In the pursuit of an image that transcends partisanship, Barack Obama is walking a fine line between building a new politics with himself atop the pedestal and engaging in the old-school, bare-knuckle politics it takes to win a modern campaign. The truth is, instead of running a campaign that avoids the gutter in favor of the high road, Obama's team is running exactly the same campaign as every other successful presidential campaign in recent history, and the same one John McCain and Hillary Clinton are running; Obama's people are just doing a better job of it so far.
Obama grows out of a long line of Democratic candidates who preach optimism. Bill Clinton, the Man from Hope, came first. John Edwards promised to unite two Americas in 2004. Obama's ubiquitous yard signs, with simply the word "Hope" and his rising sun logo, fit the pattern (It's not just Democrats; don't forget Ronald Reagan's "morning in America"). Obama's bid comes because he "believed that Americans of every political stripe were hungry for a new kind of politics," he told a Des Moines crowd in December, "a politics that focused on those values and ideals that we held in common as Americans; a politics that favored common sense over ideology, straight talk over spin."
In fact, Obama has made some bold moves. He traveled to Miami to give a speech questioning U.S. policy on Cuba, a stand that won him plaudits in some sectors for honesty while certainly costing him votes among Cuban Americans who advocate a hard line. He gave a speech on fuel efficiency standards to the Detroit Economic Club a year ago, a position that did not make him especially popular with his audience. Obama has repeatedly confronted African American audiences on homophobia in the black community, challenging what has proven to be the most loyal faction of his base. Most recently, Obama opposed lifting the gas tax, arguing that it was political pandering instead of a way to address the root causes of oil dependency and the resulting high prices.
Obama's campaign asserts that they have not taken every shot at their opponents as they might possibly have taken. But they have run advertisements and made assertions that have drawn criticism from outside groups, and Obama himself is not immune. His comments, at a debate in late February in Cleveland, that McCain suggested the war in Iraq might go on for 100 years was a misinterpretation of McCain's comments (PolitiFact, a site run jointly by Congressional Quarterly and the St. Petersburg Times, called the statement false).
The campaign has made the claim that they will only respond to what they see as attacks. But in recent days, Obama spokespeople have pointed to an altered sentence in a McCain speech (and released a statement from the candidate himself, in which he called McCain's position on climate change "breathtaking" in its hypocrisy), Clinton's record on OPEC and Clinton's refusal to list donors to her husband's presidential library. In each of those three instances, the Obama campaign's talking points were not a response to an attack; they were simply attacks.
Other shots he's taken at opponents were examples of the spin he purportedly deplores. In an advertisement run in Pennsylvania, Obama said he didn't take money from oil companies -- true, in that no candidate can take money from a corporation. But Obama had taken more than $200,000 from oil company officials and their spouses, according to FactCheck.org. Obama's team, too, maintains that they don't take money from lobbyists, though the host at a recent fundraiser held at Union Station was a lobbyist from 2000 to 2004, representing big businesses and labor unions.
Aside from the message, Obama's infrastructure is largely made up of familiar-looking pieces as well. Consider how Obama will likely secure the 2,025 delegates it presently takes to win the Democratic nomination: With just under 200 pledged delegates left to be allocated, and with Obama about 150 delegates away from the magic number, he will have to rely on super delegates to get him over the top. In fact, one campaign spokesman has sent out twenty-eight releases in May alone touting backing from party leaders, members of Congress and others who will have a vote at the Denver convention. Paying attention to delegate counts is what the campaign has to do to win, but it's nothing revolutionary.
Also, Obama has what has become a repetitive habit of blaming staffers and avoiding responsibility. Obama pinned responsibility on his aides when a memo citing rival Hillary Clinton as "(D-Punjab)" came to light; he said it was campaign scheduler who made him attend a firefighter union conference over video and not in person, he pointed to others when an anti-gay gospel singer was set to open events for his campaign in South Carolina; and on at least three occasions over a number of years, Obama has blamed a staffer for sending out campaign questionnaires stating positions of his that he has later said did not accurately reflect his beliefs. Another incident came to light in a weekend New York Times story that pointed to a 2004 questionnaire in which Obama did not denounce Yassir Arafat, an error for which he had to apologize to his Jewish supporters, when he blamed the help. This column is by no means the first to notice the trend: ABC News' Jake Tapper has detailed fourteen times in which Obama has blamed staff for a mistake.
