Matthew Dowd

If you think not blowing off 300 mil is a mistake by Obama then you are obviously partial to McCain. ABC the anti Obama rag....

The most important thing is "the narrative of the free press". That really says it all about the incredible boost Obama got from the mainstream media in disposing of Hillary Clinton!
That fawning media was the key.

I think that obamas campaign is pretty smart, i dont think they would have gone against this without some sort of plan.

Which we all figure is a massive attempt to play in every state, we just dont know exactly what thats going to actually be like. It is obviously much larger then 90 million otherwise why take the hits...

or perhaps they figure mccains brand has been terribly tarnished as well, since they can point to mccains dealings with public financing and his possible illegal movement in and out of public financing and that loan.

It may seem like a silly move, but obamas campaign is very calculated

"From my perspective it is something that involves a new kind of politics, something that doesn't involve political expediency, something that gets past the spin of Washington, something that involves truth and inspiration in order to get the job done." The brand was damaged long before the flip flop on public financing. Obama has always been about political expediency as his association with Rev. Wright's church for 20 yrs proves. I actually hope that relationship was about political expediency and does not represent what Obama thinks is 'truth' or 'inspiration'.

forgotton already. At least makes some sense when compaired to McCains antics and deal making with the public finance moneys.

If the man can't keep his word that he gave during the Primaries then why would he keep his word about anything he says for the GE? The man is a Fraud and an embarassment to the Dems. Remember the superdelegates haven't voted yet and can still change their minds. Go Hillary... please don't support this BUM!!!

Obama's brand reminds me of laundry detergent box a few years ago. Every time I buy the 29 oz box, it always costs me $15.99. Three years later, it's still the same price, but I one day start to notice that the weight has decreased to 20 oz, but the price and the box remains the same.

Obama should clean up his acts.

As a former Hillary supporter, I'm looking forward to voting for Obama because his plans for the US most resemble hers. She has endorsed him and so I'm going to make sure he gets my vote. McCain's policies go against everything Hillary was promoting, and there's no way in good conscience I could ever vote for McCain.

That said, I'm fed up with the media. I'm sick of op/ed pieces scolding Obama about campaign financing while completely ignoring the laws McCain has broken - he even broke a law he wrote (McCain/Feingold)! The author of this article makes his point clear - he would shake his skinny little finger at Obama but he has no opinion about McCain breaking campaign finance laws. By not explaining this issue in full, the media and people like Matthew Dowd, are lying by omission.

According to a detailed analysis appearing on today's MSNBC web site, Obama is in bed with the ethanol industry and opposes imports of the more efficient cane fuel. His advisers are influential lobbyists of large Agra-business.

Same old Obama, different day! And still fooling some of the people all of the time!

Check this one:
===============

Jonathan Martin
Mon Jun 23, 1:25 AM ET

The same publisher that distributed the 2004 best-seller that took aim at John Kerry’s Vietnam service is planning a summer release of what’s scheduled to be the first critical book on Barack Obama.

ADVERTISEMENT

Conservative journalist David Freddoso’s “The Case Against Barack Obama” will offer “a comprehensive, factual look at Obama,” according to Regnery Publishing president and publisher Marjory Ross.

But the book’s subtitle makes clear its perspective: “The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate.”

Ross contends that the mainstream media has offered insufficient scrutiny of Obama and likens the goal of Freddoso’s book to that of “Unfit for Command,” the scathing assessment of Kerry’s war record that rocketed to No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list.

By highlighting negative aspects of Obama’s record and background, Ross says, Freddoso may compel others to offer more critical coverage of the Democratic nominee.

“I think it’s critically important that the country gets a clear and honest view of who is running and what they stand for — warts and all,” Ross says. “With ‘Unfit for Command,’ like ‘The Case against Barack Obama,’ we believe the media has whitewashed the candidate.”

But unlike the Kerry book, which was co-authored by a fellow Swift Boat veteran and focused exclusively on the Massachusetts senator’s actions in Vietnam and immediately after, “The Case Against Barack Obama” aspires to be a full-length political biography

Is anyone really foolish enough to think Obama does not have blind ambition and wants to win at any cost? Come on. He has postured himself to do just that and he will continue to lie, change his mind, and do whatever he has to to win. Look what they're doing to Michele. They're making her look like another soft wife of a president, does anyone believe that is who she is???

Come on people wake up. He is a loser, and cannot be trusted to be the president of the most powerful country on earth.

I am a devout democrat. This man is not worthy of my vote and will never get it.

Is it paranoia that kept him from the fixed amount of money? Is he afraid of the damage the 527's can do to him, and if so, why? What's out there? That's the thing that keeps me from getting excited about Obama, and makes me miss Hillary so badly.

Obama -- full of BS; signifying nothing!

Obama went back on his word--

It's that simple.

For a "change" candidate, he comes across as an opportunist--I am democrat and totally fed up with Obama and the Obama campaign antics. No vote for Obama--and that goes for my family and friends (all democrats).

Way to go-Obama! Once again you have proven you cannot be trusted.

NO vote for Hussein Obama.
My family members,friends, we all
say NO to Hussein Obama in november.
Hussein is an opportunist,fake and
the BIGGEST joke of the century......

Obama is for change. He changes is positions time after time after time.

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old Texas rancher, whose hand
was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a
conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and
his bid to be President.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'post turtle'.'

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle'
was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you
come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post
turtle'.'

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to
explain. 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up
there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder
what kind of a person put him up there to begin with.'

The consultants who analyzed the landscape and pushed their candidate to reach this conclusion stand to make untold millions from the bumped-up media buys. That's it, pure and simple. They are not objective. Mr. Dowd is correct -- he could have won under the good government rules and not broken the back of the public financing system, as he will now do.

The fact that he listened to these mercenaries speaks volumes about his experience and judgment.

Too bad for America that electing a president has become a matter of "branding" and a popularity contest. I think that's the number one reason the nation is in such lousy shape and in such desperate need of real leadership. We're not choosing a beer here people.

boo hoo hoo, the hippie press is worried because of someone's "brand" and because he doesn't follow their ideals. public campaign financing is a sham and a waste of money; the problem isn't that Obama got off it, the problem is that McCain is taking it.

1percenter: Why is that?

Let him through all that fat-cat money back into circulation. It is a transfer of the wealth from the rich down to people like me. Let him spend away!

Sadly, this isn't the worst of it. FISA? NAFTA? So much rhetoric just to get Hillary Clinton out of the race. Now that the field is clear, the real candidate comes to life. Not DC politics, Chicago politics.

I really do not care about this. Who really cares?

And to be honest with you, I do believe his words was he would consider setting down with McCain when the times comes to try to come to an agreement, from day one I am not sure he knew how he would handle this issue.

Now, you want someone who lies and flip flops daily on you, that would be McCain and not just with the small stuff, it is the BIG STUFF.

Anti-Obama book in in the works:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080623/pl_politico/11263

Obama wants to get elected so eagerly, before people know the real him.

Wake up!

$300 million cannot buy integrity. HUGE mistake, but then again obama is who he is. No fluff cover of People magazine can change that.

As much as it might seem unlikely, I am
not convinced that Obama will be the
nominee come August. Hillary might be
"campaigning' with him, but has anyone thought that by doing that she remains in the spotlight? This race is not over till the fat lady sings.
Glen

Obama Moves To Reintroduce Himself to Voters

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062201964.html?hpid=topnews

Obama Has proven he needs some mental health time.

The guy is going over the deep end.

I guess he found some more funding, to launch a redo Michelle Campiagn.

Now to redo Himself Campaign.

Some Please tell Him this is the race for President of the United States.

Not the Jr High Pep rally king and queen.

hotline at 847-697-2380

Mr Obama Local toll free number for you. You can even add it to speed dial.

This article, Obama's 143 Days of Senate Experience, from by Cheri Jacobus is funny. Obama and our nation is getting more and more ridiculous.

"Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days? Not much.

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working.

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan.

143 days -- I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.

In contrast, John McCain's 26 years in Congress, 22 years of military service including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in Hanoi now seem more impressive than ever. At 71, John McCain may just be hitting his stride."

Name ANY candidate that hasn't changed their mind several times in the past six months.

There are NONE. McCain, Obama, and Clinton all reversed their positions more than once.

Calling a politician a "flip-flopper" or a "liar" is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indianapolis 500.

Aston: Public financing of campaigns makes no sense to me whatsoever. It does not stop the peddling of influence on D.C.; it is a socialist way of running campaigns. Where does the money come from? It's the US Treasury, so we all end up paying for the largess of these campaigns (whether we like the candidate or not). There is absolutely nothing wrong with lobbying groups and so-called special interests funding political campaigns - it is free speech to do so and the courts have agreed on that multiple times.

So, to me, McCain is taking food stamps for no reason. He needs to just go out and raise money the ol' fashioned way. If he has something good to sell, he'll have no shortage of people willing to buy.

143 days in the senate.

Obama has just about that many present votes over 100 present votes. Where he choose not to do his job. Choose not to take a stand for people.

Obama works with mind conditioning and manipulation. The only truth his followers will know is what Obama tells them is the truth, whether it is or not.
He owns them.

McCain opt[ed] into public financing, accepted the spending limits and then profited from that opt-in by securing a campaign saving loan. And then he used some clever, but not clever enough lawyering, to opt back out. And the person charged with saying what flies and what doesn't -- the Republican head of the FEC -- said he's not allowed to do that. He can't opt out unilaterally unless the FEC says he can.

The most generous interpretation of what happened is that McCain's lawyer came up with an ingenious legal two step that allowed him to double dip in the campaign finance system, eat his cake and spend it too. But even if you buy that line, successful gaming of the system doesn't really count as strict adherence. And the point is irrelevant since the head of the FEC -- a Republican -- says McCain cannot do this on his own.

There is nothing new about Obama's politics. He runs the dirtiest campaign I have witnessed so far. The only thing is that he has somehow managed to get the fawning media to overlook all his flaws. The good news though is that his campaign has lost momentum. Support for Obama started waning towards the end of the Democratic primary. In fact, I sense some of the media are beginning to be disillusioned by was they see as a false dawn. Obama is a fake. Campaign contributions for Obama are falling. Now this country awaits for a bigger skeleton to be pulled out from his closet. Rev. Wright, Tony Rezko...who next.

Anyone who puts a politician up on a pedestal is looking for disappointment. And for you to compare your old boss and his tactics with the public financing issue and Obama is pretty ridiculous and rather insulting.

Obama built off the grassroots fund raising that Dean started years ago and bravo to him. He's allowed to change his mind on issues. And guess what? It probably won't be the last time that happens! I know, shocking! Obama is not an angel and a pure idealist brand icon. And yes, he has ambition, is that surprising news? Look at his age and the fact that he is running for President...

The Beltway and the Press may want to spin this happening into a cover story but to echo Donna Brazile on This Week yesterday, it's funny to see folks (like you) try to make this a bigger deal. In terms of his brand, it's just not.

Obama = Hypocrite

Should anyone wonder what is happening to this country just think about this...The Dems want to elect someone with NO experience. We are the result of the people we have put into office to represent us. I used to be proud of my country and I still am but the people living in this country and their changing attitudes scares the heck out of me. Obama isn't going to change anything but his mind, which he does on a regular basis. For this countrys sake wake up and realize whom you are voting for. If you don't research this man you will be standing here four years from now wondering what the hell happened...

When this election is over, Obama's strategy of declining public financing may turn out to be a very wise choice.

Granted, he is going to take a lot of political flak about the decision, especially from the Republicans. But, its doing several things to his benefit too. You can't turn on a news program, or listen to a talk show without his decision being mentioned; and his strategy being second guessed from every angle. This emphasizes his abilities and the strengths of his staff.

Also, Barack has been taking a lower profile recently, and with the media focused on this issue, his next move may largely be unnoticed until it happens.

This focus on the attacks about Barack's character tends to bring his supporters together, and energize them against what many interpret as unfair. The Republican snipes may actually be playing into his hand.

Most importantly, however, this supports Barack's plan of CHANGING THE WAY WASHINGTON WORKS, and his latest move is surely going to change the way campaigns are financed. Win or lose, he has already begun to change the status quo.

We are seeing history being made.

ABC still a reliable republican shill, I see.

Just another example of Obama not just being a fraud but a bonefide idiot. He is incapable of fully thinking thru a problem with or without a telepromter.

143_days: Need you be reminded as well as Cheri Jacobus using her analogy, that John McCain who now enjoys a 61%, That's sixty one percent, ABSENTEE record from his job as a U.S. Senator, (# 1 of all 100 Senators, would comparably have only 9 years of service in his elected position. Furthermore, when equating experience, it's naive to not consider experience of a state legislator where they have a more direct contact with their constituents. Especially from a state of 16 million population and as diverse as Illinois as compared to a state such as Arizona with a 6 million population. Also just how can anyone equate 1,966 days sitting in a cell as a learning experience for President?

I would like to point out to Dowd the maneuver by McCain and his lobbyist campaign chair, Rick Davis, in the establishment of the "McCain 2008 General Election Compliance Fund." As Davis described this backdoor move for financing, "a new hybrid legal", method of raising funds. Fund raising so far in this political contest has created some anomalies. While Barack Obama has enjoyed record breaking totals, the DNC has been lackluster in their efforts to raise capital. Just the opposite for Republicans, McCain has had problems while the RNC has out raised the DNC 6-1. McCain's situation has been attributed to his lack luster appeal to the Republican deep pocket movers and shakers who are spending their capital to finance more state local elections in battleground states where it looks like their incumbent Republican Congressmen or Senators will have problems. On the Obama front where it appears likely that Senator Obama will win the Presidency, the movers and shakers of the DNC have been holding back their capital for local levels in light of the phenomenal success of Obama's fund raising, and hoping his success will spill over to state level's, which to some extent it has as witnessed by the recent special elections at state level won by Democrats. Obama, by continuing on the same fund raising track he has been on has also announced the establishment of campaign efforts hopefully in all 50 states. Had he accepted public financing, he would not have been able to do this and battle the plans of McCain and the RNC combined.

devilkev,

1966 days in a Hanoi cell is simply more patriotic than 7300 days as a member of Trinity church, worshipping Wright.

Obama is the biggest hypocrit in the whole election. He will put his self-interest on the top of his principles. This is not the change we can believe in.

nobama.........good post..

So true. Obama's piggishness will come back to haunt him. Paid media advantages of 3 and 4 to one could not save Obama's candidacy in PA, WV or KY. He got blasted out of the water by a near bankrupt Hillary Clinton. Why? Because many folks just won't vote for him. No amount of slick advertising will change that. It will only pile on and offend. More than that his fundraising prowess will crowd out the ability of other Dems and the DNC to raise money causing trouble on the down ballot. Worse his fund raising juggernaut seems to be losing steam. After all, if you are working three jobs so you pay for your handicapped sister's health insurance how much more money can you give to Barack Obama? More likely he will need to start to press the flesh among the fat cats and further contribute to his elitist image while John McCain, ever stolid, cruises on, maverick that he is shooting his straight talk in the back of the bus and winning our hearts and minds slowly and surely from the empty suit -- all five of them.

Washington politics! Same ol' same ol'

*I* thought it was funny that McCain had his best fundraising month to date in May. His Primary was done in March. So if he wasn't taking donations for the Primary, what was he doing?

