Obama debate memo: We're ready for Ayers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/15/obama-pre-debate-memo-wer_n_134803.html
(Sam Stein)


Honoring the pre-debate tradition, Barack Obama's campaign is out with a memo on Wednesday raising the expectations for John McCain to ungodly heights. But in addition to setting the stage for tonight's affair, the Illinois Democrat did something peculiar: he allowed a peek into internal strategy.

Spokesman Bill Burton lays out -- in no small measure -- how he believes the debate will precede.

"Just this weekend, John McCain vowed to 'whip Obama's you-know-what' at the debate," he writes, "and he's indicated that he'll use Bill Ayers to attack Barack Obama... Senator Obama is going to use the debate to discuss his plan for the economy. That's what he's been doing this entire campaign."

Such a prediction may appear, at once, over-simplistic and optimistic. But the Obama campaign has seemingly been engineering this scenario for the past week. Indeed, if John McCain brings up Ayers in tonight it may be because he was goaded into doing so.

Following the candidate's second debate, both Obama and Joe Biden chided the Republican nominee for not making the personal character attacks he made on the stump to Obama's face. Since then, however, polling data has shown voters recoiling from McCain's use of Bill Ayers in political attacks. The Arizona Republican is left in a quandary: don't bring up the former '60s radical and risk being seen as squirmy and afraid; or bring him up and get bashed by Obama for not talking about the economy.

As Burton writes: "But after two debates in which John McCain didn't mention the middle class once -- and after his campaign declared openly that they want to turn the page on talking about the economy -- the real question is not how many attacks McCain can land in the debate, but whether he can finally communicate a vision to turn this economy around.


Here is the full memo:

In tonight's debate, Chuck Todd of NBC News says, McCain needs to "figure out how to disqualify Barack Obama." Time Magazine's Mark Halperin writes, "McCain will have to produce a major memorable moment." The NY Daily News says the debate is "do-or-die for McCain's campaign." However they put it, people agree, John McCain needs a game-changer.

On the big issues, this debate is one last chance for John McCain to do what he has failed to do throughout this entire campaign: explain to the American people how his economic policies would be any different at all than the failed Bush agenda he has supported every step of the way. It's his last chance to somehow convince the American people that his erratic response to this economic crisis doesn't disqualify him from being President.

Just this weekend, John McCain vowed to "whip Obama's you-know-what" at the debate, and he's indicated that he'll use Bill Ayers to attack Barack Obama. Even though Senator McCain has said he doesn't "give a damn" about Bill Ayers, his campaign has admitted that if he talks about the economy, he'll lose.

But perhaps the NY Times explained the peril of McCain's negative strategy best this morning when they wrote: After several weeks in which the McCain campaign unleashed a series of strong political attacks on Mr. Obama, trying to tie him to a former 1960s radical, among other things, the poll found that more voters see Mr. McCain as waging a negative campaign than Mr. Obama. Six in 10 voters surveyed said that Mr. McCain had spent more time attacking Mr. Obama than explaining what he would do as president; by about the same number, voters said Mr. Obama was spending more of his time explaining than attacking.

Senator Obama is going to use the debate to discuss his plan for the economy. That's what he's been doing this entire campaign. And on Monday, he built on his proposals in a new Rescue Plan for the Middle Class. That's the kind of steady leadership and real change Americans are looking for - not John McCain's erratic handling of the crisis, his constant character attacks, and the same Bush policies that have failed us for eight years.

But after two debates in which John McCain didn't mention the middle class once -- and after his campaign declared openly that they want to turn the page on talking about the economy -- the real question is not how many attacks McCain can land in the debate, but whether he can finally communicate a vision to turn this economy around.

And while McCain has promised to attack Obama in the debate, every minute that he ignores the economy and the middle class is not just a minute wasted but time spent on attacks that even some of those closest to him have said don't work.

But something else will. Maybe Wright. Probably not Acorn. Something new, I think.

I think that McCain will use the bogus "Obama has spent more on negative campaigning than any other in history!" claim that she made on Morning Joe, to try and turn it all on Obama. Here's more of the malarkey (love ya, Joe!) she said this morning. Maybe he'll bash the media too, the real hallmark of a losing candidate.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14593.html


John McCain campaign senior strategist Nicole Wallace conceded Wednesday that the campaign “lost the spin war” by allowing Barack Obama’s campaign to brand the Arizona senator as a dirty campaigner.
“The truth is they play dirty politics, and maybe we haven't been quick enough. Maybe we don't have enough friends in the media to carry the message,” Wallace said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. “We certainly lost the spin war about his fighting a more negative campaign. The truth is that Barack Obama has spent more money on negative attack ads against John McCain than any politician, Democrat or Republican, in history.”

Wallace blamed a double standard in the media which highlights any potentially negative mention of Obama’s race while ignoring attacks against Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s gender.

“There is an acceptance of the gender bashing that's happened with Sarah Palin,” Wallace said. “It's an atrocity. Win or lose, we'll spend a long time examining the atrocities that have been carried out.”

