Obama supporters....where is you candidate the weakest?

[DemVet]

I post this not as a Hillary supporter (which I am) but as one that will support the eventual Democratic Nominee, WHOEVER that is. If it is Obama, fine, as long as the people (through delegates and superdelegates) and not the media pundits selected him.

Anyway, the question in the thead title needs to be pondered and an answer needs to be sought. What is Senator Obama's weakest attribute and how should he answer it in interviews and in debates?

Face it, the RW attack machine is going to show no mercy against Mr. Obama if he is our Nominee. Instead of whining, we need to hit these topics head-on.


BTW - I realize some may feel the need to post a similar thread about Hillary. Go ahead if it makes you feel better. However, my intent is not to be controversial in this thread, but to give everyone something legitimate to think about.

[scheming daemons]

1. His weakness in the GE is his strength with me: Liberal voting record

The GOP will hammer him hard on his liberal voting record. "most liberal in the Senate" blah blah blah.


To me... that's a GOOD thing.... but I think it will be the singular focus of the GOP.


They'll try to re-run the 1988 campaign to get a third GOP presidential term against a "liberal with a funny name".

[DemVet]

4. Good post...I think you are correct.

His "liberal" voting record...using the "L" word and making it sound dirty (which it is not) is a favorite tactic of theirs.

[virtualobserver]

11. They will use that tactic

but I believe that Democrats have not been making the logical arguments for a liberal perspective.
I believe that Obama frames these issues in a way that the average American can understand.

[Not the Only One]

24. Yep, they won't bury the lead

Obama would be the most liberal President in ages. McCain will just go after that over and over. America will have to decide if they want more of the same or a new direction.

[Vinca]

2. Bowling.

Actually, both he and Hillary are weak on health care reform. Neither has the plan most Americans want. We want universal, single payer and not some insurance scheme. The insurance companies caused the problem and they should not be included in the solution.

[virtualobserver]

6. I would like single payer as well.........

but I have wondered how you eliminate a whole industry related to health insurance.

[Vinca]

10. They can still sell private policies if they want - if there are people

who want coverage to ensure private rooms, private nurses, etc. Quite honestly, I don't care what happens to the insurance industry. How many people have they let die because they denied coverage? How many people can't afford their policies? Yet, profits have been record breaking. Insurance industry workers could be absorbed into the federal health program, except for the people who are paid to deny care. They can rot in hell.

[virtualobserver]

12. you are right, but it does seem like it would be a tricky transition

[mrreowwr_kittty]

30. Some of those workers would find jobs in the gov't system

There should be some kind of assistance for the rest to find work. That said, I don't think this parasitic industry should be kept afloat simply because it's so big.

[Ian David]

3. Bowling.

But there's a bowling alley in The White House, where he can practice his game for 2012. n/t

[cali]

5. In the GE

his greatest weakness is Wright. They'll use that to frame him as a scary black man who wants to upset the white applecart. And congratulations on posting a substantive thread that isn't all about bashing Obama.

[scheming daemons]

7. I disagree with this conventional wisdom...

...the Wright story won't be able to be sustained for 7 more months.


This broke way too early for McCain.


Since the guy is retired, he won't be making any more "news" in his sermons.... and by summer, nobody will be talking about him anymore.

[DemVet]

44. The Wright issue....

...won't be brought up again until September, when it's most convenient for the 'pubs.

[Blue_Roses]

29. A "substantive thread"...

you're far more trusting than me...

I see the OP taking notes--and not the good kind.

[JoFerret]

8. Electorally the weaknesses

...reside in inexperience and what will be framed as "out of the mainstream" of American. (code for black, code for wacky liberal, code for being "muslim" and "unpatriotic. and etc. He will be portrayed as weak of national defense and willing to trade away our inalienable right to planetary power etc. As anti-military, effete and weak. willing to "give' to "his" people and bugger the rest of us.
etc etc.

Very unfair, very unsavory.

IMO the real weakness reside elsewhere, primarily in lack of spine in making strong progressive stands and taking action. the all-talk-notrousers routine. (How's THAT for a sexist expression!) But as this is not a trash Obama thread I will not pile on. His strengths outweigh the weaknesses. And what the GOP will throw at him will be infuriating but possible effective.

Another key weakness resides in the nature of some of his followers. But those are different stories to tell.

