Obama: Is this man the New England Patriots of Campaign '08 ? ? ?
The New England Patriots were the best team in football from September through to the Super Bowl. They brought an undefeated record with them to the biggest stage in pro football. They were the favorite in every game they played. There was NO way they could lose. Oh, but they did.
The Memphis Tigers were almost as popular of a pick to win the NCAA Men's Basketball championship. They had only tasted defeat once all season as they steamrolled into the final game. All year long hoops fans were beside themselves with giddy glea as people believed that playing that one final game was all but a formality. Experts had all but crowned the Tigers as king of college roundball. But a funny thing happened on th way to their coronation - they lost.
There is a lot of pressure in being the prohibitive favorite. Ask the dashingly suave Barack Obama. He can tell you. In fact, you don't even have to ask him. The body language says it all. But as I have done so for the other 2 candidates in this marathon that we refer to as the Race for the White House, I am prepared to offer my immediate advice to Mr. Obama and his staff. Will they listen? The Conservative in me hopes not, but here goes anyhow:
For starters, how about adding some substance to all of those pep-rally snipets that roll of your tongue? For the past 5 or 6 months you don't need to attend an Obama rally, you can just replay the same one and photoshop in new crowd faces. Here we are in May for crying out loud and nobody really knows how the young senator plans on solving any of the problems he keeps whining about. Barack says crowd pleasing stuff such as, "I am and have always been against this war!" Bully for you! Me, I am against cancer! Do I have a cure for cancer? No. Do you have an ironclad solution to the war? Who knows?The American people sure don't know if you do.
Another thing that could definitely help you senator is to stick to your notes! You've got a dedicated staff all around you brimming with people who are supposed to keep you out of the minefield that is the press corps. Read the prepared statements. Stick to the text. You are an incredible reader! Your delivery is quite clear and articulate, er, I mean well-spoken. Once you start espousing your own answers and getting off point you lose people or worse, you don't lose them and they remember every single miscue and gaff. Then you're handlers have to hit all the talkshows and start saying things like "well, he meant to say....." Yeah, that looks horrible. Granted your competition is about as guilty as you in this arena, but hey, why should you care about them??
Finally, you have got to distance yourself from all the gravy-trainers. Mr. Obama you are trying to become President of the U S of A. You may not be the PAC magnet like other current and past politicians, but lets not be so foolish as to think that all of those people who are smiling and grinning and working so hard to get you into the White House don't have personal agendas much different than your own. You can start with that fame-monger Rev. Wright. Sure the guy may have been rich and wealthy before you came along, but he wasn't FAMOUS. Shoot, that loudmouth is on TV more than you. People don't embrace loudmouthed, opinionated Reverands. Your party should know all about that. Truth be told, I don't believe that the American people really care about what the well-dressed preacher from your old church thinks or says, but all they know is that he is a bag of hot air, and oh by the way, he thinks he is close to you. Break it to him gently.
Well, I hope that some of this advice was a help to you and your polticos. Lord knows it can't hurt. You are probably still the big-time favorite to win your party's nomination. You still look good. You still sound good when you stick to the script. It must feel pretty good. Just remember, the New England Patriots felt pretty darn good too when it didn't really matter.
