From US News and World
Obama Looking To Shape Image
On its front page, the Washington Post reports Sen. Barack Obama has "moved aggressively to shape his campaign and offered a clear road map for the kind of candidate he is likely to become in the months ahead: an ambitious gamer of the electoral map, a ruthless fundraiser and a scrupulous manager of his own biography in the face of persistent concerns about how he is perceived." With his first general election ad focusing on his biography, Obama "acknowledged ongoing concerns among his advisers that voters do not know whether he shares the values and beliefs of ordinary Americans, a potentially critical vulnerability." The Washington Times also says that "nearly all U.S. voters recognize" Obama's name, but "the problem is, many don't know much about his background or where he stands on the issues, and Republicans and groups working for his defeat in November are working to define him on their terms." In the Washington Post, Howard Kurtz says Obama "has demonstrated an ability to mesmerize 20,000 people in an arena, but for all his sudden fame, most voters know little about the texture of his life. Now, in ways large and small, he and his staff are trying to add some dabs of color to a gauzy portrait, using media coverage to convey the sense of a down-to-earth fellow." On NBC Nightly News, Kevin Corke reported, "For Barack Obama, two key general election strategies are emerging, as the Illinois senator looks to build on momentum following his tough primary fight. ... First, Obama hopes to blanket the airways with TV ads, reintroducing himself to the American people, part of a 50-state strategy Democrats hope will force the Republicans to fork out big dollars in places they hadn't planned to. ... Another Obama strategy? Equate a McCain presidency with a third Bush term."
The good thing? You know Obama's tricks.
