An 82 year old's reaction to the debate & why Obama doesn't "go for the kill" w/ Clinton

[housewolf]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/my-82-year-old-mothers-debate.php

From: Cafe, Election Central
My 82 Year Old Mother's Debate Reaction
By Andrienne Wilson - April 17, 2008, 8:03PM

Everyone on every network is missing the entire point of Obama's approach, and it is so basic I cannot believe no one has caught on. There is one simple and overiding reason that Obama does not go in for the kill with Clinton, and it has nothing to do with his ability to "close the deal". Obama has to gain this nomination without pissing off all of Hillary's supporters.

If he dives in to any of the critical comments pundits and so-called reporters think he needs to in order to show some killer instinct, he will totally lose the women who are currently pro-Hillary forever. The vitriol is bad enough now, can you imagine how Hillary's girls would feel about him if he had flattened her?

I asked my 82 year old mother, who hates politics with a passion because it is so negative, what she thought about the debate. She said "Well, he's being a gentleman, of course. Thank goodness, that is why I will vote for him." She then said "It's about time someone behaved properly." She then also asked me why I was making her watch the coverage. "You know this is why I hate politics, I'm going to go play mahjong on the computer."

Simple, to the point, out of the mouth of a lady who usually won't even pay attention to all of this. This is not unpreparedness, this is foresight so complete, and farreaching that gaming minds have missed it. He can't win without all of those women. He can't win those women if they hate him for destroying Hillary.<\b>

------------------

Do you agree? What do you think?

[mamalone]

1. I agree....

and I think I'd like your mother:)

[Bensthename]

2. He said it himself today. He is holding back attacks for the gen election.

[parasim]

3. "He's being a gentleman" wow, is that refreshing.

when's the last time you heard somebody call a politician a "gentleman"?

Thank goodness, is right!

I like your mother a lot.

[Kurovski]

4. LuckyR#5 (nt)

[Swamp Rat]

6. "... that is why I will vote for him... I'm going to go play mahjong on the computer."

That interview could have been with my dad. :D

[Kurovski]

20. I have this...I have this...odd

...desire to vote for...McCain.

[Swamp Rat]

21. I made that pic this evening.

It scared the crap outta someone, who then told me to stop posting art with Hitler's image. :wow:

Of course I immediately posted three more like it. :evilgrin:

Fuck that noise! I find it therapeutic to vandalise Hitler's ugly face... among others. :D

[Kurovski]

26. I wish to make love to that apparition of bestial loveliness!

What have you done to me? Artists are the devil's couriers! You have broken me! You are in some dark lord's employ, and I scream to my God...what has he done to me?!!

:D Hehe.

[Swamp Rat]

28. Group sex in Hell!

:D

[Kurovski]

29. Looks like the Lincoln Bedroom to me.

:shrug:

Dang, how long did that one take? I recognize some Bush heads as being lifted from other works.

It's sexy! :rofl:

[AntiFascist]

34. BwaHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!! N/T

[mrreowwr_kittty]

23. Same with my bf's 88 YO mom.

She was all Hillary all the way but now she's warming up to Barack.

[Stephanie]

5. "It's about time someone behaved properly."

That about sums up his entire campaign philosophy.

[CakeGrrl]

7. Good for people like your mother who recognize the class of the Obama campaign

I'm hopeful it'll pay off for him, but I wish it were MUCH sooner rather than later. It's a head-shaker how much Clinton campaign crap Obama has to continue to rise above. He needs to focus on the GE.

[housewolf]

27. I'm with you!

5 more days, 19 at the most (Indiana & North Carolina)

[Cha]

8. I think Obama is being Obama and

he knows what he's doing. I think the m$$$fm are being willfully dense and whatever Obama did they would have the opposite whineyass tactic to take.

I do agree with the lady who says "Obama is a gentleman".."'bout time somebody behaved properly".

hilary loves her own petards and rope games so there's no reason for Obama to get her cooties.

[Quixote1818]

9. I have been saying this for the last month. He has to play nice with Hillary

or he shoots himself in the foot for the General.

[TragedyandHope]

10. That's why we support Barack Obama

"It's about time someone behaved properly."



We support Barack Obama!

