Politics 101: Turn the opponent’s strength into a weakness
For the past 9 months, Obama and his campaign has said that, shortly after graduating law school, Barack Obama gave up a high-paying job at a law firm to be a community organizer on the south side of Chicago. This was supposed to demonstrate his humility, his dedication to the community and the social good: he could have chosen the corporate track, but he choose to do good instead.
McCain’s VP nominee Sarah Palin expertly turned his strength into a weakness with one line: “I guess [being a Mayor is] like being a community organizer… except you have actual responsibilities. (paraphrased)”
Obama’s campaign is immediately put in a position to backpedal and defend a line they’ve used hundreds of times. Interesting: the most damaging attacks are often the most simple.