1. He was going to spend all of his donations before September attacking Obama, get $89 million, and then use the government's money to attack him again, or

2. He'd found a weasel away the no donations for the general election.

For somebody who claims to be in favor of campaign finance reform, McCain is a master of cheating on it. And he should be, since he wrote it. If I were Obama, once I saw the fundraising numbers for McCain in May, I wouldn't accept public financing either. It's obvious that McCain was not being honest on it.

Well it's like Obama said to Canada. Don't worry about it; it is only campaign rhetoric. Obama's promise for change in politics... JUST WORDS. The big speech he gave stating that ONLY when you run solely on public financing can you be free of lobbyists. And he is still taking money from Rezko's bundlers; as of the fundraiser just last week.

Nobama for me. I vote for hope. I think I'll write in Hillary's name and HOPE she wins.

Would it be possible for Obama supports to promise to shut their mouth when they hear a candidate in the future, especially a Republican one, forsake public financing of a campaign? Naw, I guess that was a stupid question!

They are both absolutely horrible excuses for candidates. However, Obama is not the essence of unification as some believe. I see millions of Americans being fooled by empty promises that emphasize NO personal responsibility of any kind. Bob Barr in 2008 for sure.

Ever since Barack started lying in March about what he knew and when he knew it concerning Jeremiah Wright's anti-American ravings, Barack has been contradicting his projected image as someone who abhors politic as usual. Even Jeremiah said he was just another politician.

His latest ad lies about him passing legislation he had nothing to do with.

Obama has his own brand alright!! The brand that keeps on giving!! He has, again, managed to irritate Hillary supporters by saying "they will get over it"!! Big surprise, Obama, we will NOT "get over it"!! We are supporting McCain in droves and if you think that you can now ask Hillary to be veep because you NEED her...forget that too! We don't want you!!!

Since his victory in primary Obama has damaged his brand. Obama promised he will bring new fram work of politics to washington based on three principles :
Diplomacy vs war , going beyond idendity politics and lobby politics, and truth.
One can not says that he is to reduce lobby influance but the first meeting he attand id AIPAC meeting that is one the most powerful lobby group in washington and one the main supporter of Iraq war.
Obama can not win by siding with exterme right.

Obama has his own brand alright!! The brand that keeps on giving!! He has, again, managed to irritate Hillary supporters by saying "they will get over it"!! Big surprise, Obama, we will NOT "get over it"!! We are supporting McCain in droves and if you think that you can now ask Hillary to be veep because you NEED her...forget that too! We don't want you!!!

bhrandon--"I think that obamas campaign is pretty smart, i dont think they would have gone against this without some sort of plan". The OBAMA campaign has decided that truth is worthy of a "change" too and winning is just too important to keep your word. Most of his followers do not care about "his word" anyway, they just want him to win because he is ______ (can't say the word because I will be accused of being a racist). And, this is not his first flip-flop, nor will it be his last.

The brand is about removing the influences of Big Money, Corporate donors in politics, and replacing it with the influence of the public (Public finance, small donors). Flip flop is in the eyes of those who wish it to be so. Obama's stance/brand is consistent....

Love the post turtle story.Of couse we know who put him up there-the crooked Chicago pols. Too bad the rest of the country doesn't have the intelligence and insight of a 75 year old Texas farmer!

Thse idiotic stupid super delegates need to do some homework on this empty suit before that August convention. He is not fit to be our President and he comes from the cess pool of Chicago politics. Obama has many dirty little secrets and more scandals and hop[efully they all come out before he actually becomes he NOMINEE. All his oratory and chants are masking the real man who has no experience and one who has risen on other peoples coattails and work to get where he is. "Post turtle " sums it up perfectly. Don't be fooled by this Pied Piper. Wake up America

Matthew Dowd: Truth or Republican Politics

"Dowd has worked for Democrats such as the late Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, (who) and Republicans including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and President George W. Bush, for whom he was chief strategist in 2004"

Lets repeat that: "chief strategist in 2004 for George Bush" are we really going to listen to and believe Bush's strategist?

