Obama Goes on Offense: McCain Is "Out of Touch"
| Fri Sep. 12, 2008 8:58 AM PDT
With his supporters increasingly grumbling about what feels like a campaign perpetually fighting back against John McCain's attacks, Barack Obama began an offensive assault today.
The Obama campaign is seizing on a statement by McCain Thursday night on CNN in which the Republican senator said, "It's easy for me to go to Washington and, frankly, be somewhat divorced from the day-to-day challenges people have."
In a conference call with reporters Friday morning, top Obama surrogates hammered McCain for the statement. Dick Durbin, senator from Illinois, said, "[McCain] wants to continue with George Bush have failed. If he would, you know, be in the real world of American families in New York, Illinois or Florida, he would understand that."
Rahm Emanuel, a representative from Illinois and part of the Democratic House leadership, added, "[McCain is] removed from the day-to-day challenges people have faced in their lives. And you see it manifest itself in the thing when he says, you know, I don't use a computer. I don't use e-mail. There's a whole economic revolution going on. And it fundamentally changed the economy, and fundamentally changed people's lives, and he is removed from it."
An unnamed Obama campaign official told Politico that the campaign's message is simple: "Out of touch, out of touch, out of touch."
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The campaign also released two new advertisements Friday morning, one of which hits McCain hard for being behind the times. In it, the narrator says, "Things have changed in the last 26 years. But McCain hasn't. He admits he still doesn't know how to use a computer, can't send an email. Still doesn't understand the economy. And favors two hundred billion in new tax cuts for corporations, but almost nothing for the middle class. After one President who was out of touch, we just can't afford more of the same."
The Obama campaign is also releasing a decade's worth of Joe Biden's tax records in the hopes of pressuring a similar move from Sarah Palin.
While the Obama campaign has a number of messaging options available to it that may be more effective than the ones it has chosen in recent days — "same as Bush," for example — supporters will likely be happy that Obama is on the offensive at all. Obama seemingly spent the summer parrying attacks from the McCain campaign, mostly on the subject of his celebrity. The defensive posture has only become more entrenched since the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's vice president.
But now that period may finally be over. The media loves a comeback story, which may mean that next week is dominated by "Obama regains his swagger" articles. If that's the case, Obama may blunt the recent polling swing toward McCain in time for the first debate later this month.
Comments
You can't teach an old dog new tricks and McCain is old. Changing with the times is something he's just unable to do. He is SO out of touch. This country is on the verge of economic collapse and he wants to continue on that same path. We can kiss the middle class good-bye if he gets elected.
This is too Priceless!
McCain: Mayors & Governors Do Not Have National Security Experience! Then why did he give us Sarah Paliin?
I like this ad. What I would like to see next is an ad showing McCain when he made a gaf about the sunni and shia along with Palin's "deer in the headlights" look when Gibson asked her about the Bush Doctrine. Another ad with Palin demeaning community organizers and her saying that Freddie Mac/Fannie May were financed by tax payers. There are so many options Obama has for ads that will show how incompetent the McCain/Palin team are to be in the WH and I am sure there will be more coming.
I listened as long as I could (which wasnt long) to Palin's interview with Gibson last night. The fact that she lies and continues to lie even after her lies are exposed is disturbing. More disturbing is that McCain is preaching change and pretends to be a Maverick and a "good guy", yet, he is condoning the lies and proving that he will stoop to the lowest levels to win this election.
While watching the interview I was struck how similar Palin is to Bush. She has the same lack of intellectual curiosity, no interest in the world outside of the US (in Palin's case--no interest outside of Alaska, works hard to present herself as "macho" by bragging about killing animals, hawkish on war, and presenting herself as a vicious attack dog in order to appear tough.
In my view, Palin is George Bush in a skirt and I hope that Obama will put out an ad comparing her to Bush.
It is interesting that Karl
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