Barack Obama is headed to his homestate of Hawaii this weekend for a much deserved vacation with his family. I know he needs his rest for the real campaign after Labor Day and the first week of the Olympics is as good a time as any for Obama to be off the campaign trail. Nevertheless, vacations during a campaign make me nervous. I’ve seen both Dukakis and Kerry lose leads in August never to regain them and I don’t like seeing a candidate taking time off. I don’t know if John McCain is planning a vacation this month or not. Given the polls, he can hardly afford it.
What do you think? When do you think the Veep announcements will be made.
I agree, it makes me nervous, too, even though he probably needs it. McCain, on the other hand, while old, hasn’t exactly been burning up the campaign trail. He does about one event a day, and some days none. Hopefully the Obama campaign itself will be going full bore during this time countering the attack machine.
this leaked McCain memo
Paint Obama as a job killer
…but doubtful they can execute it.
Sounds like optimistic consultant-speak. They haven’t made anything compelling yet, nor has the media engaged on anything except McCain campaign’s notable gaffes. Appearing in a grocery store was a flop; I wonder what their next tactic might be.
“engage the media in support of our plan”
has been executed:
The Wall Street Journal is on board. See this Michael Boskin’s article published July 29, 2008:
Obamanomics Is a Recipe for Recession
Mr. Boskin, is a professor of economics at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George H.W. Bush.
I’d say that “job killer” memo is in play.
Let me revise and extend my remarks, aw hell, let me flip-flop, maybe he does need to get the hell out of dodge for a while —
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26077318/
exactly. McCain’s practically taking a vacation every single weekend and in the week he’s only working half days. and there’s something flawed in comparing Obama to Kerry and Dukakis. Obama’s a much better campaigner.
Vacation time should not be taken until after the election. I know then they have to get transition teams in place, but dude, your running for POTUS, not manager at Wal-Mart, that means you have to make sacrifice.
I think the timing is perfect, given the Pew “fatigue” poll. The public is sick and tired of this campaign, and needs a break. So does the candidate. My best guess is that the Veep may not be announced until the convention – a wise move.
I have pretty much quit reading about politics, even though I’m a politics junky. The primary campaign was long and stressful and Obama’s policy pronouncements since them have been painful to hear. So, I’ve tuned out.
A lot of people are fatigued. I worry a bit about the election in that it’s like asking people to sprint this fall after they’re exhausted by a marathon.
And Obama may be strong, but he’s not superhuman. And he does have a young family.
vacation is now or never. Hours after the votes are counted, the focus turns to transition. As you note the Olympics is on – a huge distraction.
McCain does not campaign on weekends. He BBQs and serves donuts with sprinkles. Most likely he’ll be testing the teleprompter.
On VP, McCain will wait for Obama.
So long as he doesn’t take a vacation AFTER the convention, he’ll be fine. I think that was the problem with Kerry and Dukakis.
l agree, on both counts, and especially the vp announcement.
on the demoRAT side, given the already tenuous circumstances and potential for disruption vis-a-vis the PUMA’s and other clintonista, not to mention the “anarchists” that are lurking in the wings, it would be foolish to make the call before the DNC.
l expect after the nomination vote is completed.
mcstain can do whatever the hell he likes, and l doubt he’ll make any announcement before obama’s…his campaign isn’t known for doing a very good job of looking or planning ahead.
Man held in Fla. for threatening Obama’s life – Barack Obama News- msnbc.com
As RollaMo said, maybe he needs to be scarce for a while.
It might be nice to have a VP person out running around while the Obamas have a rest. Although I seriously doubt there will be much resting. Tropical strategizin’ most likely.
The press will be really happy. They win a trip to Hawaii! Again, McCain’s press puppies get the short end of the stick as they might wind up at a pineapple smoothie shop – instead of a sausage shop.
People are sick of hearing about Obama and the campaign in general. I hope this time-out marks the beginning of Obama starting fresh with some actual ideas and stands on the issues. In my dream world, he’s taking all his newfound advisors on a little tropical holiday to soften the news that they’re all fired.
