Obama’s Troubles Just Starting
Contrary to E.J. Dionne’s opinion, I don’t think Sen. Obama’s troubles die out when August expires. In fact, I expect them to continue.
Like baseball players, political people are superstitious. In the Democratic imagination, August is the month when Republican presidential candidates destroy their opponents with clever, underhanded attacks that meet with ineffectual responses. Democrats are now petrified that if John Kerry was Swift-boated in August 2004, Barack Obama was Paris-Hiltoned this summer, and there will be no coming back.
Never mind that this analysis is based on the experience of exactly one election. Superstitions are not necessarily rational. This time, Democrats decided that as a political matter, they would end August early by holding their convention and unveiling a running mate during the month of the jinx.
First off, it isn’t accurate to say that the Democrats’ superstitions are based on a single instance. Father and Son bush both trailed their Masssachusetts liberal opponents going into August, Bush 41 by double digits. I recall Bob Beckel appearing on Neil Cavuto in August, 2004. During his appearance, Beckel said that the race was Kerry’s to lose. Thankfully, Sen. Kerry was more than up to that job.
There’s no question that Sen. Obama’s troubles multiplied this month. I’d argue, though, that his troubles are just beginnning. Obama’s vote against the Illinois state version of the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act won’t play well with devout Catholics in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Let’s remember that Sen. Obama never connected with blue collar workers after his San Fransisco fundraising speech.
Sen. Obama’s ‘Citizen of the World Speech’ in Berlin hasn’t helped either, though it was touted mightily by liberals at the time.
That’s before we start factoring in Sen. Obama’s shifting his opinion 3 times in 4 days earlier this month with regards to drilling. That’s before we start talking about his mishandling of Russia’s invasion of Georgia.
Most importantly, that’s before factoring Jeremiah Wright’s book signing tour in October. It’s worth noting that we haven’t yet factored in Sen. Obama’s associations with William Ayers and Tony Rezko. Don’t bet that those relationships won’t become a factor.
Finally, Barack Obama will have to polish his schtick between now and the debates. Rush announced Thursday that teleprompters are set up at Obama townhall meetings with bullet points on them. He won’t have them to assist him in the debates. And we’ve all seen what a disaster he’s been when speaking without his teleprompter.
Technorati Tags: Obama, Gas Crisis, John Kerry, Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko, Corruption, Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, Infanticide, John McCain, Debates, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog