Dear Barack,

Your campaign has told us repeatedly to calm down.  I’m sorry, but that’s just not going to fly.  Your supporters are passionate.  But now many are worried that the Obama Campaign will go the way of Kerry, Gore and Dukakis.  Those men are fine public servants, but it’s not a group you want to be lumped into.  You’re a competitive guy, and that should be enough to ignite your passions too. 

I said before that your supporters are passionate, and I can demonstrate it with examples from my own family.  I live in California, and one of my uncles is going to spend the next couple of months in Nevada because he’s afraid you might lose.  One of my other uncles donated $50 dollars to your campaign, despite the expensive medical bills he is paying off.  A third uncle (I know, I have a HUGE family) is delaying his move from North Carolina to California to join our family business so that he and his wife can vote for you there.  None of these folks have ever participated in the political process before.

These stories I’ve recounted are not isolated incidents.  It’s true that many people are inspired by you and are heeding your call to action.  And the ground game may be enough to win this election.  But please don’t bet all your chips on it.

The reason so many of your supporters are getting frantic is that John McCain and his minions are winning news cycles night after night.  Let’s face it: John McCain’s team puts out better ads than you.  So did Hillary.  They may be filled with lies, distortion, ad hominem attacks and nonsense, but they are easily consumable sound bites.

It seems like you’ve been on defense for the past two months.  The one day that you were on offense, your speech at Invesco Field, pushed you over 50% for the first time in this election.  People want to see you fight. And after eight years of George W. Bush, you should have plenty of material to attack with.

Last week’s convention was quite a spectacle.  Like you said, the Republicans may not know how to govern, but they sure know how to campaign.  But what I saw after four days in fantasy land is that the Republicans know what their Achilles heel is.  They basically admitted it.  It’s George W. Bush and the Republican brand.  They tried to pretend like they haven’t been in power for the past eight years, and the thing is, if you don’t push back HARD, they’ll convince people that that’s true.  Don’t forget, many Americans were fooled into thinking Saddam had something to do with 9/11.

People who make their livings from marketing and communication are all saying the same thing.  One of the writers at EyesOnObama, who does marketing as his day job, argued that you have to make this election about Bush / McCain, while a communications specialist and writer for the Huffington Post said that you have to drive home the Bush = McCain meme. 

I really don’t care whether you divide or equate, because the arithmetic is the same.  We can’t afford four more years of this nonsense.  So please do whatever you have to do, and do it fast.  The election is right around the corner.  Have an arsenal of sound bites and one liners ready for the debates, bring some Hillary advisors like Geoff Garin aboard, hit McCain with brutal campaign ads, and / or hang the anchor that is George W. Bush around McCain’s neck.  Don’t let McCain define himself any more than he already has.

The Republicans should be back on their heels this time around.  We need to get back on offense.  This is our election to lose, and I know you have no intention of losing it. 

Sincerely,
  A Committed Supporter

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