Obama's Dukakis Moment

In one of the 1988 Presidential debates, Michael Dukakis was famously asked if he would seek the death penalty for the hypothetical murderer and rapist of his wife, Kitty. Of course, the correct response to a question like that is, "No. Not really. I think I'd prefer to kill the bastard myself...with my bare hands." Instead, without so much as raising one of his bushy eyebrows, Dukakis calmly and dryly reiterated his opposition to the death penalty. Many political pundits thought the question was out of bounds. In terrible taste. Should've never been asked. Months after George Bush defeated Dukakis in the general election, Bush's campaign advisor and noted GOP dirty trickster Lee Atwater was asked for his take on "the question."

Atwater said that the "murdered and raped Kitty" question terrified him as it was being asked. Because he saw it as a total softball question for Dukakis...a chance for the cold, unemotional Democratic nominee to go ballistic with no consequences. Atwater was afraid that Dukakis would give an answer similar to the one I proposed and that his favorable numbers would go through the roof the next day. Didn't happen.

I think Barack Obama had a big-time Dukakis moment in the Democratic debate last night in Philadelphia. Here's the question and Obama's response:

Brian Williams (Moderator): Senator Obama, we're going to transfer into a new area here. A question specifically for you because you're in a rather unique position. It's about religion and misinformation. Governor Romney misspoke twice on the same day, confusing your name with that of Osama bin Laden.

Your party is fond of talking about a potential swiftboating. Are you fearful of what happened to John McCain, for example, in South Carolina a few years back; confusion on the basis of things like names and religion?

Obama: No, because I have confidence in the American
people.

And I don't pay much attention to what Mitt Romney has to say -- at least what he says this week. It may be different next week.

But there is no doubt that my background is not typical of a presidential candidate. I think everybody understands that. But that's part of what is so powerful about America, is that it gives all of us the opportunity -- a woman, a Latino, myself -- the opportunity to run. And, listen, when I was running for the United States Senate everybody said nobody's going to vote for a black guy named Barack Obama; they can't even pronounce it. And we ended up winning by 20 points in the primary and 30 points in the general election.

The way to respond to swiftboating is to respond forcefully, rapidly and truthfully. And I have absolute confidence in the American people's capacity to absorb the truth, as long as we are forceful in that presentation.

And we are seeing it. As we travel all across the country, we have received enormous support, in states where, frankly, there aren't a lot of African-Americans, and there aren't a lot of Obamas.

Still awake? Look...I'm sorry...but when you're asked, "Senator Obama, does it bother you that a douchenozzle like Mitt Romney is out there calling you 'Osama' from one end of the country to the other?," you've got to get riled up. Like Atwater said back then, that was a no-consequences opportunity to tee Romney up and whack him. To let the American people see some fire behind the ice. Again...didn't happen. Barack, you sold me on your boilerplate a long time ago. Now sell me on your heart. I want some passion. I want 2004 Democratic Convention keynote speaker Obama. I want to see how bad you want it. I want to believe, but...dude, you're losing me.