Brilliant

I love this campaign. This is the way to go--the only way to go. Pam Spaulding at The Blend and Pandagon is freaking out because Obama didn't say "this stupid bitch don't know shit and is a right wing nut" but watch the clip, and watch the ad, and marvel at the strategic brilliance of it:

Obama/Biden on Sixty Minutes, (text of transcript borrowed from Pandagon). You really have to watch and listen to the whole thing to hear Obama basically destroy Palin as a choice with almost southern delicacy. As I explained to my mother when Bill Clinton pauses and sticks his tongue in the side of his mouth its a tell that he is about to draw on his reserves of southern charm to say the unforgiveable and the unbeatably cruel, along the lines of "she's the stupidest woman on earth bless her heart."
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“What do you think of Senator McCain’s vice presidential choice? And how does it change the dynamics of this campaign?” Kroft asked.

“Well, I don’t know Governor Palin, I have not met her before. I had a brief conversation with her after she was selected to congratulate her and wish her luck - but, not too much luck! - on the campaign trial. And she seems to have a compelling life story. Obviously, she’s a fine mother and a up-and-coming public servant,” Obama said. “So, it’s too early for me to gauge what kind of running mate she’ll be.

Commenters over at Pandagon largely disagree, with Mnemosyne and Charles both linking to the new ad "No Change" and Charles observing that this is the way to go:

Obama’s new ad. The opening plays nicely off the “Sarah Palin? Who? Seriously?” vibe, and then switches over to “And?”

My brother and I were discussing strategy yesterday and we are agreed--though mysteriously the Obama campaign has yet to call us--that ignoring Palin is the way to go. People who are going to vote for her because they are single issue voters are going to vote for her regardless. Most people are voting for the top slot, McCain, and discrediting him makes her unpalatable and unchoosable as effectively. She brings McCain something--apparently conservative men like her, most women don't, but she can be a millstone around his neck with centrist swing voters.

aimai