Perhaps the newest thing Obama has introduced into the political process is the method by and scale on which he has raised money. Largely online, and in average donations much smaller than most candidates have done, Obama has built a contributor list of more than 1.5 million people, generating more than $240 million in donations through the end of March. Others have raised huge sums as well, and others, most memorably Howard Dean, have relied largely on the internet for contributions in small amounts from a wider audience. But no one has done it on the scale Obama has. After raising $56 million in March, Obama could potentially surpass the $367 million raised and spent in 2004 within just a few months.
Barack Obama stands on the brink of winning the Democratic presidential nomination and entering a general election with several advantages: People believe he brings change and see him as an optimistic figure. He is a new face to turn to when voters are looking to kick the bums out of Washington. And he is going to have more money than any candidate in the history of American politics, an amount of money that his Republican rival will have no hope of matching. But his acrobatic performance of high road and hit back, which will only intensify in coming months, could leave Obama open to charges of hypocrisy, which both his remaining rivals have already made. Should his image as someone above the fray suffer in the battle with McCain, Obama could have trouble repainting himself in such a short time.
Obama's campaign is not practicing a new and different kind of politics. It is spinning, blaming and scheming as every successful national campaign has done throughout American history. Instead of pretending to be the bearers of some unimpeachable new approach to politics, the Obama campaign should proudly crow that they have brought an incredibly junior senator to within an inch of his party's nomination ahead of other, more experienced party leaders. Obama's team is doing nothing new; they're practicing the old ways better. Now that would be an audacious claim.
Reid Wilson, national columnist for Politicker.com, is also an associate editor of RealClearPolitics.com and covers Senate, House and governors' races at PoliticsNation.com. Contact him at reid@realclearpolitics.com.
Obama
Nice hit piece Reid, we know where your politics lie. You are right about one thing , Obama will BURY McCain in cash. Keep working on tearing him down, its only makes his supporters enthused and ready to battle AGAINST Bush's third term.
Audacity
I have been looking at the Obama logo. A big white rising sun with Obama-blue O surrounding it. A new era rising. No stars visible -- that would be night, right -- but the stripes are there, on the bottom, on the floor of the logo, something to stand on, or maybe trample on, who knows.
Where is the Campaign Now?
As I see it (and I'm an Independent with no dog in this particular fight), the two groups (Obamites and Hillarites) detest the other candidate, and for good reason. Each has serious problems.
So to an independent like me (and one who will undoubtedly vote), will I overlook the problems each candidate has? No, they've been broadcasting so many flaws about each other that it's easy to reject both!
So a long, drawn out battle between two flawed Democrats is going to do several things:
1) Splinter the party in half (that's roughly the proportion of Obamites and Hillarites based on vote tallies)
2) Make it exceedingly easy for the Republicans to simply assume the talking points of the defeated nominee.
3) Point to the MSM and the far-Left as the enablers in this brouhaha.
It has been an interesting primary campaign. But it will be a cakewalk for the Republicans this fall for they will have:
a) The vast majority of the die-hard Republicans vote for McCain
b) The majority of the Independents vote for McCain, and
c) A good portion of half of the Democrats, too--those whose candidate didn't get nominated.
Do I see a landslide defeat destroying the Democrats?
Absolutely.
What is truly audacious is
What is truly audacious is that you call this shallow pice journalism.
Finally
Thank God someone finally has written this piece. The Hypocrisy of the Obama message has been truely unbearable. He just does the good old fashion politcal two step of say one thing and do the opposite. One can only hope that the American public will be able to see the reality that Obama is no different then his rivals.
Where is the Campaign Now?
As much as I'd like to think you're right, the recent special elections in which solidly Republican districts have elected Democrats, combined with the glum mood of the nation, historical outcomes that favor the other party when one party has held the White House for two consecutive terms, and a variety of other factors, my guess is that Dems will win a landslide election victory in the fall, taking the White House and increasing their majorities significantly in both the House and Senate.
As I said, I wish it wasn't so as I disagree with almost every policy position of the Dems and believe they will create many more problems Republicans will have to solve in the future, just as they did beginning with Reagan. But one must be realistic even as one is hopeful that a different outcome might be possible with a little luck--or likely a lot of luck in this instance.
What is a pice?
I would guess it is a typo but you submitted it that way. Talk about shallow! I also guess you don't know the meaning of the word shallow. You probably mean you don't agree with the article. Why didn't you just say so and tell why?
