The main reason Obama can't go negative, a Black man can't be seen as disrespecting an old white man

[wndycty]

Its sad but true, while it would be applauded here and in many circles there are too many folks who don't have a problem with Obama as long as he "knows his place." I'm serious, as Black folks, we know we can't get too comfortable and if Obama, who many view as having suspect patriotism, disrespects the older white war hero and patriot there will be hell to pay.

[27inCali]

1. file under: UGLY FUCKING TRUTH

[CatWoman]

27. WITH GIANT FUCKING LETTERS!!!!

Great post, Windy!!!!

:thumbsup:

As they say in the X Files: The Truth is Out There.....

[Whisp]

2. definite undertow working here like no other campaign.

but O camp is getting around it quite well.
They thought this through, as if I have to say.

[blondeatlast]

5. I think they were prepared for it, I really do, they were even prepared

to deal with how the media would distort things.

[BlooInBloo]

3. That, and it's just not obviously the best strategic move....

It's funny how people can only see one possibility.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/08/whats-best-way-to-respond-to-sleazy.html

[Catherine Vincent]

4. I agree. nt

[FrenchieCat]

6. Which is why the Obama campaign is allowing McCain

to diminish himself right before our very eyes. McCain will soon be seen as the smug desperate little lying man that he is. After that, the respect factor that Obama is "supposed" to offer up to McCain will no longer be expected.

[KittyWampus]

7. Demanding McCain Apologize For Using The Troops In Germany As A Political Football Isn't "Negativey"

[blondeatlast]

11. I have a grudging admiration for your political naivete, CS.

Your idea is stupid-ass politics, though. It just escalates the "troops as political football" issue and guess who get hurt more in the lazy, corrupt press by that.

Of course, Obama has the press in his own hands as you see it, so my point will fly completely past you. I don't know why I try, but I must.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. I don't think that's it

I think it's because it's a losing formula.


Clinton soundly beat Dole without ever disrespecting him. Obama just needs to present this as a fair fight between competing idealogies, not a Battle Royale between enemies.

[SwampG8r]

30. what clinton did was

control the way it was all reported
one thing the clintons were good at in the 90s was media control
framing the issue is what makes you the winner
otherwise you are just chasing the leader

[DogPoundPup]

9. McCainiac is losing it in more way than one, even the WSJ sees it

Is John McCain Stupid?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121745962594698731.html?mod=todays_columnists

[geek tragedy]

10. Oh nonsense.

People expect politicians to go negative on other politicians.

I am so fucking sick of this "Democrats just have to bend over and take it" crap.

[whirlygigspin]

14. he needs the good cop/bad cop dynamic

That's why I think Obama should pick Biden, to be his bad cop.

"a noun, a verb and 9-11", Biden destroyed Rudy's campaign in one sentence.

Joe could beat up on republicans and Obama could always come back and say, yeah but I'm nicer, and the pukes to love him for it.

: )

[Catherine Vincent]

16. Biden would be the perfect bad cop.

After what he said about Guliani when he was running for president, he'll have McCain whimpering.

[cliffordu]

15. Who's bending over? Who's taking it?

I see an old man thrashing around like a fool.

Just because Obama doesn't rise to the bait doesn't mean shit.

[geek tragedy]

17. McCain is dominating the narrative now.

Did ANYONE notice Obama's new economic plan?

No.

Voters don't pay attention to policy shit. They pay attention to attack ads.

They need to beat up on McCain.

[cliffordu]

19. You should call the Obama with this wisdom, I don't think they are getting it.

[whistle]

12. That's horse-shit! Obama can and must fight back on all blatant

...dishonest misrepresentations out of the McCain campaign. The Britany/Paris images are ridiculous, but Obama's campaign can have attack dogs going after the McCain sleaze creating that crap.

When McCain himself makes the misrepresentations and bald faced lies Obama has every right to set the record straight and he must confront McCain.

[wndycty]

13. Oh he can fight back, but he can't disrespect. . .

. . .its that simple.

[whistle]

23. You mean the way Reagan disrespected Charter "Well, there you go again"

...McCain took the campaign into Canada for chrissake. Obama can address that type of pandering by offering partnership programs that would benefit both countries through job creation and currency stabilization, pointing out that NAFTA could be posing problems where fair trade agreements can fix between both countries. The same could apply to Mexico and the U.S.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

39. Mhondale.

:)

[tyedyeto]

18. Whiter than white here, but your comments are so true

A false hero (POW) is so much more 'respected' than the skinny black guy. If they only knew, or if they only will read position papers, there's no doubt in my mind they would be voting for the 'disrespectful' black guy. The only problem is.... the people I come in contact with are avid Faux news viewers and believe everything they see and hear there as the gospel truth.

Approach them one on one and you will find they are more liberal (gay rights, women's choice, education, social security, senior rights) than they will ever admit. AND then they will vow they will not vote Democratic no matter who the nominee is.

I know nothing will ever change their minds about who to vote for and that is what is so frustrating

[vixengrl]

20. I think McCain's doing enough harm to himself without Obama's help--

and all the Obama campaign really needs to do is sit back and watch them flounder. Paying them the least attention except to hit back at actual issues would be throwing them a life-preserver, because it would look like the smears were having an effect.

