Staffing issues

For all of Obama’s talk of the new politics, there’s one very old political dodge he’s rather fond of: blaming the staff. ABC’s Jack Tapper counts up 14 incidents in which Obama has claimed that some problem was caused not by him but by a staff member; Obama is particularly fond of this line when things show up suggesting that  he’s shifted his political positions towards the centre now that he’s running for national office. At some point before this is over, this excuse is going to wear rather thin.

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McCain's uphill climb

The new ABC / Washington Post poll makes for sobering reading for Republicans. Even after months of brutal Democratic infighting Obama leads McCain 51 to 44—a lead that is largely a product of the fact that the Democrats are trusted with the biggest issues facing the country by a 53 to 32 margin over the Republicans.

McCain can take comfort from the fact that he still leads Obama on the Commander in Chief questions. He has a 46-42 advantage on the strong leader question, though that gap has narrowed, a 55-34...

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An advantage blunted

One of the most politically potent things that Barack Obama has had to offer is an opportunity to move beyond the culture wars. As he puts it, America doesn’t want to re-litigate the 1960s again. 

Obama’s speech in West Virginia today on veteran’s care shows how effective this theme can be:

“One of the saddest episodes in our history was the degree to which returning vets from Vietnam were shunned, demonized and neglected by some because they served in an unpopular war. Too many of those who opposed the war in

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McCain is trying to make Obama walk his walk

The McCain’s campaigns idea of asking Obama to do joint town-halls with McCain—first floated by Mark McKinnon to New York Magazine back in2006—is a win-win for them and a lose-lose for Obama. If Obama refuses, he dents his own image of not being a conventional party hack and ticks off the press, not only would these events be good for democracy they’d be great to cover. But if he agrees, he’s just signed up to play on the turf that is most favourable to McCain and least favourable to Obama. McCain thrives...

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Defining Obama

The battle to define Barack Obama is going to be brutal. Having only come onto the national scene four years ago, voters’ view of Obama are less fixed than they are of John McCain who has been around for far longer.  

One potential problem for Obama is his time in Hyde Park, the liberal enclave where the University of Chicago is. Hyde Park is like Berkeley or Cambridge, Massachusetts and definitely outside what would be normally seen as...

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