Idiotic article!
I'm reminded of how a professor of mine gave me a B and gave a worse paper (written by a friend) an A. I asked the prof. why and he said he graded me on my potential!
The fact that Obama has higher standards and sometimes fails to reach them doesn't make him a hypocrite. It makes him human. Would you rather he have gutter standards and keep them (like Bush)?
As the experiences of Dukakis and Kerry have shown, Democrats need to learn to fight back but with dignity. Don't confuse this fighting back with dirty tricks like Karl Rove and McBush have adopted.
Here's for an America that aims high (even we as a nation don't always reach our goals)!
Wilson forgets that intentions count
It simply doesn't stand to reason that because Obama's campaign has engaged in some criticism of his opponents, it is "exactly the same" as other campaigns. That's like saying because the US sometimes kills innocents in its military operations, it is exactly the same as terrorists.
Everyone knows that even the good guys make mistakes, or are forced to take countermeasures. But, intentions count, and so far indications are that Obama strives to take the presidential race and then the country on the high road, stressing comity and commonality above division.
-- Renatta McPhee, former Bush voter for Obama
Historical perspective
From your post, you'd think that Karl Rove invented "dirty" politics.
This stuff has been going on virtually since the dawn of the Republic, by every party. The only real exception was George Washington, who was so beloved that he was unopposed.
This explains the youth vote
First, thank you for writing an objective article. That is indeed a rare thing these days.
Second, I think that I finally get the youth vote.
They see in Obama someone who does not take responsibility for his mistakes and failures. It's really the whole dog ate my homework mantra.
They also relate to Obama saying one thing, but doing another. After all, why look for substance when being an unthinking automaton is so much easier?
It's easier to chant YES WE CAN than DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE toward effectuating change.
Obama is a trend. Soon enough his primary base of voters will hop on to the next trendy bandwagon.
Maybe Apple will release a new Ipod--effectively ending Obama's campaign.
audacity of hope
"Obama grows out of a long line of Democratic candidates who preach optimism."
Did I hear Sen. McCain this morning saying that after his first term as President it will only rain on weekdays? I had thought at first it was something about an end to partisan bickering, but that could not have been right.
Answer the question
Based on his previous voting record and associations; either Obama is an ultra-liberal who has repackaged himself as a centrist or he doesn't believe what he is saying.
Which is it? An old-school politican pandering to the voters or he's a charlatan hiding his true agenda. You can't have it both ways.
Nuance
Some truths: Obama is still a politician and must play the political game. He himself has said in debates that "this is what I've come to expect from the game and this is how it's played."
But I think you're quest into details overlooks the job of a campaign. When he quotes McCain's "100 years of war", yes, he is simplifying the message. That is simply the best way to communicate in that setting. But the point is clear: McCain wants to stay in Iraq indefinitely; I want to pull out of Iraq.
When Obama talks of a new kind of politics, he is not saying that people should be kept away from scrutiny. He's saying that we need to concentrate on the real issues and not the distractions. Real issues: Clinton's OPEC record, Clinton's NAFTA record. Distractions: Dodging sniper fire, Rev Wright, bitter/cling remarks. The Obama campaign avoided any use of her lies of dodging sniper fire to punish her campaign.
Obama does not take money from companies. Those donations are individual campaign contributions. This is compared to the Clinton family making millions each year lobbying for causes like the Colombian trade deal or speaking on behalf of other companies to their benefit. This is compared to McCain who's been in trouble repeatedly for questionable ties to companies and lobbyists.
youth vote
if you wanna see more objective articles
go to SAVAGEPOLITICS.COM you will really like those.
tnx
obama not quite in the gutter
It seems worth mentioning that Obama has (so far as I know) refrained from attacking HRC on what would seem to be the most obvious basis -- the circus-like quality of the former Clinton White House.
It is my strong instinct that HRC's attacks on Obama, in ads and comments from surrogates, are more like the most aggressive attacks Obama can expect from Republicans during the general election than Obama's attacks are like those HRC would've gotten from Republicans had she won the nomination.
I just don't think it's accurate to characterize Obama's attacks on HRC as evidence of the inaccuracy of his claim to be deploying a different kind of politics. He attacks her, yes. But exercises restraint, I think.
There is a third possibility
He could have changed his mind. Not everything needs to be a conspiracy.