The flip-flop doesn't matter. It was engineered by Obama's handlers, anyway. They're the ones driving this campaign, not the empty suit behind the teleprompter. Obama will lose because of his "three A's": Accomplishments(None), Attitude(Elitist), Associates(Unsavory).

nobama,antiobama,byeobama etc etc
the time has come its time for a change
forget your bitterness as a gopist or clintonite life goes on. Forget about the past think about the future.

nobama,antiobama,byeobama etc etc
the time has come its time for a change
forget your bitterness as a gopist or clintonite life goes on. Forget about the past think about the future.

I really, really, want to see Obama debate McCain over policy, not have his closed meetings with swooning supporters that think electing a president is the same as picking your favorite rock star. Some of his policy seems way out there and not cohesive with what we need in this rapidly evolving crisis here in our country. We need to balance out what we are doing right now. There isn't this open checkbook for entitlements that he wants to shower on everybody. We can't even pay our bills now. He makes no sense. Do you really want the far left to call all of your shots. They want huge government? Where has that gotten us.

Dowd is a republican shill.

"Branding"? I'm glad I read RealClearPolitics.com where one gets a real-time sense of how terms like this enter the pundit vocabulary. A brand is expressly designed to hide all kinds of things - real value, real quality, real usefulness. So why use it? It's a term the media uses to simplify a complex political world.

michafaith --- You are SO CORRECT. Obama has not an ounce of good judgment---you can ask any other man on this planet if you tell your wife "get over it" what do you think her reaction is going to be?! Hasn't Obama learned anything about woman---you know a woman scorned! We do not like the man because he has TOO MANY FLAWS, HIS TIES to a black supremest church, who audience laughs when they hear the hateful comments directed toward whites---he calls professional woman "sweeties" and now he says "get over it". I could go on but not enough time to waste on this man. No Barack Hussein Obama in 2008.

Don't worry about Obama's position on any issue. It will "CHANGE" if he needs to change it. Obama, the Mitt Romney of the democratic party.

Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop, say and do anything to get elected.

Obama, the Joke.

Obama has judgment. Say anthing and do anything to get elected. Attended a racist church, pretended to be a post-racial candidate. Behaves worse than a typical politician, talks about new politics.

Now, the bloody fools who supported Obama, the joke is on you.

I can think of many things that might damage the Obama brand but forgoing public finance is not one of them. This is only an issue in the minds of beltway types and in particular right wing beltway types like Dowd who will do anything they can to prevent an Obama presidency. Basically electoral finance is riddled with loopholes and the public knows it. These loopholes are exploited by both left and right, usually a bit more effectively by the right because the business world which has the money tends to favor the Republicans. Now for the first time a Democratic presidential candidate appears to have more money than the Republican so of course they all start expressing shock and horror. Give it a break Dowd you're as phony as a $3 bill.

Smoke, mirrors, empty promises and broken pledges.

All aboard Obama supporters! The next Pied Piper departs Hamlin in 15 minutes.

Smoke, mirrors, empty promises and broken pledges.

All aboard Obama supporters! The next Pied Piper departs Hamlin in 15 minutes.

The NYTs reported today that Obama is being supported big time by the ethanol special interests. He has corn silk growing out of those big ears of his. It's a joke to suggest that he is not influenced by big money. And what about big labor? Or his buddy the shadowy George Soros? Will Mike Meyers play him in the movie? He has so many people fooled. Bunncha dopes!

McCain may not have as much money, but the people will trust him more than Obama. When the time comes to vote, people will ask themselves who is this Obama and what does he stand for. McCain is well known and people know his weakness and strengths and just trust him more and he will be elected. It will be close but he will win.

