When I first read what you posted, I really expected that Obama had come off the sidelines and took Clinton on in a new way.
Then I read your dairy and realized it was the same stuff we've heard since March.
He is uncomfortable calling Clinton out by name. He isn't offering anything new.
We have all heard the "I opposed this war from the beginning" thing 1,000,000 times. We heard the spin from his campaign that he is "different" 1,000,000 times. It has him where he is in the polls today. Repackaging it isn't going to help in my mind.
Obama has to make a decision. He is happy playing on the JV or is he ready to try out for the varsity.
Lets look at facts.
He is running a safe, polite campaign. Similar to Edwards in '04.
He is spending a lot of time and money targeting a voter segment that isn't going to help him win the primary. But will be very helpful to him 4 or 8 years down the road, when they can afford to write $200, or $2000, instead of $20 dollar checks.
Yeah, I'm not particularly open to being persuaded but I always hope for a stronger speech from Obama. He has to do a better job translating his 2002 judgment into a meaningful difference with Clinton over how to lead the country in 2009. The forward looking aspects of the speech are indistinguishable from what any Democratic candidate would say. Nice effort by Geekesque, but it is never good when you have to fisk your candidate's speech to give it punch.
Less then twelve weeks left (skipping the holidays) and I think Clinton fund raising dominates this week. Can Obama get a hit next week?
