# Obama's Endgame strategy: What will he do to maximize his chances of victory? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 3, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333 "2008-10-03T15:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/41 "2008-10-04T23:04:01Z")
And indeed the timing of McCain’s all negative all the time campaign move is perfect for doing just that! Call him out for dishonorable campaigning in the town hall debate. I’ve seen McCain [in](http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1836909,00.html) [clips](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1v08YfakOq0ioZEGj85HZwjOoOAD93HR50G0); it’s his sorest sore spot. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/42 "2008-10-05T04:26:06Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > I’d also send the Clintons down there, as apparently they’re very popular in south Texas. Dang if Team Obama doesn’t listen to you Cap’n! [Here she is!](http://www.riograndeguardian.com/rggnews_story.asp?story_no=19) > [@](#): > > McALLEN, October 2 - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is to hold a news conference at McAllen Airport this afternoon to endorse Rick Noriega for U.S. Senate… > > … Clinton’s visit is being viewed as a big boost by both the Barack Obama and Noriega campaigns in the Valley. Clinton is very popular in the Valley, having secured 73 percent of the vote in the March primary in heavily Democratic Hidalgo County. Meanwhile Noriega is closing in on Cornyn. Still a bit behind but gaining. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/43 "2008-10-05T04:51:23Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Dang if Team Obama doesn’t listen to you Cap’n! Since evidently I am psychic, I will make the following predictions: 1. At the event in Little Rock next Friday, Obama will make an appearance. 2. At some point Obama will hold a rally with Ronnie Musgrove, who’s trying to knock off Roger Wicker in MS. 3. At some point Obama will do something with Baucus and/or Tester in MT, especially since Baucus is up this year (though he’s not facing a serious challenge). 4. Obama will visit Nebraska to cheer on Scott Kleeb’s attempt to beat Mike Johanns, which will also be an attempt to get one of NE’s districts. 5. Obama will visit Maine to give Tom Allen’s campaign against Susan Collins a badly needed shot in the arm, which should also stave off any attempts from McCain to do the same thing as in NE. 6. Obama will have an event in WV with Rockefeller and/or Byrd, especially since Rockefeller is in the same situation as Byrd. 7. Obama will do something with Bruce Lunsford in KY, both because Lunsford, though an awfully conservative Democrat, is a hell of a lot better than Mitch McConnell. This will also help Obama there, but I don’t think there’s any way he can win. 8. Given the recent polls in Georgia, both of McCain/Obama and Martin/Chambliss, it probably wouldn’t be a bad plan for Obama to do the same thing I’ve described 7 times already. 9. I wouldn’t be surprised if Obama had a rally in Florida with Bill Nelson; this won’t help his race, since he’s actually not up for reelection, but he is popular there, getting 60% of the vote in 2006. 10. Doing something in MS would be worth a shot, since it’s had the same poor polls as MT, TX, and GA recently did, but Erik Fleming doesn’t have a chance in hell of taking Thad Cochrane’s seat. So basically, I expect Obama to hold some sort of rally in every state with a Democrat who needs help getting elected or is already popular. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/44 "2008-10-05T06:02:21Z")
If Obama’s campaign takes the advice of [this DailyKos diarist,](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/4/191725/078) he might have a shot at picking up West Virginia. An outside chance, to be sure, but why not go for it? > [@](#): > > Last week I watched on Youtube as Richard Trumka delivered a rousing speech that brought the USW to its feet. It was a speech worthy of Debs. It was a thing of beauty. It choked me up to see such a spontaneous show of solidarity from the floor. It gave me hope. > > Trumka’s speech was great, but the news from Blacksville, West Virginia topped that by a mile. As many of you know, 440 mine workers from USMW Local 1702 stayed home as an act of solidarity with Obama and as a protest of the NRA’s cynical ploy to use them as props in an anti-Obama ad campaign. > > [snip] > > Here’s what I would love to see: > > ``` > Obama visiting Blacksville West Virginia to meet with USMW Local 1702 and thank them. Not for supporting him, but for defending their right to be taken seriously. I think the best way of saying "Thank You" is to acknowledge they are independent thinkers. A townhall meeting with the miners to answer their questions would be a great way of showing that under an Obama administration there will be no "fly over" states. > > ``` [Here is a link](http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=44752) to a local media outlet’s story about the miners’ protest. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/45 "2008-10-05T07:25:32Z")
“And one hour after I am inaugurated, I promise to award Presidential Medals of Freedom to Huey P. Newton and Angela Davis, and pardon The Juice…” And I wake up screaming… ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/46 "2008-10-05T13:23:09Z")
