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Enough Barack Obama news presented itself today that it is time to look at his campaign a little closer. But before the focus is entirely aimed at Obama, a little reflection on the campaign flavor of the three mousecateers is in order. Compared to the careers on the other side of the campaign trail, rather than referring to Clinton, Obama and Edwards as mousecateers, the three rookies would be appropriate. No matter how badly Hillary Rodham Clinton wants you to believe she is the ‘experience’ candidate and calls Obama ‘naive and irresponsible’, the fact is none of them come complete with credentials qualifying them as Presidential candidates. It may just be all the Democratic party has to offer. While Biden and Dodd have more experience, their campaigns show little support and their has not been a former Senator in the White House in a long time.

Clinton slips against Republicans, Obama attacks

WASHINGTON (AFP) — A new poll Monday showed Hillary Clinton losing a general election to all potential Republican White House foes, in a new sign that fierce political attacks may be harming her 2008 campaign.

But the Democratic front-runner insisted she would win the party presidential nod, and warned she would take on her newly aggressive opponents head-on, just 38 days before Iowa’s leadoff caucus nominating contests.

It is fair to say that Obama was on the attack before Monday even if few noticed. Early in the campaign Clinton’s two party rivals followed her lead. When Clinton rolled out an issue piece, Obama and Edwards responded with their own version. Unfortunately, each issue piece needed a name attached for the voters to distinguish one from the others. Obama tried to brand himself the change agent while Clinton opted for fake Southern accents and appearances at events in which she appeared out of place. Edwards took up the classic liberal approach to finding villains and victims with his ineffective poverty tour. The three rookies were trying to campaign. All three touted the party stand of antiwar, anti-troops and other anti-American themes to court their fringe kook far left liberal base complete with surrender monkeys. The Democratic party is perilously invested in that strategy and their candidates mirror the sentiment.

Obama Hits Hillary’s Experience
11/27/07, 12:18 am EST

On Nightline:
The fact of the matter is that Sen. Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn’t work out, in which case she says she has nothing to do with it.

None of the three have an impressive resume. Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to press her stay at the White House as her qualifying Presidential experience. Obama makes a point about that being ridiculous. Some say Obama’s time as a US Senator and his time served in the Illinois state legislature tops Clinton’s time as a US Senator and stay in the White House. The simple answer is they are both rookies and no amount of exagerration will change the facts.

Obama and Clinton spar over health care
by Mike Dorning

LITTLETON, N.H.—Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continued sparring over the details of their health care plans today, with Obama casting doubt on Clinton’s ability to enforce a requirement in her plan that every American buy health insurance.

Clinton has been criticizing Obama’s health care plan for falling short of universal health coverage because unlike her plan his would not require every American to buy insurance. He has argued that his plan would lower the cost of insurance and guarantee access, removing the obstacles most often faced by people without insurance.

Not surprisingly both Clinton and Obama miss the point with health care. The issue has been reduced to a discussion of how to solve the uninsured problem, naming it universal health care and allowing those who will to assume it will solve the health care issue. Another sign of rookie inexperience is to portray a potential solution as the end game for an issue resolution. The GOP tends to characterize their offerings as simply a way to get everyone covered and nothing more. While the Dems want you to believe something called universal health care will solve everything.

So far Obama’s campaign makes statements about Clinton when the opposing party has raised a point about one of her many flaws. Merely piling on is less risky than taking the initiative to do more than defend yourself against an opponent’s attacks but is also is less effective and yet another indication that Obama is a rookie as well as Clinton and Edwards.

Can Oprah Effect boost Obama’s political dream?
Nov 27, 2007 04:30 AM
Tim Harper
WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON–She can move books.

We’ll soon learn if Oprah Winfrey can move votes.

America’s daytime diva will join Illinois Senator Barack Obama on the hustings next month in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, three early-voting states critical to his bid to upend New York Senator Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Historically, high-profile endorsements – political or celebrity – have proved far more effective at drawing crowds than actually influencing races, but Winfrey may prove to be the exception.

You could say that fair is fair. Hillary Rodham Clinton has built her campaign’s foundation on being the husband of former President Bill Clinton. Her only claim of experience comes from living with him in the White House. So naturally when Barack Obama decides it is time for the same thing, he enlists Oprah Winfrey. But it would appear as though the ‘daytime diva’ started this chapter in the Obama campaign by offering her help.

If you have ever witnessed the fan worship in Oprah’s events you will likely have noticed the wide appeal she has that obviously crosses racial, ethnic and gender demographics. So great, now we have two rookie candidates relying on star power that ultimately has nothing to do with being President but may have serious implications on who becomes the nominee. So if you are a Democrat who do you want selecting your candidate for nomination?

His strategists believe that he can win support from cautious female voters worried that Mrs Clinton is unelectable. A new poll last night suggested that she trails the top five Republican presidential candidates in head-to-head match-ups. Such vulnerability is particularly true in Iowa, which has never backed a woman for statewide office or Congress.

The thought occurred while adding the excerpt just above that a backlash should emerge from women everywhere that these two Democratic candidate campaigns are playing them. Only time will tell and we may never really know how this particular demographic responds to being used so blatantly.

Obama discusses racial inequities
By John McCormick and Rick Pearson
Tribune staff reporters
November 25, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa - Barack Obama held a rare discussion of racial inequities on the Democratic presidential campaign trail in heavily white Iowa on Sunday while rival Hillary Clinton declared herself to be “by far” the most electable Democrat in the race.

This is the one topic for which it was a long wait for Barack Obama to employ. Granted, a black candidate is probably damned if he does or doesn’t on the topic of racial issues. Not engaging the discussion may lend support for those who ask if he is black enough for black voters as happened shortly after his campaign announcement. Or those who view a topic suited only to a candidate of color as using the race card to his advantage. Obama being black and racial issues not being invented by him are facts that he cannot influence. Deciding on whether or not to address them is something he can influence. The perspective here is that it may have been more advantageous to address the topic as it is raised by others. Let someone else get it started.

Obama Casts Self As Civil Rights Successor

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) cast himself Sunday as a natural and necessary heir to the civil rights greats, appealing to black worshipers to show the courage of their forerunners and back his candidacy for president.

With the story above it is clear that Barack Obama has chosen to embrace the role of civil rights activist. That lays to rest the earlier question of how he would handle the topic of race. It is viewed as a rookie move here simply because the campaign upside is limited and it exposes him to more possible criticism. That criticism has been around before. The question of whether he is the genuine article and how he is viewed by black voters seems a difficult campaign equation to calculate. Hence the conclusion that there is more risk to this option than upside.

Everything about Barack Obama screams rookie while it would appear the strategy to brand him the agent of change as stated earlier is intended to overcome the lack of experience. Change for the sake of change and championed by a rookie with unclear intentions is not something a risk averse voter would embrace. Whether the first viable black candidate can overcome such hurdles is yet to be determined. One thing seems clear. As the real voting edges nearer, Barack Obama appears to be nibbling away successfully at the Clinton lead.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Public Affairs, wordpress, Politics, campaign, election, Biden, Democrats, Clinton, Opinion, Edwards, Dodd. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.