has commented on the likelihood of those injuries contributing in some way to Ali's current condition.

We're had more than one fight here. Hillary went in trying to use the same old strategy, time and a time again, and it has, sometimes, worked. But she's not counting the cost, and, unlike Ali, she continues to malign and undervalue her opponent.

Ali has won his place in sports history. Hillary, not so much.

[cheforacle]

Your analysis is way off.
Ali didn't land any early punches akin to Obama winning Iowa. Foreman won the early rounds whereas, besides New Hampshire and Nevada, Clinton's wins have not afforded her any momentum. Also people prefer Obama's position on the war and approach to politics. The notion that it is empty rhetoric belies the fact, that as politicians from Lincoln to FDR would attest, rhetoric is the coin of the realm. Those are his punches and he has won swimmingly. Ran a better campaign too then the so-called "experience" candidate.

[progresemulo]

"For years, Hillary Clinton was the one to beat, the "inevitable" nominee of the Democratic Party. Obama knew he simply could not win the nomination if he attempted to go toe-to-toe with her, exchanging policy ideas, points and counterpoints."

As he did/will in the 20 total debates? OK.

[BigBen]

As I look at Foreman's grills and Ali's trills I can't help wondering which ultimately won.

[HowardRoarke]

Cute Seth. You made a rhyme and ran with it.

Too bad the Democratic voters disagree with you.

I wish one of you Clinton supporters could explain WHY she is superior? And please avoid cliches like "experience" for Seth's sake. He hates cliches, it seems. Instead, tell us what she'll do with the power of the presidency to make America better.