How To Win On February 5

When You Get Hit, You Hit Back

If there is a fundamental law to campaigning, like there is a Newtonian law saying for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, this is it: when you get hit, you hit back. If you don't hit back, you lose. It does not matter that the hits on you were lies. Complaining a week later that you got lied about makes you look inept. Your hit back has to feel like a rapid response.

Clinton 08 lied about Obama in New Hampshire and they won. Obama 08 should have been able to see immediately that the attacks are coming, have come. If you act like you did not even know you got hit, you look inept.

And the rebuttals have to be immediate. Like within the hour. And they can't sound like you are complaining. It can't be like, don't lie about me. Or stop hitting.

The new kind of politics, the politics of hope does not change that fundamental law of campaigning: when you get hit, you hit back. You have answer back every single time. Let no attack go unanswered.

What the new kind of politics does change is that when you hit back, you don't have to lie yourself, you don't have to sound mean, you don't have to engage in the politics of personal destruction.

But little else changes. When you get hit, voters have to notice that you noticed you got hit. And then then watch if you hit back, how long it takes you to hit back.

A great example of hitting back is this, this one from Hollywood. The tabloids came out saying George Clooney had wrecked a Julia Roberts' relationship. Clooney responded, "I was too busy breaking Tom and Nicole, I did not have the time."

That is a great way to do it. He noticed he got hit. He did not take long at all to respond. He did not complain. He did not say, stop lying. And he did not get mean in his response. He used humor to top it all off.

Obama 08 has to do something similar every single time it gets attacked.

Barack got attacked on abortion the day before the New Hampshire vote and he is responding to it now. That is way too late. His "present" vote was the best pro-choice vote in the context, and he has to educate the voters on that. He has to issue rebuttals in real time.

Obama 2008 has really been hurting from the viral emails that claim he is a Muslim. Here going on TV to say you are a Muslim will not do. That will not be enough. That is like Bush attacking Al Qaeda - no state, no standing army - with a standing army. That is not too smart. This virus needs a new medicine. Similarly Obama 2008 has to be able to issue viral emails of his own that use some humor. For example: Barack Obama has been attending the same church for 20 years and he has been praying to Jesus. Does that make him Christian or Muslim? Another example: Barack happens not to be Muslim, but how much sense does it make to demonize those who are? That hurts our war on terror where we are trying to not only protect ourselves but also trying to rescue hundreds of millions of Muslims from a few thousand fanatics?

Can Obama 08 reach those same audiences through the same methods - viral emails - with his counter messages. Obama 08 has a larger bank of email addresses than any other campaign. He could send out emails urging all to forward them to everyone they knew, urging them in turn to forward it on.

If you don't exhibit you have capability for reflex action, if you don't show you can hit back in near real time, voters lose respect for you. You lose.

The new kind of politics does not change the fundamental law of campaigning.

The same applies to strong arm tactics of voter suppression Clinton 08 used in places like New Hampshire and Nevada. You have to know when it happens. You have to make noise about it. You have to take immediate legal action as necessary. You have to make political hay about it.

I am surprised that Obama 08 is not taking the media to task for saying Clinton won in New Hampshire and Nevada. She did not. We got as many delegates as them in New Hampshire, we got more than them in Nevada. This is a contest for delegates not votes.

White Media Says The Clintons Won Nevada

Granted Obama 08 slipped on the hitting back thing in New Hampshire and Nevada, it could still hit back now. But the week before February 5 will be merciless.

The new kind of politics does not change the fact that politics is a contact sport.



Iraq

Iraq continues to be the number one issue on which Obama 08 can hope to go on the offensive. You turn it into a safety issue. Iraq was a dumb, expensive diversion from the war on the Al Qaeda. You keep hammering that point. You report on the fact that the Al Qaeda is stronger today than ever before. And Hillary has to take some responsibility for it.

I Don't Doubt Hillary's Compassion Overall, Just Her Judgment On Iraq
Hillary's Iran Vote, Not That Different From The Iraq Vote
Iraq Did Not Have The Bomb, Iran Does Not Either
Obama's Card: Iraq
Hillary Messed Up On Iraq, And Al Qaeda Is Strong, America Insecure
Iraq, Energy, Global Warming: All Interlinked
Obama Gameplan: Stable, Democratic Iraq
Iraq On My Mind

If Obama does not go on the offensive on Iraq, he is essentially saying him and Hillary are like Coke and Pepsi, it does not really matter who you pick, we are both nice people who will do you proud.

Coke Gatorade, Not Coke Pepsi

Iraq is what will win him the nomination, Iraq is what will win him the presidency.



Race

After South Carolina, Barack has to give a major speech that addresses the question as to how he will take race relations in America to a whole new level. If all the first black president is saying is it will be nice to have a black face in there for a change, a lot of white folks might decide, not really.

The Need For A Race Gender Coalition
Don't Do The Bill Richardson Thing

Also, reach out to Hispanics.

February 4 might be a good day to deliver a major national address on race.

Barackface: JFK, Obama Parallels: Catholic, Black

Gender

Tackle gender, and you tackle California.

A Vote For Barack Is Not A Vote Against Hillary

California, New York, New Jersey

If Barack does not pull at least 40-60 in these three states, he is in trouble. Otherwise he is looking real good in the between the coasts states.



The Need For A Race Gender Coalition
Don't Do The Bill Richardson Thing
A Vote For Barack Is Not A Vote Against Hillary
February 5: Big Prizes
Building Social Muscles
Barack Is Deaniac From 2004: His Anti-War Image Is No Fairytale
Progressive Political Religion: No Place For Superpowers
Tackling Race As An Issue The Average Person Way
Why Bill Clinton Is Misbehaving
An Ode To White Women: I Think I Am Going Hispanic
5.0 With Manhattan Organizations
Let's Finish This Thing On February 5
Howard Dean Was Grassroots 1.0, Barack Is Grassroots 2.0
White Media Says The Clintons Won Nevada
Which Clinton Is Running For President?
Global Trafficking Of Women
Become Aggressive, Or Become Adlai Stevenson
Nobody Quite Like Benazir
How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head
Mother
What Are We Looking At
It Is A RSVP: Here I Come DL21C
The Al Qaeda And Political Organizations In Manhattan
Barack's Fairytale Position On Iraq War, Fairytale Candidacy, Fairytale Lifestory, Fairytale Hairstyle
2.0 Penetrates DL21C
And The British Left India On Their Own
Martha Outed Kenton And Women With Issues
The Swift Boat Aspect Of Hillary's New Hampshire Victory
Spitzer Is Right, Albany Is Wrong
How To Play The Race Card In South Carolina
An Open Letter To Elizabeth Caputo
Hillary Cried, Women Responded, She Won
Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties