Posted on 03/06/2008 2:31:45 AM PST by kingattax
As it became clear that Hillary Clinton was gaining ground on Obama, especially in the last week, his usually flawless campaign made several blunders. Here, in order of importance, are ten reasons why Obama slipped.
1. NAFTA Flap
When Obama’s leading economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, met with a Canadian official and allegedly told him that Obama’s stated views on NAFTA during the campaign amounted to “political posturing,” this was a huge blunder. It undercut Obama’s attack on Clinton for NAFTA, where she was vulnerable, especially in Ohio. It raised serious issues about Obama’s credibility with the American public, which is just getting to know him. (Especially since Obama first denied that the comment was ever made.) And the NAFTA flap called into question his leadership abilities. As I’ve been saying for days, and as Paul Begala said Tuesday night on CNN, as soon as this story surfaced, Obama should have said that Goolsbee was not speaking for the campaign and should have given Goolsbee the heave-ho. Instead, the Goolsbee comment keeps stinging him.
2. Rezko
It certainly didn’t help the Obama campaign that Tony Rezko’s trial began on Monday. The Rezko story has been lying around like a pulled hand grenade next to Obama’s headquarters for months now. Rezko is the Chicago wheeler-dealer who stands accused of money laundering and extorting bribes. He’s a longtime friend, funder, and supporter of Obama’s. And he helped Obama buy his house in Chicago. The Rezko ties, which the media finally began digging into, cast a shadow not only on Obama’s judgment but on his claim to want to clean up government.
3. A Blunder in the Last Debate
The Clinton camp wisely picked up on an Obama error in the Cleveland debate. Clinton had criticized him for never holding an oversight hearing on NATO’s role in Pakistan, even though he chairs a subcommittee on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that deals with NATO. All Obama could say to that was, “I became chairman of this committee at the beginning of this campaign, at the beginning of 2007. So it is true that we haven’t had oversight hearings on Afghanistan.” He all but admitted he shirked his duties to run for President! Clinton used this footage of Obama’s answer in an effective ad against him in the final week.
4. The Red Phone Ad
Negative advertising often works. That’s why we see it so much. And the “red phone” ad, I’m betting, did a lot to sow doubts in voters’ minds. Clinton almost split the male vote in Ohio and Texas, which is a huge switch for her. This ad helped position her as the “tough” candidate.
5. No Effective Counterpunch to Clinton’s “Fighter” Image
In the last debate, and in her speeches in the final week, Clinton stressed that she was a fighter not only for herself but for people in need. This resonated with the public, who admire her if for no other reason than she’s taken a lot of hits but keeps coming out of her corner with her head high. And this image contrasts well with Obama in two ways: First, it suggests that he’s all talk and no action. And second, it hints that his cool, low-key demeanor may not be steely enough either to take on McCain or to represent the country.
6. A Weak Economic Message
With the economy sliding deeper and deeper downward, Obama needs to strengthen his economic message. Throughout the campaign, Clinton has been beating him on the urgent issue of home foreclosures (calling for a moratorium, and a freeze on interest rates). He’s been slow to respond.
7. Too much time in Ohio
In the two weeks after the Wisconsin primary, Obama spent an inordinate amount of time in Ohio when all he needed to do, as Bill Clinton himself recognized, was to win either Texas or Ohio. As it became clearer that Ohio was going to be the tougher nut, Obama should have concentrated more of his time in Texas.
8. An Improvident Trip to Rhode Island
For some ridiculous reason, Obama went to Rhode Island on Saturday to campaign. By all accounts, he was always going to lose Rhode Island. And he needed that day—just three days before the primaries—to round up more Texas voters.
9. Failure to Bring Bill Richardson and John Edwards on Board
On Sunday on “Face the Nation,” Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico was one breath away from endorsing Barack Obama. Had Obama grabbed his endorsement (even in exchange for serious V.P. consideration, which Richardson was salivating about), Richardson could have done Obama a world of good with Latino voters in Texas. Similarly, Obama has been unable to seal the deal with John Edwards, who seemed such a natural fit with Obama during the debates. Obama needed to get Edwards’s endorsement for help among working class white voters. And it would have been of enormous help in Ohio.
10. SNL, Jon Stewart, Letterman
“Saturday Night Live” helped Clinton out two weeks in a row by showing the media as biased in favor of a hapless Obama. And Clinton made a conscious effort to inject some warmth into her personality by appearing on the show last Saturday, and by appearing on Jon Stewart Monday night. She also has done herself well by being cozy with David Letterman.
Or he just talks and talks and talks and never saying anything.
The “I am not a Muslim” effect.
His middle name being censored.
1. Racism on the part of blue collar and elderly (same thing) and latino Democrats.
11.) Conservatives who thought McCain too liberal... crossed-over and voted Hillary.
Jon Stewart also brought up the Osama hussein thing at the oscars, in front of all the liberals.
Olbermann certainly noticed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNMK0wH1Cho
Or how about the lunatic Marxist rantings of his loose cannon wife.
Yep, Michelle the Disappointed, was a big part of self destruction for the BO program. I think he will nt recover.
Basically, their who shtick is, They want to bribe their voters with money they want to take away from people who have earned what they have.
But from my point of view, they’ve raised the bar six months ago for themselves if one of them gets elected.
That is.... if the economy and unemployment doesn’t exceed what it was even 6 months ago, even with all the welfare programs they will want to introduce into our government, we can point to their failed policies.... using their own words against them.
That is why Obama never really says anything. How can he campaign on his need to fail this country just to keep a few malcontents belly’s full? It’s just something a guy can’t be honest about and still win an election.
"And let me tell you something – for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country."
........"We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day...Folks are just jammed up, and it's gotten worse over my lifetime....America is "just downright mean."
12. Michelle's (Peace Be Upon Her) 'Thesis'
As an aside, I have noticed every time I open a page here on FR it opens up scrolled down to the bottom of the page? This happens at home and here at work. I anyone else experiencing this?
12. His wife is an ingrate.
why is it that the American public is excoriated for being ill-informed, but all this late-breaking, inside baseball stuff is supposed to turn the election? I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but I can’t see how the two are congruent.
You missed one, kingattax!
11. Michelle Obama’s “I wasn’t proud to be an American” comment. People seem to discount her importance, but that latent racist remark (as it was directed at whites) was I believe what really shook some previous Obama support from the Demo tree.
Bravo, SkyPilot! You beat me to it! It was Michelle O’s disgusting comment that sealed her husband’s fate. No way he’ll win, now.
Michelle is certifiable. Huma should quit working for Hillary and go help Michelle. Teach her how to keep her big yap shut and act like a lady
>>“Saturday Night Live” helped Clinton out two weeks in a row by showing the media as biased in favor of a hapless Obama.
It’s a sad statement on the Fourth Estate when the truth of the matter has to be highlighted by comedians.
And this guy is whining about that? Too funny.
OHMYGOD, that SKANK Michelle looks so mean.
Same here. Whenever I click on a “thread” here on FR, it opens at the bottom of the “thread”.....the last comment posted.
This started a few days ago.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.