I do think there might be a reluctance, though, to really issue the smack-down on McCampaign, although I can't say it's necessarily racial. I see it as not taking too much of Obama's advantage in youth, energy, eloquence, etc.--I think that's part of the reason why the (ten?!? Did the McCampaign really think even they wanted ten townhall meetings? What if Obama said yes? Word has it, the McCain camp might not feel up to *five*!) ten townhall meetings idea was kind of rejected--how many times would we see McCain's confused, hollow, unprepared, free-wheeling, making stuff-up hide on the ropes without even Lieberman to pass him the spit bucket when he's in the corner? Some people might feel sympathetic or bad about him being "whooped on".

Also, I think Obama's showing class not to go there with McCain--it's McCain who said he'd run an honorable campaign, and hasn't. Obama just comes off as being above it.

[wndycty]

22. Oh a smackdown will come, but it won't be disrespectful and it will come after Labor Day

:kick:

[Beregond2]

21. I suppose there is some truth to this,

but even if Obama were white, it would be pointless and counterproductive to go very negative. I mean, look at McCain: a doddering, unhealthy old fool. He has as much chance of winning as Elmer Fudd. There is nothing to be gained from picking on him; it would only make Obama look mean and petty.

[nuncvendetta]

24. Well we should've thought of this before choosing him to be our nominee

I mean, c'mon. Why are we just figuring it out now that Obama is completely hamstrung to fight the fight that needs to be fought to beat McCain? I did everything in my power in NC to help Obama win that primary (time, money, you name it) and never thought that Obama wouldn't be able to counterpunch McCain. McCain has so much dirty laundry that two weeks of constant pummeling would completely destroy his character.

Frankly, I'm having buyer's remorse right now. I can't believe I'm saying this, because I railed against Hillary in the primary and even got angry with friends of mine who supported her. That said, Hillary would've pounded McCain into dust. It would've been the most negative campaign in history, and not the change in politics that I wanted, but having McCain as president is NOT AN OPTION.

[wndycty]

25. He is not hamstrung, he can win without disrespecting McCain and he will win

Your buyers remorse is duly noted by unnecessary Obama brings a new type of politics and he is not going to be traditional in his attacks.

[NanceGreggs]

31. Gee, that's so funny ...

... mentioning the way you "railed against Hillary", and how you find it somehow relevant to bring that up in a discussion that has nothing to do with Hillary.

[Raineyb]

35. What country do you live in? This is the United States it's always been like this.

Have you ever asked black people about this because we could have told you about the blatant double standards in behavior or perception of behavior that goes with running for public office while black or just being black in America.

Did you really think that if Obama went into the mud with McLame that he wouldn't come out looking dirtier than McLame. That's all we'd need to have the MSM portray Obama as the stereotypical "angry black man" so they can demonize him and basically ignore him and not take him seriously. Obama clearly knows what he's dealing with and he knows that he'll have to take a different tact but he'll get the job done. But the hand wringing by people who are under the delusion that all things are equal is annoying and needs to stop.

The OP is 100% correct. Obama can't be perceived as disrespecting the old white man (even if he isn't) otherwise he's finished.

Regards

[JerseygirlCT]

37. No, I don't think so.

I think, fortunately, we've got a candidate who's smart enough to know what constrains him and how to play around that. He's doing it nicely now, I think. McCain's looking like a grumpy old nutcase. The worst that's been able to be successfully thrown at Obama lately is he's arrogant because he's so popular... Which of course just sounds like more whining from the McCain camp. ("you like him better!")

And don't forget the role of surrogates. Obama needs to put a whole mess of people to work for him. The angry stuff? He maybe can't say it, but you betcha Joe Biden can. Ted Kennedy can. Hillary Clinton can. John Kerry can. They ought to be lined up now, waiting to throw themselves in there.

[ladjf]

26. No dignified young man or woman wants to disrespect older

people.

For what it's worth: For a couple of years I commuted to work in Atlanta on MARTA. When the train was almost full, young black men routinely offered their seats to any senor citizen regardless of race or gender. I never saw one young white man do that.

(I'm a 72 year old caucasian.)

[GoesTo11]

28. If Obama was old and white, and McCain was young and black

Obama would still treat McCain respectfully because that's just good manners.

It's like you said ladjf. Seems Obama was raised right. Whether McCain was raised right - well, his behavior speaks for itself.

[jaysunb]

29. You know of which you speak.....

and you got the VP thing right too. :thumbsup:

[angee_is_mad]

32. Thanks for the post

I started a similar post about this. Sorry for that. But I glad that it is being brought out in the open.
I've been saying this since the primaries. Barack is between a rock and a hard place. As a black man, he knows he can't come off as an Angry Black Man.

[wndycty]

33. Angry and disrespectful. . .we (Black folks) are still seen by some as guests in this country

:kick:

[old mark]

34. I think it is because he is a decent human being.

[JerseygirlCT]

38. Yeah, that too

And smart enough to play this game without resorting to the grade-school level hijinks of his competitor.

[JerseygirlCT]

36. All he has to do is fall off that razor line and he's

instantly "angry black guy" and to be ignored and despised.

I think you're right - he's playing a very careful, difficult game here. McCain can get all sorts of ugly, and when he screws up, then it's ok for his folks to basically write it off as an old guy forgetting. But we'd better not say that old word.

OTOH, if Obama so much as disagrees these days with McCain's idiotic points, he's in danger of being "angry". And "angry" isn't allowed for black guys in politics. They have to be more contained, more well-behaved, than any white guy.

I'm just waiting for McCain to lose his temper completely in the middle of a debate. And what we'll hear is about how genuine he is, and how we're lucky to see the real guy, no fancy packaging, chuckle, chuckle, it's just McCain being McCain after all...

But should Obama raise his voice just a touch... into the Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton dumper with him.

Which is all really sick.