Obama Setting Up for the General

by: Matt Stoller

Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 13:07


Crooks and Liars has a video of Obama and Bill O'Reilly talking in which Obama says he'll go on his show after the primary.

Obama: There's a whole bunch of people over there I've got to talk to.

O'reilly: Thank you very much, You're a good guy. We like you.

Obama: After the primary we'll go on.

O'Reilly: After New Hampshire.

Obama: After the primary.

After the primary, Obama will go onto Fox News and talk to Republicans on their most hard core red meat show.  For now, it's a Democratic primary, and he wants to talk to Democratic voters.  Or if you want to be cynical, he doesn't want to make Democrats mad until after the primary.

... adding that it's not a criticism of Obama.  O'Reilly is being nice to him, which speaks to how scared the right is.  They are bullies and suck up to powerful authority figures.  I watch this awesome show called the Dog Whisperer about a dog trainer who helps owners deal with their dogs that often bite other people or act in undisciplined nasty ways.  And the Dog Whisperer basically tells them to draw boundaries and be secure in their space, because a dog is asserting dominance when an owner fails to.  And he shows them, instantly asserting dominance over the dog and calming him down into a submissive behaved state.  That's what Obama did to O'Reilly, who was misbehaving until Obama drew firm boundaries and acted as a more powerful figure. 

Matt Stoller :: Obama Setting Up for the General

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Obama Setting Up for the General | 25 comments
After the primary (4.00 / 1)
Could mean 5 years after the primary.  I don't think Obama made any real promises to O'Reilly.  I don't expect he'll go on O'Reilly's show, at all.
Whoever the nominee is (0.00 / 0)
will go on Fox - probably FNS. And they should. Why be afraid of Fox? Fox can't ask any harder questions than have been asked in the debates up to now.

Why would a candidate want to act like a scared weenie and not be on Fox. What is Fox going to do ask them about national security? Taxes? Healthcare? Combating terrorism? Seems to me all of our candidates are not only capable talking about those issues but also willing and eager to talk about them - as they should be.

This silliness in the Left blogosphere about Fox is childish. A man doesn't run from adversity - he faces it. The blogosphere wants to run from Fox. Real men want to want to show they are real men (or women).

[ Parent ]
Troll (0.00 / 0)
The reason to avoid Bill'O and faux is not because they are 'hard' and difficult, it is because they are liars and fools.

They are to disappear, avoid them to make sure they leave the airways soon, avoid them so everyones they are dino's on their way out.

The poster may not know this, its possible, probably not possible for a progressive who has been using the internet for the last three years, but possible.

So I call troll.

Bill'O's minions.


Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

[ Parent ]
Delusional (0.00 / 0)
First off the entire MSM are liars and fools. So according to your criteria kiddo we shouldn't talk to any of them.

Fox disappear? You are delusional. Do you really think for a second one of largest multi-national, multi-faceted, huge profit generating companies that is involved in print and broadcast around the globe and owns main-street properties like the Wall Street Journal and youth market properties like MySpace where many liberals btw have pages is going to disappear because Democrats don't go on their shows? Don't be a fool dude.

People who talk like you obviously have no handle on many of the realties around you. You are living in some kind of fantasy world where other have guided you down a misguided path.

You post silliness.

[ Parent ]
The immediate response of claiming (0.00 / 0)
the opposing viewpoint is the product of delusion, etc. reveals a personality that is not interested in dialog. You appear to have in mind a communication which consists of you revealing the truth to the rest of us. Not interested.
[ Parent ]
Perhaps you missed (4.00 / 1)
the poster starting out calling me a troll? To me that is someone who is not interested in dialog.

And yeah I revealed the truth. Fox the multi-national multi-media isn't going to disappear like the immature poster suggested. I suppose you agree with him?

