Monday, August 18, 2008

Hope Is Not Enough

You've got to have hope... and then some.

That's what some Democratic Obama supporters are saying:

These Democrats — 15 governors, members of Congress and state party leaders — say Mr. Obama has yet to convert his popularity among many Americans into solutions to crucial electoral challenges: showing ownership of an issue, like economic stewardship or national security; winning over supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; and minimizing his race and experience level as concerns for voters.

Mr. Obama has run for the last 18 months as the candidate of hope. Yet party leaders — while enthusiastic about Mr. Obama and his state-by-state campaign operations — say he must do more to convince the many undecided Democrats and independents that he would address their financial anxieties rather than run, by and large, as an agent of change — given that change, they note, is not an issue.

One of the people quoted is long-time Hillary Clinton supporter Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio. Is this all just more noise from Clinton supporters or is there a lot here for Obama to take to heart?