Carville: Obama Needs To Get Mad



James Carville, a Louisiana Democrat and bullet headed Clinton loyalist, helped do something not doesn't too often in modern Presidential history, namely: getting a Democrat elected President. Twice. So whether or not we agree with his characterization of Governor Richardson as a "Judas" notwithstanding (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment), his advice to Senator Obama should be heeded.

Thanks Pat Murphy for the Facebook Update, and this piece, by James Carville, from the San Francisco Sentinel:

"With all of the vice presidential buzz in the air and the Democratic convention just days away, what’s most important is what Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign does following his speech to the masses at Invesco Field next Thursday.

"Quite simply, he needs to create a more compelling narrative on change, use history as a context for the economy, and get mad about something.

"First and foremost, Obama must bring a narrative to his position as a change agent. You can’t simply seek change for change’s sake.

"The argument must be made that this is an election with two choices: the change-seeking good guys or the status quo-clinging bad guys. The campaign needs to brand every negative attack by the Republicans as just another desperate attempt of the status quo clinging to power.

"Obama’s campaign should argue that all of our political friends have the courage to break from the same old game in Washington in order to provide the change we need, while all of Sen. McCain’s friends in Washington refuse a new direction for America.

"McCain keeps trying to claim he’s a 'change Republican.' I don’t really know what that means, but Obama and his team must continue to highlight the 'McSame' that he offers: more of the same failed Iraq policy, more of the same tax breaks for oil and drug companies, more of the same Swift-boat-style tactics, more of the same on education and healthcare.

"And he certainly offers more of the same failed Bush economic policy, which leads me to my next point.

"Obama can connect with voters on the economy by using history as a guideline. He should start by reading 'Unequal Democracy,' by Princeton academic Larry Bartels. The non-partisan and non-political Bartels points out devastatingly after an exhaustive study of Democratic and Republican presidents that the Democrats built a better economy and a more just society.

"The campaign needs to say that, since 1900, Democratic presidents have not only 'won' but dominated on every economic front: GDP growth, employment, deficit and income equality. Need more? How about a better performing stock market and a more fiscally-responsible spending.

"There’s no need to listen to McCain’s marginal rates, death tax, deregulation, trickle-down, supply-side shenanigans because historically Democratic presidencies have produced better economies. And with the economy still in the forefront, it seems like a no-brainer for Obama to talk about the historical supremacy of economies under Democratic presidents.

"And my last piece of advice to Obama and his team is to just get mad about something. Obama’s campaign seems so intent on branding him as a 'cool and calm' leader."

The full article here.