1. Why doesn't the Obama campaign start using actual clips of McCain's appearances to set an unflattering image of McCain as he really is? Just running a 30-second spot of McCain's appearance in front of the bikers with his stammering and whoring of his wife is more lethal than an attack ad on policy. Democrats too often make this stuff more complex than it really is, by not trying to make a visceral connection, and instead opting to use commercials for policy debates. And it's not a negative attack if shows the candidate himself, or at least that's what the GOP has told us for several elections now.

2. McCain challenged Obama to a series of town hall meetings across the country months ago. Do it. Now that the debates have been set, arrange for up to ten of these around the country, without a formal structure, and make McCain stand up there for 60-90 minutes toe-to-toe with Obama and see how far into the ten town halls it is before McCain either loses it or comes across as an out-of-touch "old, wrinkly white guy." After watching the appearance before the bikers' group, it is clear that McCain cannot go onstage without a script or teleprompter, and if left to his own will look bad very quickly under pressure from a calm yet attacking opponent.

Senator Obama, take advantage of the opponent in front of you. It's not that difficult.

With Obama basically bringing all of the media response resources to McCain under his campaign umbrella, why indeed do they not respond in a more visceral and obvious fashion to McCain's lame attacks?  McCain's techniques are patently silly but with the regular and rhythmic dissemination of these McCain attacks, the media just lap them up and distribute the talking points.  Obama, while often times personally responding in a very clever manner, is still perceived as playing a sort of political prevent defense.  

Why is the Obama campaign so reluctant to use actual footage of McCain's daily stumbles?  More often than not, McCain becomes a bumbling, incoherent idiot when responding off the cuff to difficult questions.  This stuff is served up daily on a silver platter.  Yet the only ones who seem to see it and notice are DFH's and all us "radical, hate-bloggers" who spend all day watching YouTube while sitting around in our pajamas eating donuts.

After all, you wouldn't have to go making shit up every day like McCain does.  All you have to do is show what McCain actually says.  Where is the risk? I just don't get it. As for the town hall style debates, wouldn't it just seem apparent to anyone that Obama would likely mop the floor with McCain in these events?

It all just seems too ominously familiar a technique he appears to be adopting and it worries me.  It worries me a lot.

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"

It also makes for a nice contrast, reinforcing Obama as a family man.

The Underground Railroad

I just hope Obama's using this time to come up with a better campaign than he's been running since the primaries. Maybe he can find some Hawaiian healer to exorcise Kerry's spirit from his soul.

Bush is "the first President to admit to an impeachable offense." --Former Nixon counsel John Dean

I think good things will come from this.  

Remember how far being 'sexy' got Clinton as woman after woman called him a rapist in the run up to various elections. Imagine what it can do for Obama who has yet to have that sort of problem arise.

Viva Presidente Ezequiel - Aquí no hay quien viva!

If he's elected, he can say goodbye to any real R&R for at least the next four years, and possibly eight. There's no such thing, once you become President. (Unless you're an unelected president, but let's not go there.)

This is the only moment he really has. He still need to prep for the convention, and he needs to campaign nearly 24/7 from the convention to the election.

Nine days really means two full days to sleep and do NOTHING, five days with his girls, and two days of traveling and getting back into the swing of the campaign. And don't kid yourself. He'll be thinking nonstop re the campaign, and on the phone with advisors most of every day, no doubt. He's just not going to have to jump on a platform and give a speech.

I say he needs the rest and rejuvenation. After that, it's hard work for the next eight years solid.

"If you look for the social economic motive, you will not have to wait for history to tell you what was propaganda and what was truth." - George Seldes