[OT] Good Lord, Robert Byrd is _still_ serving? The man is 91 years old, for Pete’s sake! At least he’s not running for re-election this year. He ran in 2006, at the tender age of 89. I mean, I’ve liked him ever since he had the guts to say that the Iraq war was dead wrong, and I’m willing to overlook his horrendous, but fortunately long-in-the-past associations with the KKK, but surely he’d like to spend a bit more time resting now? On the other hand, there’s simply no guarantee his seat would be held by a Democrat, so I’m glad he’s hanging around. [/OT] ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/47 "2008-10-05T13:42:08Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Since evidently I am psychic, I will make the following predictions: > … > > So basically, I expect Obama to hold some sort of rally in every state with a Democrat who needs help getting elected or is already popular. And here I will hope that you are wrong. Some are not the best possible investments of his personal time, as much as I’d love to see him give some respect to the miners of WVa and support all the down-tickets as much as is reasonably possible. He might not even be great help to some down-tickets. For example Obama aint so popular in KY. Lunsford might be better off running off of his coattails than on and Obama is better of chasing votes where has a better chance of a surprise pick-off. OTOH Bill Clinton there to help Lunsford, that would be a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/48 "2008-10-05T14:07:22Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > McCain’s new campaign strategy: [Pure negative](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100303738.html?hpid=topnews)The article mentions that the campaign has pulled its only positive ad (“Original Mavericks”) and will be concentrating exclusively on tearing Obama down. How very proud his supporters must be. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/49 "2008-10-05T15:27:16Z")
I could care less if his supporters are proud. It’s the fence sitters and moderates and independents I want to look at that article and say, “_what a dick, I’m voting Obama_”. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/50 "2008-10-05T16:03:11Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > I trust that on election day he is going to organize a powerful voter drive. Maybe even have lawyers on hand to stop corruption at the polls. No ‘maybe’ about it – he’s not leaving anything to chance. > [@](#): > > [Obama signs up lawyers](http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0808/Obama_signs_up_lawyers.html) > > . . . > > Attorneys, law students, and those with legal expertise will be essential in making sure every eligible citizen who wants to vote can vote – and that their vote is counted. > > Find out how you can lend your skills to make sure every voice is heard in this election: > > [http://my.barackobama.com/VoterProtection](http://my.barackobama.com/VoterProtection) > > . . . > > In a year that will likely see unprecedented turnout, we can’t afford to let our guard down. The stakes could not be higher. This election has to be different. > > That’s why the Obama Voter Protection Program has already launched, earlier than ever before, and will be the most comprehensive voter protection program in our nation’s history, with counsel in 50 states and a vote protection team on the ground now. > > But it won’t work without you. Put your legal skills into action and become a vital part of this historic effort: > > [http://my.barackobama.com/VoterProtection](http://my.barackobama.com/VoterProtection) > > Bringing about the change America needs will require all of us doing our part. Your professional expertise makes you indispensable to this effort. > > I hope you will join the Obama Voter Protection program and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same. > > Thank you, > > Bob > > Bob Bauer > General Counsel > Obama for America ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/51 "2008-10-05T17:57:44Z")
I think Obama needs to remain as cool and collected in the next two debates, but call McCain on some of his bullshit and patently untrue responses. He also should not say that he agrees with McCain so much, even if he does, but simply springboard any such responses into what is better and different about his position and plans. Does anybody think it would be worth it for Obama to speak directly (including creating ads) about the fact that McCain will be trying to mislead the American people with false and misleading ads during the next month and cut him off at the pass? This includes enumerating the things he’ll try to use – Wright, Ayers, elitist, redistribution of wealth, etc.? I realize this could be slightly dangerous but it’s out there anyway and Obama bringing it up first could thwart the McCain’s attempts to use in the way he wants. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/52 "2008-10-05T18:00:46Z")
> [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > Does anybody think it would be worth it for Obama to speak directly (including creating ads) about the fact that McCain will be trying to mislead the American people with false and misleading ads during the next month and cut him off at the pass? [It’s interesting you should say that…](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14283.html) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/53 "2008-10-05T18:17:47Z")
> [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > Does anybody think it would be worth it for Obama to speak directly (including creating ads) about the fact that McCain will be trying to mislead the American people with false and misleading ads during the next month and cut him off at the pass? This includes enumerating the things he’ll try to use – Wright, Ayers, elitist, redistribution of wealth, etc.? I realize this could be slightly dangerous but it’s out there anyway and Obama bringing it up first could thwart the McCain’s attempts to use in the way he wants. In my line of work, we call this 'inoculation." It’s preparing people for the opposition’s message by explaining what they will say or do, and then explaining why that message is false or irrelevant. It’s used to take the power out of your opponent’s message, and as **jayjay** has pointed out, the Obama-Biden campaign has wisely decided to inoculate the American public here. Political campaigns don’t do this sort of thing often enough, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/54 "2008-10-05T18:21:31Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Political campaigns don’t do this sort of thing often enough, IMO. I agree and thanks **Jayjay** for the link. Another example of how brilliantly this campaign is being run. In the words of the illustrious Waldo Geraldo Faldo – “Cool.” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/55 "2008-10-05T18:24:22Z")
My two bits, he should mention the vile insinutations with a “more in sorrow than in anger” tone, but only a passing reference, and then pivot immediately to a postiive message of hope and change. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/56 "2008-10-05T18:31:26Z")