I believe Obama did the right thing by turning down public financing. First of all, didn't McCain get burned by a 527 during the primaries...By an Ultra-Conservative within his own party? The Republican Attack Machine is primed and pumped for the general election, and the talking points are already being pushed that Obama flip-flopped on an important stance. But if I'm in business, why would I want to cut my product line by fifty percent, in order to give my competitor a fair shake? So you say that Obama is not about change? How can change take place if the person who is talking about change ties both hands behind his back in a fight to win the Presidency? Obama got tagged with heavy punches constantly during the primaries, and to a fault didn't fight back like I thought he should have. If I was the one that raised $230 mil. during the primaries, and decided to take a loss of $140 mil during a similar period against a political pro that will gain the backing of 527's who will attack with impunity, I'd deserve to lose. The only reason why McCain is taking public funding is because he BORROWED public money to keep his primary campaign afloat. He needs parity to stay in the race with Obama. Obama is in to win, but he's also in this race to bring about real change in the White House. Let's hope once Obama is elected that the rest of Washington will follow.

I believe Obama did the right thing by turning down public financing. First of all, didn't McCain get burned by a 527 during the primaries...By an Ultra-Conservative within his own party? The Republican Attack Machine is primed and pumped for the general election, and the talking points are already being pushed that Obama flip-flopped on an important stance. But if I'm in business, why would I want to cut my product line by fifty percent, in order to give my competitor a fair shake? So you say that Obama is not about change? How can change take place if the person who is talking about change ties both hands behind his back in a fight to win the Presidency? Obama got tagged with heavy punches constantly during the primaries, and to a fault didn't fight back like I thought he should have. If I was the one that raised $230 mil. during the primaries, and decided to take a loss of $140 mil during a similar period against a political pro that will gain the backing of 527's who will attack with impunity, I'd deserve to lose. The only reason why McCain is taking public funding is because he BORROWED public money to keep his primary campaign afloat. He needs parity to stay in the race with Obama. Obama is in to win, but he's also in this race to bring about real change in the White House. Let's hope once Obama is elected that the rest of Washington will follow.

I agree with the writer of this article. Barack better watch out for his brand. If you're selling "change" and "trustworthiness," you better stick to selling those two things. Even he doesn't believe in his own brand -- he's off now meeting with his corporate buddies in the Ethanol business, trying to figure out the best way to keep Ethanol made in South America out of this country, never mind that their sugar cane ethanol is better than that produced here by Barack's Big League Ethanol manufacturers.

As long as human nature remains the same all of this bull about 'change' will be just another bill of goods that is being sold along with the snake oil. Please!!!!! I have lived long enough to hear this 'change' nonsense several times in a lifetime and it turns out to be the same thing every time---bull!!!!!

Another lie from Hussein. What else is new? I can't believe that people fell for this idiot. We can only hope the real Obama will come out before the convention,and maybe they will see he is unelectable. I have had it with the Democratic Party. Left Wing Lunatics. And to think I was one for over thirty years. Not anymore. I hope Hillary runs as an independent.

When farting in the bathtub is outlawed, only outlaws will fart in the bathtub.

obama is a lying sack!

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

What do you expect from Matthew Dowd? This man was "chief strategist" for George W. Bush in 2004!!!

Thanks for ripping out our country, Matthew! Way to go!

Gimme a break...Ridiculous.

The thing about the Obama brand that nags at me most is the single mother from Kansas bit. The media parrots this phrase daily. Yet I read a New York Times article months ago that listed among her accomplishments (if I remember correctly) a PhD in anthropology, some serious scholarship, and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. If she were alive today, what would she think of being stereotyped as a single mother from Kansas? I'm from Kansas. I can verify that the most typical response from someone who learns I'm from Kansas is something with "red shoes" and "yellow brick road" in it. There's some sort of mythology about Kansas that makes it a never-never land for most people. Please understand, I'm not denigrating Kansas. I happen to love the vastness of the western Kansas prairies. I just don't like the myths about Kansas. I'm not denigrating Mr. Obama's mother. I think she must have been a truly exceptional person, from what little I know about her. My question is why was she stereotyped as a single mother from Kansas by the Obama campaign when she could have been represented in so many other, seemingly more accurate and honest, ways? How can I trust the Obama brand when it seems to me that he threw his mother under the bus even before he pitched his white grandmother under for being a racist, and