Then I guess it's a good thing that Obama is getting the foreign policy out of the way now so he can focus on domestic issues in the fall, isn't it?

I agree with you on "gaffe" and "gotcha" politics.  It seems childish to me.

"Gaffe" politics isn't useless, if you can construct a narrative out of it.  People are starting to talk about whether McCain is "confused" now, including whether he is mentally fit to be president.

Seriously, he needs a few days off the road. I don't like giivng advice to the other side, but the past week has been horrible and they keep digging their hole deeper deeper. Charlie Black is no James Baker, but he is a grownup, and surely he sees this.

can't connect with those Latinos.  Look halfway down the page to the part that says; Poll: Latinos favor Obama by big margin.

Actually, I think Obama fully knows the economy is the number one issue. This is why he is getting his foreign policy credentials out of the way now. This fall it will be all about the economy all the time.

Think about it though: Foreign policy is McCain's issue and he has had a shitty weak where that has been all he has had to talk about it. I think his poll numbers are peaking now because he hasn't even started to address the economy in a meaningful way. Once he is forced to, it'll be downhill from there.

I think the Obama team is kicking butt in strategy. Most voters aren't paying super close attention yet but they'll keep seeing the images from the trip. Obama in a helicopter with Petraeus. Obama being greeted warmly by foreign leaders. He has proven his Commander-in-Chief credibility and can know move on ...

It's very possible the Dems could gain just 1-2 Senate seats, lose 13-15 House seats (maybe even lose the House) and a net of -1 on Governors.

Energy could be the Willie Horton of 2008.

Are we talking about the gaffes, hypocrisy or, in many cases, flat out lies from the McCain campaign? Just this afternoon McCain criticized Obama for making speeches outside the US even though he did the very same thing in Canada. And how about that fundraiser thrown by the Ambassedor to Canada? We're not going to give the Republicans the same free ride that the MSM have been giving them for nearly a decade.

I think it's fair to say that Jerome has been shipped off to the remote foreign desk of the blogosphere.  His comments on domestic politics are now completely irrational and do nothing anymore to promote Democratic candidates or ideas.  A shame really because I remember when he co-authored a decent book.  

I believe it's time to coin the phrase 'Jerumped the Shark.'

I agree entirely with Jerome on this. The election is about the economy. For a month now Obama has said very little about the economy or energy prices. He's talked about culture issues and foreign policy.

Now, he had to do that and he's done a great job of it. But now he needs to turn to the economy and energy prices.

On energy, he needs to:

A) Run ads showing McCain himself mocking offshore drilling as a sham.
B) Tout his call for a crackdown on oil speculators; really demonize the oil industry and oil traders
C) Push heavily for domestic alternative energy; the public is actually very supportive of that

He's done a nice job of framing foreign policy as Bush-McCain. Now he needs to call this the Bush-McCain recession.

Next week is when it begins.

Obama is just getting set up in FL(remember there was no reason for a ground game there in the Primary)
McCain's vision of oil platforms off the coast is NOT going to be a winner there.
(not to mention his SS is a disaster moment)

Having the leader of Iraq agree with him and having 200,000 in Germany will reduce the GOP to ads like the one with him and Fidel..

The economy is in the tubes because of 8 years of Cheney/Bush GOP....Obama will tie this to McCain like all those cool knots I had to learn in Navy boot camp 40 years ago.