Obama campaign floundering or directionless?

Kid gloves with Palin; possible reverse on 527s?

1. The issue of campaign strategy/chess is getting a lot of punditry play, beginning with a good piece at Salon. Salon notes that Obama-Biden is pushing on the “Palin as liar” theme, which is good because the MSM, and especially a chunk of MSM punditry like Howie Kurtz and the L.A. Times political blog are still giving her at least half a pass.

Democratic consultant Tad Devine, who managed Lloyd Bentsen's Veep campaign in 1988, says it could be counterproductive to spend too much time on Palin. But, Palin gets to McCain’s judgment, or snap judgment, while still offering the possibility of killing two character birds with one stone. See Eagleton, Tom.

2. Kid gloves for Palin? So far, Obama-Biden won’t say Word 1 about the allegations of her affair or about Trig Palin’s parentage, blogged further here, both of which I say could still have political legs.

That said, you don’t have your presidential or vice-presidential candidate broach these things directly. That’s what 527 groups and such are for.

But, Sen. Kumbaya asked MoveOn to shut down its 527 activity, and it stupidly agreed. I can already see more and more of the story line elements of the “how” shaping up if the Dems blow yet another presidential election. (However, look below for more on this.)

Once again, to riff Clauswitz: “Politics is war by other means.”

3. The Quiet Veep — And, speaking of Biden and campaign strategery, hasn’t Sen. MBNA gone kind of quiet again? Is he checking to see if the Fannie-Freddie bailout, despite Obama’s condemnation of a possible CEO golden parachute, is helping his Delaware credit card buddies?

4. I mean, ultimately, the $390 million that Obama’s already got in his pockets from opting out of public financing does no good if he doesn’t start using more now, and using it aggressively.

As Example No. 1, I point out Phil Gramm’s massively funded, and massively failed, campaign. (Of course, his campaign failed because he’s Phil Gramm.)

5. Scholars and Rogues worries that B.O. is going to be too late in getting his ass out of Kumbaya mode. It also points out that part of the reason he has such a massive war chest is he deliberately stiffed MoveOn and other 527s and kept raking in money directly to his campaign.

Obama has made no attempt to hide that he’s a control freak. He’s ordered donors to stay away from 527s and called all the money to his campaign directly. He’s cold-shouldered the grassroots and Netroots. And he’s ignored the blogs like a high school quarterback ignores his 14 year-old sister when his friends are watching.

And Kos and the others have come back for more. Hah!

Meanwhile, S&R points out that B.O. may finally be admitting he effed up this whole line of thinking.

No shit! Is the phrase “campaign surrogate” not even in his vocabulary? Where are women governors Sebelius and Napolitano as part of a takedown on Palin? MIA? Ignored? Overlooked?

Anyway, read the whole S&R post. Obama deservedly gets a good butt-kicking behind the woodshed.