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Midday Open Thread: Obama Supporters and Pennsylvania Expectations |
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Obama supporters, please do not wax too enthusiastic about the possibility of an Obama win in PA. If you inflate expectations, you will hurt him. Clinton will once again be able to claim comeback kid status, and we all know how aggravating that is.
The line coming out of Pennsylvania should be - regardless of who wins - “Look what an effective campaigner Obama is, and how much ground he made up in just a few weeks.”
If he wins, fantastic. But let’s not make that the expectation.
Take your cue from the campaign. In the lead-up to March 4th, they gambled that he would win Texas outright on primary night, delivering a crippling symbolic blow to Clinton. It was a smart gamble, but it didn’t work.
At that point, all the people who loudly predicted an Obama win were helping the campaign reinforce its message and project confidence and momentum. But for Pennsylvania, the Obama campaign has set expectations lower. So if you want to really help them, match your tone to theirs. Hype the gap-closing, not who gets the crown.
