The Plan to Swift-Boat Obama

Even as Democratic bigwigs Pelosi, Kerry, Leahy, and others try to force Hillary out of the race before 10 states have voted and Michigan and Florida remain uncounted, shadowy Republican operatives and 527 groups are putting their finishing touches on plans to destroy Obama:

The Boston Globe reports that these operatives

are busy arming for the general election, in a year that could see record activity by such outside entities. They are plotting strategy, crafting ad campaigns, and raising millions in “soft money” – largely unrestricted contributions from wealthy individuals, corporations, and labor unions…

One Republican strategist familiar with the plans said Republicans expect Senator Barack Obama, who leads rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race, to be their opponent and have begun assembling material to turn voters against him. “They’re beginning to put the book together on Obama,” said the strategist, who discussed the effort on condition of anonymity.

Many of these operatives honed their skills with the 527 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), a group which ran the slanderous but effective campaign against Senator John F. Kerry, which many credit with derailing his campaign.

John Kerry’s participation in protests against the Vietnam War was small potatoes next to the anti-American, anti-white rants of Obama’s mentor of 20 years, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. These racially charged sermons give the Republicans a gift beyond their wildest dreams, and the damage may have already been done.

Jerome Armstrong already sees the Reverend Wright fallout having fatally wounded Obama in the swing state of Missouri:

In a month, a 1 point McCain lead over Clinton is now 9, and a lead of 2 by McCain over Obama has become 15 percent. It gets worse in MO. McCain’s favorable/unfavorable rating is at 59/40. If McCain already has MO locked up by April, we are in deep trouble.

Obama’s strength in the caucuses has been his ability to attract moderates, independents and a few Republicans. John McCain has spent months shoring up his support with the conservative base of the Republican Party and he is now reaching out to moderates, the very group who will decide this election and who are most offended by Reverend Wright’s sermons.

It’s easy to imagine the Republicans and their 527 groups carpet bombing the electorate in swing states with blistering ads of the Reverend Wright’s rants juxtaposed with a smiling Obama, while disgruntled supporters of Hillary reluctantly pull lever for Obama or simply stay home. It’s important to remember that John Kerry, after the SBVT were finished with him, won the state of Pennsylvania by less that 2% points, and he only won 12 out of 67 counties. Pennsylvania is a must-win for Democrats. John McCain must be feeling very good right now.

The Democratic leaders who are trying short-circuit the nominating process should review the electoral map and decide if a tsunami of red is really the best outcome for the Party and their own jobs. The one thing that is for certain is that the Republican 527s are going to do their best to make sure that happens, particularly if Obama is the nominee. And they already have their battle plans drafted.

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Originally posted at Bud White’s World.