Centerfield

Is Obama flailing?

Looks like someone is feeling the pressure of the spotlight:

An exasperated Barack Obama scurried away Monday from the toughest news conference of his campaign, telling reporters who kept shouting questions that he'd spent enough time on the grill.

"Come on! I just answered, like, eight questions," Obama, looking surprised, told shouting reporters as he fled the room. "We're running late."

The first question was about a private talk an Obama economic adviser had with a Canadian official - reportedly saying that the harshness of Obama's criticisms of the North American Free Trade Agreement was for political show...

Last week, Obama denied an initial media report about the conversation. But after a Canadian government memo surfaced, he acknowledged yesterday there was a conversation.

"When I gave you that information, that was the information that I had at the time," he said. His camp still disputes the memo's account of the discussion...

"These requests, I think, can just go on forever. ..."

Uhhh, actually they can go on as long a the talking heads want... the media giveth and then the media taketh away.

I admit casual annoyance with Obama on free-trade. In his book Audacity of Hope he seems to be cautiously optimistic about free-trade with a strong nod to re-training programs. He remarks that the only reason he voted against CAFTA is not because he is opposed to free trade, but because the Bush administration cut too much of the re-training money... and it was going to pass anyway. I happen to agree with that position.

However, the Barack Obama in Wisconsin and Ohio seems to be decidedly more against trade, and sometimes rabidly so. This business with his economic adviser and the Canadians have made the situation much worse. True or not, the perception is that Obama is trying to be all things to all people. Hillary is guilty of the same tactic, but people are used to that with her so she isn't getting the negative attention.

The Clinton's simply had their best week in the campaign at the right time, and Barack is looking like a rookie in the run up to Texas and Ohio. Real Clear Politics has her up in the Buckeye State and surging in the Lonestar State. If she has done enough to win the big ones tonight then hold onto your seats. Yes, the media is pushing the idea that she has to win 60% of every remaining state, but as Howard Dean knows, the party establishment can turn on you pretty quick. I don't care what anyone says, the Democratic Party will turn on its own voters in a heart beat if they feel Obama can't stand up to the pressure.

On another note, I don't care how much Bob Schrum is offended by the 3 AM ad, it was effective. Furthermore, it is a fair question, and so far Obama is doing a poor job of answering it. If he loses tonight, he has got to respond quickly and say more than I was against the Iraq War and she was for it.