James Carville says democrats are too optimistic about Obama winning this season. That we need to

[Drunken Irishman]

11. You can be optimistic and aggressive...they're not exclusive feelings...

I think some people try to compensate for that optimism by being extremely negative - suggesting it's going to be really hard for Obama to win or that it'll be stolen. For one extreme, there's another and the other extreme is just as damning - Democrats who become so dispirited with the narrative that he can't win (and I see it here a lot, which is sad), they give up.

So, be optimistic. Feel Obama will win this thing - but be aggressive as well. We want people to think he'll win it. It's a good narrative to have MOST Americans believe your guy is going to win. It helps cut down on the potential of fraud, since it's more difficult to steal, and more people are likely to work their butts off if they can taste victory in the air - while the other side will find itself in the difficult position of conceding defeat.

It's why, in '08, McCain could never gain traction. Democrats knew, by October, that Obama was going to win comfortably, but it didn't change the direction of the fight - or make people more passive. What it did, though, is force Republicans to realize their guy wasn't going to win and that did have an impact because, let's be honest, a lot of people don't want to vote for a loser. They like winners. If they think Romney is going to lose in November, they're going to be less likely to go to the polls and vote and if they do vote, vote for him.

So, be optimistic, but aggressive at the same time.