The Obama Cult

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Perhaps you are correct, but my point is that both primary debates are among fellow believers, hence one is rarely forced to defend one's position from an opposing point of view. For example, I doubt Obama has directly faced a rabid cost-cutter like McCain in proposing what appear to be high-cost programs for America. Granted, the same could be said of McCain, but that old guy has 30 years of telling fellow Senators to F*&% off!" to fall back on in such a fight.

McCain isn't going to have much to attack Obama on, other than experience. He can't say "look at all the bills you pointlessly spent money on" because Obama doesn't have a huge legislative history. Instead, McCain will have to say "Look at how little experience you have." In an election where change is the theme of the day and being an "outsider" is what most voters seem to be craving, that may not be a winning argument for him. "Hey, look at me! I have been in DC forever!" That, and Obama is quick on his feet and articulate (in contrast to McCain who is neither).

That's an effective argument, although no one is listening. They're all on some kind of an Obama High (I feel like Kevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers).

This would be my greatest fear as an Obama supporter. He got a little off his game and let Bill get to him, showing some vulnerability. Luckily he had a very sympathetic Dem base to fall back upon. Such will not be the case in the GE. If they get to him, he could see some of those "gee, wouldn't this be a great thing" voters melt away. That's the great gamble, the volitility of an Obama candidacy. Has he ever really been tested?

I don't think this argument helps Clinton at all, or McCain. If Clinton thinks she can tear Obama up, she would be wise to start doing it, given her dramatic decline in the polls. Obama had a hard time responding to Clinton, because he is running on a message of hope, a message that is undercut when the campaign turns to nothing but attacks on the opposing candidate. He withstood the impulse to attack, and he came out on top. McCain will have an even more difficult time, I think.

If anything, he is surprising most people because he has flat out beaten Clinton in organization, an area where most expected her to shine. That is one of the primary reasons he is so dominating in caucuses.

The question of "has he ever really been tested" I think is equally applicable to McCain. He has been tested on the state level and, to an extent, on the national level, but never on anything remotely approaching the stage he is about to step onto. He has bumbled his way through most of this campaign, and stands where he stands now almost by default. He has a lot of energy and passion to overcome if he is to beat Obama (assuming Obama can win the nomination, which I find likely). Can he do it? I doubt it. If Obama wins the nomination, I think he could carry 38 or more states.