[tekisui]

9. For the GE, it will be his definition to those who aren't familiar.

This weakness was helped greatly through the extended Primary. It gave him a lot of exposure, positive and negative. With his age, and time spent in Washington, he still isn't a well-known, clearly defined figure.

Yet, he is very good at framing and defining himself. He is also good at responding to attacks. I think the greatest point to overcome is to make the voting public comfortable with his ability to handle foreign policy.

He is calm, cool and intelligent. He needs to prove he is tough and able. His Veep choice will go a long way towards easing this concern.

[wileedog]

13. Experience

Hillary pegged that correctly, however she made the mistake of trying to puff hers way beyond what it actually is.

McCain doesn't have that problem, he easily trumps both Hill and Obama here, and will probably use Hillary's own comments against him.

However McCain has already had several "senior" moments and the campaign hasn't even really started, and there is a difference between experience for experience sake and solid wisdom. I think the debates are going to be an absolute nightmare for McCain - the contrast between an energetic, thoughtful, well spoken young contender and a stumbling, sometimes temperamental and quite codgy old man are going to be stark.

(For the record, i think Hillary would wipe the floor with him as well from a sheer "Holy shit the difference in intelligence is mind-boggling" standpoint. FWIW)

[SwampG8r]

14. his feet are probably tired

after all the clinton butt kicking he's done

[olkaz]

15. Too much like Hillary in policy, needs to move to the left.

And I think he'll listen.

[redqueen]

22. I disagree...

I don't think he can afford to move left. I think he's walking that tightrope perfectly balanced right now... now, after Jan... well, that's a different story. :7

[olkaz]

25. That's what I'm saying

I think he's running a centrist campaign, which worries me.

As long as he governs as a progressive, I'll be pleased as punch.

But if he pulls a Bill Clinton on us and capitulates on every Republican inititive, I'll be fighting against him every step of the way.

[crankychatter]

16. His only weakness is not taking PAC money

it makes the opposition and media hopping mad

[slinkerwink]

17. I think he's weakest on his relative lack of military experience

but I'm tired of us trying to act like Republicans in accepting their framing of what's patriotism, what's true Americanism, and that military service qualifies you for being President. All you have to do is look at Bush to know that's not true.

[Life Long Dem]

18. Huh? There is no weakness. Next question please!

[morningglory]

19. The frikken ugly, unfounded emails that are going around. Got another one this morning. n/t

[redqueen]

20. FWIW, I didn't take your thread as a potshot but a legitimate question.

It's not what you say, but the way that you say it. :)

I think his biggest weakness is those non-votes. I understand it was part of a strategy, but he needs to find a way to communicate that in "sound byte" form so that he can quickly tamp that down when it comes up.

[Mooney]

21. Lack of experience, easily.

I can't imagine any more glaring flaw that he has than that.

[Not the Only One]

26. They won't focus on that because it's flopped for Hillary.

They will treat him as someone who is qualified to run for President, but is just wrong on every issue, according to American public opinion. Obama will have to show he is in line with American opinion.

[Mooney]

31. I agree

but it's funny that they'll take that approach. To me, it's a no-brainer that if he's running against McCain, you just hammer away at his lack of experience. That they would try any other srategy against him just seems kind of weird to me.

The reason the experience issue flopped for Hillary is because she doesn't have any herself. McCain wouldn't have this problem, in my view, but it seems like it's been extrapolated that the experience argument is a loser, period, rather than just being a loser for her.

[Not the Only One]

35. They won't hammer on that because the "experience" issue is quite obvious.

When you see McCain and Obama on the stage, it will be as self-evident that McCain has more years of service than Obama as it will be that Obama has a different skin color. Obama will have to talk about how that McCain's experience is like a serial killer after his 20th victim-- not really some career achievement to be proud of because of what he did all those years.

[leftynyc]

33. It flopped for Hillary because

she was trying to claim experience that wasn't hers. It's a good argument for McCain because he arguably has the experience in government and the military.

[Not the Only One]

36. I think people basically bought into it because they saw a vote for Hillary as a vote for Bill

On some level, they realize that she is padding her resume quite a bit, but her supporters put away any concerns about her experience deficit with the belief that Bill will be on call 24/7 at a moment's notice to toss out his pearls of wisdom to her, like a media advisor who always lurks in the shadows in a corner of a room when a politician is speaking-- ready to give a hand when necessary (sort of like how McCain has Joe Lieberman following him around correcting his verbal mistakes).

