The test of the trip
There is just the London leg of Obama’s tour left and his campaign must be pretty pleased with how it has all gone. But the trip has not shifted the race decisively, McCain remains within striking distance in polls which conducted their fieldwork during the trip.
We’ll know the true value of the trip to Obama in about a week or two, once it has sunk in and the polls ask again the Commander in Chief question. If his week abroad has allowed Obama to substantially reduce McCain’s lead on this measure then the trip will have been well worth it for him. If McCain still has a commanding advantage, then Obama has a real problem.
Obama has a lot of things working for him. He has more money—he’ll be advertising during the Olympics, his supporters are more enthusiastic and he is controlling the agenda. But I still think he has to get closer to McCain on the Commander in Chief question if he is going to be confident of victory.
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Hal
July 25th, 2008 10:49pmI don't know for sure, but it seems to me that this trip could be political money in the bank for Obama, because he can sprinkle the rest of his campaign with, "As Gen. Petreus and I discussed," "As I told the Iraq Prime Minister, the French President, etc., etc.
The man was an Illinois state senator the day before yesterday, and now he can talk like a statesman. Nice work.
Murray
July 26th, 2008 11:58amJames,
Either you are a) very young, b) new to American politics and its history or c) naive. The chosen one is dead in the water. He hasn't broken 50% in this incredibly pro-Democrat climate. And the Republicans haven't even opened up on him yet. They are going to wait until he officially has the nomination and then open up. They have the range and the bearing, it should be pretty straightforward.
A week long field trip around the world in July won't keep Obama above the water in the autumn, no matter how many life jackets the media throws him.
THX1138
July 28th, 2008 9:53amGreat Op-ed in the NYT By Frank Rich
http://tinyurl.com/6zec9f
Following Obama's European tour it no longer becomes difficult for the American people to contemplate the idea of him as President, he oozed Presidential.
The money quote
"He never would have been treated as a president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all he offered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew them instead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shaping events and the power to move markets, including TV ratings. (Even “Access Hollywood” mustered a 20 percent audience jump by hosting the Obama family.) Power begets more power, absolutely."