Proposed Obama Strategy for Winning Superdelegates **Obama Fans Please Read**

After having had time to digest the current delegate situation, it seems clear that a top priority for the Obama campaign has to be preparing its political case as to why Obama is more likely than Hillary to win in November. Because when you get right down to it, that is why superdelegates exist in the first place: to allow the party elites to steer the nomination to the candidate who they feel is best positioned to win. The system doesn't pretend to be democratic, and we shouldn't waste any time bemoaning this fact: the system is what it is and we have to prepare ourselves to win within the context of that system.

Obama's main challenge will be Hillary's argument that much of his support is among African-Americans who will vote Democratic regardless, while much of her support is among Latinos and blue collar whites who, she will argue, may not vote for an African-American candidate in sufficient numbers. I noticed that Hillary supporter Susan Estrich wrote a commentary today wondering aloud whether the "Bradley effect" of voters lying to pollsters about voting for black candidates was real and whether the Democratic party could take that chance in November. I fully expect that article was written as part of Hillary's superdelegate spin machine, and the Obama campaign needs to counter with its own arguments as to why he can and will win in November. Here is how I propose that it be done.

First of all, the basic message has to be this: "ENTHUSIASM IS CONTAGIOUS." Not even the most ardent Hillary supporter could deny that the Obama campaign has far more enthusiasm than hers, and that enthusiasm has to be our main selling point. We need to point out how far Obama has come in the polls in just the last few months and, more importantly, that he has not peaked, as Hillary likely has. I know from personal experience that there are many, many people out there who simply aren't paying attention to politics right now. They aren't unwilling to vote for a black candidate- they just haven't noticed the amazing things that are going on in Obama's campaign. But they will in coming months if Obama is nominated and his enthusiastic supporters continue talking to their friends and neighbors about him- which they will. That needs to be the basic message- Hillary has peaked, while our trajectory is upward because the campaign's enthusiasm will spread like a wildfire.

We also need to remind the Democratic party of the flip side of this Obama enthusiasm. We need to ask the party to contemplate what would happen if the hopes of the biggest Democratic party movement of our generation are dashed because of machine party politics. In the near term- this election - we would likely face defeat, because maverick John McCain is ideally suited to pick up disillusioned independent voters who put their hopes on Obama. In the longer term, the Democratic party may never get these voters back, since they may not be willing to invest this kind of enthusiam in any future election, when they believe the process to be corrupt.

Finally, in a more specific vein, I think the campaign needs to play to one of its biggest strengths- the support of young voters. I propose- and I hope this idea is at least noticed and considered by Obama campaign staffers - that the party draw up a formal plan to have the largest turnout of college voters in history this November. And we need to begin to implement that plan, such as by forming student groups ("Obama Brigades" or something like that) with a specific numerical goal of college-age voters in mind - something very ambitious. Obama supporters on campus can start petition drives in which they solicit signatures from students committing themselves to vote in November. They could also have specific plans for the actual voting, such as by having groups of Obama supporters march together to the polls and have parties together afterwards. You get the general idea- it needs to be a specific and realistic plan that will make the Democratic party believe that we can actually deliver on these young votes, like we did in Iowa. Because as I see it, young voters is where Obama's victory is going to have to come from this fall in places like Ohio.

Young voters are our biggest strength, and we need to have an actual plan for using that strength that we can show the superdelegates. I really think these ideas would help the Obama campaign convince the Democratic elites that Obama will win and is deserving of the support of superdelegates. Because if you look at the delegate math, this campaign will likely come down to superdelegates barring a surprise win in Texas or Ohio. This may happen, but we can't count on it.

Thanks to anyone who has read this far, and, if you like these suggestions, please say so to keep this thread bumped to the top for a while, or add your own suggestions. Also, feel free to forward these ideas or any of your own ideas to the Obama campaign.

Thanks for the uplift!

:hug:

ARE NOT part of his strategy. It's a campaign of empty rhetoric right until the end.

will want to know where his votes are going to come from. Superdelegates will not vote based on issues, and my ideas are about persuading them.

Shame his supporters haven't read it and compared it to the actual progressive candidates in the race. Not that his web site is honest either. Where on his web site do you find out that his healthcare plan costs 102 billion dollars and doesn't even cover half the uninsured, as opposed to Hillary's that covers all the uninsured for only a fraction more in costs?

I very seriously doubt that either Hillary's or Obama's plans will ever become law. You need 60 votes in the Senate to pass anything, and I honestly don't see that happening anytime soon. There are too many vested interests in favor of the status quo.

You know how we advance the dem agenda? By putting a super majority in the senate, or elected some reps with the nads to get head to head with them with a simple majority.

That isn't going to happen if the damn base of our party votes for the guy that insists he will "work with them." Working with them is the same as saying caving into them.

This train has left the station. This ball is rollin. This chili is cookin. well you know what I mean.

Like his position on the issues, and his ability to advance an agenda (of which he has zero experience). I kind of think the super delegates are smarter than that. But I guess we will see.

In my local very, very mixed forum, a poster was referred to the site by an Obama fan (I know better) and came back with, "OK, I read that he says he's in favor of securing all the rogue nukes, but he doesn't say how or how much. Where do I find out?"

The Obama fan disappeared.

This is why, after Edwards dropped, I decided to back Barack Obama.

I think he has the coattails to bring the voters to the polls in November. I don't see Hillary generating that enthusiasm.

Republicans with no love for McCain may turn out to vote against Hillary.

I'm pretty sure that I went round and round with you while John was still in the race.

Welcome.

:hi:

Take those coattails to a very big tent!

Setting policy goals and determining the tactics/strategies for achieving those goals are two different things. The fact is, Obama is taking what I believe is the proper approach, he is clearly articulating goals that are internally consistent and in line with the goals of most liberals. He IS avoiding a discussion of the tactics, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. His goals are detailed, but in the give and take of the policy implementation process there has to be flexibility in tactics. Bush is inflexible in his tactical approach to policy and that is part of what infuriates his opposition - and rightly so.

The calls I'm hearing are ones that want him to pledge to follow certain strategies to achieve the goals. What if, given the prevailing needs of the country once he is in office, those tactics that look so good now show themselves to be an invitation to disaster? What should he do?

Take the foreign policy example of talking to unpopular foreign leaders. Obama has stated clearly that he will meet with them (goal). But he refused to put preconditions on his willingness to meet with them (refuses to commit to tactical course). The same is true of health care. He endorses universal health care (goal). But he refuses to commit to mandates (tactic). That means that if he is elected, he will have more options available to consider when he sets out to achieve the goals he is stating.

I can understand that a lot of people will disagree with me, that's ok. All I can say is that my education includes advanced study in public policy. That doesn't make me any kind of a savant, but what I'm relaying is one of the things I've learned.

I do think that Obama will be able to reach across the aisle better to actually implement his policies, though some of them like universal health care simply won't happen with any president, IMO.

Thanks for the K&R, btw!

Just go with the obvious: "Obama Youth." And don't just try to organize them for November in advance. Why not use that young enthusiasm to bring the SuperDs to Obama directly? Have them call their homes at all hours of the night (you can always rely on a lot of college kids to be up at 2 am, ready to make the calls when they will have the most impact.) If that doesn't work, send them round to TP the SuperD houses. For the last recalcitrant SuperD holdouts, why not pick one particular night when the O.Y. can go round to break all their windows? They could record the event on their cellphones and uplink the video feed in real time to Youtube! Talk about viral! That would certainly get everyone's attention!

Just brainstorming here. Brainstorming like a trooper for Obama!

She is pulling out all the stops to make sure every person who has the slightest inclincation to vote for her gets to the polls tomorrow. If we look past these elections, we end up just like New Hampshire. If we do the right job tomorrow, November will take care of itself.

Phone Calls. GOTV. Ohio. That's what we need to do.