[LWolf]

23. His platform and record.

disclaimer:

I am not an Obama supporter.

[Dawgs]

45. Are you a Democrat?

:shrug:

[LWolf]

48. Yes. I'm a Democrat.

I oppose unilateral action in other nations. Obama doesn't.

I am for universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care. Obama isn't.

I oppose merit pay for teachers. Obama supports it.

I oppose privatization of public education. Obama doesn't.

I support the right of consenting adults of any gender to marry. Obama doesn't.

I oppose the war in Iraq. Obama doesn't. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT HE SAID IN A SPEECH IN 2002; HE REPEATEDLY FUNDED IT ONCE HE GOT TO CONGRESS.

I oppose war as an instrument of international policy. Obama doesn't. He isn't against war; just "dumb wars," but is unable, apparently, to see that all wars are, to say the least, "dumb."

I support labor, and adamantly oppose NAFTA. Obama supports NAFTA.

I support a strong, wide, deep wall of separation between church and state. Obama engages in faith-based politics.

I'm a Democrat. I am not a "new democrat." I am not centrist. I am not a corporatist. I am not a "3rd way" democrat.

[Lilith Velkor]

51. !

:applause:

[cooolandrew]

27. Barack supporters don't give 'em ammo.

[redqueen]

28. They have the ammo.

We're pointing out which ammo we think has the most shield-penetrating power. :P

[leftynyc]

34. Ssshhhhh

maybe if we don't talk about it, the pubs wont bring it up. The ammo is already out there - the trick is to get in front of it and blunt it as a line of attack.

[Neshanic]

32. None! He can make clay figurines, and fire them himself. Bet you did not know that.

[book_worm]

37. the same as Hillary--a lack of foreign policy experience.

which is why I think he will choose somebody like Richardson or Biden to be his running mate.

[TexanDem]

38. He's too complimentary toward Hillary

I know he's trying to be above the frey and be gracious, but sometimes when she's clearly kneecapped him, he still gives her praises. It annoys me a lot!

[sfam]

39. Hillary's attacks point out his weaknesses, additionally, the woman vote is now in doubt

the experience thing, the Reverend Wright thing, and the "sentiment" that blue collar workers wouldn't support him in the GE. Really, she has mapped out the attack plan for McCain. In that sense, I don't see that the campaign will change much after the democratic nomination is finished. The only change will be perhaps harsher attacks and the absence of cries of sexism.

The other real weakness right now is the negative feeling that older women have for Obama now. I really think he has to strongly consider a woman on the ticket instead to solidifying a state like Ohio - I would choose a governor over a senator though. If not, a good percentage of those who have turned out in huge numbers for Hillary may be staying home.

[panhead1961]

40. Getting the political machine to agree to change.

Getting lobbyists and special interest groups out of politicians pocket's. Corporate influence has been so ingrained in the american political system getting any change to actually happen will be incredible difficult. We need an enema to change the way things are done.

[LiberalAndProud]

41. Same as Hillary has been using against him.

"READY FROM DAY ONE."

vs

"READY ON DAY ONE."

[karynnj]

42. At bowling - he is pretty good or excellent at most other things

[moondust]

43. It's not inexperience.

Being relatively inexperienced in the corrupt, self-serving, do-nothing, ineffective ways of Washington politics is clearly an asset.

[shadowknows69]

46. Kryptonite will kill him

He has a weakness for magic too but how many evil sorcerors do you really find these days?

[mikekohr]

47. Barack Obama Is A Strong Candidate

I do not perceive weakness in him. There will be the predictable attacks on him from the Republican slime machine. Like Kerry, and Gore, before him, Obama will be painted as liberal, elitist, inexperienced and unpatriotic, the same attacks they would use if Hillary wins the nomination.

The Republican Party is a one pony show and they will ride that horse till it drops dead,, then continue to beat that dead horse for another generation before they get their head out of their ass.

mike kohr

[Alter Ego]

49. They're already doing it.

McCain has already labeled Obama "the most liberal senator in the Senate".

This tactic smells very familiar--it's one that Republicans of all stripes have leaned on to demonize their Democratic opponents.

[joshcryer]

50. He's stronger than Hillary because he's more centrist. The liberal thing won't fly.

He'll be able to deflect it pretty easily.

But I want a candidate that isn't afraid to run on actual liberal policies that are tough to sell.