“The truth is we've had a lot of thoughtful discussions about race in this campaign, and that is entirely appropriate. We should continue to do so. We have spent far less time talking about the gender bashing that happens, not only out of the Obama campaign, but on the far left,” the strategist added.

But Wallace said that no matter the tack taken by the McCain campaign in pushing its message, its efforts have so far been futile.

“Well, look, it's like running against God,” Wallace said. “You know, the media has anointed . Many, many places in the media, present company excluded, and he's got more money. He opted out of public funds. No one cares about that.”

I am sick of the harping over Rev. Wright. So, he shoots his mouth off-that's what preachers are paid to do. His church has done a lot of good in Chicago.

But if McCain starts in about Wright, that leaves it open for Obama to discuss Robertson and Falwell's conversation on the 700 Club after 9-11 in which they blame gays for the attacks. McCain does not want to go there.

That surprises me--I was sure he'd be out on the stump with Moose Princess talking about it nonstop at this point.

I wonder why.

that Palin and some other strategists in the campaign want to start going after the Wright connection and McCain is resisting it. It sounds like they're ready to defy him and get a 527 together to do it. I wonder if McCain is regretting his Palin decision just a little bit more right now?

with negative ads.

McCain is playing some standard psy-ops games. There must be something else brewing.

The scuttlebutt in NY is that it will get real bad, but who knows?

but the Barracuda lone wolf maverick will never give up.

Poor McCain ...what is he to do ...

Luckily he is wearing these .... there should be no major problems:

just as the government buys the banks it will give away our healthcare, and our retirement money.

How is McCain going to pay for his 100 year war?

McCain raised taxes 477 times

when McCain spits out the "SENATOR OBAMA VOTED TO RAISE YER TAXES 94 TIMES!" line.

"Well, John, if you actually look at my record, you'll see that not even a third of those dealt with actual tax increases--most of them were just procedural measures in the Senate and had nothing to do with the tax code. By your logic, though, I could counter with the fact that you've voted to raise taxes 477 times."

Great Line !!

the real question is not how many attacks McCain can land in the debate, but whether he can finally communicate a vision to turn this economy around.

Mayor Bloomberg (I don't really care what he says, but this quote is funny) said in an interview with Politico that McCain should focus on issues instead of attacks tonight, and that John McCain should "look in the mirror and realize that if this is what he needs to do to win, maybe he shouldn't win.")

...he doesn't know anything about the economy. Obama should also remind them how Palin left Wasila in debt just like George BOOsh.

The turning point in both Obama campaigns came when the other side started engaging in personal attacks based on half truths, innuendo, and coded race appeals.

Both of his opponents have underestimated the discipline and timing of the Obama campaign to turn those attacks back on the aggressor, and to harm the aggressor politically for doing it.

It reminds me of Western style ping pong compared to Asian style ping pong. It's the perfect defense against such offensive campaign strategies.

And neither McCain or Clinton have matched Obama in purely physical organization terms. From money to volunteers to campaign slogans, to running field offices, to training staff, to managing the media, Obama has excelled. He matched his operations to coincide with the DNC, (using a 50 state primary strategy and a vastly expanded presidential playing field) so integration was easy and swift after the primaries. His candidacy is so widely seen as helping local democratic candidates that it's created a synergy and momentum beyond the component parts.

Obama deserves to be President.

voting bush 95% of the time..he expected his base the corporatemediawhore$$ to carry him through..what happened?

The negative attacks worked so well on him in 2000 ..he even has the same slime team on the payroll.

soul yet the devil didn't deliver.

"the devil didn't deliver". It's classic.

Leave it to chuckie todd to come up with devastating language to use while describing what "mccain must do":silly:


In tonight's debate, Chuck Todd of NBC News says, McCain needs to "figure out how to disqualify Barack Obama." Time Magazine's Mark Halperin writes, "McCain will have to produce a major memorable moment." The NY Daily News says the debate is "do-or-die for McCain's campaign." However they put it, people agree, John McCain needs a game-changer."

"Disqualify" him? Give me a fooking break.

poor mcrabid he can't get seem to some traction on the negative campaigning that worked so well against him in 2000. :+

and chuck todd should be on everyone's watch list as mediawhore-extraordinare.

Since when did any pundit (or reporters) in the the past Presidential debates discussed "disqualification" of the other guy. I don't remember it from previous campaigns. It is disgusting how the MSM is going on with this cheerleading. It is as if they want McCain to win by the way they give him free publicity.

You can easily tell that objectivity is a thing of the past and put out to pasture.

If McCain's not winning after all this "special help and privileges", I don't know what else can be done for Palin and himself.

tonight. McCain will call for Obama to denounce ACORN and "voter fraud".

I think that Obama will have a good response, they know what a GOP scam this whole thing. And as Plouffe said, "Fox has become the 24-7 ACORN channel."

around trying to find something that sticks.

Even though mccain bragged he would confront Obama about Ayers..it remains to be seen if he has the guts to bring up a big fat nothing on national tv.

and his comments about McHoover/Failin' rallies resembling George Wallace's

another example of how John McCain can't make allegations to anyone face to face. Truly a coward.

those will make some really good pictures.

and I hope hope HOPE that little weasel brings up Ayers. I double dog dare that idiot to bring him up. Obama's gonna do a big time rope-a-dope with that one.

hehehe!!

his $500 pair of Italian loafers and flies into the moderator's nose.