Dishonest Obama & the Audacity of Hype
The media seems to ignore Obama's consistent tendency to lie- first he lied that he was never in the pews while his pastor was making racist remarks (he later conceeded that he was indeed present and heard such remarks). He flat out lied recently when talkign about the infamous flag pin. Now he claims that he never refused to wear a flag pin. In October 2007, he had explicitly stated his refusal to a journalist.
Obama has constantly played the race card ("yes we can" is a racist play on the civil rights movement's "we shall overcome") and he's plagiarized Malcolm X's use of "bamboozle" and "hoodwink" while slamming on the Clintons.
Motivated....
Thanks for this article. It inspired me to send the Obama campaign $100.00
Think Again...
I have been on campaign calls...you need to think again. Wow -- the denial when it comes to the truth about this man is so beyond me -- and so very scary! It does become cult-like in its deception -- and lack of reality.
And yes...the "blue dress incident" and "if you can't keep your own house in order, you can't keep the white house in order" and more, were brought forward many times by Obama surrogates and Michelle as well.
Not to mention the entire racism reaction and claiming the Clintons are racist...disgusting tactics by Obama and his camp -- throughout the campaign...the only thing that makes it worse than any other campaign is that he claims to be above it all -- and his cult following believes it.
What a load of ....
Wow -- you've got the kool-aid twitch. No matter what the facts are...he's still the Messiah we have all been waiting for...blah blah blah from cult Obama...tiresome and scary.
Cherrypicking
Obama has attacked Hillary's character. She has not attacked his. He called her disengenuous, "will say anything to get elected", pandering and more. She has called him on his health plan and her more experienced resume. Obama's campaign and he himself have played the race card using the terms bamboozled and hoodwinker right out of Malcolm X's book about white politicians in reference to the Clintons and all the while he pretends he is above politics as usual. Such hypocrisy.
McCain's Palin Pick for VEEP trumps Obama on Style
Reid, ask yourself this question, just where is team Obama after McCain (now inevitably) selects Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his VP running mate?
Talk about style!!!
You Mean To Tell Me Obama Is A POLITICIAN?!
Well, knock me over with a feather! And here I had thought that the South Side of Chicago produced saints. I'm sooooooooooooo deeply shocked. What's next? That McBush isn't the "maverick" he poses as? Say it ain't so!
Dear Democratic Presidential Nominee
1- Please DO NOT select Hillary as a running mate. She has proven to be the candidate of "By Any Means Necessary". She will do (shooters in Indiana? Faux Southern accents when campaigning in the South) or say ("Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again..", the MLK/LBJ comment, Bill's Fairy Tale comment about the Iraq war, How she criticized the Iraq War before you did, BOSNIA!!) ANYTHING to be President. It's either her, or the high way. Why be associated with her? You owe her nothing.
And if her followers won't vote you, so what? If they are willing to vote against their own best interests, then they deserve to be poor, without proper health care, and a job for the next four years. Also, if they won't vote for a black man, because he's black, or because of wedge issues, then they don't deserve to vote. Please revoke their Voter Registration cards.
2- DO NOT pay her campaign bills. SHE made the decision to continue her campaign, let her pay for it. I didn't send in contributions to YOUR campaign to pay for HER ego-driven loss.
3- Nominate Edwards as Attorney General. He will clean up our system and work for The People.
4- Nominate a Democratic hawk to counterbalance Obama. The experience thing shouldn't dissuade you from nominating say a Jim Webb over a Sam Nunn. Webb was in Reagan's administration and has loads of experience, plus the military cred and formidable, justifiable anger against the Iraq War will be a breath of fresh air next to McSame...Can't wait to see THOSE debates (although, Bush looked like a world class dunce compared to Kerry...) I just wish he was from Ohio or Pennsylvania, but he will appeal to those whites in the aforementioned "swing" states who can't quite get with the idea of Obama.
Also, the experience thing is a load. Remember, Cheney and Rumsfeld had a WEALTH of experience, and look where we are now...
Dear Democratic Presidential Nominee Obama:
Dear Candidate Obama:
1- Please DO NOT select Hillary as a running mate. She has proven to be the candidate of "By Any Means Necessary". She will do (shooters in Indiana? Faux Southern accents when campaigning in the South) or say ("Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again..", the MLK/LBJ comment, Bill's Fairy Tale comment about the Iraq war, How she criticized the Iraq War before you did, BOSNIA!!) ANYTHING to be President. It's either her, or the high way. Why be associated with her? You owe her nothing.
