Is It Time for Obama to Take Off the Gloves? Yes or No.

I say it's high time for Obama to stop being the nice guy and to now return the fire right back at the Clintons. I think that Democrats also want to see that he can deliver a K.O. punch which he will have to do with John McCain anyway in the General Election.

It's obvious that Mark Penn, Bill Clinton, James Carville and Terry McAuliffe are banking (and praying) that Barack Obama will not go negative and will allow them to continue to smear him without any response.

Should Obama now take off the gloves with the Clintons?

She has less experience than he has if you take away her years as first lady, which he will do.

...just for starters.

And they will keep it up until Obama's campaign says enough.

They know what they're doing better than I do.

None of the sleazy tactics she's used. There are enough legitimate issues he can rake her on. Keep it a clean fight.

to release tax returns (in light of the Clintons' recent skyrocketing net worth)... that's how he should go "negative".

...like the since-retracted Canadian NAFTA statement.

Fight back, but fight clean.

without opening up florida and michigan and massive amounts of superdelegates.

Continue to punch McCain hard and ignore most of Clinton's attacks. Let him act as the nominee and her as the jealous spoiler. The more she attacks Obama, the more his campaign can point out that she seems more interested in beating him than McCain.

If he must take a punch at Clinton occasionally because she steps over the line in some way, it should be a big one that leaves her with a bloody nose.

.....

Sooner rather than later.

He’s much better reading speeches other people write for him.

Has HRC ever written her own speeches?

I am proud of him for taking the high road and that's one of the things I love about him. Part of me says he needs to start attacking her so that he's not constantly on the defensive, but part of me would hate to see him get dragged into the mud. And stooping to her level is a risky strategy, because it makes him look like just another politician.

I definitely think he should give her experience argument more scrutiny...I've said that for weeks. And I think it's fine for him to make an issue of the tax returns, but I don't want to see him start running negative ads in PA. I understand those who say he should, but it's not the kind of campaign he wanted to run and it's not who he is and I would rather see him go down for sticking to his principles than stoop to her level.

Their only chance to take him is if he implodes. Everything he is doing is working, and now people are totally falling for the "get tough" memo. It started with Tim Russert a while ago questioning their toughness. Then they got ugly with each other and Edwards looked great. The people made it clear they hated it. Obama stopped and Hillary got worse. She DID worse than she was supposed to. Everyone is assuming her negativity worked for her...why? Because the media wants us to think that. They love and need it to get ugly. Obama is untouchable right now, if he says the wrong thing the wrong way in order to "take her down" the voters will hate it.
My opinion...


Edited to add- This is my first official post with (1000+) next to my name. BOY I need a job...;)

I know she is just waiting for the chance to say "Look how negative and divisive the 'unity' candidate is." What he needs to do is simply call into question her record and her false experience.

You should start a new thread on this.

:thumbsup:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4904048&mesg_id=4904048


Maybe someone with more prestige can post! I did reach 1000 posts today so maybe that will make a dif...

If he can't hold up under the little criticisms he received, how the hell could he hold up under the Repugly’s on slot surely coming? He's weak.

In fact I sent around his very gracious speech in San Antonio. It was a wonderful speech that inspires not just his supporters, but people in other countries. Hillary was expected to win with much larger numbers. i think if she had not started acting like a Republican she might have held a slightly bigger lead.

I mean I do want him to start being sterner and more authoritative when dealing with Hillary and company. On the other hand I don't want him telling voters McCain is better than her. I don't want him to engage in dirty tricks. I certainly don't want a "SHAME ON YOU!" speech or have him start whining about the press or make fun of her. He needs to remain his dignity and be true to his ideals, while being more assertive in dealing with her.

The most frustrating thing for me is the fact that Hillary is treating this thing as a general election. She's tearing him down publicly, sewing seeds of doubt, playing dirty, and working in concert with McCain and even Bush on some days to destroy him as a candidate. All on a NATIONAL stage.

It's not that Obama has a "glass jaw", it's that the guy is running a pretty respectable primary campaign, realizing that one of the two candidates will have to run against the Republicans. Hence, the reason for not destroying Hillary on a national stage -- now that's party loyalty.

So, I hope that he can work with his superior organization and wrap this up state by state. If he can hold on, the national smearing that Hillary is giving him may actually have some value. In order to go this route, he will need make sure he's trying to at least steer the framing his way.

They are about to find out that the nice guy can deliver punches, too.

He's just let them draw first blood.

what he needs to do and now it's time for the next phase..return the fire only he won't have to dig up her kindergarten papers. hilary's more current history is loaded with dirty facts.