Obama has yet to use the word "warmonger" in an ad! He hasn't accused McCain of being complicit in war crimes! Come on, Obama, MoveOn needs you to get with the program, here!

It also misses the point: the best possible way to respond to McCain's juvenile-ness was for Paris herself to do it - and she came off way more high-minded than he did. She made McCain look infintile and now McCain is getting into a pissing match with someone he tried to portray as empty-headed. It both diminishes McCain and the message he was trying to convey in his attack ad.

Did the Obama campaign orchestrate Paris' response? Doubtful. BUT the way he has set up his campaign - as a grassroots, bottom-up enterprise, using social media and boots on the ground as a driving force - has paved the way for such actions as these outside his campaign. His way of organizing his campaign is much different than these old school political consultants would do. It's grassroots vs air war (media). Eli Pariser only uses his grassroots to sign petitions and raise money for ads - Obama's grassroots are the center of gravity of his campaign.

Step 1: Don't listen to MoveOn

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Profit

Guyminuslife,

Are you missing underpants too?

My problem with Mr Pariser is not that he obviously fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on his way down; its that he apparently did not learn from his initial mistake and climbed back into the tree, only to fall out again.

The McCain campaign injected her into the race, and then insulted her repeatedly. Therefore, much of "the beef" is entirely between her and McCain. As we all know, she has risen to the occaision. (now, if she actually shows up to the first debate, as either participant or moderator, then we've got a great story on our hands).

Obama's retort was great because it only responded to that aspect of the ad that applied directly to him and the campaign.

If anything, Mr Pariser needs to take some lessons from Obama before MoveOn becomes "MovedOn"

Agree or not with the critics, the article was all over the map and then the last two sentences provided the best tonic against an August panic attack:

===

Obama spokesman Burton said the campaign sees no reason to shift strategy.

"This is a classic Washington story, anonymous quotes from armchair quarterbacks with no sense of our strategy, data or plan," he said.

===

Has this team gone through several configs since day one, has it failed on any of the fundamentals, (from fund raising to registration to advance prep to...) is Barack not ahead in states that Gore and Kerry lost?  Yes, I do ponder in these pages and assume my ratio of good idea to bad really sucks. Unlike the others who think they're smarter than Team Obama I figure I'd have been contacted for a job if I made sense. No one is anonymous when they have conviction and even armchair quarterbacks can make the squad if they earn the position.

Tad may need a translator. He said, "We've been through two very tough elections at the national level, and it's very easy to lose confidence."

He should have said, "We came up short the last two times we tried. Our record is bad, our spirit is broken and we scare easily. And no, we can't believe Barack beat the Clinton's and got this far."

THis is good for Obama.

Jason wasn't too worried by MoveOn's criticism of Obama, and in the comments, mcgumbleton thought