A couple of things from the past few days have caught my eye from Obama world, both of which struck me as really good signs in terms of how the campaign is thinking, at least in some aspects of their operations:
1. The first is that the more I have read and heard about how Karen Kornbluh (bias alert: she is an old friend) handled the health care negotiations regarding the platform, the more I liked it. Two good things about what I've heard: the first is that she came to the table with some good language from the beginning, particularly the signature line that everybody should have health coverage equivalent to members of Congress. That is a fundamental rhetorical and substantive point health care reform activists have been pushing for over 20 years, and if enacted, would guarantee serious and progressive reform.
The other good thing is that Karen not only came to the table with solid language, but was willing to compromise with Clinton delegates and health reform advocates pushing the campaign to accept even stronger language that "every American man, woman, and child be guaranteed affordable, comprehensive health care... with everyone in and no one left out." That's very strong and very clear language which puts the Obama campaign on the spot in terms of the commitment they made.
2. I noted that David Plouffe told David Broder that he was paying a lot more attention to voter registration numbers in the key states than he was to the poll numbers. I have not heard a top non-field Presidential staffer say that in a campaign ever, and I think it's a very healthy sign in terms of campaign thinking about the big picture. As I've argued here, campaigns and pundits alike can get way too poll-obsessed in this phase of the campaign, prior to conventions and debates and the fall campaign. Making sure we keep cranking our voter registration numbers up is a great area of focus right now. And I'm generally pleased that this campaign is devoting so many resources to early field organizing.
I know that we all get frustrated with some of the stuff going on in Obamaland, but it's good to know that they have their heads screwed on straight about some of these really important topics in this stage of the campaign.
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