[housewolf]

33. Wonderful picture!

We hear so much about Obama appealing more to younger voters and Hillary's base being older baby boomer women, it's great to see that picture showing support for Obama from some members of a demographic group that's not generally considered to be his base of supporters.

Thanks!

[papau]

11. Obama always fakes "Mr Nice" - this time he has David Axelrod tell the press that

the two folks pardoned by President Clinton had killed people. They were not convicted of that. One had been seen emptying a car trunk of weapons, the other of having her as a house guest.

Of course David is the one Obama turned to when he wanted to play the race card to stop Hillary's momentum from her NH win - so I guess we just have to expect this behavior.

[Kurovski]

24. Spamming the board , I see.

Just cut and paste.

Politeness is a good deal about "faking it", my dumpling. It's not important that we inject every one of our personal feelings and raging ambitions into every single thing we do in public. It's also about fair play, which has died a long, lingering death in this nation. We have to share this world. Tempering the ego, which cares not for anything but itself, is a bit like faking it. Taming the lizard brain is a little like "faking it" as well.

[SwampG8r]

47. yes politeness and diplomacy are related

and we know diplomacy is just a way to say "go screw yourself" in a way that sounds good to the person your talking to
i have to wonder about anyone who will fault obama for his manners

and the 2 that were pardoned by bill clintons "pay as you go" pardon system were CONVICTED
ayres was never convicted of anything
he is innocent in our system

heres a link about it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ayers

[Yes We Did]

12. It's what I thought as well... He was being conciliatory... You could tell he was thinking...

How can I stop her while at the same time showing restraint. So he found an opening and delivered a small push. He never overplayed. He knew he was going to get the "He is soft on her and is he electable?" but here is the thing... they know how this turns out in every state they go to. Plouff has done a fantastic job of mapping which states they will win and by how much.

He is making sure he doesn't get blown out and if he can take this state then great. I'm confident that he saw what ABC was doing. They don't exactly hide their shilling very well. They've turned to the dark side.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. I love that 82 year old woman

"Well, he's being a gentleman, of course. Thank goodness, that is why I will vote for him." She then said "It's about time someone behaved properly."

She rocks!!!

:applause:

[quantass]

14. Now this is a SMART thread --- Thank you Mommy!

There have been a few threads like this one explaining this theory of Obama intentionally holding back to show class...and it truly is the most elegant explanation because when you think about it that is 100% correct..OMG, i would be a horrible politician because i would have gone for the juglar that is hillary...

Barack Obama is one heck of a classy guy and very smart thinker! Yes, by his keeping his gentleman like composure he will be able to capture hillary's followers in the GE....Very smart!

Say thank you to your mom for me :hi:

[SwampG8r]

48. i gotta agree

if i was running against her she would have dropped out in humiliation by super tuesday

and i would lose the GE

[bhikkhu]

15. I agree, and it shows great character and resolve.

[calimary]

16. Man, that's a good point! He may be doing so unconsciously, or not, but it's a GREAT point.

And you better believe a lot of Hillary fans will remember that if their candidate doesn't wind up in the GE. I think I'd have that in the back of my mind in such a case - that, well, he was indeed civil to her most of the time. And if he's our candidate, he absolutely won't be able to win it without a lot of former Clinton supporters. It would be a factor in my thinking, most certainly.

[SwampG8r]

49. and

maybe the fact that he hasnt gone after her full bore will make her stepping aside a little easier for her

[demwing]

17. Agreed, but it goes beyond being a gentleman, IMO

Obama is also a good team player. Though shalt not speak ill of thy Democratic opponent. IIRC, Obama was even good to Lieberman, and gave him an endorsement, when no one else in the party would piss on him if he were on fire.

It's all part of the overriding character of the man. He's solid gold.

[ORDem]

18. Absolutely agree. Obama said it himself today in NC. He's restraining

himself (and from the way he said it, apparently with great effort) from attacking a fellow Dem. He will not be restrained against McCain (there's a good tag line there somewhere, lol).

Once this friggin' primary season is over watch McCain's numbers fall like bricks through a vacuum.

:dem:

[Beregond2]

19. It's sad

that being a gentleman has become so rare that people have to have it explained to them. I'm reminded of the movie "Blast From the Past." A character says: "He told me that being a gentleman means making sure that everyone in the room is comfortable. Did your parents teach you that? Mine sure didn't." That's the problem. In the eighties, it became fashionable to be a barbarian, and that hasn't stopped yet. But maybe it is starting to.

