Excellent point.  But where are they -- those party members from other quarters that should show their outrage?  It's time.

Given HRC and Obama were essential mirror images of one another from a policy standpoint, the most important stylistic choice Dems had in the primary was whether we wanted to go with the candidate that was good at playing this game, or whether we wanted to go with the candidate that had the most promise to change the name of the game.  

If Obama were to get mad, engage in a little swift-boating of his own (e.g. that McCain sex ed ad is just begging for a response ad claiming McCain's support for making it easier for pedophiles to prey on our children calls into question his fitness to walk the streets, let alone be president), and essentially fight this out on McCain's terms, it would completely cut against the promise/gamble Democrats went with in choosing him to be the nominee.  

It also seems odd that Dems not affiliated with the Obama campaign are hitting the panic button.  Things are just about right where everyone thought they would be after the conventions and McCain's bounce.  

Like it or not, the Dems best shot in this election is that issues will win out this time, and I think Obama's campaign, to its credit, has had the guts to stick with that and not hit the panic button.  

I think Michael is right that if engaging this gutter nonsense is going to be effective, it has to come from the Hagels, Gores, Powells, and Lugars of the world (i.e. people who can be portrayed as not being hacks for either side).  

Um, how about Biden?  Just a thought.

I think deldickson0 hit the nail on the head. Obama has campaigned from day 1 with a promise to talk about issues instead of call people names and make baseless accusations day after day.

I think the real problem here is the true (stupid) Liberals who have lost their comfort zone; they want their name-calling, specious narratives, and meaningless platitudes: in a word, everything Americans hate about politics. The irony is rather bitter; Americans "hate politics" because its never about issues, but a politician focuses his campaign on people's issues, and they panic because he's not politiking.

I want Obama to be passionate, not angry. To put some feeling into it. He's lacked that lately, except for the convention, and he needs to get that energy going again.

Happy Warriors beat angry ones every time.  JFK said, "Don't get mad, get even."  And he lived by that motto.

Reagan only got angry once-- "I paid for this microphone."  And it was carefully planned anger.

One weakness that Obama has which I've not seen pointed out, is that he's not very witty.  A little bit, but not very.  And when he gets a zinger out ("You're likable enough, Hillary.) it backfires on him.

He should keep on being cool.  But he needs to be passionately cool.  And start crafting short, clever answers.  Lennon and McCartney were good at that.  He might want to study the Beatle's press conferences.

Having surrogates do the anger stuff is fine, but in the debates Obama should be sharp, and should deliver great attack lines worthy of Lloyd Bentsen.

Having surrogates do the anger stuff is fine, but in the debates Obama should be sharp, and should deliver great attack lines worthy of Lloyd Bentsen.

What Jeff said.  Not so much anger, but passion, and speaking with authority.  The "angrier" parts of his convention speech had the right tone.

In recent years, the Dems as a group have sucked at doing the righteous anger bit.  Kerry, for example, didn't figure it out until this year, and more broadly, Dems have a tendency to come across as whining rather than railing.  This is a *far* bigger trap for Obama than the "angry black man" thing.  Not all anger is the same.

Bidne has shown anger, see the clip 'biden on fire' at youtube. But another point I would make is that Obama can get angry. He was pretty clearly angry at Wright when he finally dumped him. But he mixed his anger with disappointment and sadness. That might be a real good technique with McCain. Clearly he's disapppointed a lot of us who once believed he really was a Maverick., not just a gambler and a leaf in the wind.

GSpinks said: "I think the real problem here is the true (stupid) Liberals who have lost their comfort zone; they want their name-calling, specious narratives, and meaningless platitudes: in a word, everything Americans hate about politics. The irony is rather bitter; Americans "hate politics" because its never about issues, but a politician focuses his campaign on people's issues, and they panic because he's not politiking."

You seem to be aligning Americans with Liberals which is hardly a true comparison. But while I agree that Obama must remain cool, collected and issues-focused, there needs to be some third party dirty work done, both in speeches, on TV interviews and in television and radio ads. I've posted about this before but there needs to be TV ads, among other things, addressing McCain's despicable deed of leaving his crippled wife for his young Barbie doll pill-addicted cyborg bimbo.

It's pretty difficult to remain calm in the face of a campaign that 1) Won't "meet the press," 2) Won't stop advertising utter falsehoods and pretending not to notice or acknowledge, but repeat the same false claim (incidentally, I think it would be better to massively confront the lying by advertising in rebuttal adding a new verifiable source each time: "Sarah Palin has told everyone blah blah etc. five times, and now she has been shown the truth five times. Why does she keep doing it.

Mommy-War Armageddon: The Working Mothers' Case Against Sarah Palin , By Katherine Marsh Stuck In

Ditto Jeff, passion is the key here.  Take a look at Obama's Norfolk, VA event where he responds to Swinegate:

www.youtube.com/watch

He hits all the right issues (affordable healthcare, education, economy, etc) but seems to lack passion and conviction in trying to steer the debate towards them.  His glancing down at his notes every few seconds doesn't help here either.  Worst of all, he finishes with "Who gets hurt by these tacticts?  It's not the Republican candidate, it's not the Democratic candidate, it's you, the American People".  Doubtless true on many levels, but this left me feeling flat and I thought reinforced the narrative (which I don't subscribe to BTW) that Obama isn't strong enough to fight on these issues that we Dems hold dear.  Almost as if he is saying "These Republican bullies are pulling the ole' bait-and-switch again, but it's not my problem America, it's yours".  Not exactly confidence inspiring.

Why not go with an Andrew Shephard-esque (a la The American President) rebuff here.  Passioniate, decisive, and most of all, direct.

MichLib--you HAVE mentioned it before but the issue of the 1st Mrs. McCain is not going to wash.  She has publically "forgiven" Sen. McCain and even drives around in a car with a "McCain For President" bumper sticker.

Obama doesn't "do angry" (or even condescending or sarcastic) well.  It seems forced and it immediately brings to mind that he has stated that he's sticking to the issues.  I think the film evidence of the contradictions and hypocrises committed by McCain and other Repubs doesn't need embellishment.  They speak for themselves.  It truly is "passion" that is missing, that is not being conveyed.

I agree that surrogates though, if they don't go over the top, can do angry.

In some ways, Obama is a victim of his own early success.  The press gave him so much attention that no one paid much attention to McCain, until of course McCain hired Schmidt to do all the ridiculous attack ads.  Obama didn't really want to do all those town halls that McCain asked for because that would have given equal exposure to both men at a time when Obama was getting almost all the press (both good and bad).  Now that McCain has gained the upper hand (slightly and perhaps tentatively),  Obama is really in a corner--can't attack because its hurts his image with his base, but can't back down because he'll look like every other weak Democratic candidate of late.  

His "McCain is out of it" ad that just came out might help, but I'm a little nervous about the implications.  It my understanding that part of the reason McCain has never taken up computer skills is because of his arm injuries--it is uncomfortable for him to type at a keyboard and that is why other people do it for it.  If that is the case, then the ad might backfire.

I have to say, I did a bunch of righteous rage during the primary, and it is ultimately disempowering. I think Obama believes this in his bones and is too late to change his essential nature now, especially in the middle of the battlefield.

However this is squared, it must be feel authentic to America.  He cannot connect with people unless he believes what he is saying. He's too honest.  He needs to be Obama unplugged, whatever that really is.