[ Parent ]
LMAO (0.00 / 0)
You left out one Matt!
Maybe he didn't want the crap to escalate at his positive event. So he just said this to O'LIElly to shut him up.
Or do you think he should have said, NO I WILL NEVER GO ON YOUR SHIITY SHOW...That is all we would have heard out of the MSM, instead we got, "oLIELLY got agresssive at an Obama event"  I think in this instance he did the right thing. Now let's not have amnesia he was the 1st one to say NO to Fox noise, I am betting he will stick to that!
Let's not have amnesia? (0.00 / 0)
Edwards was the first one to say no to Faux noise, not Obama. At least, that's the way I remember it.  But whoever it was, it was the right decision. It's pointless to try to argue with these people in a venue where they control the timing, the agenda, and the microphones. O'Lielly isn't going to treat Obama or any other progressive fair-handedly or respectfully. Going on his show would be kissing his ring, in a way, conceding that he is somehow a legitimate voice in the political discussion. He isn't. He's just a brainless prejudice infested propagandist.
[ Parent ]
Some day....in the far distant future.... (0.00 / 0)
.........netizens will realize that O'Lielly....Does. Not. Matter.

His 'share' is circling the bowl...his biggest demographic are 'folks' who are almost dead.

Here's the money quote:

We like you.


Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.
"we like you" (0.00 / 0)
Yes they do.  I watched the "Beltway boys" yesterday, and they were both singing Obama's praises.  "He's not angry".

This exchange with O'Reilly doesn't surprise me.


[ Parent ]
Thank you!!! (4.00 / 1)
I agree, and I hate Barack Obama. Why should he try to talk to any Americans?  How dare he try to persuade people, even those that we know are enemies.

I cannot stand it when this man does what I don't want him to.  This is part of why I believe he has clearly proven that he is a charlatan.  Moreover, it is an established Fact that we have figured out how his Presidency will play out.

Of course Obama is not playing O'Reilly.  Look in Barack's eyes - he LOVES O'Reilly.  It is a dramatic and deep love, bound by philosophy.  They wish to fool us. I can tell.  So can we.  But those stupid voters.

We must continue raging and saying "I told you so..." even BEFORE the darn guy does anything.  We'll be right, of course, so why not?

One thing is paramount: shouting our own established and proven rightness.  Obama must be smeared, for the stupid voters don't know what they are doing.

Someday they will submit and listen to us.  Some glorious day.

Kinda like when 'Dumya'..... (0.00 / 0)

.................looked deeeeeeeep into Putin's soul. Have I got that right?

Like that?

Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.

[ Parent ]
I suppose (0.00 / 0)
this comment is intended to be satire.  I'm not exactly sure what it's intended to be satire of, though.
[ Parent ]
Good job! (0.00 / 0)

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you got my point!

Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.

[ Parent ]
He could have just been trying to shut O'Reilly up (0.00 / 0)
I took from it "Umm... I really don't want to deal with this." So he makes a vague promise so Bill can't throw a public tantrum. I don't think he really intends to go on O'Reilly. That would just be... well, retarded.
Nice. (0.00 / 0)
I've always been a advocate of winning, in Bill Maher's words, "an away game." If Obama were to go to O'Reilly's show, keep cool and yet call O'Reilly on his bullshit, I'd be enthralled.

Strike that. If any Democrat goes on O'Reilly and calls his bullshit, I'd be enthralled.

Indeed (0.00 / 0)
The rejection of Fox News by the blogosphere is partly to try to starve it of legitimacy, but it's at least as much because high-profile Democrats are not believed by the blogosphere to be likely to challenge the questions and call O'Reilly out when his information is false or misleading.

An away win is great, but it's only worth trying for with an instinctive fighter with a good grasp of statistics and the ability to turn a phrase.

Forgotten Countries - a foreign policy-focused blog

[ Parent ]
This is a big deal? (0.00 / 0)
Didn't Chris Dodd get lauded, and rightfully so, for going on O'reilly's show?

Personally, I would prefer a Democratic nominee who is not scared to go talk to potentially adversarial groups, i.e. the NRA and the American Legion. Maybe even Fox News.


Praise for Huckabee, Criticism for Obama (0.00 / 0)
Personally I'd prefer to praise Obama and criticize Huckabee.  However thats because I am a democrat.
Well... (0.00 / 0)
A) I'm not really sure where you guys see Matt attacking Obama, here. Maybe I'm not reading between the lines?

