Obama Needs a ‘Game Changer’
David Gergen writes for Anderson Cooper’s blog at CNN that Barack Obama is in desperate need of a ‘game changer.’ John McCain and his team, and the RNC of course, have done well in recent months and weeks. They have succeeded in setting the agenda, they are dominating the political debate. Whenever an issue comes up, when something big happens, it are Republicans who are able to seize on it.
And when an issue is not an issue, they are able to make it one.
McCain is now the one who looks commanding. He’s in charge. Obama, meanwhile, has faded. People get the impression that he’s not leading but following. McCain dictates the debate, Obama responds. But he cannot respond in a too progressive manner, so he basically repeats what McCain says but then in a less hawkish way.
Obama is not getting much attention in the sense that he is forced to react. He’s on the defensive all the time, and on every issue. Even the debate about Iraq is dominated by McCain nowadays; this while withdrawal was quite a good starting point for Obama.
The economy; McCain dictates.
National security; McCain leads.
Russia; McCain’s in charge.
Energy; it’s all about McCain.
So what does Obama need to do, according to Gergen at least?
Obama needs to introduce a game changer — and fast — before public opinion starts to gel around the notion that he is a phenom who deserves great respect but is not seasoned enough and would be too much of a risk in the Oval Office.
In part, he needs to change the narrative of the campaign — away from the notion that the biggest single problem facing the country — the “transcendent” threat of our time, as McCain argues — is terrorism. Terrorists and Islamic radicals are indeed a significant challenge and must be overcome but most observers would say that it is one of several challenges and that others are equally pressing, starting with the urgent, urgent need to put our own house in order and the need to deal with additional global issues such as global warming, nuclear proliferation and the rise of Asia. A major test of the Denver convention is whether Democrats can recast the central argument of the campaign and throw the Republicans back on the convention. Either Democrats persuade the country why they should now take charge or perhaps they aren’t ready to govern after all.
But it can’t stop there. Obama must also introduce a game changer through the way he signals who will be in the Oval Office with him. After all, no president governs all by himself; the success or failure of an administration also rests heavily on the team he assembles to work at his side.
Somehow, some way, Obama has to be able to set agenda like he did a few months ago. If he does not, he could be in trouble. He has a huge movement going, but for someone reason this movement seems to be dying. The people supporting him either become less passionate or less effective. Additionally, Obama seems to have trouble fighting against the Republican machine; he was able to dominate reasonably against Hillary Clinton, but the Republicans are an entirely different game altogether. Additionally, it should not be forgotten that he is now running a national campaign, not one merely aimed at Democrats. This changes everything.
Obama should know that, he does of course, but he is not able, it seems, to alter the game plan.
