From the Weekly Standard and Clinton White House official Bill Galston
Some Democrats, such as former Clinton White House official Bill Galston, are going public with their concerns about the trajectory of the Obama campaign. This “open letter” posted at The Democratic Strategist blog articulates a growing worry among some that Obama is on a path to “losing the un-losable.”
I only know Galston by reputation but have always found his thinking and writings provocative, intelligent and worth reading. His message to Obama does not mince words. He says that when it comes to this election’s most salient issue – the economy – the Democratic nominee’s narrative is unfocused, unorganized, and too long-winded.
Galston writes:
First, you are not offering a coherent account of what has gone wrong with the economy – why it is no longer working for average families. People are anxious and bewildered; they want to know why jobs are disappearing
He also suggests Obama needs a punchier economic message: invest in infrastructure, tax relief for the middle class, new jobs through environmental spending and a national healthcare plan.
And then the Great Orator gets this humbling piece of advice:
…your stump speech is too long and discursive. It shouldn’t last more than fifteen minutes, it should focus on your agenda, not today’s news story, it should feature short, declarative sentences, and it should leave no doubt about what you care about the most.
Galston also suggests the McCain campaign has played the political game more deftly and aggressively to this point:
So far, while the McCain campaign has gone for the jugular, you’ve gone for the capillaries
The Obama campaign might respond: “Hey, we’re trying. We’re talking about the economy everyday.” But as Red Auerbach was fond of saying, “It’s not what you say, but what people hear, that is important.” The Illinois senator faces a strategic challenge. He can sharpen his campaign rhetoric, hope to break through, but risk sounding like the politician he says he’s not. Or he can continue to muddle through and get tactically out maneuvered everyday in the news cycle by the McCain team. Neither scenario seems optimal, but the confusion underscores why the Obama campaign has lost ground in the past two weeks--and why people like Galston are frustrated.
