How would you bring down Obama?

[NHPolitico]

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What is Obama's Achilles heel?

He has had rare gaffes of cockiness in debates, so maybe there would be a way to feed that impulse of his.  A big part of Obama's magical charm is that he projects a humble nature-- that his supporters feel they have a higher opinion of him than he has of himself.

What would you do as Hillary's strategist? How would you land a serious blow?

[Wakie]

Well, first off I think the election is already done.  Obama has enough people who have drunk the Kool-Aid.  Heck he blew his nose at an event and was applauded for it.  If Hillary doesn't attack him they criticize her for not attacking and being "soft".  If she does attack him they criticize her for picking on poor Barack.

But if I really had to devise a way to hit him I'd attack him on experience and his tendency to say 'uh'.  I'd point out that all of Obama's ideas have come from someone else.  Then I'd put forward the question "if Barack Obama has limited experience and no original ideas how is he going to help/change America?"  Then I'd cut to a clip of him saying "uh".

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Anything that could've worked would have had to have happened way before now.


If I had been on Clinton's team - after NH I would have her hit the colleges and latte liberal scene hard - try to break up the Obama coalition before he could break ours. The BIG THING - actually acknowledge Obama and his support as a weakness in us and be seen to reach out to those groups disaffected - doing it now IS TOO LATE.

Experience matters - play up McCain's strength on foreign policy and Obama's occaisonal bouts of FP naivty. Acknowledge Obama's story and his experience as important.

Be open about your mistakes - the American people have a tendency to support someone if they admit they screwed up.

[NHPolitico]

I'd point out that all of Obama's ideas have come from someone else. 

Would the response be that it doesn't matter where the ideas come from, and that Obama's ability to listen to other people and their ideas and bring those ideas to life is a strength?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'd point out that all of Obama's ideas have come from someone else. 

Would the response be that it doesn't matter where the ideas come from, and that Obama's ability to listen to other people and their ideas and bring those ideas to life is a strength?

The response to that is that "he doesn't have the knowledge or experience to be able to make those ideas a reality"

What has been so bad about the Clinton campaign is that they're tip-toed around some issues - then acted like the bull in the china shop in others.

[NHPolitico]

I'd point out that all of Obama's ideas have come from someone else. 

Would the response be that it doesn't matter where the ideas come from, and that Obama's ability to listen to other people and their ideas and bring those ideas to life is a strength?

The response to that is that "he doesn't have the knowledge or experience to be able to make those ideas a reality"

The response to that would be that you are talking about a problem with the system (how hard it is now to bring about change), and Obama will change the system to one where change can happen. The problem is that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die. We are the change we seek! Yes we can!

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'd point out that all of Obama's ideas have come from someone else. 

Would the response be that it doesn't matter where the ideas come from, and that Obama's ability to listen to other people and their ideas and bring those ideas to life is a strength?

The response to that is that "he doesn't have the knowledge or experience to be able to make those ideas a reality"

The response to that would be that you are talking about a problem with the system (how hard it is now to bring about change), and Obama will change the system to one where change can happen. The problem is that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die. We are the change we seek! Yes we can!

Yes - but then that could be countered by showing that change doesn't just happen, it takes time and effort. Washington has a nasty habit of not wanting to change unless it wants to. You want to change Washington? You need someone who understands it.

There are arguments for anything.

[MODU]

You can't hit a candidate on "ideas" unless they are a complete opposite of what they have stood for in the past (which is why Romney didn't do as well as he thought he would).  So Obama campaigns on ideas proposed by others.  Who cares, as long as they are in line with his own background, especially if he has done his homework and can defend why he supports the ideas.

If you want to go after Obama, you need to go into technical debates.  It's one thing to say "we need universal healthcare coverage," but it is something totally different to say "we will have to raise taxes to cover the X Million currently without coverage, and then we will have to limit the elective procedures in order to keep the prices low, and oh by the way, I submitted legislation on this 2 years ago while serving in the Senate."  Get him to defend his actual proposals, and challenge him on the figures, and you will probably break his populist shell.  Unfortunately, Killary cannot do this since she too has problems defending her programs.  Al Gore lost this battle as well, when he kept having to go back to "the lock box." 