It seems pretty elementary, and easy to debunk McCranky's attacks regarding Ayers. The blog from Chicago Trib yesterday featuring the a woman from Contentinal Bank/BofA, disputing the BS McCain is peddling about the Ayers situation, should be required reading for everyone. Only the most virulent McCranky supporters are swayed by this guilt-by-association shit.

As far as ACORN goes, Obama does need to mention that they only used a subsidiary for CANVASSING (AND PLEASE EXPLAIN TO AMERICAN WHAT CANVASSING IS!), and had nothing to do with voting, and that the campaign itself does their own registration drives.

I don't know that format of this "debate" and if it's a debate at all, cuz the last ones have been anything but a debate. McCain's personal strategy has ALWAYS been to hit and run, he makes a n asty charge.. then quickly changes the subject so that it would seem odd for the person he's attacked to go back to it. He's an asshole. I was shocked on Air America last night when some guest was talking about mcCain and said that he really doesn't have any more anger than anyone else.. and that they couldn't find anyone in the Senate, or anywhere else, that would attest to McCain having any more anger than any other guy. I have no idea who that guy was, but he WRONGLY attributed the anger to McCain's time in Vietnam, but the truth is he was nicknamed "McNasty" in high school because of his attitude problem and anger. And this is what Obama's campaign, I'm sure, is preparing for tonight. McCain's sideswipes.. and not letting them sit.

Here's why they would be stupid to bring this up: It gives Obama a 60 million audience to explain in a few good sentences about Ayers (and his activities when Obama was 8) and totally, totally difuses all the money McCain spent on his ads..just shoots them to hell. Same with anything else he brings up. BUT, given that Keating 5 just fits hand in glove with what is going on right now in people's lives, Obama throws that down if he needs to and McCain will be sorry he ever opened his mouth.

allegations/smears, just in case. Otherwise, the spin will be, ignoring the attacks is an admission of guilt by association.

He kept McCain's "bomb bomb Iran" in his pocket for the debates, don't think he had mentioned them before then.

Of course they are prepared, Ayers allegations is weak, and expected. Frankly I'm surprised (and I'm sure Obama is too) that McCain hasn't brought it up in the first, if not second debate.

I find myself wondering if McCain might try to go positive instead of negative tonight (even mentioning Ayers et al in the process). Any chance he might try to pull some sort of, "Why don't we agree to go positive for the final three weeks of the campaign - put all this Ayers/Rezko/Wright talk in the past and just talk about our visions?"

It would feel like another stunt to me, but I do wonder what he may try to do to get some positive press out of tonight.

They've double-dared him to bring up Ayers. They've laid a trap. After tonight, the Ayers thing will be off the table--wait and see.

McCain's going to have a lot to think about in his golden years--all the different ways the Obama camp out-stategized, out-organized, out-witted, out-campaigned, out-spent, and just plain out-smarted him.

"The velvet glove covers a fist of steel"--Frontline, about Obama.

1) McCain is angry and baffled. He just *knows* he's far superior to Obama and wonders why nobody else can see it. This makes it very difficult for him to simply present his own ideas (even if he had any) and very easy for him to fall prey to the temptation to try to throw out the ultimate, game-changing, discrediting "fact" about Obama.

He may go with the Ayers-related smears or may try to stay with the "my opponent doesn't understand" line, but either way he's glued to the attack mode. And the more Obama gets under his skin, the angrier he gets, the more he's going to try to go nuclear.

2) Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and ACORN are not unrelated -- at least in the minds of the extreme right-wing attack dogs. They've been busy concocting a unified narrative in which Obama was a young radical who moved to Chicago and immediately became a willing ally of angry, leftover 60's radicals thirsting for a chance to take power. There are even insinuations in the more conspiracy-minded version of that narrative that Obama could not have come so far so fast without shadowy power-brokers using him as a cats-paw.

The thing is that this narrative creates problems for McCain, because it's very hard for him to mention any element of it without pulling in the whole thing -- at least in the minds of his (or rather Palin's) more rabid supporters. But the full narrative as it's emerging is so nutty, so conspiratorial, so New-World-Order that it is probably the last thing McCain should want to be associated with at this point. (Especially since Palin already is having her own NWO/black helicopter loony pals back in Wasilla being put under the spotlight.)

This means that if he does bring up Ayers, he's going to have to either just dangle the name without making it clear what he's accusing Obama of, or he's going to have to make some sort of generic comments about bad judgment or insufficient love of country. And that ain't gonna cut it -- not when Obama's most certainly got the responses already worked out.

Similarly with ACORN -- the voter fraud and risky loan accusations are easily refuted, and if McCain tries to pull in any of the more conspiratorial end of things, he's just asking for trouble.

My guess at this point is that McCain will opt for veiled references and sniggers -- but if he does, he's only making himself look bad without landing any actual blows. And meanwhile, Obama sails on looking serene and presidential and giving people faith in themselves and the country again.