Redefining Obama

Joan Vennochi:

...

John McCain used the summer well. The Republican raised enough doubt about Obama's judgment and ability to relate to average citizens to keep the two men close in the polls. One poll even puts McCain ahead by five points with likely voters. For McCain that is no small victory, given overwhelming voter discontent with the general direction of the country, and specifically with fellow Republican George W. Bush.

In July and August, the McCain campaign has worked hard at painting the picture Republicans want voters to see when they shake the sand out of their sandals and focus on the Democratic nominee.

It's a variation of the same theme Republicans always use against the opposition: Democrat as ultra-liberal, naive, tax-and-spend elitist. Obama will let Russia roll over Georgia just like he's letting the Clintons roll over him in Denver. He will raise taxes, no matter how much Americans are spending to fill their gas tanks.

In 2008, McCain has an added mission. He needs to turn Obama's eloquence into something unappealing.

Republicans didn't have to worry about the inspirational qualities of Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, or John Kerry. At their worst, they were even less eloquent than their GOP opponents. But Obama with a crowd is magic that must be neutralized, and McCain did so by equating Obama with vacuous celebrity.

Obama helped McCain on that score, by overreaching on his trip abroad. He wanted voters to look at him and see a president. They did, but in Germany they also saw the cult of personality overtake a presidential candidate before any American cast a vote.

...

She goes on to describe several ways Obama can lose. He is in fact losing on the issues she lists. At this point Obama appears to have no answer to the vacuous celebrity charge. It has taken him off his game. He has lost his swagger. He still has his snark but it is not cutting through his image as a celebrity who is more interested in your tire inflation than the inflation at the pump. He is with the Democrats in wanting high energy prices and not doing anything to help you get to work.