Additionally, you can take the "debate" outside of the debate itself, and do numerous web specials comparing your plan vs his plan, or exposing the unpopular portions of his plan which are never mentioned during his stump speeches.  While the younger voters tend to not care about details, older voters care about nothing else but.

[Wakie]

See if you go back and forth more than 3 times you lose the attention of the American voter.

Be witty, funny, and clever.  Make fun of your opponent for superficial reasons.  Clown them.  That is how you win national elections in America.  It is a minority of people who care about substance.  Just go back to the high school level of intelligence.

My described "ad" was more about attacking the "uh's" and trying to make Obama look dumb and inexperienced.  I personally don't think he's dumb but if I was running as Hillary against him that would be my angle.  If I was running as McCain against him I'd take a different approach.

[perdedor]

Just keep telling people that words don't matter and that people should ultimately not be involved in the process of enacting change. People will come around eventually.

[Bay Ridge, Bklyn! Born and Bred]

Air that footage of Obama idiotically jive-dancing to hip-hop on the Ellen Degeneres show.     

[Wakie]

Just keep telling people that words don't matter and that people should ultimately not be involved in the process of enacting change. People will come around eventually.

LOL ... yes, Obama will bring about the mythical "change" by ..............

Oh yes, that's right, he'll bring it about by "inspiring" people.  How pathetic are people if they need to be inspired to improve themself?

[Thereisnospoon]

Well, first off I think the election is already done.  Obama has enough people who have drunk the Kool-Aid.  Heck he blew his nose at an event and was applauded for it.

That's an obvious twisting of what happened and you know it. You make it sound as if they gave him a standing ovation when in actuality they awkwardly applauded.

I think the best bet is to force him to give detailed policy. Attacking Obama's character has been a near total failure for the Clinton campaign so far, yet they keep doing it and digging themselves deeper into a hole. By challenging him on specifics you force him to stop talking about his bread and butter talking points (hope and change) and increase the chances that he'll slip up. The real danger is sounding too wonkish when going after him on policy issues, so it has to be done selectively during debates.

[NHPolitico]

Just keep telling people that words don't matter and that people should ultimately not be involved in the process of enacting change. People will come around eventually.

LOL ... yes, Obama will bring about the mythical "change" by ..............

Oh yes, that's right, he'll bring it about by "inspiring" people.  How pathetic are people if they need to be inspired to improve themself?

People like teachers/tutors, personal trainers, preachers, etc. get paid good money to get people to improve themselves, though.

[Kalimantan]

Why would anyone want to bring him down? seriously? unless this nation is completely full of cynics, which wouldn't surprise me?

[Duke 🇺🇸]

Why would anyone want to bring him down? seriously? unless this nation is completely full of cynics, which wouldn't surprise me?

The racist Republicans, the special interests, the evil corporations, and generally people who don't want this country to reach new heights. There's really no reason to bring this great man down.

[NHPolitico]

Why would anyone want to bring him down? seriously? unless this nation is completely full of cynics, which wouldn't surprise me?

It was related to Hillary's campaign's interest in ideas, but I was mainly looking at it as a way to look at what strategies could have used earlier or currently (or even what the McCain campaign could do). Obama is obviously a formidable opponent, just like the 2007 Patriots were-- but the Giants proved that anyone can be beaten with the right game plan and the execution of that game plan.  So, that's what this thread is about-- how should a political team go about beating someone who seems unbeatable? It's a thought exercise.

[Kalimantan]

Why would anyone want to bring him down? seriously? unless this nation is completely full of cynics, which wouldn't surprise me?

The racist Republicans, the special interests, the evil corporations, and generally people who don't want this country to reach new heights. There's really no reason to bring this great man down.

