July 11, 2008
For Obama, Fortuitous Developments (A.B. Stoddard)
Let's be blunt — Barack Obama benefits more than he suffers from the Rev. Jesse Jackson's tacky, jealous outburst. No one will deny that, and the smackdown from his own son — Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) — says it all.
And have you watched the “Access Hollywood” interview with the entire Obama family? If not, watch it. It’s as charming as everybody says it is. OK, Obama decided to let his girls in on an interview at the last minute and now regrets it, but it was still a genius stroke. Malia, 10, and Sasha, 6, were delightful, poised, confident and enchanting. Never once did they say or do anything awkward or embarrassing, and both parents were clearly drunk on love for those kids.
The timing of both these events is truly fortuitous for Obama, who has gone through a bad streak of challenge after problem — the interview as well as the Jackson story helped move the backlash from his vote on warrantless wiretapping, the flip-flop charges and the tension with Hillary Clinton off the front pages.
He'll take some good luck, as we are all happy to, but Obama is not fond of leaving anything to luck or chance. As I described in my column on Thursday, unlike McCain, with the lucky coins in his pockets, Obama takes a fierce grip on the reins. From his deft strategy to win the caucus states and amass the delegate lead in the primaries to his control of the party apparatus and a plan to pay in all 50 states, Obama is more organized, aggressive and sometimes even audacious than previous Democratic nominees and his opponent John McCain. Doesn't mean he will win or is better able to govern, but it is noteworthy.
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HOW DID McCAIN RAISE SO MUCH MONEY? Ask A.B. returns Monday, July 14. Please join my weekly video Q & A by sending your questions and comments to askab@thehill.com. Thank you.
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AB;
Nice piece on Obama but you failed to mention teh gaffes and screwups of the McCain campaign. What about Gramm calling America a nation of whiners? When Obama said some folks were bitter, you and your press buddies jumped all over him. Now that Gramm calls America whiners, you are suddenly silent. McCain called Social Security a dissater but again you and your lap-dog buddies are silent. Is this the fair and balanced coverage we're going to getting from you teh rest of this campaign season? If so, stop now and do something else.
Comment by Mike Coleman — July 11, 2008 @ 11:30 am
I also think it's been a great week for Obama because McCain appears to me to have had a terrible week - all over the web generally managing to give the impression that he's out of touch and not quite up to pace.
Comment by uk visa — July 11, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
I, for one, will deny there is any benefit to the Jesse Jackson "overheard" comments. Barack Obama already has the black vote sewn up, and I don't think many people take a race hustler like Jesse Jackson that seriously anyway. He's more reminiscent of that "crazy uncle in the basement" that Obama described. As far as that puff piece with his family, it was cute. He might bring in a few female voters with that. In the long run he still has some serious issues, not the least is his temptation to change his positions, claim he hasn't changed his positions, and then claim we are not hearing him correctly. In other words, it's the publics fault for taking him at his word. The Republicans need to get an ad together showing Obama's flip flopping comments with that song in the background, "I just stopped in, to see what position my position was in."
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — July 11, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
RR;
Just quit. McCain has had a rough week and it will get rougher. He has no ideas on the economy. He has flip and flopped on Iraq. Women health care concerns, he doesn't want to discuss and he's old. Just take your licking and hope that he has a better week next week. I doubt it.
Comment by Mike Coleman — July 11, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
I think he's got the castrati vote all to himself.
Comment by Igor R. — July 11, 2008 @ 4:03 pm