I hope he announces his VP pick at the convention. I see no benefit to announcing before then.
Some people don’t like surprises. Specifically, some people don’t like unpleasant surprises. If he waits until the convention, it had better be someone that’s broadly acceptable, else there will be grumbling.
On the other hand, waiting until the convention adds drama and suspense, and might bring even more viewers to their televisions.
Since he became the presumptive nominee he has rolled out some policies and ideas. And I have been extremely upset by most of them. FISA. Saber rattling in the Middle East. Government money to religious charities. Enough so that I have quit reading. What will happen will happen, and there’s little I can do.
Obama should take off the rest of August.
His staff can repulse the idiotic attacks of McCain and the media and he can rest and formulate the strategy for Sept and Oct.
Organizers can still organize.
Our American cycle–end of summer, back to school–is tailor-made for “product roll-out” or “re-introduction” come September, and the campaign should take advantage of it.
“I’ve seen both Dukakis and Kerry lose leads in August never to regain them…“
Hasn’t Obama already lost his lead? Or have there been new polls since then that I haven’t heard about?
“Given the polls, [McCain] can hardly afford [avacation].“
I thought McCain was even with Obama now and even marginally ahead in some polls – isn’t he?
No.
I’m seriously confused, BooMan. It’s entirely possible that I missed something important here, not being any kind of U.S. politics maven as others here are, and if so I’d like to know. Are there new polls since the recent ones that showed McCain and Obama as more or less even? Were there other polls at the same time that called those into question? Has my sense of despair over all this been misplaced?
Seriously, even though I am not an Obama fan, the thought of McCain as President has brought on a couple of genuine anxiety attacks, and if there is news that can relieve that, I want to hear it.
Pollster
Thank you, BooMan. It is still frighteningly tight, but not as dire as I had been led to believe, I guess.
I know it is early in the game, but there is so much at stake that it is difficult not to feel a lot of serious anxiety. Even though Obama is going to be more or less business as usual for the Middle East and the rest of the Muslim world, which has me unhappy, I think he will probably improve things with most of the rest of the world, and I see real potential for McCain to outdo Bush’s dismal record in the foreign policy arena.
If he needs the rest, he should take it because he won’t have another chance.
What concerns me more is the uncoordinated response to McCain’s juvenile campaign.
Reminds me of his campaign in the primary when he first started. It took them quite a few missteps before they hit their stride. I don’t quite understand why it looks so much like starting from scratch now.
Hawaiians can vote too. One brief speech before or after his vacation could make it worthwhile.
But the big rule is “Always act as if you know the paparazzi are watching.” It was the photos and video that got Dukakis and Kerry in trouble.
Go play basketball or take the family to the beach to collect shells. Surfing yes. Windsurfing no.
Hike up a mountain and force the press and paparazzi to huff along on foot with their heavy equipment.
You get the idea.
I don’t know if Obama knows how to surf, but I doubt it. Even if he does, he would be smart to avoid it. Imagine the Youtube of Obama tumbling off his surfboard into the water, being used as a metaphor for…stumbling or screwing up or whatever. It would be bowling all over again.
He should just kick back and not try any physical stunts. That’s my opinion.
He’ll probably go to his grandfather’s gravesite, and I’m sure he’ll hold at least one or two campaign events along with some fundraisers, since this is the last time he’ll be in Hawaii before election day.
Also, he should be flexible enough to make statements to the press if McCain goes off on another smear attack. The rest of the time, he should kick back, relax, play with his daughters, re-energize, and study up on who he wants for VP.
Kerry’s vacation worried me much more, because he was AWOL while Republicans were trashing him in NY. I wasn’t around for the Dukakis vacation – was it after the convention?
BTW – I think he’ll announce the VP the week of the convention, maybe the weekend leading up to it. This will piss off McCain’s team since it only gives them three days after Obama’s speech to announce their pick.