The AP is shredding Palin for her despicable remarks yesterday. > [@](#): > > [Analysis: Palin’s words carry racial tinge](http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D93KD6Q00&show_article=1) > > WASHINGTON (AP) - By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is “palling around with terrorists” and doesn’t see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign. > > And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret. > > . . . > > Palin’s words avoid repulsing voters with overt racism. But is there another subtext for creating the false image of a black presidential nominee “palling around” with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn’t see their America? > > In a post-Sept. 11 America, terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown anarchists of Ayers’ day 40 years ago. With Obama a relative unknown when he began his campaign, the Internet hummed with false e-mails about ties to radical Islam of a foreign-born candidate. > > Whether intended or not by the McCain campaign, portraying Obama as “not like us” is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American. > > . . . ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/57 "2008-10-05T18:42:25Z")
Inoculation ads are a good idea. But that said, I think Obama’s campaign really should keep doing a lot of what it’s been doing. Reacting intelligently to the McCain campaign’s a good idea but why would they get too far off a track that has taken their campaign from being a slight McCain lead to a substantial Obama lead? [electoral-vote.com](http://electoral-vote.com) today has the race 329-194 Obama (North Carolina, 15 EVs, is tied) Election Projection has it 326-212. Why change a strategy that works? Do some inoculation ads, sure, but McCain and Palin are their own worst enemies. Look at the Palin “pals around with terrorists” comments; it’s self-inoculating to be attacked with something that’s so absurd it casts the mudslinger in doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/58 "2008-10-05T19:43:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Why change a strategy that works? I don’t think they have changed their strategy. Obama has been known for saying in speeches “they’re going to say things about me, they’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to say ‘he’s not like those other presidents.’” And so on. He’s just doing it on a commercial now, to a wider audience. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/59 "2008-10-05T20:11:07Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I could care less if his supporters are proud. It’s the fence sitters and moderates and independents I want to look at that article and say, “_what a dick, I’m voting Obama_”. Exactly. Once upon a time moderates and independents were bamboozled into believing that McCain was a man of honor, an innocent victim of mudslinging who was, himself, above it. McCain has shown how false that impression was. A lifetime building a personal mythology and he wasted it. The mud he is slinging is the stuff that has been heard … often on constant video looping … before. It will play well to those already solidly in the McCain camp just as Palin does. But for every independent/swing voter who is marginally swayed away from Obama by this unimaginative Swiftboat attempt, more than one will become more negative on McCain as it goes directly against the one thing he once upon a time had - a reputation for being above the mud, for honor. This isn’t early in the campaign when “Celebrity” and the “The One” ads had a chance to define Obama in the minds of many. Obama now has a concrete form in most people’s minds. Team Obama’s pre-emptive response instead turns the attack against him back - into a most cogent attack on the McCain mythos. In the early days of this election it was clear that McCain had the difficult task of balancing the need to appeal to the base while also appealing to the middle. Somehow he came to the conclusion that all he needs to do to appeal to the middle is to dis Bush some and now he is stuck with trying to win on the strength of his base alone. Not the year to do that. In short, between Team Obama’s self-positioning and McCain’s own past missteps, McCain is not left with any good options. And the desperation shows. And team’s in desperate situations often only make desperate plays that only make their circumstance that much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333/60 "2008-10-05T20:22:56Z")
I’m not seeing how bring up Ayers is tinged with racism unless you mean that any time they try to scare you about Obama it’s racist. Hell, that’s not true. They’d be trying to scare you of any Democrat. They’d be digging up any dirt they could about any Democrat. He could be a member of the DAR or whatever male group corresponds to it; they’d be saying exactly the same things if he had the same casual connection to Ayers that he does now - that is, if he were a Democratic politician in Chicago. Sorry, but this isn’t racism. This is a dirty campaign. They may get racist, but this isn’t what it will look like if they do. This is just the standard “Don’t trust him - he’s a bad guy because he hangs out with bad people” political stuff that every politician running a negative campaign does. Our side could do it with Charles Keating with considerably greater justification, for example. But Obama is vulnerable about Ayers, Rezko, and Wright: Ayers because he can be painted so badly; Rezko, because the property deal can be painted so badly; and Wright because the association lasted so long, and because Wright really screwed the pooch. And Obama won’t respond in kind because he’s running a clean campaign. But he has turned loose the 527s. And I think it’s about time to start hearing a bit more about Charles Keating and the adventures of John McCain and financial regulators. After all, it’s pretty darned relevant these days, wouldn’t you say? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-endgame-strategy-what-will-he-do-to-maximize-his-chances-of-victory/466333.md?page=4)