I think Obama was trying to implicity tell Maddow to chill out in her interview yesterday.

[StrongBad]

Don't know if you noticed, but Rachel asked him something in general about his policies or something like that, and almost in a non-sequiter, Obama made a statement to the effect of "I don't know if you realize this, but we're winning".

I wonder if he watches Maddow's show and has been noticing her apprehension. Do you think this was a kind of wink and a nod way of saying this is over?

I could be reading a little too much into things as well...

[Alter Ego]

1. I think he'd have been less subtle on that point if he'd lit a joint

and passed it to her and said "Take a hit of this, for God's sake, and calm down. I got this."

[Cha]

3. lol.

:D

[skooooo]

5. Now that would have been funny!

:rofl:

:smoke:

[Alter Ego]

8. If Maddow refused, Obama would get angry a la Wayne Brady

and say "This is not an option, nigga--if you do not smoke this we have a PROBLEM."

[StrongBad]

17. Bwahahaha

"Is Barack Obama gonna have to choke a bitch?!"

:rofl:

[skooooo]

20. ooh you had to go there.

Too bad Dave Chappelle doesn't have his show anymore. I look forward to comedy over the next few years if Obama is president.

[skooooo]

2. Umm..no, you're not reading too much into it.

I think it was a pretty open invitation for Maddows to chill the F out. Obama isn't going to go places before the election that would disrupt the flow of the vote.

[Clio the Leo]

4. Ok, here's the thing, reporters play Devil's advocate...

..... in order to set up the question. It gives the person their interviewing an opportunity to deny what the questioner is suggesting.

Comprende? ;)

[skooooo]

6. I don't think that..

...was an example of her being devil's advocate, though, because she was asking him to talk about conservatism.

:hi:
Hi Clio!

[StrongBad]

7. That's the thing that was interesting though!

Rachel wasn't even talking about anything related to the horserace or whether or not Obama will win, and he just came out with that statement. I thought it was pretty cool.

[skooooo]

9. Yeah but implicit in his statement..

...was the idea that if he started bashing conservatism, it could upset the apple cart. Everything he does or says right now could effect the election.

[Essene]

23. correct... and she's obligated not to be a mere fluffer

to be blunt

[skooooo]

25. Her analysis on this point was just off, though.

I think she's a bit inexperienced, and her judgment on this point was off. She's smart as hell, and has the potential to be an influential reporter, but she's still developing, imo.

[MassLiberal]

10. what they said

Rachel asked him why he wasn't coming down on conservatives the way that McCain has been coming down on him as a liberal, and he said his campaign's strategy seemed to be working, that "we're winning," said with a big grin. He was basically telling Rachel, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[frogcycle]

11. yeah, that's what he was saying

I wish people would lighten up on Rachel though.

She has made a spectacular career advance in short order over the past few months - from a nervous Friday guest-host spot on Countdown to her own highly-rated nightly show with big guns for guests.

Whether she is truly "nervous nellie" and is as concerned as she says, or just does not want to portray herself as a flighty omigod-he's-so-kewl groupie is immaterial to me. I take her "concern" with a grain of salt, as I do other's exuberance. She is one of the best "talking heads" to hit the idiotbox in decades, and I will give her some space as she feels her way into the role.

[skooooo]

12. No one's criticizing her here...

... :shrug:

It was a fair question, but I can understand Obama's reaction.

[frogcycle]

15. I know you weren't

I was just reminded me of some other threads

[skooooo]

18. Yes I know....

She irks me a bit sometimes, but I think overall she is very objective and that will work in her favor in the long run.

[endthewar]

13. But she never asked him about winning in that question

That's the point you're missing, which Rachel Maddow pointed out in her analysis. Unlike many people here, Obama doesn't believe that Republicans are inherently evil, just that a subset within the Republican Party is evil.

[skooooo]

16. I still think you're (and Rachel is) missing something....

Everything he does or says right now is within the context of a "close" election. *That* is implicit.

It's like asking him if he enjoyed smoking pot as a teenager. Probably, he DID, but why would he say that now right before an election?

[endthewar]

19. The actual point being made there

was not to expect Obama to leave office as one of the most progressive Presidents on record. You can expect some Republicans in his cabinet to start off with.

[skooooo]

24. That may well be, but....

..I don't think it's fair to make that conclusion from that interview, or that part of the interview. And just because he may have republicans on his cabinet doesn't mean he won't be quite progressive. He is borrowing from the Lincoln model of team building. Probably some more recent presidents have done this as well - FDR? That doesn't mean he won't be progressive at all, imo.

[bettyellen]

22. he's explained he doesn't need to go negative to win this, in fact bashing "conservatism" is a bad

idea because people can and will take it personally. he bashes the policies-and it's working. people cling to their identities and people who think they are conservative are hurt by their own teams policies. he's been driving that home.
labeling groups is divisive- leave that to the other team.

[KansDem]

14. "...wink and a nod..."

[Essene]

21. naw... he was just trying to point out a difference between real concern and cynicism

[vaberella]

26. Absolutely not. I completely disagree with you.

I think you are reading into it and as Maddow had done basically implying that Obama is arrogant. That wasn't the impression I was given by his statement. Did you hear Maddow's question? Really hear it? Basically she was opening up the door for Obama to have a bash fest on Republicans and Conservatives. If Obama had fallen for the bait, this race would be OVER. That's right. Why? Because his bashing would undermine his overall message of unity irrespective of such menial things as partisan lines or religious or racial lines. He wasn't about to start attacking those people who sincerely believe in the wrong direction of the Republican direction in recent years but do support some conservative controls.

Get a clue on this. Obama is fully aware of the high level of division in this country and it goes to all the social classes in this nation. He's managed to pull quite a few Republicans and many Conservatives and independents under one umbrella to vote for him. Her partisan bash attack was disturbing and actually I found it a bit insulting in Obama, because she labeled it as a bait which to men implied she was testing his metal. In order for Obama to win the damn landslides he can't do anything to shun the vote of any conservatives or Republicans and she was basically aiming to do that which would have hurt our candidates chances. If he had said one statement against them he would have been fried by Tuesday.

The impression I was given by Obama's response when he said, "We're winning" is to say he WASN'T going on a bash fest on her show or negative and their winning in the polls have implied that his method is much more affective and complementary to the American people's wants than McCain. He wasn't standing on some platform or level of arrogance to state their winning. He was describing the strategy or maybe really the tactic of NOT engaging in negative (as in name calling and association) attacks on Obama that McCain has done in resent times.