B) Nothing wrong with playing an "away game." I'm pretty sure Obama can handle Bill O'Reilly.

Further Reading

I speculated to myself (0.00 / 0)
that this is what he must have said when I heard about the incident. Either this, or "I'll discuss it with my team and we'll get back to you" (which might've been better, but whatever). Going on the show during the primaries would be idiotic, but O'Reilly wouldn't have let it go so easy if he had just said "never".
Re: dog training (4.00 / 4)
I have a dominant-aggressive dog, and before 'whispering' became a trend, I had to learn to dominate him in all kinds of small ways before he settled down (although I'd still never trust him w/kids, who strain even mild-mannered dogs' endurance).

Anyway, I think the analogy is apt: it's exactly how the Bush administration dealt with the press for a very long time.  They dominated them by controlling their food (information), environment, freedom (access), and by dispensing their approval & affection in a very controlled manner.  It worked.

Well... (0.00 / 0)
a good candidate doesn't say "no" when asked to show up for an event/interview/etc.

They say "yes" and then if it's not in their best interest, have the scheduler call give the "scheduling conflicts" spiel.  Eventually the requester figures out that unless they discover a month named Never, it ain't gonna happen.

That's why you try to shield your candidate from getting asked direct questions - and if they are, they immediately direct the questioner to whoever's walking with them.

The candidate doesn't say no.

All he showed was that he's well-versed in the rules.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Obama understands (0.00 / 0)
That when tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

This is just what I've been trying to say about Obama trying to render the Right wing screamers and obstructionists ultimately irrelevant.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

Obama has always been running a general election campaign.... (0.00 / 0)
Obama has been running a general election campaign from the get-go. He never tried to pander to far left interest groups or bloggers obsessed with partisanship. He has been consistent with his "come together and make positive change for the future" message from the beginning.

Not only has Obama been running a general election campaign (unlike Edwards who has much more focused on wooing primary voters and leftist endorsements), he's been running a [i]progressive[/i] general election campaign, whereas Clinton has been running more of a [i]centrist[/i] general election campaign. This is why Obama declined to jump on the netroots bandwagon and has been known to sometimes use what are being characterized as "Republican talking points."

The reality is that Obama probably agrees with the vast majority of the issues of most concern to netroots bloggers but at the same time he wanted to keep them at a safe arms length so as to not frighten away the independents and sensible Republican general election voters. Many bloggers [b]arrogantly[/b] supposed their support was absolutely crucial to Obama's primary candidacy when in fact he didn't need blogger endorsements at all. I'm thinking about writing a diary about this topic.

Obama is now poised and well positioned to become the Golden Boy of politics. The young honest inspirational groundbreaking and most transformational Presidential candidate of the past many decades. After his primary campaign, now barreling forward with the moment of a freight train, finishes trouncing the onslaught that is the Clinton Machine Obama will have officially become The Golden Boy© and as such will be untouchable. He has already received the Golden Touch of Oprah and in the near future he will take on his own aura of invincibility. He will be so beloved that the Republican slime machine will actually work in reverse, causing more and more people to vote for Obama.

2008 will be an historic election and I predict Obama will receive over 60% of the popular vote. After this is achieved the corporate media and you guys will all be gushing about how important and huge a moment and breakthrough this is for America. Obama will have so much teflon making him impervious to Republican attacks that he will make John Gotti jealous. These are my predictions about the Obama campaign, and so far I've had a pretty good predictin' record. (P.S. I suspect Huckabee will probably be Obama's general election adversary)

I hate to say I told you so but, frankly I've been telling you guys so. I'm sure many of you probably disagree and think that the Republican slime machine will be effective against Obama but all I can say to you is watch and pay attention. Hopefully you will all come around and jump on the Obama bandwagon soon because its gonna be a wild and wonderful ride ;)

End this war. Stop John McCain. Cindy McCain is filthy rich.

Obama Setting Up for the General | 25 comments
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