Obama’s Challenges

I saw this analysis of Obama’s task ahead for the general election over at Progressive Movement. I don’t agree with all of it, but it’s a thoughtful take on things.

Reiterating points from my previous posts, Obama should focus on the Appalachian working class. Go on a ‘Listening Tour’ and listen to their concerns and see more closely the lives they lead. Try to understand how they vote by understanding what things they hold dear. Only then can Obama effectively address the cultural divide facing the nation and the notion that he is elitist.

Of course, ultimately he has to persuade the American people to vote on issues more important than their cultural dispositions, but the first step is to take them seriously and listen to what they have to say without an agenda of convincing them of something.

Issue wise there is very little gap between Clinton supporters and Obama. The main problem is the elitist perception. If he can tackle that he can move on to the suspicion in many Democrats’ minds that he will not fight for them and traditional Democratic goals since he is too busy finding common ground with Republicans in his post-partisan quest. If he nails those two things, most Clinton supporters will come his way, although there will still be a few holdouts who believe he will not defend the nation well enough. That is a much tougher nut to crack, but he has tackled this some by going after McCain recently on Iraq, the GI Bill, etc…

Actually, Obama will have to tread a fine line between his ‘lets all come together’ rhetoric and blasting McCain. But he will have to blast McCain if he wants to show his fighting spirit. That is exactly what hurt Kerry, perhaps fatally, during the Swift Boat charade; he showed little gumption to fight.