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Will Obama have a credibility problem by November?

James Forsyth

Thursday, 3rd April 2008

Karl Rove’s interview with GQ is well worth reading to get an insight into where Republicans think Obama is vulnerable. But what struck me was this section where Rove talks about challenging Obama about an inaccuracy in Obama’s book:

“I'm actually in his book. He wrote that "people like Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, Ralph Reed, and Karl Rove say we are a Christian nation." And I did not say that. I confronted him about it. At the White House.

And what did he say?
Well, first he denied that I was in the book! And then he denied that it said that I said that it was a Christian nation. And then when I pulled out the thing [he had a copy of the offensive page with him] and showed it to him, he sort of blah-blah-blah-blah-blah- blah-blah. And I thought, That's who he is. I mean, look, he may claim that he's for a different kind of politics, but that was a cheap shot.”

Now, you might say that Rove would say this wouldn’t he. But it does seem to fit a bit of a pattern. Obama says that a survey doesn’t reflect his views as a staffer filled it in, only for it to turn out that there are handwritten notes by Obama on the form. While his answers about what he did or didn’t hear his preacher, Rev Wright, say appear to be at odds with each other.

Now, none of this is particularly earth-shattering. But these little incidents will hurt Obama more as he has presented himself as a different politician, someone who doesn’t do this kind of thing. As Rove notes in the interview, every time Obama behaves just like another politician he sullies his image and diminishes his appeal.

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Ian C

April 3rd, 2008 4:26pm

He's already got the credibilty problem - it just hasn't been exploited..... yet. Hillary let him off the hook over Wright but the GOP won't.

Jessica

April 3rd, 2008 6:00pm

Love him or Loathe him Rove is a master at the art of politics and more importantly knows how to operate a ruthless Republican election winning machine. This man knows what he is talking about.

Verity

April 3rd, 2008 6:04pm

Obama's always had a credibility problem - from Day One. He was able to coast on his novelty for a while, and his vacuous slogan "Change You Can Believe In", but he always came across as wobbly with the facts and the details.

I said from the start that if Obama and Clinton ran neck and neck, the Dems would approach Al "Hanging Chads" Gore as a compromise candidate. Apparently Obama thought so too as he has just torpedoed that notion by co-opting Gore to head up the Department of The Environment (should he win). This tells us the opportunistic and self-congratulatory Obama either believes this "man made global warming" rubbish, now dispproved in the Manhattan Declaration, or he is flying by the seat of his pants and is in panic mode.

This election year must be the Democrats' worst nightmare.