Hope: The Sequel - For Obama & Co., this time around it’s all about fear.

New York Magazine ^ | May 27, 2012 | John Heilemann

[2ndDivisionVet]

David Plouffe sits in his White House office, just a few steps from the Oval, staring at an oversize map of these United States. It’s late afternoon on May 9, two hours after Barack Obama’s declaration that his evolution on gay marriage has reached its terminus. The president is down the hall and on the phone, discussing his decision’s theological implications with several prominent African-American pastors—while Plouffe is being queried about its political dimensions by a querulous Caucasian reporter. The map at which Plouffe is gazing isn’t the electoral kind with the states shaded blue and red; as a federal employee, he notes wryly, “I’m not permitted to have one on the wall.” But given the way his head is hardwired, I’m pretty sure Plouffe is seeing those colors regardless.

The question of whether Obama’s new stance narrows or widens his path to victory in November is one that Plouffe and his comrades have been agonizing over since early this year, when their boss returned from vacation and told them he wanted to take the plunge. The possible political benefits are clear: jazzing up young voters, ginning up gay dollars. As are the costs: turning off socially conservative Democrats and independents, particularly in four pivotal swing states—Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia. But as to the net effect of the announcement on Obama’s ability to accumulate 270 electoral votes, his adjutants are unable to render a firm verdict. “I think there is more upside potential than downside potential,” Plouffe says. “But is there a scenario where it’s harder? Yes.”

Such scenarios don’t rest easily with Plouffe, the nothing-to-chance operative who rose to prominence as Obama’s 2008 campaign manager....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Eight page article.

[Viking2002]

'“He’s the fifties, he is retro, he is backward, and we are forward—that’s the basic construct,” says a top Obama strategist.'

If only we could hope that Romney would have that much spine.

"We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power..... the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

--Patrick Henry, to the Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775

[NCcatdaddy]

“The question of whether Obama’s new stance narrows or widens his path to victory in November is one that Plouffe and his comrades have been agonizing over since early this year, when their boss returned from vacation and told them he wanted to take the plunge.”

yeah sure, if you say so.

well, he got the comrades part right.

[maxwellsmart_agent]

There’ll be no sequel! Do you think everybody forgets how he crammed that health insurance bill down our throats?

[TornadoAlley3]

lots of profanity in 8 pages.

[printhead]

the wide stance is something 0 can relate to as well.