There are so many great ads he could cut on this issue.

1. He could use Krugman against Hillary.

2. He could show video clips of McCain supporting the Iraq invasion, then Hillary supporting the Iraq invasion, then McCain supporting the gas holiday, then Hillary supporting the gas holiday, then say "We need change."

3. Two pronged (all with Obama talking): (a) first, he quickly explains how economists say the gas tax holiday will put more money into oil companies hands and (b) outlines some wonky specifics in his own energy plan

4. "Hillary Clinton wants to give you $25 this summer to ease the gas pains. Yeah, that'll help!" then go into a detailed explanation of his middle class tax cut plan (framed as relief for families struggling to pay for things like gas

5. Show Hillary shaking hands with the Saudis then explain how her plan actually makes them richer.

6. Pay for this ad to reair:

www.youtube.com/watch

Obama needs a who's your Daddy ad, McCain and Hillary both want a big cash infusion to the oil companies, this is what their donations buy them...

Oooh, "McCain-Clinton." That's excellent. It's sure to infuriate Hillary, her top advisers, and particularly Bill. And when these people get angry, they do stupid things. Particularly Bill.

Damn, virginiacentrist. You're fast.

Gotta hand it to ya, VC.  I like it.  For that matter, how about

"No third term for  . . . . !"  a) Bush  b) Clinton (with appropriate photos)

Of course, the market for THAT ad would be more, well, limited . . .

As per your #2 VC, the better way is to not only do what you say but also tie the two to their Iraq war votes.  Show how the Iraq war spending sapped the treasury of funds for domestic projects like road building and repairs, and eliminating the gas tax will result in roads crumbling quickly.  Get a twofer out of it.

Wow, great material guys!  If you really want to knock 'em both out of the ring just play the Military Service vs Politics As Usual card:

"While our men and women in uniform are risking their lives in a war that should never have been waged, what is the failed political leadership in Washington concerned with?  A gas tax scheme that will save working Americans nothing at the pump and do nothing to fix our country's failed energy policy or lack of one.  

A campaign that ignores economics, puts scoring points over fixing policy, and attempts to distract the public discourse from the real problems facing this country... sounds like Politics As Usual."

Post-Ad Counter-Punch: When they say "How dare you link our Armed Men and Women to the Gas Tax issue, how insulting!"  Then we say "The reason that gas prices are so high at the pump is BECAUSE we embarked on a fool-hardy war in Iraq that should never have been authorized.  That war has left thousands dead, has emboldened Iran, and yes, it has stretched international crude oil supplies so thin that gas prices at the pump have doubled in this country!"

Knock-out.

VC-

Great post.

It would also be a great time for Obama to set himself as the grown-up of the three, that is, the one willing to make the smart policy choice. Imagine this ad, "McCain and Clinton both brag about their experience, but as they continue to play politics as usual , they both prove that they have not learned from experience. Namely, that cutting taxes during a war wrecks the economy". He would get them on their support for the war, and their lack weak economic policy, all while painting them as Washington political insiders.

Gavriel,

I'm with you half-way. But I wouldn't go so far as to say, "The reason that gas prices are so high at the pump is BECAUSE we embarked on a fool-hardy war in Iraq." That too is a pander of sorts because it simplifies the causes. My understanding is that rising demand for oil, in China especially, is the biggest cause of rising gas prices (those who know better, please correct me if I'm wrong). I'd leave it at VC's proposal: associate the war and the gas prices but by pointing to them as examples of cynical politics as usual. That's enough.

Great ideas - this gas tax issue is perfect.  Just don't say it won't save voters "anything."  

There are lots of folks out there for which 30 bucks actually IS something.  He needs to speak to those people too in this pitch.  

All you have to do is read Obama's book "Dreams of my Father" to know that he has lived that reality too (he slept in an alley his first night in NY because he had no money - next to another homeless guy who showed him where to find fresh water the next morning).  He has to watch it - it's at this micro level that people feel snubbed.

Polls looking grim for Indiana.

Nippers, you raise an important point that I myself do not know the answer to; how much of an impact has the War in Iraq had on prices at the pump.  I was working off the assumption that there is a significant connection there, as has been argued in the past by Senator Obama.

www.boston.com/.../obama_ties_economic_woes_to_iraq_war

blogs.wsj.com/.../obama-ties-iraq-war-to-high-oil-prices-weak-economy

Some clearer economics reports would be great, although since it's a highly politicized issue I am not sure how "objective" such reports will be.

Anyways, good point.  And if you're right... well then that begs the question, just how do we intend to lower fuel prices in this country?

Wandrey, I think it's fair to say that no even remotely complex position (even two-moves complex) seems to be safe with voters.  Apparently, if there's not an X on one side, a Y on the other, and an equals sign between, they don't get it.

However, I don't quite believe this.  Clinton's great strength in the 90s was to be able to explain complicated policy in slimmed down but not dumbed down language.  Obama needs to do this.  There's no point in him trying to out-populist HRC or McCain, what he can do is treat people as adults and tell us that there's a long and short term, exactly as there is for, say, a health issue.  You can keep putting off doing something by taking paracetamol, but at some point you're going to need to go to the doctor.

Ok thanks everybody but I was really just trying to force you to watch that horrible AFSME ad again:

www.youtube.com/watch

It's a bit less complicated than anyone's making it.

The Clintons have a powerful economic brand. They can pretty much propose anything and working class white voters (whose ignorance leads them to believe that Presidents singlehandedly control the economy and have nothing to do with the job outsourcing that makes their lives hell) will feel like it's the Clinton magic all over again.

At the same time, there's also a lingering suspicion (just below the surface) that the Clintons sold out the working class on economic policy by deregulating, opening trade, and getting cushy with lobbyists. Obama needs to exploit this....somehow...

Nippers,

NPR had a story yesterday about why oil prices, and by extension gas prices, are so high:

www.npr.org/.../story.php

The overall gist was that China and India don't explain the 85% in one year increase in price, only a part.  The biggest culprit was the weak economy -> weak dollar -> people speculating on oil prices going up -> higher prices -> more money spent on energy -> weak economy, and the cycle continues.  Its the fact that people can speculate on price rather than supply and demand controlling the price of oil that is causing the biggest jump.

Just the social worker in me Irony :)  I work with folks every day for whom 30 bucks is a serious dough.

They are just as clever and fed up as anyone else and I have no doubt Obama can speak right to them on this.  

"Sure, we could benefit from having this money in our pocket this month - but not if we have to pay back twice as much in the end just so some Washington politician could get your vote, make you feel paid attention to that week.  

"We're smarter than that and fed up with being treated that way.  We want real, long term solutions to hgh gas prices so our kids won't be having these same tired arguments  when they grow up."  

"We know that we owe them more than that and that Washington does too."

Via First Read , I see Obama's taken Tom Friedman to heart and begun using the gas tax holiday to

Mike, I take your point about the folly of over-estimating the American voter. I think a lot of voters