Political Perceptions: How Obama Can Get the Big Mo Back

Sen. Barack Obama , who isn’t showing much momentum in national polls, may be looking for some new ways to get traction. Slate’s John Dickerson sees a couple of changes in his style in recent days. He seems resolved to “keep it big”—that is, to remind voters that “big issues are at stake. By stressing the enormity of the problems the nation faces, Obama hopes to show Americans that he understands how unhappy they are with the country’s direction.” He also seems to be trying to show more emotion. “Speaking in Albuquerque, N.M., Monday about equal pay for women, Obama said that he didn’t want his daughters ‘to ever confront a situation where they are disadvantaged because of their gender. The thought of it makes my blood boil.’ Really?” And finally, Obama seems determined to go after Sen. J ohn McCain harder: In the last few days, Dickerson writes, “he’s made his attacks even sharper, emphasizing the link between McCain and Bush and portraying McCain as a poll-driven Washington ... (link)