And if her followers won't vote you, so what? If they are willing to vote against their own best interests, then they deserve to be poor, without proper health care, and a job for the next four years. Also, if they won't vote for a black man, because he's black, or because of wedge issues, then they don't deserve to vote. Please revoke their Voter Registration cards.
2- DO NOT pay her campaign bills. SHE made the decision to continue her campaign, let her pay for it. I didn't send in contributions to YOUR campaign to pay for HER ego-driven loss.
3- Nominate Edwards as Attorney General. He will clean up our system and work for The People.
4- Nominate a Democratic hawk as VP to counterbalance you. The experience thing shouldn't dissuade you from nominating say a Jim Webb over a Sam Nunn. Webb was in Reagan's administration and has loads of experience, plus the military cred and formidable, justifiable anger against the Iraq War will be a breath of fresh air next to McSame...Can't wait to see THOSE debates (although, Bush looked like a world class dunce compared to Kerry...) I just wish he was from Ohio or Pennsylvania, but he will appeal to those whites in the aforementioned "swing" states who can't quite get with the idea of Obama.
Also, the experience thing is a load. Remember, Cheney and Rumsfeld had a WEALTH of experience, and look where we are now...
5- Have NOTHING to do with the Clintons. They are a black spot on the Democratic party. Out with the old, in with the new. The way she has financed and run her chaotic campaign should make you run for the hills. DO NOT NOMINATE A CLINTON FOR ANYTHING!!!
6- Senator Clinton- Please go back to the Senate. You will make an excellent Senator.
Amazing spin ability!
Amazing spin ability! You should apply for a job with the mccain campaign - Lord knows he'll need all the help he can get!
Chris Matthews just destroyed one of your cohorts who tried to support Bush's slur while speaking to the Knesset - and didn't know what he was talking about. If you missed it, I'm sure it'll be on the msnbc website - will probably become a hit on YouTube. Really, you've gotta see it (Ha!)
Docb
There is an abundance of clintonites out scrubbing for traction today. The author seems to be on the knife edge himself. That Obama and his campaign have raised millions of dollars outside the status quo, that he has managed those funds to great advantage, that he has encountered racial slur, slime and innuendo from an opponent in his own party, that he is painted with the brush of association , that he has been gracious in every way to his opponent, that he has told the truth and not pandered to every polulis across the country---indicates to me that he is certainly NOT of the Bill clinton ilke let alone Mccain. That he brings new voters into the process and his opponents' base is waning- all in the name of change and hope.
That is nothing like the status quo.
Barack the Hack
Barack was described as a political hack by a talk show radio host. The host was right. Obama is a moocher and as supple as a reed in the wind when it changes
I am a lifelong democrat that will not subscribe to him
He is so dishonest that he doesn't even realize it
I just heard John McCain lay out a real agenda for his term and I am going to be voting McCain if Obama gets in
Susannah Jones
Emperor McBama has no clothes
I enjoyed this article because Mr. Obama has been selling voters a bill of goods from the start. He promises unity yet has an an ultra-liberal voting record and almost no bi-partisan initiatives to show for himself. He says that he won't take money from lobbyists and yet they apparently host his fund-raisers. Plus if he thinks he's going to enter the White House in Jan. 2009 and close down K Street, then he's the most naive man on the planet. Obama's version of change is about as novel as a decision by a fastfood joint to repackage its greasy burger in fresh new colors to dupe consumers into thinking it's healthy. Politics are fueled by money and people who have given to Mr. Obama's campain are gonna come calling for favours IF he gets elected. What will he say to his young minions then, when he has acquiesce to the finance of pork barrel projects and push programs his benefactors have "paid" for?
Agreed
Reid:
You are dead-right. There is no substance here, only style -- smoke and mirrors. If the job of the President was respected more, perhaps folks would ask what it takes to be successful. High-blown rhetoric is fine, but can you imagine taking a very smooth, well-spoken junior executive, and giving him or her the CEO position of a major corporation simply because the current CEO ran the company into the ground, and the junior says it is time for a change and let's all do it? The Clinton years were pretty darn good as I recall: record low unemployment, high GDP growth, low inflation, a balanced budget, peace in Ireland, NAFTA, and ALMOST a Middle East peace accord (scuttled last minute by Yasir Arafat himself). I say,time for a change BACK to what we had.
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