There have been two words that I have long wished Obama to use repitively against McCain: Serious and Dangerous.
In fact, on Monday I wrote an email to Jed and saying just this.
Forget the bio stuff, instead of worrying about Obama, they should instead turn the campaign into a big worry about McCain, using the word "dangerous" over and over and over. His economic plans? dangerous; his plan for social security? dangerous; taxes? dangerous.
Which is why I was so glad to see John Kerry get the ball rolling at Obama's birthday party/fundraiser.
He doesn't get it. He's even dangerous, I think, for the direction of this country.
But that's not the first time Kerry has pulled that line. A month ago on an appearance on Face the Nation he used that word again.
I'm challenging Senator McCain's judgment ...he's turned his [focus] away from Afghanistan and al Qaeda and made America less safe. That's dangerous for our country.
On the other side, with the serious riff, it is clearly the perfect antidote to McCain's childish antics. They clearly are running "the Bush campaign" because they are now trying to make McCain the fun guy, just like George. It's a role that doesn't suit him. But also it's a campaign strategy that is incompatible with our times. Through Brittany and Paris, McCain has given Obama a massive assist, it is an openning that can diminish his brand and serious is the best way to do it, particularly because it plays right into Obama's central campaign theme about how important this election is for our future. A good example is in Obama's response to McCain on energy yesterday. I should note that when Obama said the word serious was exactly the moment that the crowd stood up and applauded.
You know, they think it is funny that they are making fun of something that is actually true. They need to do their home work, because this is serious business. Instead of running ads about Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, they should go talk to some energy experts and actually make a difference.
Steve Benen picked up on this too, noting,
Indeed, I’d add that the other important part of this is Obama insisting, “This is serious business.” McCain has ceded the grown-up ground, acting like a petulant child (whining, lying, playing with toys, easily distracted by nonsense), so Obama is stepping in, positioning himself as the adult in the race.
I have a hunch this is why the McCain campaign has pivoted so hard and is now running those "The Original Maverick" ads where he tries to regain his serious credentials. It was great to see that Obama smacked that ad down immediately.
So people, here is your mission if you choose to accept it - this includes you campaign surrogates. From now until election day spread the word, McCain is dangerous and lacks seriousness. Thankfully, the electorate knows full well from first hand experience how dangerous unserious presidents are. The first is just who McCain is, the second is a reflection of the campaign he has run and will run as long as Mr. Purple-Heart Bandaids is in charge. And the two fit beautifully together and have the added advantage of being true.
© Jed Lewison