[stillcool]

22. I think he is running the campaign..

he decided to run from the get-go. Perhaps the reason why he doesn't lose it, is because he is familiar with being up against it, and having to fight in a dignified manner. How else could he have gotten where he is?

[Shae]

25. Your mother sounds charming.

Smart too!
:)

[DLnyc]

30. Yes, I agree with your very sharp mom, and I would add a point.

He is careful not to burn Hillary because he (and we) need those votes in November.

But, also, he is doing as well as he is very much because people appreciate that he is not down in the mud with (most of) the rest of the players.

Maybe the under-message of the 'elite' smear they've been trying to put on hm is that he's not playing dirty pool like the rest of the hacks that have anointed themselves the 'voice of the people'.

[2rth2pwr]

31. No. The absolute worst scenario would be Obama going in to the convention

and getting the nomination after losing a significant number of races. If he gets the nod based on

"I won on points" he will be a weakened candidate.

One candidate has to win decisively here in the waning days. Time for the KO.

Hillary 2008

[SwampG8r]

50. the hillary fans remind me

of the monkey house

even when you offer them a banana
they sling crap

[GoesTo11]

32. Who is more of a gentleman, Barack or Bill?

Hillary knows the truth. She really knows.

[LibGranny]

35. Your mother is right!

I've felt with every attack on Obama that he's too much a gentleman to respond in kind. I just never thought that the higher purpose was to not tick off the women. I'm a women (and sadly, middle-aged) and I'd love to see him go for her jugular but I'm sure that will happen to McSame.

[Scurrilous]

36. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Stinky The Clown]

37. I actually do agree with this ......

.... I wish the more assholic of his supporters would follow his lead.

[K Gardner]

38. Your Mama rocks :-)

[Lucky 13]

39. I LOVE IT!!

The woman knows what's what.

[GetTheRightVote]

40. I to believe this is the reason, we women love a southern gentlemen

and Obama is being a southern gentleman from the state of IL...and it is working for him.

[gulliver]

41. That's just an excuse.

If Obama doesn't "go for the kill," it's both because there is not much "kill" to go for and no way he can get to it without sustaining grievous damage. Hillary is not vulnerable to many attacks capable of surviving open debate. About 90% of her negatives are based on pure, half-witted snark repeated endlessly by apes and yahoos. Those critters and their intellectual foundation, such as it is, wouldn't survive four seconds on a debate stage. A debate stage is not like a blog.

Obama is also wise enough to worry about return fire from Hillary. He can't give her an excuse for retaliation. If the audience sees Obama "go for the kill," then they will not begrudge Hillary doing the same. Hillary would then turn Obama every which way but loose. That would be a disaster for Obama's candidacy.

No, it's not that Obama is trying to hold Hillary's constituency. He just doesn't feel like sticking his bare foot into a badger hole.

[SwampG8r]

51. try the xanax

i dont think the prozac is working for you anymore

[gulliver]

52. Can you at least have your daddy or mommy type the put-down?

[SwampG8r]

53. oh ....owie....oochie....ow

oh man...you got me
what a way with words

[burythehatchet]

42. rec worthy.

:thumbsup:

[u2spirit]

43. My 88 year old granny

Who is a lifelong conservative Republican said today that Obama was going to get her vote because he is a good man and Hillary is "sneaky".

[NC_Nurse]

44. "It's about time someone behaved properly."

Hear, hear! Your mother is right on the money. :D

[DemGa]

45. I think like most people, the 82 year old woman

is unaware that Obama and his campaign have sought to profit from the foulest of right-wing attacks. Character assassination -- pushing, often surreptitiously, that Clinton is dishonest, deceitful, can't be trusted. It's the lowest form of attack.

I think the insight about not alienating women is correct -- Obama is gaming this system. It's very important, also, that he appear his hands are clean.

[Patchuli]

46. Bless that lady's heart!

Yes, I agree with her. Barack Obama is a gentleman and I love that in a man. I especially love that in a man running for President of the United States whose opponent is playing dirty with him. He is showing restraint, discipline and class!

GOBAMA!