Positively Obama

I have been listening to a seemingly endless parade of pundits lament that the Democratic National Convention is insufficiently negative.

'Not enough red meat.'

'Where are the attacks on McCain?'

'The Democrats have to define McCain.'

Many in the media, and perhaps a large contingent of the Democratic Party establishment, seem unalterably convinced that the Democratic Party is squandering a ripe opportunity to tear John McCain apart. Former Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner was mercilessly mocked by MSNBC's Pat Buchanan and Rachel Maddow, two ideological blowhards who rarely agree, for his lofty exhortation for a transition to postpartisanship, a thesis which compliments Barack Obama's central campaign theme of ushering a 'new kind of politics.' Of course, missing from the "analysis" offered by Mr. Buchanan and Miss Maddow was acknowledgement of both Governor Warner's historic electoral success in Virginia and his uncommon governing achievement. Mr. Warner's message is one that should not be so casually discounted, especially since it provides a compelling recipe for not only successful campaigning but for efficient governing.

But the simplistic and cynical analysis of Mr. Warner's speech is only part of a larger issue. The DNC, according to many in the media, thus far has apparently failed to meet some sadistic standard of dirty politiking. The goal of the convention, according to the Buchanan-Maddow school of political thought, should be to define McCain and inextricably link him with unpopular President George W. Bush, who himself has been insultingly relegated to a relatively insignificant speaking slot at the Republican convention. Indeed linking Mr. McCain to Mr. Bush must be an essential element of any Democratic strategy for success on November 4. That case, however, must be offered (and effectively so) after the convention for one simple reason: this convention represents Mr. Obama's true introduction to the American voter. Only the televised presidential debates rival the conventions in terms of candidate exposure to the public. Mr. Obama would be ill-advised to introduce himself to the general electorate as an attack dog spewing visceral rhetoric against a candidate who, even among those who disagree with him ideologically, is universally respected and admired.

Americans are all too painfully and personally aware of the failures of the Bush administration and the Republican Party. In the general election campaign ahead, particularly during the debates, the ideological and political alliance of Mr. McCain to Mr. Bush can and must be effectively exposed to the electorate. However, Obama must introduce himself to the American people retaining his image as a 'new kind of leader.' Obama is a stranger to most Americans, and the first test he must pass is mastering the presidential aura; he must inspire, but he also must "put meat on the bones." Itemizing Republican failures is not the first or only part of the process; he must first articulate his vision for the country and offer concrete proposals to fulfill that vision. He must overcome the persistent perception that he is a smooth-talking celebrity with no firm grasp on the specifics of the great challenges confronting our country, and he can do that only by offering his specific ideas for meeting those challenges.

These are not mutually exclusive tactics. Surrogates and even Mr. Obama himself can and must hammer home the argument that a McCain administration is little more than a third Bush administration, but it is incumbent upon Mr. Obama to convey to the American people what specifically distinguishes an Obama administration from the status quo.

Every credible poll shows a huge advantage of between 10 and 15 points for the Democratic candidate in a generic matchup with a Republican candidate. Yet Mr. Obama only holds a very small lead over Mr. McCain in most polls, and in fact today's Gallup tracking poll shows Mr. McCain with a 2 point lead over the Illinois Senator. Mr. Obama can bridge the gap between his support and the support for a Democratic administration by offering not just exhortations for change, but solutions for change. This election is still Mr. Obama's to lose.