All racists are republicans, so all republicans are racist? To tweak a phrase.  There are even some who believe it, hopefully no-one here though. Next two - I have no doubt. I'm sure there's many good corporations who support him. People who don't want this country to reach new heights? I suppose thats those who put themselves before others at all costs - how many is anyones guess.

[Kalimantan]

Why would anyone want to bring him down? seriously? unless this nation is completely full of cynics, which wouldn't surprise me?

It was related to Hillary's campaign's interest in ideas, but I was mainly looking at it as a way to look at what strategies could have used earlier or currently (or even what the McCain campaign could do). Obama is obviously a formidable opponent, just like the 2007 Patriots were-- but the Giants proved that anyone can be beaten with the right game plan and the execution of that game plan.  So, that's what this thread is about-- how should a political team go about beating someone who seems unbeatable? It's a thought exercise.

Yeah, I got that - but it is a comment on the realities of the political process - how to bring people down, with the inference that simply debating ideas and policy isn't enough, and that when a bright, motivating guy turns up and engages millions in politics without resorting to negative campaigning - everyone wonders how he can be brought crashing down. Sometimes it makes me very depressed with the whole thing.

[Flying Dog]

Why would anyone want to bring him down? seriously? unless this nation is completely full of cynics, which wouldn't surprise me?

The racist Republicans, the special interests, the evil corporations, and generally people who don't want this country to reach new heights. There's really no reason to bring this great man down.

Nu-uh! John McCain will unite the nation against the god-less liberals who seek to surrender to the terrorists and take our money and crucifixes away! Only John McCain and his compatriots (RUDY!), will be able to stop them! We must do it before its too late!

[TomC]

She can't bring down Obama; she has to prop herself up. How, after being in the throes of power for 15 years can she be a change agent? She needs to answer that. She needs to inspire in her own way. Her platitudes like "I'm in it to win it." and "ready on day one" are about her, not about what she can offer. She needs for people to push the button FOR her, not just because they don't want to push the Obama button.

For example, I think Kerry did a fine job in 2004 of raising Bush's negatives and attacking him. What he failed to do was give people a solid, inspirational reason to give him that power.

[NHPolitico]

She can't bring down Obama; she has to prop herself up. How, after being in the throes of power for 15 years can she be a change agent? She needs to answer that. She needs to inspire in her own way. Her platitudes like "I'm in it to win it." and "ready on day one" are about her, not about what she can offer. She needs for people to push the button FOR her, not just because they don't want to push the Obama button.

For example, I think Kerry did a fine job in 2004 of raising Bush's negatives and attacking him. What he failed to do was give people a solid, inspirational reason to give him that power.

Based on Obama's margins of victory over the last 10 state elections, I'm not sure that propping herself up is enough.  That showing in Wisconsin was stunning.  I don't believe that Hillary will win Texas, which seemed fait accompli very recently.  Obama's like Muhammad Ali using rope-a-dope plan to win, just biding his time until he decides he's ready to win the contest, regardless of how impossible it appears early on, and then winning the contest in such a way that you wonder why you ever thought the outcome in his favor was in doubt.

[Ebowed]

I would emphasize the need for a stronger, more secure America because the next crisis is only a moment away.  I would question whether an inexperienced, cigarette-smoking, cocaine-sniffing, cannabis-consuming Senator (who has been caught plagiarizing) who went to a Muslim school in Indonesia and whose parents were atheists would be loyal enough to America to defend it from terrorists, let alone wear a flag lapel pin.

[HardRCafé]

Compare him to Hillary.

[Beet]

The election is done.
Hillary winning now would just drag it out, unless she won 60-40.
Hillary's best chance is to throw everything she can at the existing dynamics of the race, which would mean going full out negative, but I don't think she wants to win so bad that she would destroy the Democrats' chances in November to maximize her chances.

I actually think the Republicans will go far more negative on Obama than anything he has seen yet.