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celticlord2112 -> RE: Even if I want to... Obama and guns (9/9/2008 7:51:38 AM)
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Frankly, I'm more amazed by the next sentence: "This can't be the reason not to vote for me."
It is going to be a long 8 weeks for the Democrats if Obama is reduced to refuting the myriad reasons "not to vote for [him]."
Policies and platforms aside, there is a serious tactical problem with Obama's unprepared remarks of late: they are reactive. Obama is not driving the rhetoric the way he did during the primary season.
Mondale, Dukakis, Bush I, Dole, Gore, and Kerry all lost their Presidential bids because they failed to command the rhetorical high ground. Kerry and Dukakis especially highlight the dangers of this--both started the general election cycle arguably with a leg up over their opponent--and still got bogged down in a repetitive cycle of having to explain and "clarify" earlier remarks. Bush I, coming off the military successes of Desert Storm, should have won in 1992, but got tripped up over his "read my lips" pledge, which ceded the economic high ground to Clinton (the brilliance of Carville's "it's the economy, stupid" was not that it highlighted an important issue, but his relentless hammering on that single message gave Clinton the rhetorical edge in 1992--Bush was having to respond to Clinton, which was a dramatic reversal from 1988).
Obama is on the defensive and back on his heels. That does not translate to victory come November.
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